Palwankar Baloo
Encyclopedia
Babaji Palwankar Baloo, (Dharwad
, 19 March 1876 – 4 July 1955, Bombay, now Mumbai), commonly known as Palwankar Baloo, was an India
n cricket
er. He bowled
left-arm orthodox spin
with great accuracy and the ability to turn the ball
both ways. He was also a moderately skilled lower-order batsman.
He was the first member of the Dalit (also known as the "Untouchable") caste
to make a significant impact on the sport. He was a member of the Chamar
caste of the Dalit. Although being one of the finest cricketer of his time, he was never allowed to lead the team as a captain because of his so-called lower caste. However, in later years, his brother Palwankar Vithal
was made captain of the Hindu team by the Hindu Gymkhana Club, which was seen as an impact of changing social situations in India.
. His father was employed in the army, and he either worked in an ammunition factory in Kirkee, or was a sepoy in the 112th Infantry Regiment. His family name of Palwankar came from his native village of Palwan. Being a Dalit
, he faced discrimination prevalent in India at that time. (Guha 2002:86)
His first job was tending the pitch at a cricket club for Parsis in Poona
, now known as Pune. He also occasionally bowled to the members, and was paid 3 Rupees a month. Around 1892, he moved to the Poona Club, a cricket club for Europeans, where his duties included rolling and sweeping the pitch, erecting the practice nets and occasionally marking the tennis courts. His salary increased to Rs.4 a month.
by JG Greig every time he dismissed him. Baloo thus perfected his bowling, spending hours in the nets bowling to the Europeans.
A Hindu club in Pune challenged the Europeans to a cricket match, creating a dilemma over whether or not to include the obviously talented Baloo in their side. The (high-caste) Brahmin
s in the Hindu side were against it, but some Telugu
members argued for his inclusion, as did Captain Greig. This seemed to settle the matter, for Baloo was invited to play with the Hindu Club.
On the field, Baloo played cricket as an equal, but off it he was segregated from the Europeans and the higher caste Hindus during rest and meal breaks. While his team-mates dined inside the pavilion
on fine china
, Baloo was left outside to eat and drink out of disposable clay crockery. Despite this treatment, he bowled well and took plenty of wicket
s, leading his club to several victories almost single handedly.(Guha 2002:93)
Over the next few years, Baloo slowly earned the respect of his Hindu club team-mates. As his standing in the Poona cricket community grew due to his obvious talents, these barriers broke down and he was eventually accorded the right to gather with his fellow players off the field.
In 1896, Baloo chose to move to Bombay
with his family – at least partly because of the severe plague
which broke out in the region, but also because of the greater opportunities for cricket in the larger city. There he served with the Army
and played for the newly formed Parmanandas Jivandas Hindu Gymkhana club. The captain of the Gymkhana cricket team wanted Baloo's bowling skills, but had to overrule the protests of several other players who objected to Baloo's caste. When he left the Army, Bombay Berar and Central Indian Railways gave him a job, allowing him to play for their corporate cricket team as well as the Gymkhana.
, in which the Hindus defeated the Europeans by 109 runs and 238 runs respectively. These matches led to various newspaper commentaries, of two types: ones proclaiming a victory over caste prejudice as the united Hindu team triumphed, and others painting them in nationalist tones as a victory of the natives against European rule.
Baloo was chosen for an all-Indian team to tour England in 1911, consisting of Parsis, Hindus, and Muslim
s, captained by a Sikh
. In results terms, the tour was a failure, but Baloo was the standout performer for the tourists, taking 114 wickets at an average
of 18.84, 75 of which were in first class matches.
From 1912 to 1919, Baloo was a regular player in the Bombay Quadrangular
tournament, between the Hindu, Parsi, Muslim, and European Gymkhanas. Despite regular calls for him to be named captain of the Hindu team, there was still enough caste-based prejudice
within the club to prevent it. Three of his brothers, Shivram, Ganpat and Vithal, also played in the Quadrangular, and Palwankar Vithal
eventually captained the Hindu team.
In 1920, Baloo was dropped from the side to play the Muslims. Rank and file members of the club were outraged and at a meeting after the match expressed their displeasure so vehemently that Deodhar was removed and Baloo invited to play again for the Hindu Gymkhana, as vice captain. During the next match against the Parsis, Deodhar's replacement, M. D. Pai (also a Brahmin), deliberately left the field for an extended period, allowing Baloo to direct the team in his absence. In this manner, Baloo broke the barrier against members of his caste acting as leaders, at a time when Mahatma Gandhi
was just beginning his campaign against the stigma of Untouchability.
