Gopal Hari Deshmukh,
alias Lokhitwadi, was born in Poona in a well-to-do
middle class Chitpavan Brahmin family. His ancestors
were hereditary Deshmukhs in konkan. The grandfather
of Lokhitwadi, with his brothers, came to Poona
in 1754 in search of service in the Peshwa’s
Government. His uncle Chinto became Fadnis, and
Krishnaji, another uncle, that of Sardar Vinchurkar.
His father Hari was Fadnis of Bapu Gokhale, the
last Commander-in-Chief of the Peshwa. Lokhitwadi
studied in the Poona English High school from
1841 to 1844.
In 1844 he was appointed a Translator. Simultaneously,
he held the office of the Agent to the Sardars
in the Deccan. In 1846, he passed the Munsiff’s
examination. In 1852, he was appointed First Class
munsiff at Wai, District Satara; in 1855 Sub-Assistant
Inam Commissioner and in 1857 Assistant Inam Commissioner.
In May 1861 he was appointed by the Government
to prepare a Digest of the Hindu and Muslim Religious
Practices.
He was appointed Assistant Judge, Ahmednagar,
in July 1862; Acting Judge, in August 1865;
Acting Judge, Small Causes Court, Bombay, in
October 1865; Acting Judge, Small Causes Court,
Ahmedabad, in March 1866. In March 1867 he became
was confirmed as Judge. In 1877 he became Joint
Judge at Nasik, from which position he retired
in 1879.
He was President of the Arya Samaj, Bombay,
of the Theosophical Society, Bombay, and of
the Gujarati Buddhivardhaka Sabha, Ahmedabad.
In 1877 he was made Rao Bhadur, in August 1877
justice of the Peace and in March 1881 Sadar
(First Class).
He edited the Lokhitwadi, a monthly magazine
in Marathi. Through his writings he criticized
the Brahmins for arresting the progress of the
Hindu society by fostering anti-social traditions.
He advocated widow-remarriage and the raising
of the social status of women, and condemned
child-marriage, tonsure of widows, caste-system
and slavery in any form.
He was fond of making speeches; in fact, he
never refused an invitation to speak. He delivered
lectures at Ahmedabad, Nashik and Bombay. At
Ahmedabad, he arranged a series of lectures
on behalf of the Premanbhai Institute, and himself
delivered many lectures under the auspices of
the Institute. The main
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topic of these lectures
was, of course, social reform. But other topics
like politics, economics, religion, history, industrialization
and boycott of foreign goods were also discussed.
He opened a branch of the Prarthana Samaj and
started a Punarvivaha Mandal (Widow Remarriage
Institute) at Ahmedabad, and arranged remarriages
of widows. He was instrumental in starting the
Hitechhu, a weekly newspaper in Gujarati, and
contributed many articles to it. He took an active
part in the publications to its credit. He also
started the Gujarati Vaktrittwa Sabha, under whose
auspices eminent persons delivered lectures. During
his stay in this city, he often distributed money
and medicine to the poor and the needy.
At his residence, he maintained a dispensary and
distributed medicine to the poor, free of charge.
He helped poor students by paying their tuition
fees and giving them books. He helped the poor
who were robbed of their property by employing
competent pleaders to secure the restitution of
their property. He continued these activities
in Nasik, Poona and Bombay. While he was working
with the Inam Commission, he helped many who had
no Watan-Sanads but had other evidence in their
favour to retain their Inams.
Lokhitwadi helped to start the Induprakash and
the Dnyanprakash, Marathi newspaper in Bombay
and Poona respectively, and the Nagar Wachan Mandir
in Poona.
He was one of the promoters of the Anathbalakashram
and Sutikagraha at Pandharpur. He contributed
more than Rs. 15,000/- to various institutions
and funds like the Anath Fund, Gujarat Provincial
College and School, Public Libraries, Public Wells
and Dharmashalas, the prarthana Samaj and such
other institutions.
He had many publications to his credit but these
were mostly in the form of pamphlets like ‘Nibandha
Sangraha’, ‘Vidyalahari’, ‘Hindustanalit
Balvivah’, ‘Agam Prakash’ , and
‘Nigam Prakash’. His historical writing
were translations in Marathi but with very informative
notes: ‘Panipatchi Ladhai’, ‘Hindustanacha
Itihas ( Purvardha)’ , ‘Udepurcha Itihas’
, ‘Gujarathacha Itihas’, ‘Saurashtra
Deshacha Itihas’, and ‘Lankecha Itihas’.
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