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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Orphan|date=February 2014}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

'''Digambar Vinayak Purohit''' (28 May 1907 – 1994), alias '''Nana Purohit''' or '''Nanasaheb Purohit''', was an Indian socialist politician and freedom fighter from [[Mahad]], [[Kulaba District|Kolaba]] region.<ref name="i">Sud, S. P. Singh, and Ajit Singh Sud. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ATs0AAAAIAAJ Indian Elections and Legislators]''. Ludhiana: All India Publications, 1953. p. 194</ref><ref name="c">Chavan, Yashwantrao Balwantrao, and Viṭhṭhala Gopāḷa Khobarekara. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=vcpHAAAAMAAJ Yaśavantarāva Cavhāṇa, vidhimaṇḍaḷātīla nivaḍaka bhāshaṇe = Yeshwantrao Chavan, selected speeches (Marathi) in the state legislatures, 1946-62]'', Vol. 2. Mumbaī: Yaśavantarāva Cavhāṇa Pratishṭhāna Mumbaī, 1990. p 449</ref><ref name="q"/><ref>Library of Congress. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=wSFXAAAAMAAJ Accessions List, India]''. New Delhi: Library of Congress Office, 1977. p. 38</ref><ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=iRWOAAAAMAAJ The Journal of Parliamentary Information]'', Vol. 41. Lok Sabha Secretariat, 1995. p. 66</ref> Purohit led militant struggles during the struggle for [[Indian independence movement|Indian Independence]], and was a long-time parliamentarian.

==Personal life==
Purohit hailed from the [[Mahar]] community.<ref>Nehru, Jawaharlal, R. Kumar, and H. Y. Sharada Prasad. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=yXlDAAAAYAAJ Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru]'', Vol. 8. 1989. p. 218</ref> He became involved in social work in his twenties.<ref name="i"/> Apart from political activism, Purohit enjoyed walking and gardening.<ref name="i"/>

==Quit India movement==
Purohit was active in the [[Congress Socialist Party]] and the [[Quit India]] movement.<ref name="i"/> He led a revolt in [[Mahad]], as he organized a massive peasant attack on the Tehsil Office.<ref name="q"/><ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ig1DAAAAYAAJ Janata]'', Vol. 62. 2007</ref> Five people were killed in firing during the capture, including one government officer.<ref name="n">webindia123. ''[http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20131014/2265693.html Freedom fighter, leader, politician - Mohan Dharia remembered]''</ref> Afterwards Purohit managed escape from the net of the police. He relocated to [[Karachi]]. During this period he worked under instructions from the socialist leadership in [[Poona]], with [[Achyut Patwardhan]] as the central figure. Patwardhan tasked him with organizing the movement in Karachi.<ref name="q">Chaudhari, K. K. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Iy5uAAAAMAAJ Quit India Revolution: The Ethos of Its Central Direction]''. Mumbai: Popular Prakashan, 1996. pp. 303, 309</ref>

==Janjira struggle==
In 1948 Purohit organized, along with [[Mohan Dharia]], a people's army to liberate the nearby [[Janjira State|Janjira]] state.<ref name="n"/> The rebels established a military camp at Khamgaon (on the border of Mhasale taluk) and formed a provisional government for an independent Janjira state there.<ref name="n"/><ref name="f">Bhosale, Arun, Ashok S. Chousalkar, and Lakshminarayana Tarodi. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=pzZuAAAAMAAJ Freedom Movement in Princely States of Maharashtra]''. Kolhapur: Shivaji University, 2001. p. 173</ref> The government included Purohit (Prime Minister), Sadashiv Bagaitdar (Home Minister), Mohan Dharia (Foreign Minister) and Janardan Bhokre (Defense Minister).<ref name="n"/><ref name="f"/>

==Electoral politics==
He emerged victorious in the [[1951 Bombay Legislative Assembly election]], winning the [[Poladpur]]-[[Mahad]] constituency with 13,597 votes (68.63%).<ref name="c"/><ref name="c1">Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.gov.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1951/StatReport_51_BOMBAY.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1951 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF BOMBAY]''</ref> He stood as a [[Socialist Party (India)|Socialist Party]] candidate. At the time, he argued for nationalizations of key industries and the building of a [[third camp]] in world politics.<ref name="i"/>

He retained the Mahad seat in the [[1957 Bombay Legislative Assembly election|1957 assembly election]], obtaining 19,091 votes (70.40%) as a [[Praja Socialist Party]] candidate.<ref name="c2">Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.gov.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1957/StatRep_Bombay_1957.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1957 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF BOMBAY]''</ref> As of 1961 Purohit was the deputy leader of the PSP in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.<ref name="c3">''[https://books.google.com/books?id=h2S2AAAAIAAJ Selections from the Departmental Decisions of the Speaker]''. Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. 1963. pp. 210, 212</ref> However, he was defeated in the Shriwardhan constituency in the [[1962 Maharashtra state assembly elections|1962 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election]] by the [[Indian National Congress]] candidate [[A R Antulay|Abdul Rahim A. Gafoor Antulay]]. Purohit finished second with 7,475 votes (25.76%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.gov.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1962/StatRep_Maharastra_1962.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1962 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MAHARASHTRA]''</ref>

Purohit returned to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1972, being elected as a Socialist Party candidate from Mahad with 27,737 votes (55.32%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.gov.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1972/StatReport_MT_72.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1972 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MAHARASHTRA]''</ref> In the [[1978 Maharashtra State Assembly election|1978 assembly election]], Purohit won the Mahad seat as a [[Janata Party]] candidate. He obtained 37,413 votes (60.03%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[http://eci.gov.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1978/Statistical%20Report%201978%20Maharashtra.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1978 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MAHARASHTRA]''</ref>

==References==
{{Portal|India|Socialism}}
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purohit, Digamber}}
[[Category:1907 births]]
[[Category:Indian socialists]]
[[Category:Praja Socialist Party politicians]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:Maharashtra MLAs 1972–1978]]
[[Category:Maharashtra MLAs 1978–1980]]
[[Category:Bombay State politicians]]
[[Category:Maharashtra MLAs 1960–1962]]
[[Category:People from Raigad district]]
[[Category:Marathi politicians]]

Nanasaheb Purohit - Revision history

->Ebbedlila: short description