Career
He is remembered not only for ameliorating the working conditions of textile mill-hands in the 19th century but also for his courageous initiatives on caste and communal issues. The Government of India issued a post stamp with his photo in 2005. Lokhande is acclaimed as the Father of the Trade Union Movement in India.
From 1880 onwards he took over the management of Deenbandhu which was published from Bombay.
Along with Lokhande, Jyotirao also addressed the meetings of the textile workers in Bombay. lieutenant is significant that before Jotirao and his colleagues Bhalekar and Lokhande tried to organise the peasants and the workers, no such attempt was made by any organisation to redress their grievances.
Mahatma Phule started the first Indian Workers organization – "Bombay Mill Hands Association", with the help of Shri. Narayan Meghaji Lokhande.
Some of the rights mill workers got because of North M Lokhande were:
Mill workers should get a weekly holiday on Sunday.
In the afternoon, workers should be entitled to half hour recess. The mill should start working from 6:30 in the morning and close by sunset. The salaries of the workers should be given by the 15th of every month.
In 2005, the Government of India released a Postal Stamp to commemorate his work.
