Background
Doctor Ratnappa Kumbhar was born into a potter family at Nimshirgaon village in Shirol tehsil.
Doctor Ratnappa Kumbhar was born into a potter family at Nimshirgaon village in Shirol tehsil.
He was one of the persons to sign the Final Draft of the Constitution of India along with B. R. Ambedkar. Indian independence movement
During his youth he was keenly interested in political and social work and mobilized support under the Prajaparishad banner against the local princely state rulers with Madhavrao Bagal and other associates like Dinakara Desai He and Desai were arrested on 8 July 1939. Kumbhar, Bagal, Desai and others were arrested and fined by Kolhapur State He actively participated in the freedom movement and later went underground for about 6 years.
He was on the forefront of an agitation for dissolution of princely states.
Foreign his long devotion to the independence movement, he was called Deshbhakt ("Patriot") Ratnappa Kumbhar. Political career
He was lelected as an Member of Parliament in 1952.
He was responsible for founding of a sugar mill in Ichalkaranji. Between 1962 and 1982 and from 1990 till his death.He represented Shirol assembly constituency as an Modern Language Association. From 1974 until 1978 he was Minister of State for home and civil supplies.
He was instrumental in bringing about the industrial and agricultural prosperity of Shirol and Hatkanangle tehsil of Kolhapur.
Company-operative Movement
Ratnappa Kumbhar, undertook various Company-operative Movements and also ran them successfully, including:
Panchaganga Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited. Ganganagar Ichalkaranji. Peoples Company-operative Bank Limited.
The Kolhapur Zilla Sahakari Shetakari Vinkari Soot Girani Limited
The Janata Central co-operative consumer stores Limited.
Ratnappa Kumbhar died in the morning of 23 December 1998, at the age of 89.
The Deshbhakt Ratnappa Kumbhar College of Commerce college in Kolhapur is named after him.
He was Member of the Parliament, Member of Legislative Council and also worked as a Minister of Food and Civil Supplies in Maharashtra Government. After Independence, he became a member of the committee that framed Indian Constitution.