Keluskar, a Maratha reformer and Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Krishnarao Arjun Keluskar alias Dada Keluskar was well known Marathi author and reformer from the Maratha caste. He was a follower of Jyotiba Phule and a Satyasodhak. He was also the leader of the non-Brahmin movement in Maharashtra. He wrote biographies of Shivaji Maharaj, Saint Tukaram and Gautam Buddha. He was also a member of 'Maratha Aikyecchu Sabha' an organisation leading the non-Brahmin movement in Bombay. He was a benefactor and mentor of D.R B.R Ambedkar. He was a close friend of Ambedkar's father Subedar Maloji Sakpal ( He is mentioned as a personal friend of Subedar Maloji in the preface of the book ' The Buddha and his Dhamma' by Ambedkar). However, according to Ambedkar's biographer Dhananjay Keer, Keluskar came across Ambedkar at the garden at Charni road, Bombay where he was charmed by the studious habit of Ambedkar. He used to give books to Ambedkar. After Ambedkar passed his Matriculation in 1907 from Elphinstone, people of his caste wanted to organize a felicitation ceremony as he was probably the first person from his caste to achieve such a milestone but Subedar Ramji was reluctant to organise such a function as he thought that it would only blow up his son's head. Then, people of his caste went to Keluskar and only when Keluskar insisted him to organise the felicitation function then he agrees to do so.

The felicitation ceremony of Ambedkar was attended by Dada Keluskar and S.K Bole, another leader of the Non-Brahmin movement who was from the Bhandari caste. Keluskar gifted Ambedkar a copy of his book  'Gautam Buddhanche Charitra' (Biography of Gautam Buddha). After Ambedkar passed his Intermediate Examination in 1910 from Elphinstone College, his father run out of money and was unable to fund his education. It was Keluskar who helped Ambedkar during such circumstances and acquainted him with Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad- Maratha ruler of Baroda who provided Ambedkar with a monthly scholarship of 25 rupees and later sent him abroad to pursue higher education. 

Krishna Arjun Keluskar was a Maratha, but many people and writers are claiming that he was a  Brahmin, and some right-wingers are also using this as propaganda that how a Brahmin helped Ambedkar and cast influence over his life. Many scholars without evidence have claimed that he was a Brahmin which is causing confusion about him. But,there is the autobiography of Krishna Arjun Keluskar and according to his autobiography, he was from Maratha/Kunbi caste. He had called himself Maratha in his autobiography. He also narrated an incident where he faced discrimination because of his caste by a Brahmin teacher in school ( Ironically today brahmin are claiming that he was Brahmin!)

Here is the excerpt from his autobiography(p.28). In the above passage, Keluskar went to the school owner for a job as a teacher, here Keluskar was being asked whether he is Deshastha or Konkanstha(both are sub-caste of Marathi Brahmin). Keluskar replied 'I'm Maratha'. Despite being Maratha he was offered a Job as a teacher but he was told that since he is Maratha by caste he has to speak pure Marathi in front of children. ( As it was a popular notion in Maharashtra that only Brahmin know how to write or speak pure Marathi, Dr Rajan Gawas, who has written an Editorial of Keluskar's book on Shiva Ji has also mentioned that Brahmin used to tell that Maratha couldn't write good Marathi) 

This is another excerpt from his autobiography(page.9). Here he mentioned the incident when he was discriminated against because of his caste by a Brahmin teacher. That, Brahmin teacher even told Keluskar's father that who told you Kunbis(a sub-caste of Maratha) to learn English? 

So, according to Keluskar's autobiography, it is clear that he was not a brahmin ( rather he suffered casteism at hands of Brahmins). Keluskar was a Martha by caste, he called himself Maratha in his autobiography. But people are spreading false information that he was a Brahmin, only to show how a Brahmin was a supporter and mentor of Ambedkar. 

Reference:- 

1. राजन गवस (संपादक), ‘गुरूवर्य कृष्णराव अर्जुन केळूसकर यांचे समग्र वाङ्मय गुरूवर्य कृष्णराव अर्जुन केळूसकर चरित्र व आत्मचरित्र’, महाराष्ट्र राज्य साहित्य आणि संस्कृती मंडळ, मुंबई, 2019.

2. राजन गवस (संपादक), ‘गुरूवर्य कृष्णराव अर्जुन केळूसकर यांचे समग्र वाङ्मय क्षत्रिय कुलावतंस छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज यांचे चरित्र’, महाराष्ट्र राज्य साहित्य आणि संस्कृती मंडळ, मुंबई, 2019.

3. Omvedt, Gail, Cultural Revolt in a Colonial Society. The Non-Brahman Movement in Western India, 1873 to 1930, Scientific Socialist Education Trust, Bombay, 1976.

4. Keer Dhananjay, Dr Ambedkar: Life and Mission, Popular Prakashan, Bombay, 1954

5. Ambedkar, B.R,  The Buddha and his Dhamma, 1956.