Championing Hope and Change for Marathwada’s Vulnerable

Deepak Nagargoje

(Social Worker)

Date of Birth: 27 November 1977

Education: M.A. (Sociology), Public Administration (Fergusson College, Pune)

Address: Shantīvan, Post Arvi, Tal. Shirur Kasar, District Beed – 413249

Contact: +91 9923772694 / +91 7028372694

Inspired by the humanitarian ideals of the late social reformer Baba Amte,

and following the educational philosophy of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan,

Deepak Nagargoje is a senior and deeply committed social worker from Marathwada, Maharashtra.

Motivated by Tagore’s philosophy of holistic education,

he has implemented numerous innovative educational experiments,

believing that “Education is not merely about knowledge, but about building a sensitive and compassionate society.”

For over twenty-five years, he has been working for orphans, destitute children, abandoned infants, children of single mothers, sugarcane workers, folk artists, women from red-light areas, and children of farmers who have committed suicide, focusing on their care, rehabilitation, and education.

In the drought-affected Beed district, at Arvi (Tal. Shirur Kasar),

he founded the project ‘Shantīvan’,

which currently provides residential care for over 350 children between the ages of 0 and 18,

along with education and legal adoption services.

For infants between zero to six years, Shantīvan established the ‘Sulabha Suresh Joshi Shishu Gruh’,

where abandoned and at-risk babies are nurtured with care and affection.

Through the Central Government’s CARA (Central Adoption Resource Authority),

many of these children are rehabilitated into loving and secure families.

The Shantīvan project also provides residential and educational facilities for orphaned and underprivileged girls.

Currently, 178 girls are pursuing their education here,

and a new residential complex for 500 girls is under development.

This initiative will also include daughters of sugarcane workers and other rural families.

The educational residential model developed at Shantīvan for the children of sugarcane laborers

has been recognized and adopted by the Government of Maharashtra as a replicable and pioneering model.

Many girls who received education and upbringing at Shantīvan

are now standing confidently on their own feet and living dignified lives in society.

Under the ‘Mukhyamantri Sundar Majhi Shala’ (Beautiful My School) initiative of the Maharashtra Government,

Shantīvan’s ‘Sadhana Vidyamandir’, though a school for underprivileged children,

secured second rank in the entire Marathwada region

and was honored with a cash award of ₹25 lakh presented by the Chief Minister.

Despite receiving no government funding,

this project today has become a true home for thousands of orphaned and marginalized children.

Through Shantīvan, Deepak Nagargoje has illuminated the lives of countless underprivileged children.

He has nurtured and educated thousands of children,

many of whom are now self-reliant and contributing members of society.

Over 40 students from his project have become doctors,

while many others have built successful careers in various fields.

His significant contribution to the education of sugarcane workers’ children has influenced government policy,

prompting the state to introduce dedicated educational schemes for them.

Through the ‘Tarangan’ project, he has established facilities for higher education,

with separate hostels for boys and girls in Pune,

providing accommodation and academic support to over 400 students pursuing advanced degrees in medicine, engineering, and other disciplines.

He has consistently advocated before the government for the right to education of out-of-school children,

and has been a strong voice for the rights of orphaned and marginalized children.

In recognition of his contribution, Deepak Nagargoje has been honored with numerous awards at the state and national levels.

To address the issue of farmer suicides, he initiated the ‘Shetkari Manobal Project’ (Farmers’ Confidence Project) —

a pioneering model that brought over 1,000 acres of farmland under permanent irrigation,

creating a sustainable water management system that is now a model for the Marathwada region.

   He is also a regular columnist and speaker on social issues in newspapers and television media,

and has played a key role in relief work during natural and human-made disasters.

Deepak Nagargoje has devoted his entire life to the service of humanity.

His work continues to be a beacon of hope, guided by the belief —

 “Every child deserves education and dignity — that is the truest form of social service.”

Published Books

Life of a Slave – Living in the Dark

Samakalin Prakashan, Pune

‘Life of a Slave – Living in the Dark’ is a profound and research-based book by Mr. Deepak Nagargoje based on social reality.

This book is a comprehensive and sensitive study of the lives of sugarcane harvesters in Beed district. The plight of sugarcane harvesters, their daily struggle, and the reality of exploitation behind their livelihood are presented clearly and fearlessly in this book.

This book not only describes the problems, but also goes to the root of those problems and finds both their causes and solutions. How the education of the children of sugarcane harvesters is disrupted, the resulting malnutrition, teenage motherhood, child marriage, infant mortality, sexual exploitation, economic injustice, and social stigma are explored and analyzed in this book.