, who went on to become the greatest leader of the Dalit and pre-eminent in the struggle to overturn the caste system. Ambedkar considered Baloo a hero of the Dalit, naming him as an inspiration to himself and others of their caste, but over the following years a rift was to grow between the men over the methods of dismantling the caste system.
Baloo went on to become involved in politics, strongly supporting Gandhi's efforts to bring home rule
to India and to fully integrate Dalit into Indian society. Ambedkar campaigned for Dalit to be assigned special representation in the legislature
. The British Government assented, creating a Communal Award
under which Dalit would be elected from a separate electorate composed only of Dalit voters.
Gandhi protested against this, arguing that full integration was the only way to remove the stigma of Untouchability, and special representation would lead only to resentment and civil war. Gandhi then announced his decision to fast until death in protest, beginning on 20 September 1932. Baloo released a press statement stating his admiration for "the spirit in which Mr. Gandhi has proclaimed his intention of sacrificing his life for the sake of the Depressed Classes." Under pressure from Congress, Baloo told Ambedkar that he "was also a leader of the Untouchables and also had an equal right to express his views." Baloo and M. C. Rajah
betrayed the popular perception and moved away from the concept of separate electorates given in the Communal Award. Ambedkar was opposed by M.C.Rajah and P.Baloo who joined hands with Congress and Hindu Mahasabha a progenitor of today's BJP and signed a pact against the position of Ambedkar called 'Rajah-Moonje Pact'. Ambedkar negotiated with Gandhi under pressure and signed 'Poona Pact', allowing Dalit more seats, but with all Hindus allowed to vote for them. The British Government quickly ratified the agreement and Gandhi ended his fast on 26 September.
In October 1933, Baloo stood for election for a seat on the Bombay Municipality, on a Hindu Mahasabha ticket. His opponent was a high caste Hindu, well liked by many sections of the community. Baloo lost 2,179 votes to 3,030.
Congress used Baloo against Ambedkar by inciting sub-caste loyalties among Dalits. In 1937, Baloo ran against Ambedkar for a designated "Scheduled Caste" seat in the Bombay Legislative Assembly. Ambedkar defeated Baloo by the close margin of 13,245 votes to 11,225.
Baloo died in Bombay in July 1955. He was remembered most fondly for his great skill on the cricket field, but his passing was also marked by a large crowd including members of the Bombay Legislative Assembly at his cremation, recognising the role he played in overcoming the chains of Untouchability.
Baloo played 33 first class
matches, from 1905/06 to 1920/21, taking 179 wickets at an average of 15.21.
Dharwad
Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city and a DISTRICT PLACE in India's Karnataka state.Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad covers an area of 200.23 km²...
, 19 March 1876 – 4 July 1955, Bombay, now Mumbai), commonly known as Palwankar Baloo, was an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He bowled
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
left-arm orthodox spin
Left-arm orthodox spin
Left-arm orthodox spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket.Left-arm orthodox spin is bowled by a left arm bowler using the fingers to spin the ball from right to left of the cricket pitch...
with great accuracy and the ability to turn the ball
Cricket ball
A cricket ball is a hard, solid leather ball used to play cricket. Constructed of cork and leather, a cricket ball is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level...
both ways. He was also a moderately skilled lower-order batsman.
He was the first member of the Dalit (also known as the "Untouchable") caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
to make a significant impact on the sport. He was a member of the Chamar
Chamar
Chamar |tanner]]"; from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent occupational caste in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Chamar is a Dalit sub-caste mainly found in the northern states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and in Nepal at least north to the Himalayas...
caste of the Dalit. Although being one of the finest cricketer of his time, he was never allowed to lead the team as a captain because of his so-called lower caste. However, in later years, his brother Palwankar Vithal
Palwankar Vithal
Palwankar Vithal was an Indian cricketer, credited with being the first Dalit captain of the Hindus cricket team in the Bombay Quadrangular cricket competition...
was made captain of the Hindu team by the Hindu Gymkhana Club, which was seen as an impact of changing social situations in India.
