Joseph Baptista
Joseph Baptista | |
---|---|
Mayor of Bombay | |
In office 1925–1926 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Matharpacady, Mazagaon, Bombay | 17 March 1864
Died | 18 September 1930 (aged 66) Bombay |
Resting place | Sewri cemetery |
Nationality | Indian |
Parent | John Baptista |
Residence | Bombay |
Education | Barrister |
Alma mater | University of Bombay University of Cambridge |
Occupation | Engineer in the forest department |
Known for | Mayor of Bombay |
Website | kakabaptista.com[permanent dead link] |
Joseph "Kaka" Baptista (17 March 1864 – 18 September 1930) was an Indian politician and activist from
Early life
Joseph Baptista was born on 17 March 1864 in Matharpacady in Mazagaon, Bombay. His father, John Baptista hailed from Uttan, near Bhayandar. The Baptistas belonged to the East Indian ethnic community.
He completed his early education from St. Mary's School, Mumbai. He then joined the College of Engineering in Pune and later pursued a BA degree in political science from the Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.[1] During this period, he first met Bal Gangadhar Tilak.[citation needed]
Political activism
In 1901, Baptista joined the
Baptista was also a practising barrister at the Bombay High Court. One of his most high-profile clients was Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, where he demanded an open trial to assure the dignity of fundamental rights.[2] In 1920, founded the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). As a labour leader he took up the cause of mill workers and postmen and other blue collar workers. Although religious, he refused to mix politics and religion refusing to have separate religion-based electorates.[2]
I thoroughly disapprove of separate electorate for Indian Christians in water-tight compartments
In 1925, Baptista was elected as the
Death
Baptista died in 1930 and is buried in the
In 1999, a book on Baptista titled Joseph Baptista: The father of Home Rule in India was released by K R Shirsat at Lalbaug in Mumbai. Through the book, the author hoped that Baptista would be a role model for modern-day youths.[6]
See also
- Home Rule Movement
- Joseph Baptista Gardens
Further reading
- Shirsat, Shirsat (1974). Kaka Joseph Baptista: Father of Home Rule Movement in India. Popular Prakashan. p. 179. ISBN 9788171541348.
- Shirsat, K.R. Joseph Baptista: The Father of Home Rule in India. 1999.
- Shirsat, K.R. Speeches and Writings of Kaka Joseph Baptista on the Labour Movement of India. 2000.
References
- ^ "Baptista, Joseph (BPTT895J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ a b c d e f "Kaka Baptista". East Indian Community. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
- ^ Deshpande, Swati (22 December 2007). "77,000 judges needed to clear backlog: CJI". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-521-22370-6.
- ^ "Christian leaders tombs at Sewri restored". The Times of India. 12 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
- Express Group. 21 May 1999. Retrieved 12 October 2008.