Indulal Kanaiyalal Yagnik (22 February 1892 – 17 July 1972) was an

Indian independence activist The Indian independence movement consisted of efforts by individuals and organizations from a wide spectrum of society to obtain political independence from the British, French and Portuguese rule through the use of a many methods. This is a l ...

, who purchased indian tri colour flag from Germany to India. He was a leader of the

All India Kisan Sabha All India Kisan Sabha ( AIKS; lit. ''All India Farmers Union'', also known as the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha), is the peasant or farmers' wing of the Communist Party of India, an important peasant movement formed by Sahajanand Saraswati in 1 ...

and one who led the Mahagujarat Movement, which spearheaded the demand for the separate statehood of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

on 8 August 1956. He is also known as Indu Chacha. He was also a writer and film maker. Yagnik was elected to the

2nd Lok Sabha The Second Lok Sabha (5 April 1957 – 31 March 1962) was elected after the 1957 Indian general election. The 2nd Lok Sabha lasted its full tenure of five years till 1962. 15 sitting members from Rajya Sabha were elected to 2nd Lok Sabha aft ...

from Ahmedabad constituency in the erstwhile

Bombay state Bombay State was a large Indian state created at the time of India's Independence, with other regions being added to it in the succeeding years. Bombay Presidency (roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Maharashtra, excluding So ...

in 1957. He was re-elected to the

3rd Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

, 4th and

5th Lok Sabha List of Members of the 5th Lok Sabha, ( 15 March 1971 — 18 January 1977) elected February–March 1971.The term of the House was extended two times by one year at a time. However, the House was dissolved after having been in existence for a ...

from the same constituency from 1962–1972.

Early life (1892–1915)

Yagnik was born in a Nagar brahmin family at Jhagadia Pol in

Nadiad Nadiad is a city in the state of Gujarat, India and the administrative centre of the Kheda district. The city is managed by the Nadiad Municipality. It is known for the Santram Mandir, the Mai Mandir,

Kheda Kheda, also known as Kaira, is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was former administrative capital of Kheda district. India's First Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel Was Born In Kheda District of Gujarat State ...

, Gujarat. His father Kanaiyalal died at a young age while studying. Yagnik completed his primary and secondary education in

and after passing the matriculation examination in 1906, he joined the

Gujarat College Gujarat Arts & Science College, popularly and previously known as Gujarat College, is one of the oldest educational institution of India and second arts and science college of Gujarat, near Ellis Bridge, Ahmedabad. The institution was founded ...

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

. After passing the intermediate examination, he took admission to the

St. Xavier's College, Bombay St. Xavier's College is a private, Catholic, autonomous higher education institution run by the Bombay Province of the Society of Jesus in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was founded by the Jesuits on January 2, 1869. The college is affili ...

and passed his B.A. examination from there. In 1912, he passed his L.L.B. examination.

Independence movement (1915–1947)

Yagnik brought the tri colour flag from Stuttgart, Germany which was hoisted by Madam Cama. Yagnik was deeply influenced by Annie Besant during his college days. In 1915, along with Jamnadas Dwarkadas and Shankerlal Banker, he published an English language magazine, ''

Young India ''Young India'' was a weekly paper or journal in English founded by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1916 and later published by Mahatma Gandhi. Through this work, Mahatma Gandhi desired to popularise India's demand of self-government or Swaraj. It was publ ...

'', from

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

. In the same year, publication of the

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...

monthly ''Navjivan ane Satya'' started. Yagnik was its editor until 1919, when he handed it over to

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

. He wrote the first 30 chapters of Gandhi's autobiography in Yeravada jail after taking dictation from him. He joined the Servants of India Society in the same year but resigned in 1917 and joined the

Home Rule Movement Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a State (polity), state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers o ...

. In 1918, he participated in the Kheda Satyagraha led by Gandhi. In 1921 he became the secretary of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee. In October 1922 he started another Gujarati monthly, ''Yugadharm''. He was imprisoned by the British from April 1923 to March 1924. From 1924–28, he was the editor of ''Hindustan'', a Gujarati daily from Bombay. During 1926–27, he was also an assistant editor of ''

The Bombay Chronicle ''The Bombay Chronicle'' was an English-language newspaper, published from Mumbai (then Bombay), started in 1910 by Sir Pherozeshah Mehta (1845-1915), a prominent lawyer, who later became the president of the Indian National Congress in 1890, an ...

