Bhiku Ramji Idate

Bhiku Ramji Idate, known as Dada Idate, is a social worker who has spent more than five decades working for India’s nomadic, semi-nomadic and denotified communities. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2023 in the field of social work, from Maharashtra ^[1].

From teaching to activism

Idate was born on 2 June 1949 in a small village in Ratnagiri district ^[2]. He began working life as a teacher but left the job because of his concern for poor nomadic tribes, and has worked among such communities ever since ^[2].

In 1992 he set up the Savitribai Phule Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, which opened the way to higher education for poor students in the backward Mandangad taluka ^[2]. It now runs colleges, junior colleges, high schools, residential ashram schools and a hostel for students from backward classes in Mandangad and Dapoli ^[2]. He also founded the Bhatke Vimukta Vikas Parishad and eight other bodies working for these communities ^[2].

Marches and commissions

In 1990 he led a march carrying the message of Phule and Ambedkar through every district of Maharashtra, covering about 7,000 km in 47 days, and in 2005 a similar journey of nearly 8,000 km ^[2]. He chaired a committee on these communities set up by the Maharashtra government in 1999 ^[2]. In 2015 he was appointed chairperson of the national commission for denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, which made recommendations for their welfare, and later chaired the central development and welfare board for these communities ^[2].

He has written seven books and many articles, and his awards include the Swami Vivekanand Seva Sanman in 2005 and the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Prabodhan Award in 2010 ^[2].