Journalist Achyut Yagnik, who donned many hats, dies at 77

Yagnik was a multifaceted personality who worked for noted Gujarati daily – Gujarat Samachar – for 10 years. He also used to contribute to the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW). He was the first editor of Arthat, a magazine of Surat-based Centre for Social Studies. Yagnik also worked as editor of Gurjar Bharati, a magazine for the Gujarati community.

Jani said his elder brother also worked with Rammanohar Lohiya during his stay in Delhi.
Yagnik also founded SETU: Centre for Social Knowledge and Action that worked for the downtrodden communities. Through this organisation, he also worked extensively with the Maldhari community of Gir in Junagadh. He worked for the betterment of the tribal communities through Vishamata Nirmulan Samiti, another organisation. Yagnik had also served as the general secretary of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

He was an active participant in the Navnirman Andolan of 1974. He was also active as a pro-reservationist during the anti-reservation agitations of Gujarat in 1981 and 1985.

As an academician, Yagnik was also associated with the Centre for Development Communication of Gujarat University where he taught for 10 years. He also taught journalism students at Bhavan’s College in Ahmedabad’ Khanpur and delivered lectures at various places in the US, Germany, Israel, Pakistan and the Netherlands.

Yagnik authored several books, including ‘The Shaping of Modern Gujarat – Plurality, Hindutva and Beyond’ and ‘Ahmedabad: From Royal City to Megacity’. Achyutbhai – as he was popularly known – remained the “go-to” person for anybody doing research on Gujarat or Ahmedabad.