Dr. Ambedkar as Journalist

As part of his struggle spanning over 4 decades, Dr. Ambedkar always used print media of his own as one of the instruments to achieve his goal of emancipating the untouchables. Even in 1920 when he had just begun his struggle, he launched a Marathi fortnightly, “Mooknayak, (the leader of the dumb)”. Dr. Ambedkar had written editorials for this magazine. This magazine survived just for about a year and half. The magazine could be started with the financial assistance from Shahu Chhatraapti Maharaj of Kolhapur. In April 1927, Dr. Ambedkar started the magazine called “Bahishkrit Bharat (The Ostracized India)”. This time he was more organised. He had bought over a printing press through public donations. The press was named as “Bharat Bhushan Printing press”. During the publication of B.B, Dr. Ambedkar personally took lot of care to see that every issue has very high standard of writing. This magazine was published for about 2 years. In 1930, Dr. Ambedkar started a new journal named, “Janata (The People)”. This magazine lived for 26 years. After that the magazine’s name was changed to “Prabuddha Bharat (Enlightened India)”. The names of the magazine which Dr. Ambedkar published had the reflection and the emphasis of the direction of his movement at a particular time. He changed the name of Janata to Prabuddha Bharat when he was in the process of launching the massive historic conversion to Buddhism.

Dr. Ambedkar, in spite of his busy schedule with the political activities and his various assignments as the member of Viceroy’s Council, or as the Chairman of the Indian Constitution Drafting Committee, found time to write for his magazines. He even used to send editorials while he was overseas during the Round Table Conferences and during other tours outside India. The standard of the writing was of utmost importance to him. He used to prepare editorials by writing all through the nights; but never compromised on the quality of writing. A good deal of writing and research has been done on the journalistic aspect of Dr. Ambedkar. Two Ph.Ds have so far been awarded on the topic “Dr. Ambedkar and journalism”. One to Dr.Gangadhar Pantawane of Aurangabad University in the late 1960s. and the second to Dr.Shoraj Singh Bechain of JNU, New Delhi. Dr. Bechain’s research topic was “Effect of Dr. Ambedkar’s Journalism on Dalit Literature”. Numerous books e.g “Patrakar Ambedkar” by Dr.Gangadhar Pantawane, “Lokpatrakar Ambedkar” by Sukhram Hiwrale have been published. Dr. Ambedkar’s editorials of B.B. have also been published in Marathi by Ratnakar Ganvir; so also the small articles (“sputh lekh” in Marathi).

Dr. Ambedkar and M.K.Gandhi were contemporary journalists. Gandhi used to write through “Young India” in the 1920s and then through “Harijan” in the 1930s, whereas Dr. Ambedkar has done his writing through “Mooknayak”, Bahishkrit Bharat, Janata and Prabuddha Bharat during the same time. Many a times there have been cross writing by both of them referring to the writings of their respective journals.

Today Mulnivasi journalism/literature has grown considerably. The whole of it has originated from the writings of Dr. Ambedkar. Dr. Ambedkar is the sole originator of mulnivasi journalism and mulnivasi literature. He is indeed the single most inspiring factor for the statewide fast emerging dalit literature.