Early life
Baloo was born in July 1875 in DharwadDharwad
Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city and a DISTRICT PLACE in India's Karnataka state.Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad covers an area of 200.23 km²...
. His father was employed in the army, and he either worked in an ammunition factory in Kirkee, or was a sepoy in the 112th Infantry Regiment. His family name of Palwankar came from his native village of Palwan. Being a Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
, he faced discrimination prevalent in India at that time. (Guha 2002:86)
His first job was tending the pitch at a cricket club for Parsis in Poona
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, now known as Pune. He also occasionally bowled to the members, and was paid 3 Rupees a month. Around 1892, he moved to the Poona Club, a cricket club for Europeans, where his duties included rolling and sweeping the pitch, erecting the practice nets and occasionally marking the tennis courts. His salary increased to Rs.4 a month.
Introduction to cricket
One of the Europeans, a Mr. Tross, encouraged the young Baloo to bowl to him in the nets. His skill at slow left-arm bowling was enough to encourage other members to bat against him for practice, in particular the fine batsman Captain J.G.Greig. In time, he was bowling to them regularly, his bowling important practice for the club members. Despite bowling for hundreds of hours, Baloo later lamented that not once did any of the club members offer to allow him to bat—a role then considered the preserve of the aristocratic classes.(Guha 2002:90). An undocumented story states that he was paid 8 annasIndian anna
An Anna was a currency unit formerly used in India, equal to 1/16 rupee. It was subdivided into 4 Paise or 12 Pies . The term belonged to the Muslim monetary system...
by JG Greig every time he dismissed him. Baloo thus perfected his bowling, spending hours in the nets bowling to the Europeans.
A Hindu club in Pune challenged the Europeans to a cricket match, creating a dilemma over whether or not to include the obviously talented Baloo in their side. The (high-caste) Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s in the Hindu side were against it, but some Telugu
Telugu people
The Telugu people or Telugu Prajalu are an ethnic group of India. They are the native speakers of the Telugu language, the most commonly spoken language in India after Hindi and Bengali...
members argued for his inclusion, as did Captain Greig. This seemed to settle the matter, for Baloo was invited to play with the Hindu Club.
On the field, Baloo played cricket as an equal, but off it he was segregated from the Europeans and the higher caste Hindus during rest and meal breaks. While his team-mates dined inside the pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
on fine china
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
, Baloo was left outside to eat and drink out of disposable clay crockery. Despite this treatment, he bowled well and took plenty of wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
s, leading his club to several victories almost single handedly.(Guha 2002:93)
Over the next few years, Baloo slowly earned the respect of his Hindu club team-mates. As his standing in the Poona cricket community grew due to his obvious talents, these barriers broke down and he was eventually accorded the right to gather with his fellow players off the field.
In 1896, Baloo chose to move to Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
with his family – at least partly because of the severe plague
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
which broke out in the region, but also because of the greater opportunities for cricket in the larger city. There he served with the Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
and played for the newly formed Parmanandas Jivandas Hindu Gymkhana club. The captain of the Gymkhana cricket team wanted Baloo's bowling skills, but had to overrule the protests of several other players who objected to Baloo's caste. When he left the Army, Bombay Berar and Central Indian Railways gave him a job, allowing him to play for their corporate cricket team as well as the Gymkhana.
First-class cricket career
Baloo played for the Hindu side in the famous 1906 and 1907 matches against the Europeans of the Bombay GymkhanaBombay Gymkhana
Bombay Gymkhana ,, established in 1875, is one of the premiere gymkhanas in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located in the South Mumbai area and was originally built as a British-only club, designed by English architect, Claude Batley. The Gymkhana Grounds lie in the southern end of the Azad Maidan...
, in which the Hindus defeated the Europeans by 109 runs and 238 runs respectively. These matches led to various newspaper commentaries, of two types: ones proclaiming a victory over caste prejudice as the united Hindu team triumphed, and others painting them in nationalist tones as a victory of the natives against European rule.
Baloo was chosen for an all-Indian team to tour England in 1911, consisting of Parsis, Hindus, and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, captained by a Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
. In results terms, the tour was a failure, but Baloo was the standout performer for the tourists, taking 114 wickets at an average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 18.84, 75 of which were in first class matches.
