'Oxford of the East' and on the verge of becoming a smart city — that's Pune's for you. But the authorities seem least bothered about the poor condition of India's first all-women school
The inside of the Savitribai Phule all-women's school in Pune. Not many are even aware of its existence in spite of it being located in the heart of the city
Pune: 'Oxford of the East' and on the verge of becoming a smart city — that's Pune's description for you. So then, you can imagine the shock that the authorities seem least bothered about the poor condition of the country's first all-women school, which Pune has the distinction of housing.
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Critical condition
Founded on January 1, 1848, by Savitribai and her husband Jyotirao Phule at Bhidewada in Budhwar Peth, the structure is in a shambles. While government authorities repeatedly avoid answering questions on why nothing has been done yet, not many are even aware of its existence in spite of it being located in the heart of the city. The premises takes up 1,480 sqm of the plot measuring 2,500 sqm.
On January 3, Savitribai's 186th birth anniversary was observed. And to pay tribute to her, even Google made a doodle. It's just her hometown that doesn't seem concerned. Anyone paying a visit to the school premises will be able to see its pathetic condition - walls crumbling, pillars already down and lying haphazardly, a wooden staircase broken partially, empty liquor bottles strewn about, etc. The area is spruced up just prior to any anniversary of either Phule, to avoid controversy.
Savitribai Phule all-women's school in Pune's Bhidewada in Budhwar Peth. Pics/Mandar Tannu
It's sub judice
In 1998, a local builder procured the wada and prepared a plan to make it into a commercial-cum-residential area. The 40 tenants staying in the area were promised possession of the new houses in 15 months. Nearly 80 per cent of the work on the new building on the plot was done when the Mahatma Phule Rashtriya Smarak Samata Bhoomi Bachav Kruti Samiti was formed and it moved court against the new structure, saying that a heritage building (ie the school) stood on the plot, and hence, nothing new could be allowed to come up. The Pune Municipal Corporation then issued a stop-work notice to the builder. Later, the builder filed a reply petition, which was rejected; in 2006, he and the tenants moved the high court, but for the last four years, no hearing has taken place.
Anger towards apathy
Phule's great granddaughter Neeta Hole (48), a Narhe resident, said, "He owned a lot of property in Pune, just like Tata and Birla. But he sacrificed it all for social reform, and yet his work has been buried under red tape." "In 2012, R5 crore was sanctioned for the structure's restoration, but the red tape showed up again, and now, the government claims that the work can't resume as the case is in court. My only appeal is finish the work as it's for the women's empowerment programme," she added.
Pratima Pardeshi
Professor Pratima Pardeshi, a volunteer with Satya Shodak Prabhodhan Mahasanga who has been fighting for the restoration of the wada, said, "The Phule couple struggled a lot. But it's only on January 3 that politicians and activists remember the wada and the school. On every birth anniversary, they claim that the school will be restored in a year, but nothing happens; just empty promises."
"On the one hand, the government clears all No-Objection Certificates for the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which we are happy about, no doubt; but it should show a similar attitude towards the social reformers, Mahatma Phule and his wife," said Kalyan Akhade, president of Savata Parishad.
Hari Narke
Hari Narke, head of Mahatma Phule Chair, Pune university, and an expert on the social reformer's life and ideology, said, "The builder had claimed that there was no school at the wada. So then, we, with the help of reference books, submitted evidence that there was."
"Mahatma Phule and his wife have sacrificed a lot for the cause of education, but their presence is missing. Pune prides itself on being an education hub, but such an attitude is discouraging," he rued.
Expertspeak
Senior lawyers SK Jain and Sunita Kinkar representing the builder have said that their petition prays for two things. "Our client is ready to settle the issue; he is ready to restore the school building, but the government needs to take appropriate steps. It should grant him extra FSI for his upcoming structure as well as rehabilitate the tenants," they added. Despite repeated attempts, Pune's guardian minister Girish Bapat, who is the MP of the constituency where the school stands, remained unavailable for comment.
Rs 5cr
Amount sanctioned for the structure's restoration in 2012
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