Prof Kumudini Pawde passes away
   Date :01-Jun-2023

Prof Kumudini Pawde  
 
 
Staff Reporter
Prof Kumudini Motiram Pawde, noted Ambedkarite scholar-activist and author, breathed her last on Wednesday evening after a prolonged illness. She was 85. Prof Pawde leaves behind three sons namely agriculture expert Dr Amitabh Pawde, Dr Abhijit Pawde, Dr Apurva Pawde, and daughter Aparna Nitin Chayande. The funeral procession will start from her residence 149, Sathe Marg, Dhantoli on Thursday at 10.30 am. Her mortal remains will be consigned to flames at Mokshadham.
Born on November 18, 1938 as Kumudini Devajirao Somkuwar, she started writing stories and plays since the age of 14 years. From the age of 21 yers, she started teaching without any remuneration in night school while herself studying at post-graduation level. From 1958-62, she taught at Jawahar and Saraswati Night chool at Nagpur. Later she taught Sanskrit at Vidarbha Mahavidyalaya, Amravati. She rendered her services as a teacher for 36 years. She retired as Head of the Department of Sanskrit at Vasantrao Naik Government Institute of Art and Social Sciences at Nagpur.
Prof Kumudini Pawde wrote several articles for ‘Asmitadarsh’, ‘Stree’, ‘Purva’, ‘Kirloskar’, ‘Bayja’, ‘Sadhana’, ‘Chaufer’, ‘Nikay’ and other publications and newspapers in Marathi. Some of her articles were published in the form of a book titled ‘Antahsphot’. She was active in promoting inter-caste marriages. She was convener of National Federation of Dalit Women, founder member of Jan Sahitya Sabha, Chairperson of Asmitadarsh Sahitya Melava (1980), Trustee and President of Bayja Lekhak va Vachak Melava, and was part of various literary meets. In 1987, she was honoured with ‘Sanskrit Pandit Puraskar’ of Maharashtra Government at the hands of Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth. She was honoured with various awards including the one by American Women’s Organisation in South Africa.