From 1912 to 1919, Baloo was a regular player in the Bombay Quadrangular
Bombay Quadrangular
The Bombay Quadrangular was an influential cricket tournament held in Bombay, India from 1912 to 1936. At other times it was known variously as the Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, and the Bombay Pentangular....
tournament, between the Hindu, Parsi, Muslim, and European Gymkhanas. Despite regular calls for him to be named captain of the Hindu team, there was still enough caste-based prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
within the club to prevent it. Three of his brothers, Shivram, Ganpat and Vithal, also played in the Quadrangular, and Palwankar Vithal
Palwankar Vithal
Palwankar Vithal was an Indian cricketer, credited with being the first Dalit captain of the Hindus cricket team in the Bombay Quadrangular cricket competition...
eventually captained the Hindu team.
In 1920, Baloo was dropped from the side to play the Muslims. Rank and file members of the club were outraged and at a meeting after the match expressed their displeasure so vehemently that Deodhar was removed and Baloo invited to play again for the Hindu Gymkhana, as vice captain. During the next match against the Parsis, Deodhar's replacement, M. D. Pai (also a Brahmin), deliberately left the field for an extended period, allowing Baloo to direct the team in his absence. In this manner, Baloo broke the barrier against members of his caste acting as leaders, at a time when Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
was just beginning his campaign against the stigma of Untouchability.
Political career
Late in his cricket career, Baloo met and befriended B. R. AmbedkarB. R. Ambedkar
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar , popularly also known as Babasaheb, was an Indian jurist, political leader, philosopher, thinker, anthropologist, historian, orator, prolific writer, economist, scholar, editor, a revolutionary and one of the founding fathers of independent India. He was also the Chairman...
, who went on to become the greatest leader of the Dalit and pre-eminent in the struggle to overturn the caste system. Ambedkar considered Baloo a hero of the Dalit, naming him as an inspiration to himself and others of their caste, but over the following years a rift was to grow between the men over the methods of dismantling the caste system.
Baloo went on to become involved in politics, strongly supporting Gandhi's efforts to bring home rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
to India and to fully integrate Dalit into Indian society. Ambedkar campaigned for Dalit to be assigned special representation in the legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
. The British Government assented, creating a Communal Award
Communal Award
The Communal Award was announced by the British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald on 4 August 1932 to grant separate electorates to minority communities in India, including Muslims, Sikhs, and Dalit in India....
under which Dalit would be elected from a separate electorate composed only of Dalit voters.
Gandhi protested against this, arguing that full integration was the only way to remove the stigma of Untouchability, and special representation would lead only to resentment and civil war. Gandhi then announced his decision to fast until death in protest, beginning on 20 September 1932. Baloo released a press statement stating his admiration for "the spirit in which Mr. Gandhi has proclaimed his intention of sacrificing his life for the sake of the Depressed Classes." Under pressure from Congress, Baloo told Ambedkar that he "was also a leader of the Untouchables and also had an equal right to express his views." Baloo and M. C. Rajah
M. C. Rajah
Rao Bahadur Mylai Chinna Thambi Pillai Rajah was a Dalit politician, social and political activist from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu....
betrayed the popular perception and moved away from the concept of separate electorates given in the Communal Award. Ambedkar was opposed by M.C.Rajah and P.Baloo who joined hands with Congress and Hindu Mahasabha a progenitor of today's BJP and signed a pact against the position of Ambedkar called 'Rajah-Moonje Pact'. Ambedkar negotiated with Gandhi under pressure and signed 'Poona Pact', allowing Dalit more seats, but with all Hindus allowed to vote for them. The British Government quickly ratified the agreement and Gandhi ended his fast on 26 September.
In October 1933, Baloo stood for election for a seat on the Bombay Municipality, on a Hindu Mahasabha ticket. His opponent was a high caste Hindu, well liked by many sections of the community. Baloo lost 2,179 votes to 3,030.
Congress used Baloo against Ambedkar by inciting sub-caste loyalties among Dalits. In 1937, Baloo ran against Ambedkar for a designated "Scheduled Caste" seat in the Bombay Legislative Assembly. Ambedkar defeated Baloo by the close margin of 13,245 votes to 11,225.
Baloo died in Bombay in July 1955. He was remembered most fondly for his great skill on the cricket field, but his passing was also marked by a large crowd including members of the Bombay Legislative Assembly at his cremation, recognising the role he played in overcoming the chains of Untouchability.
Baloo played 33 first class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches, from 1905/06 to 1920/21, taking 179 wickets at an average of 15.21.