Our Inspiration

Late Dhanaji Nana alias Dadasaheb Chaudhari
(14.05.1891 - 29.12.1952)
Founder of Janata Shikshan Mandal and creator of New Khiroda

Dhanaji Nana alias Dadasaheb Chaudhari, the founder of our Parent body, was a Police Inspector in the British Raj. Inspired by the clarion call of Mahatma Gandhi, he abandoned his service and plunged into the struggle for independence in 1930. He then established a Swaraj Ashram at his native place Khiroda, situated at the foot hills of Satpuda Ranges of the Jalgaon District with twenty five young Freedom Fighters.

This Ashram very soon became a vibrating centre of freedom struggle in this part of the country inspiring hundreds of villages to participate in the struggle for Independence and also became the centre of constructive programmes of Mahatma Gandhi i.e. Prabhat Pheris, Spinning and Weaving, Village industries and removal of untouchability etc.

This Ashram caught the attention of National leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Prasad, Acharya Vinoba Bhave, Shankarrao Deo etc. Mahatma Gandhi then entrusted to Dhanaji Nana Chaudhari the ownerous responsibility of organizing the Fiftieth Session of Indian National Congress at Faizpur, which was the ever first session to be held in rural India.

After the brutal assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the then Bombay State Government with the intention to commemorate the memories of father of nation, organized the District Sarvodaya Centres in every district of the State, for starting all-round development of tribals. Dadasaheb Chaudhari was appointed as Director of East Khandesh Sarvodaya Centre. As a Director of the Centre he organized the Tribal Labour Societies and Village Credit Co-operative Societies in the tribal village to create classless society free from exploitation. The success of these societies threatened the money lender and forest contractors that their sources of exploitation would be endangered. They, therefore, assassinated him on 29th December, 1952 (through the hiring) so that his work is put to an end.

The work, however, did stop but continued till today with firm determination and vigour.