Mahadev Govind Ranade

Mahadev Govind Ranade was a founding member of the Indian National Congress.  He was a well known public figure as he was Indian scholar, social reformer and author. He published books on Indian economics and on Maratha history.  Below 

He was a founder of the Social Conference movement and he opposed child marriage, the shaving of widows' heads, the heavy cost of marriages and other social functions. He was a staunch supporter of widow remarriage and female education. While he valued India’s history, he encouraged the acceptance of change, believing traditional social structures, like the caste system, should accommodate change, thereby preserving India’s ancient heritage.