# List of Marathi Buddhists

This is a list of notable persons of the Marathi Buddhist community worldwide. Marathi Buddhists are mainly Ambedkarite Buddhists, who are followers of B. R. Ambedkar. Marathi Buddhists constitute more than 77% of the total Buddhist population in India.

## Academics

* Narendra Jadhav, economist, educationist and author
* Shankarrao Kharat, Vice Chancellor of BAMU Aurangabad
* Bhalchandra Mungekar, economist and author
* Sharmila Rege, sociologist, feminist scholar and author of Writing Caste, Gender
* Anand Teltumbde, scholar, writer and civil rights activist
* Sukhadeo Thorat, economist and author

## Businesspeople

* Milind Kamble, national president of Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
* Kalpana Saroj (born 1961), entrepreneur and a Tedx speaker

## Entertainers

* Sambhaji Bhagat, singer, shahir
* Nagraj Manjule, director, filmmaker
* Poonam Joshi, actress
* Kushal Badrike, actor and comedian
* Siddharth Jadhav, actor
* Usha Jadhav, actress
* Bhalchandra Kadam, actor, comedian
* Pandharinath Kamble, actor and comedian
* Abhijeet Kosambi, singer
* Vaishali Mhade, singer
* Surekha Punekar, Indian folk artist
* Adarsh Shinde, singer and musician
* Prahlad Shinde, singer
* Smita Tambe, actress
* Vitthal Umap, singer
* Somnath Waghmare, documentary filmmaker and researcher
* Milind Sulekha Purushottam, filmmaker, director

## Lawyers

* B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956), jurist, barrister, and first Law and Justice Minister of India
* R. D. Bhandare (born 1916), governor of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh
* Bhushan Gavai (born 1960), justice in the Supreme Court of India
* B. C. Kamble (born 1919), jurist and lawyer

## Politicians

* Anandraj Ambedkar, political activist
* Prakash Ambedkar, MP
* Yashwant Ambedkar, MLC
* Ramdas Athawale, MP and state minister of India
* Pritamkumar Shegaonkar, state minister of Maharashtra
* Rajkumar Badole, MLA and Social Justice and Assistance Minister, Maharashtra
* Sanjay Bansode, state minister of Maharashtra
* Sharad Bansode, Member of Parliament
* Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, Governor of Odisha
* R. D. Bhandare, Governor of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh
* Bhaurao Gaikwad, Member of Parliament
* Eknath Gaikwad, MP and state minister
* Sunil Gaikwad, Member of Parliament
* Varsha Gaikwad, Member of Parliament (Former School Education Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra)
* Prakash Gajbhiye, Member of MLC
* R. S. Gavai, Governor of Bihar And Kerala, Member of the parliament, Former Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council
* Rajendra Gavai, political activist
* Chandrakant Handore, state minister of Maharashtra
* Ramratan Janorkar, Mayor of Nagpur
* N. M. Kamble, Indian politician
* Jogendra Kawade, cabinet minister, and Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
* B. D. Khobragade, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
* Sulekha Kumbhare, minister
* Avinash Mahatekar, State Minister of Maharashtra
* Laxman Mane, political activist
* Waman Meshram, President Of Bahujan Kranti Morcha
* Nitin Raut, cabinet minister and MLA
* Dadasaheb Rupwate, politician
* Tukaram Shrangare, Union Minister For State For Communications
* Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangare, Member of Parliament
* Nashikrao Tirpude, 1st Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra
* Balkrishna Ramchandra Wasnik, Member of Parliament for Bhandara and Buldhana
* Mukul Wasnik, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment

## Sportspeople

* Mona Meshram, Cricketer
* Avinash Sable, Athlete
* Pravin Tambe, Cricketer

## Writers and activists

* Savita Ambedkar (1909–2003), social activist and writer
* Baburao Bagul, writer and poet
* Datta Bhagat, author
* Suresh Bhat (1932–2003), poet
* Raja Dhale (1940–2019), social activist and writer
* Namdeo Dhasal (1949 2014), social activist and writer
* Laxman Gaikwad, novelist
* Arun Kamble, writer and social activist
* Namdeo Kamble, writer, social worker, journalist and teacher
* Uttam Kamble, journalist and author
* Vaman Kardak, poet and playwright
* Shankarrao Kharat, writer and member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council
* Sharankumar Limbale, author
* Yashwant Manohar, poet and writer
* Keshav Meshram, poet
* Bhau Panchbhai, Poet, Writer and Activist
* Gangadhar Pantawane, Writer, Reviewer and Ambedkarite thinker
* Dagdu Maruti Pawar, Writer and Poet
* Pradnya Daya Pawar, Poet and Fiction Writer
* Urmila Pawar, Writer and Activist
* Sampat Ramteke, Social Worker