Although this book is prepared from a scientific point of view, it has a deep tone of human pain and social responsibility. The author has recorded his experiences by going directly to the lives of hundreds of families who harvest sugarcane, villages and sugarcane. Therefore, although this book is written from the perspective of a researcher, it has the heart of an activist and the sensitivity of a social worker.

The specialty of this book is that it does not only present problems, but also suggests solutions to those problems. The work done by the Shantivan project for the children of sugarcane harvesters and the changes in their lives have been mentioned authentically in this book. Therefore, the book ‘Gulamachan Jinam – Andharatal Jaganam’ is not just an observation, but a guide and a record of change.

***

Hiravam Sapana

Utkarsh Prakashan, Pune

‘Hiravam Sapana’ is a book written with intimacy and connected to reality by Mr. Deepak Nagargoje.

This book provides information about the agricultural experiment carried out in Arvi through Shantivan.

Inspired by the horrific reality of farmer suicides in Marathwada, the author studied these issues from the root and found solutions.

The experiment that emerged from this study is the sustainable agriculture and water conservation project implemented through Shantivan.

Hundreds of acres of land came under irrigation through this experiment, many water sources were created and agriculture came back to life.

This experiment was not just about agriculture, but was an attempt to rebuild the mental, social and economic well-being of the farmers.

The book ‘Hirvam Sapana’ is the story of a dream that came true.

This is the experiment of Shantivan that shapes the dream in which farmers should find a ray of hope without committing suicide, in which the soil should turn green again and the mind should live again.

In this book, the author has shown a real example of how the despair created in the wake of farmer suicides can be transformed into a movement of hope.

‘Hirvam Sapana’ is not just a book, but a document of hope, determination and new hope.

This reveals the history of the Green Revolution created by Shantivan’s agricultural experiment and the new reality that emerged from it.

Both books are mirrors of social and human reality.

‘Gulamachan Jinam’ depicts the pain created by the void of social slavery,while ‘Hirvam Sapana’ shows the green form of hope lost in that darkness again.

***

Shri. Deepak Nagargoje’s thinking power, sensitivity and determination for social development are clearly visible in both these books.

He is not just a writer, but an activist who breathes words on the wounds of society. Published books by Deepak Nagargoje: A social and transformational perspective

Shri. Deepak Nagargoje’s two important books show the social reality and the effort of hope. Both his books are symbols of his sensitive thinking power and determination for social development.

1. The Life of a Slave – Living in the Dark

(Samakaleen Prakashan, Pune)

This book is an in-depth and research-based study of the horrific social reality of sugarcane harvesters in Beed district, which has been going on for generations. It clearly presents the daily plight, struggle and cycle of exploitation of the workers.

Important topics in the book:

Exploring the root causes and solutions to the problems in the lives of sugarcane harvesters (e.g. malnutrition, teenage motherhood, child marriage, infant mortality, sexual exploitation, economic injustice).

The author’s direct human experiences recorded in the lives of the sugarcane harvesters, settlements and hundreds of families, which has given this book the eye of a researcher and the heart of an activist.

Not only describing the problems, but also the honest mention of the work done by the Shantivan project for the children of these workers and the change in their lives, which makes this book a ‘guide and a record of transformation’.

2. Hirvam Sapan

(Utkarsh Prakashan, Pune)

This book is a heartfelt account of the successful experiment conducted at Arvi through Shantivan to overcome the serious problem of farmer suicides in Marathwada.

The main content of the book:

The author has studied the horrific reality of farmer suicides and found solutions through sustainable agriculture and water conservation.

The Shantivan project aims to bring hundreds of acres of land under irrigation, create water resources and revive agriculture.

This experiment is not only about agriculture, but is an effective effort to rebuild the mental, social and economic lives of farmers.

‘Hirvam Sapan’ is the story of a dream come true, where no

प्रकाशित पुस्तके

गुलामाचं जिणं – अंधारातलं जगणं

समकालीन प्रकाशन, पुणे

‘गुलामाचं जिणं – अंधारातलं जगणं’ हे श्री. दीपक नागरगोजे यांचं सामाजिक वास्तवावर आधारित एक सखोल आणि संशोधनपर पुस्तक आहे.

या ग्रंथात बीड जिल्ह्यातील ऊस तोडणी कामगारांच्या जीवनावर एक समग्र आणि संवेदनशील अभ्यास करण्यात आला आहे. ऊस तोडणी कामगारांच्या पिढ्यान्‌पिढ्या चालत आलेल्या हालअपेष्टा, त्यांच्या रोजच्या संघर्षाचं चक्र, आणि त्यांच्या जगण्यामागचं शोषण याचं वास्तव या पुस्तकात स्पष्ट आणि निर्भीडपणे मांडलेलं आहे.

