From the biography: Why RD Karve’s ‘Samaaj-swaasthya’ magazine advocated birth control in the 1920s

Raghunathrao Dhondo Karve was already over 44 years of age when he joined the Bombay–Bahrain Company. Prior to that, he had spent 15 months being jobless and would naturally have heaved a sigh of relief at landing a job. With financial support having arrived, he immediately began publishing Samaaj-swaasthya. However, Malatibai’s ill-health flared up in 1928 and her medical expenditure increased. Besides, while he was in the company, he was required to visit the Gulf of Iran along with Rosenthal Saheb. Thus, in 1919 he went to Paris; in 1925 to Nairobi on the invitation of his brother Dr Shankarrao, and from 1926 to 1932 he visited the Gulf of Iran along with his boss. During his lifetime, therefore, he travelled to three foreign countries.

Samaaj-swaasthya came out with its first issue on 15 July 1927. Its size was 7” X 5” and remained the same till the last issue of November 1953, which was published after his death. The earliest issues carried the image of a lighthouse on the cover. Later, it carried the sketch of a naked woman, and still later, of a number of naked women. The number of pages would keep fluctuating. For the 26 years and four...

Read more

News