''. He travelled to a number of countries in Europe from 1930–35. In 1936, he took active initiative in the formation of the All India Kisan Sabha and participated in its first session. In 1939, he founded the ''Gujarat Kisan Parishad''. He was again imprisoned during 1940–41 for his anti-war campaign. In 1942, he presided over the annual session of the Akhil Hind Kisan Sabha. He started the Gujarati daily ''Nutan Gujarat'' in 1943.

Post-independence (1947–1972)

In 1956, Yagnik led the Mahagujarat Movement for a separate Gujarat state and became the founder president of the Mahagujarat Janata Parishad. In 1957, he was elected to the 2nd Lok Sabha from Ahmedabad constituency as a Mahagujarat Janata Parishad candidate. After the formation of Gujarat state on 1 May 1960, Mahagujarat Janata Parishad was dissolved. In June 1960 he founded the Nutan Maha Gujarat Janata Parishad and was re-elected to the 3rd Lok Sabha as its candidate in 1962. He died on 17 July 1972 at

Works

Books

* Yagnik's most notable work in

Gujarati language Gujarati (; gu, ગુજરાતી, Gujarātī, translit-std=ISO, label= Gujarati script, ) is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat and spoken predominantly by the Gujarati people. Gujarati is descended from Old ...

is his autobiographical work, ''Atmakatha'' ('' gu, આત્મકથા'') in six volumes. ** ''Jivan Vikas'' (Development of Life) ** ''Gujarat ma Navjivan'' (New Life in Gujarat) ** ''Karavas'' (Imprisonment) ** ''Jivan Sangram'' (Life's Struggle) ** ''Kisan Katha'' (Peasant stories) ** ''Chhella Vahen'' (Last streams) * ''Yaroḍā āśrama:1923–24 na Gandhiji na Karavas na Sansmarano'', 1952 – reminiscences about

during his imprisonment in Yeravada Jail * ''Pīr-i Sābarmatī'' (Urdu) (Gandhi as I knew him), 1943 * ''Shyamaji Krishnavarma: life and times of an Indian revolutionary'', 1950 * ''Fight for Swadeshi'', 1954 * ''Raṇachoḍadāsa Bhavāna Loṭavālā nī jīvana jharamara'' (Life of Ranchoddas Bhavan Lotvala), 1952 * His novel ''Maya'' has the Mahagujarat Movement as the backdrop and he wanted to make a Hindi film on the subject but it never happened. * ''Jaher Jivan na Sathi''

Publications

He started or edited several magazines including ''

'', ''Navjivan ane Satya'', and ''Yugadharm'', and newspapers including ''

Mumbai Samachar The'Mumbai Samachar'', is the oldest continuously published newspaper in India. Established in 1822 by Fardunjee Marzban, it is published in Gujarati and English. History The ''Mumbai Samachar'', Asia's oldest continuously published newspap ...

'', ''Nutan Gujarat'', ''

'', and ''Hindustan''.

Plays

* ''Asha-Nirasha'' – a play depicting the Satyagraha movement in Bardoli, Gujarat * ''Raṇasaṅgrāma'' – collection of three plays * ''Śobhārāmanī saradārī'' * ''Varaghodo : Jagrat Stritva nu Natak'' – a play on feminism

Poetry

* ''Rashtrageet'' – anthology of patriotic poetry

Short notes

* "A Programme of Swadeshi for Complete Swaraj", 1967 * "Agrarian Disturbances in India"

Films

His company, Young India Pictures, produced more than ten films in Gujarati. Some of them are: * ''Pavagadh nu Patan'' (1928) * ''Kali no Aekko'' * ''Kashmir nu Ghulab'' * ''Young India'' * ''Rakhpat Rakhapat''

Recognition

India Post India Post is a government-operated postal system in India, part of the Department of Post under the Ministry of Communications. Generally known as the Post Office, it is the most widely distributed postal system in the world. Warren Hastings ...

issued a postage stamp depicting his photo with his publication ''Navjivan'' and a couple holding the flag in background on 9 December 1999. * A statue of Indulal Yagnik was erected in a small garden at east end of Nehru Bridge, Ahmedabad, and the garden was named after him.

External links

*
Introduction on Gujarati Sahitya Parishad

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yagnik, Indulal 1892 births 1972 deaths Indian independence activists from Gujarat India MPs 1957–1962 India MPs 1962–1967 India MPs 1967–1970 India MPs 1971–1977 Gujarati-language writers Lok Sabha members from Gujarat Film producers from Gujarat People from Nadiad Indian dramatists and playwrights Indian editors Indian autobiographers