या पुस्तकात केवळ समस्यांचं वर्णन नाही, तर त्या समस्यांच्या मुळाशी जाऊन त्यांची कारणं आणि उपाय दोन्ही शोधले गेले आहेत. ऊस तोडणी कामगारांच्या मुलांचं शिक्षण कसं खंडित होतं, त्यातून निर्माण होणारं कुपोषण, अल्पवयीन मातृत्व, बालविवाह, बालमृत्यू, लैंगिक शोषण, आर्थिक अन्याय, आणि सामाजिक तिरस्कार यांसारख्या गंभीर प्रश्नांचा शोध आणि विश्लेषण या ग्रंथातून करण्यात आलं आहे.

हे पुस्तक शास्त्रीय दृष्टीने तयार झालं असलं तरी त्यात मानवी वेदनेचा आणि समाजिक जबाबदारीचा गहिरा स्वर आहे. लेखकाने तांडे, वस्ती आणि ऊस तोडणी करणाऱ्या शेकडो कुटुंबांच्या जीवनात प्रत्यक्ष जाऊन त्यांचे अनुभव नोंदवले आहेत. त्यामुळे हा ग्रंथ एका संशोधकाच्या नजरेतून लिहिलेला असला तरी त्यात एक कार्यकर्त्याचं हृदय आणि समाजसेवकाची संवेदना आहे.

या पुस्तकाचं वैशिष्ट्य असं आहे की यात केवळ समस्यांची मांडणी नाही, तर त्या प्रश्नांवर उपाययोजना सुचवण्यात आल्या आहेत. शांतीवन प्रकल्पाने ऊस तोडणी कामगारांच्या मुलांसाठी केलेलं कार्य आणि त्यांच्या जीवनात झालेला बदल याचा उल्लेख या पुस्तकात प्रमाणिकपणे करण्यात आला आहे. त्यामुळे ‘गुलामाचं जिणं – अंधारातलं जगणं’ हा ग्रंथ केवळ निरीक्षण नाही, तर एक दिशादर्शक आणि परिवर्तनाची नोंद आहे.

***

हिरवं सपान

उत्कर्ष प्रकाशन, पुणे

‘हिरवं सपान’ हे श्री. दीपक नागरगोजे यांचं आत्मीयतेने लिहिलेलं आणि वास्तवाशी निगडित असं पुस्तक आहे.

हे पुस्तक शांतीवनच्या माध्यमातून आर्वी येथे राबवलेल्या शेतीच्या प्रयोगाची माहिती देणारं आहे.

मराठवाड्यातील शेतकरी आत्महत्यांच्या भीषण वास्तवाने प्रभावित होऊन, लेखकाने या प्रश्नांचा मुळापासून अभ्यास केला आणि त्यातून उपाय शोधले.

या अभ्यासातून उदयास आलेला प्रयोग म्हणजे शांतीवनच्या माध्यमातून राबवलेला शाश्वत शेतीचा आणि जलसंधारणाचा प्रकल्प.

या प्रयोगातून शेकडो एकर जमीन ओलिताखाली आली, अनेक जलस्रोत निर्माण झाले आणि शेती पुन्हा जिवंत झाली.

हा प्रयोग केवळ कृषी विषयक नव्हता, तर शेतकऱ्यांच्या मानसिक, सामाजिक आणि आर्थिक पुनर्बांधणीचा प्रयत्न होता.

‘हिरवं सपान’ हे पुस्तक म्हणजे एका सत्यात उतरलेल्या स्वप्नाची कहाणी आहे.

ज्या स्वप्नात शेतकऱ्यांनी आत्महत्या न करता आशेचा किरण शोधावा, ज्या स्वप्नात माती पुन्हा हिरवी व्हावी आणि मन पुन्हा जगावं, त्या स्वप्नाला आकार देणारा हा शांतीवनचा प्रयोग आहे.

या पुस्तकात लेखकाने शेतकरी आत्महत्यांच्या पार्श्वभूमीवर निर्माण झालेल्या निराशेचं रूपांतर कसं आशेच्या चळवळीत करता येतं, याचं प्रत्यक्ष उदाहरण दाखवलं आहे.

‘हिरवं सपान’ हे केवळ एक पुस्तक नाही, तर आशा, जिद्द आणि नव्या उमेदीचा दस्तऐवज आहे.

यातून शांतीवनच्या शेती प्रयोगाने निर्माण केलेल्या हरितक्रांतीचा इतिहास आणि त्यातून उभं राहिलेलं नवं वास्तव प्रकट होतं.

***

दोन्ही पुस्तके सामाजिक आणि मानवी वास्तवाचे आरसे आहेत.

