KOLHAPUR: “Rest in Begumpura, Dr Gail,” a Twitter message read, bidding adieu to scholar-activist Gail Omvedt. ‘Seeking Begumpura’ was one of Omvedt’s seminal scholarly work which refers to a poem by the great bhakti sant Ravidas, who imagined a city without sorrow, with no inequality, no taxes, no torture or harassment, but abundance and freedom for all.
Always in search of her own Begumpura, the Minneapolis-born Omvedt arrived in India for her PhD and fell in love with the country. She met her future husband, Bharat Patankar, a doctor, and the two settled down in his village, Kasegaon, in Sangli.
Early on Wednesday, Omvedt breathed her last at her residence. She was 81 and is survived by her husband, daughter, son-in-law and a granchild.
Renowned historian Ramchandra Guha wrote on his Twitter handle, “One of Dr Omvedt’s great contributions was to break down boundary between sociology and history. She was equally at work in the archive and field. Do see her fine essay on the ‘Satara Prati Sarkar’, published in a book edited by Gyanendra Pandey on the 1942 movement.”
Omvedt enjoyed worldwide recognition as a sociologist through her writings. She was a motherly figure to many young dalit activists.
Vishwas Kharat, a graduate from Satara, said, “Whenever I heard her, read her books, I got to know myself and society better. Whenever she participated in movements alongside her husband, she treated everyone as her children.”
Patankar, who belonged to a family of freedom fighters, was involved in agriculture. He and Omvedt settled in India around 1978 and she received her Indian citizenship in 1983.
Omvedt’s activism started with founding the ‘Shramik Mukti Dal’ along with Patankar to deal with the issues that the working class faced. She headed the Phule-Ambedkar Chair under the department of sociology at the Savitribai Phule Pune University. Her huge collection of research work and books are referred to by students from across the country and abroad.
A close friend of Patankar told TOI, “Gail was ailing since the last one-and-a-half years. Patankar used to take care of her before leaving home and ensured he got back to look after her. They were inseparable.”
Condolences pour in: (On Twitter Handles)
Ramchandra Guha: Deeply saddened to hear of Gail Omvedt’s passing. Apart from her major works on the great anti-caste social reformers, she also wrote an important book on the women’s movement in India, as well as many insightful essays on peasant and environmental struggles (mostly in EPW).
Sitaram Yechury : Deepest condolences. Gail Omvedt was a distinguished scholar activist with an uncompromising commitment. She provided deep insights in understanding our social conditions.
Sharad Pawar: Saddened to hear about the demise of well known sociologist & prolific writer, Dr. Gail Omvedt. India has lost a strong voice of the anti-caste, farmers' & womens' rights movement. My heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones. May the departed soul rest in eternal peace.
