Raghunath Karve

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Raghunath D. Karve (1882-1953) was an Indian professor, reformer and a visionary. He was instrumental in initiating family planning and birth control for masses in Mumbai, India.

Raghunath, the eldest son of the well known social reformist Bharat Ratna Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve, was a professor of mathematics at Wilson College in Mumbai. His mother died during childbirth in 1891 when he was very young, an experience which coloured his outlook on the issue of pregnancy. He sacrificed his successful academic career to devote himself to the causes of birth control and women's reproductive health. He was asked to resign by the conservative Christian administrators of the college. He started the very first birth control clinic in India in 1921 on his own initiative, in the same year when the first-ever birth control clinic had opened in London. Although there is little public awareness about reproductive health issues and open discussion about sex is still a taboo, his contribution proves to be revolutionary and pioneering. His pursuits caused him social ostracism and public humiliation. Karve started a Marathi magazine named Samaj Swasthya from 15 July 1927 to 1953 that discussed issues of social well being and advised men and women to use contraceptives so as to make men see reason in taking their share of responsibilities in parenting a child and prevent unwanted pregnancies thereby reducing incidence of induced abortions.

However, Raghunath was fortunate to have a deeply supportive spouse, who participated in his work and bore the financial responsibility of their family. In 1923, he talked about gender equality and women’s empowerment—ideas that were nonexistent at the time.

His biography, in Marathi, is written by Y D Phadke.