‘गुलामाचं जिणं’ हे सामाजिक गुलामीच्या पोकळीतून निर्माण झालेल्या वेदनेचं दर्शन घडवतं,

तर ‘हिरवं सपान’ हे त्या अंधारात हरवलेल्या आशेचं पुन्हा हरित रूप दाखवतं.

***

या दोन्ही ग्रंथांमधून श्री. दीपक नागरगोजे यांची विचारशक्ती, संवेदनशीलता आणि समाजबांधणीसाठीची जिद्द स्पष्टपणे दिसते.

ते फक्त लेखक नाहीत, तर समाजाच्या जखमांवर शब्दांनी फुंकर घालणारे कार्यकर्ते आहेत.दीपक नागरगोजे यांची प्रकाशित पुस्तके: एक सामाजिक आणि परिवर्तनवादी दृष्टिकोन

श्री. दीपक नागरगोजे यांच्या दोन महत्त्वपूर्ण पुस्तकांच्या माध्यमातून सामाजिक वास्तवाचे आणि आशेच्या प्रयत्नाचे दर्शन घडते. त्यांची ही दोन्ही पुस्तके त्यांच्या संवेदनशील विचारशक्तीचे आणि समाजबांधणीसाठीच्या जिद्दीचे प्रतीक आहेत.

१. गुलामाचं जिणं – अंधारातलं जगणं

(समकालीन प्रकाशन, पुणे)

हे पुस्तक बीड जिल्ह्यातील ऊस तोडणी कामगारांच्या पिढ्यानपिढ्या चालत आलेल्या भीषण सामाजिक वास्तवावर आधारित एक सखोल आणि संशोधनपर अभ्यास आहे. यात कामगारांचे रोजचे हाल, संघर्ष आणि शोषणाचे चक्र स्पष्टपणे मांडले आहे.

पुस्तकातील महत्त्वाचे विषय:

• ऊस तोडणी कामगारांच्या जीवनातील समस्यांचे (उदा. कुपोषण, अल्पवयीन मातृत्व, बालविवाह, बालमृत्यू, लैंगिक शोषण, आर्थिक अन्याय) मूळ कारणे आणि उपाययोजनांचा शोध.
• लेखकाने तांडे, वस्ती आणि शेकडो कुटुंबांच्या जीवनात प्रत्यक्ष जाऊन नोंदवलेले मानवी अनुभव, ज्यामुळे या ग्रंथाला एका संशोधकाची नजर आणि कार्यकर्त्याचं हृदय लाभले आहे.
• केवळ समस्यांचे वर्णन न करता, शांतीवन प्रकल्पाने या कामगारांच्या मुलांसाठी केलेल्या कार्याचा आणि त्यांच्या जीवनातील बदलाचा प्रामाणिक उल्लेख, ज्यामुळे हे पुस्तक एक ‘दिशादर्शक आणि परिवर्तनाची नोंद’ ठरते.

२. हिरवं सपान

(उत्कर्ष प्रकाशन, पुणे)

हे पुस्तक मराठवाड्यातील शेतकरी आत्महत्यांच्या गंभीर प्रश्नावर मात करण्यासाठी शांतीवनच्या माध्यमातून आर्वी येथे राबवलेल्या यशस्वी प्रयोगाची आत्मीयतेने केलेली मांडणी आहे.

पुस्तकातील मुख्य आशय:

• शेतकरी आत्महत्यांच्या भीषण वास्तवाचा अभ्यास करून लेखकाने शाश्वत शेती आणि जलसंधारणाच्या माध्यमातून शोधलेले उपाय.
• शांतीवन प्रकल्पातून शेकडो एकर जमीन ओलिताखाली आणणे, जलस्रोत निर्माण करणे आणि शेती पुनरुज्जीवित करणे.
• हा प्रयोग केवळ कृषी विषयक नसून, शेतकऱ्यांच्या मानसिक, सामाजिक आणि आर्थिक पुनर्बांधणीचा एक प्रभावी प्रयत्न आहे.
• ‘हिरवं सपान’ हे एका सत्यात उतरलेल्या स्वप्नाची कहाणी आहे, जिथे निराशेचं रूपांतर आशेच्या चळवळीत कसं करता येतं, याचं प्रत्यक्ष उदाहरण दाखवलं आहे.

सारांश:

या दोन्ही ग्रंथांतून, ‘गुलामाचं जिणं – अंधारातलं जगणं’ सामाजिक गुलामीच्या वेदनेचे दर्शन घडवते, तर ‘हिरवं सपान’ त्या अंधारात हरवलेल्या आशेचं हरित रूप दाखवते. दीपक नागरगोजे हे केवळ लेखक नसून, समाजाच्या जखमांवर शब्दांनी फुंकर घालणारे संवेदनशील कार्यकर्ते आहेत.