Establishment of Shri Swami Vivekanand Shikshan Sanstha
October 19, 1954 saw
the beginning of a new phase in Bapuji’s career, when he laid the foundation of
a new educational institute in the presence of his colleagues in Murlidhar
temple at Karad. In November 1954, the proposed educational institute was named
after Shri Swami Vivekanand, at the insistance of Swami Ramanand Bharati, the
first president of the Sanstha . Shri Swami Vivekanand Shikshan Sanstha
was duly registered on 31stDecember, 1954 and started functioning on the 5th June, 1955. Bapuji and his colleagues set up
high schools at Kolhapur, Tasgson, Chaphal, Tarale and Undale; a training
college for women at Karad, Boys’ Hostels at Kolhapur and Chaphal. This was
only the modest beginning of Shri Swami Vivekanand Shikshan Sanstha that was
soon to be developed into a massive network with its 260 educational centres
imparting culture & knowledge to 88652 students in the states of
Maharashtra and Karnataka.The Sanstha has the most impressive number of 3160
teaching staff, 1221 Non-teaching and office staff. The Sanstha owns 176
buildings and 70 new buildings are being constructed along with the
construction of the new Head office. The Sanstha has also opened a Co-operative
Bank for its employees.
Motto:
“Dnyan, Vidnyan Ani
Susanskar Yasathi Shikshan Prasar "(Education is with a view to
diffusing Knowledge, Science and good breeding) is the motto of the Sanstha.
Bapuji defines 'Dnyan as the knowledge of truth, character, integrity,
dedication & demolition of exploitative tendencies. Vidnyan consists in the
application of the aforesaid principles to life which, in turn will lead to
ethically good upbringing . Bapuji’s conviction is that since 'Goodness is an
attribute of God, formation of good character should receive due emphasis in
our educational institutes. Hence Sanstha’s official prayer- ‘Hare Ram, Hare Krishna',
a poem composed by Bapuji himself.
Sacrifice:
Bapuji has dedicated
his whole life to the cause of Shri Swami Vivekanand Shikshan Sanstha. He used
to receive only the meagre salary of an assistant school teacher right from the
inception at the Sanstha. In 1962, he bequeathed his inherited property to the
Sanstha at the inauguration of late Dnyanojirao Salunkhe High-School, named
after his father, at Patan. In addition to this, he donated large amounts of
money to the Sanstha from time to time. He diverted the sum of Rs.1,37,000/- he
had received as ‘Gurudakshina' in 1973 towards the expenditure at the Sanstha.
Again, in 1981, he donated the amount of Rs. 5 lac, collected by the employees
of the Sanstha in his honour on the occasion of his 60th birthday. With an
addition of Rs.101 /-of his own, he handed over the money to honorable
Vasantdada Patil, the president of the Sanstha for its due utilization towards
development schemes.
Recognition and
Gratitude:
Bapuji's contribution
in the national and educational field has been recognized by the Maharashtra
Government by bestowing upon him the honour of Freedom Fighter and the title of
‘Dalit Mitra'. But the true recognition of his services comes from the people
who have always held him in high esteem by acclaiming him as ‘Shikshan
Maharshi’. The Sanstha too has shown its deep sense of gratitude by naming a
recently started college at Karad alter this Shikshan Maharshi who has
dedicated his entire life to the cause of education and enlightenment amongst
the masses. Chancellor of Shivaji University came consented to confer
upon him an honorary D.Lit., which cames as the befitting culmination of his
career as an educationist . It must, indeed , be a unique example of how an
humble teacher can build up an edifice of learning with a huge network of
educational centres all over the Western Maharashtra and North Karnataka by
dint of his missionary zeal, organizational capacity and indefatigable labour,
and therein indeed lies the crowning glory of his life.