->FreeToDisagree at 22:46, 21 December 2021

2021-12-21T22:46:05Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician and activist}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
|name = Joseph Baptista
|image = Kaka Joseph Baptista.jpg
|image_size =
|caption =
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1864|03|17}}
|birth_place = Matharpacady, Mazagaon, Bombay
|death_date = 18 September 1930 (aged 66)
|death_place = Bombay
|resting_place = [[Sewri cemetery]]
|resting_place_coordinates =
|residence = Bombay
|nationality = Indian
|citizenship = Indian
|known_for = Mayor of Bombay
|education = Barrister
|alma_mater = University of Bombay <br /> University of Cambridge
|employer = [[Bombay Provincial Government]]
|occupation = Engineer in the forest department
|years_active =
|title = Mayor of Bombay
|term = 1925–1926
|predecessor =
|successor =
|party =
|opponents =
|spouse =
|partner =
|children =
|parents = John Baptista
|relations =
|signature =
|website = [http://kakabaptista.com kakabaptista.com]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
|footnotes =
}}
[[File:Joseph Baptista 2.jpg|thumb|200 px|Statue of Joseph Baptista]]
'''Joseph "Kaka" Baptista''' (17 March 1864 – 18 September 1930) was a [[Bombay East Indian]] politician and activist in British era [[Bombay (Mumbai)]], he was an associate and confidante of [[Lokmanya Tilak]] and a participant of the [[Home Rule Movement]]. He was the first president of Indian Home Rule League established in 1916. He was elected as the [[Mayor of Mumbai|mayor of Bombay]] in 1925. He was given the title ''Kaka'' that means "uncle".

==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 Indians|East Indian]] ethnic community.

He completed his early education from [[St. Mary's School, Mumbai]]. He then joined the [[College of Engineering, Pune|College of Engineering]] in [[Pune]] and later pursued a BA degree in [[political science]] from the [[Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge]].<ref>{{acad|id=BPTT895J|name=Baptista, Joseph}}</ref> During this period, he first met [[Bal Gangadhar Tilak]].{{cn|date=February 2017}}

==Political activism==
In 1901, Baptista joined the [[Bombay Municipal Corporation]], and would be a part of the BMC for the next 17 years. Influenced by the [[Irish Home Rule]] movement, Baptista's ideas on an Indian version took root. His ideas deeply influenced Tilak and the two became close associates. He assisted Tilak by launching the ''Sarvajanik Ganpati'' (public Ganpati celebrations) to raise nationalistic feelings.<ref name="eastindian">{{cite web|url=http://www.east-indians.com/profile.htm|title=Kaka Baptista|publisher=East Indian Community|accessdate=12 October 2008}}</ref> In addition, Baptista coined the phrase "Swaraj is my Birthright", that was later made popular by Tilak.<ref name="eastindian" /> In 1916, along with Tilak, [[Annie Besant]] founded the Home Rule Movement, with Baptista opening the [[Belgaum]] unit.<ref name="eastindian" /> He was also the legal advisor to Lokmanya Tilak.<ref name="toi1">{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-12-22/india/27975418_1_clear-backlog-crore-cases-judges|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021235354/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-12-22/india/27975418_1_clear-backlog-crore-cases-judges|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 October 2012|title=77,000 judges needed to clear backlog: CJI|last=Deshpande|first=Swati|accessdate=12 October 2008|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=22 December 2007}}</ref> Later he interviewed British Prime Minister [[David Lloyd George]] for the British government's views on the Home Rule. In the interview, Baptista gained the impression "that the Cabinet had decided to give India the fullest possible measure of Home Rule without delay."<ref name="turner">{{cite book|last=Turner|first=John|title=Lloyd George's Secretariat|publisher=CUP Archive|year=1990|pages=254|isbn=978-0-521-22370-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Dk9AAAAIAAJ}}</ref>

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.<ref name="eastindian" /> 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.<ref name="eastindian" />

{{quote|text=I thoroughly disapprove of separate electorate for Indian Christians in water-tight compartments}}

In 1925, Baptista was elected as the [[Mayor of Mumbai|mayor]] of the [[Bombay Municipal Corporation]], a post that he occupied for a year.<ref name="eastindian" />

==Death==
Baptista died in 1930 and is buried in the [[Sewri cemetery]]. The [[Mazagon Gardens]], site of the demolished [[Mazagaon Fort]], near [[Dockyard Road]] station is named after him. On 12 October 2008, his tomb at [[Sewri cemetery]] was restored with the funds of local [[Member of the Legislative Council (India)|MLC]] Kapil Patil. The ceremony was attended by members of the [[Bombay Catholic Sabha]] and Shikshak Bharati, a teacher's organisation.<ref name="tomb">{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-10-12/mumbai/27916186_1_tombs-christian-leaders-marathi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021235407/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-10-12/mumbai/27916186_1_tombs-christian-leaders-marathi|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 October 2012|title=Christian leaders tombs at Sewri restored|date=12 October 2008|work=[[The Times of India]]|accessdate=12 October 2008}}</ref>

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.<ref name="iexpress">{{cite news|url=http://www.expressindia.com/news/ie/daily/19990521/ige21026.html|title=Book on Kaka Baptista released|date=21 May 1999|work=[[Indian Express]]|publisher=[[Express Group]]|accessdate=12 October 2008}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Home Rule Movement]]
* [[Joseph Baptista Gardens]]

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Shirsat|first=Shirsat|title=Kaka Joseph Baptista: Father of Home Rule Movement in India|publisher=Popular Prakashan|year=1974|pages=179|isbn=9788171541348|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YSsdAAAAMAAJ&q=joseph+baptista}}
* 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==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|http://kakabaptista.com}}
*[http://www.east-indians.com/profile.htm East Indians]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baptista, Joseph}}
[[Category:Mayors of Mumbai]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:1864 births]]
[[Category:1930 deaths]]
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni]]
[[Category:Trade unionists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Alumni of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Members of Central Legislative Assembly of India]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:Politicians from Mumbai]]

Joseph Baptista - Revision history

->FreeToDisagree at 22:46, 21 December 2021