| Raghunath Dhondo Karve | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 January 1882 Murud |
| Died | 14 October 1953 (aged 71) Mumbai |
| Occupation | Professor of Mathematics |
| Education | M.A Mathematics, Diplome d'Etudes Superieures(Paris) |
| Spouse(s) | Malati Raghunath Karve |
Raghunath Dhondo Karve ( R. D. Karve Devanagari: रघुनाथ धोंडो कर्वे/ र. धो. कर्वे) (January 14, 1882- October 14, 1953) was a professor of mathematics and a visionary social reformer from Maharashtra, India. He was a pioneer in initiating family planning and birth control for masses in Mumbai in 1921.
Raghunath was the eldest son of Bharat Ratna Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve. His mother Radhabai died during childbirth in 1891 when he was nine. That event influenced his outlook on the issue of pregnancy.
He was born in Murud. He studied at New English School, Pune. He stood first in matriculation examination conducted in 1899. He went to Fergusson College, Pune and obtained Bachelor of Arts degree in 1904.
Karve started his professional career as a professor of mathematics at Wilson College in Mumbai. However, when he started publicly expressing his views about family planning, population control, and women's right to experience sexual/sensual pleasure as much as men, the conservative Christian administrators of the college asked him to resign from the professorship. He then devoted himself to the above causes.
On his own initiative, Karve started the very first birth control clinic in India in 1921, the same year when the first birth control clinic opened in London.
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Karve published a Marathi magazine Samaj Swasthya (समाजस्वास्थ्य)[1] starting from July 1927 until 1953. In it, he continually discussed issues of society's well being through population control through use of contraceptives so as prevent unwanted pregnancies and induced abortions. He promoted responsible parenting by men, gender equality, and women’s empowerment and right to experience sexual/sensual pleasure. As an illustration of some of Karve's radical thoughts, he expressed the thought that so long as childbirth and venereal diseases are prevented, women could engage in promiscuity—even perhaps with male prostitutes—for the sake of variety in sexual pleasure, if they so desire, without in fact harming their husbands.
Karve's wife, Malati, supported his cause though it brought them social ostracism besides his loss of his professorial career. She shared the couple's financial responsibility, and the two chose to remain childless.
Literary critic M V Dhond has written three essays on Karve. In the third essay, he analyses why Karve was not as successful in his mission as much as Margaret Sanger and Marie Stopes, his counterparts in US and UK respectively.
Karve’s mission was not restricted to that of Sanger and Stopes namely happy family life, emancipation of women, control of population. Karve wanted women to have as much sexual freedom and sensual pleasure as men.
Dhond claims contemporary society’s objectives were restricted to those of Sanger and Stopes and hence not only Karve’s mission has a whole suffered, he himself was persecuted by society at large. There were other reasons too: Karve’s unattractive personality, poor finances and lack of networking skills.
It’s unfortunate Karve was not alive when three major events, that make us understand woman sexuality better, took place- 1. Publication of the Kinsey report in 1953 2. Publication of Masters and Johnson’s book in 1966 and 3. Publication of The Hite Report in 1976. These documents have proven how right Karve was with his thoughts on woman's sexuality.
| Article Title | Publication | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ra. Dho.Karve yanchya aayushyatil Nairobiparva | Loksatta | 14.10.2001 |
| Kutumbaniyajanache aadhya purskarte | Navashakti | 11.11.2001 |
| Lok bhitat mhanun | Mahanagar | 09.02.2002 |
| Raghunathrao Karve aani char French grahasta | Mahanagar | 23.02.2002 |
| Prof. Ra. Dhon. Karve aani Dr.Manoramabai Thatte-wad | Mahanagar | 09.03.2002 |
| Raghunthravanchya hatche don durmil lekh | Mahanagar | 27.04.2002 |
| Karve aani Karve, | Mahanagar | 23.03.2002 |
| Raghunathrav aani Narhapant Joshi | Mahanagar | |
| Raghunathravanche prashansak aani virodhak:Ke.Bha.Lele | Mahanagar | 06.04.2002 |
| Ra.Dhon.Karve, ganitache uchcha shikshan va Paris | Mahanagar | 21.09.2002 |
| Raghunathrao Karve aani Shankarrao Kirliskar | Mahanagar | 07.09.2002 |
| Shastriya sangeeache jankar Ra. Dhon.Karve | Mahanagar | 05.10.2002 |
| Raghunathrao, Gandhiji aani santatiniyamana | Mahanagar | 04.01.2002 |
| Raghunathrao Karve aani Shakuntala Paranjapye | Mahanagar | 13.07.2002 |
| Raghunathrao Karve aani Manoramabai Khabade-wadachya nimittane | Mahanagar | 27.07.2002 |
| Captain Pillai aani Shree Rhushi: Doghanchya don tarha | Mahanagar | 24.08.2002 |
| Prof.Karve aani Prof. Phadke | Mahanagar | 29.06.2002 |
| Raghunathrao karve,Prabhakar Padhye va V.Shantaram | Mahanagar | 25.05.2002 |
| Samajswasthamadhil lakshavedhak lekhan | Mahanagar | 10.08.2002 |
| Raghunathravanche 'Jeevan' masikatil lekhan | Mahanagar | 14.12.2002 |
| 'Samajswastha' tikave mhanun wachakanchya suchana | Mahanagar | 26.10.2002 |
| Raghunathrawansambandhichicha pahila vyaktichitratmak lekh | Mahanagar | 22.06.2002 |
| Raghunathrawanche 'Vasundhare'til lekhan | Mahanagar | 08.06.2002 |
| Raghunathrao, Dr.Robinson va Dr.Ellis | Mahanagar | 23.11.2002 |
| Prof.R.D.Karve yanche samikshatma lekhan | Mahanagar | 11.01.2003 |
| Shodha Raghunathrawancha | Mahanagar | 01.02.2003 |
| Dr.Ya.Di.Phadake yana anavruta patra | Mahanagar | 08.02.2003 |
| 'Samajswasthya'kar:Lekhakachi bhumika | Lalit | Diwali 2004 |
| Soshik Samajsevika | Lokprabha | Diwali 2001 |
| Ra.dhon.Karve,Ra.Shri.Jog aani Mardhekar | Zapurza | Diwali 2003 |
| Ra.Dhon.Karve:Shodhayatra | Audumbar | Diwali 2004 |
| Akher | Dharmabhaskar | Diwali 2002 |
| Saradechi patre | Dharmabhaskar | Diwali 2005 |