The Powerful Voice of the Voiceless- Mooknayak
Todays News BhusawalPosted by vipulnaik on 2026-02-02 05:44:07 | Last Updated by admin on 2026-09-04 23:06:29
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For thousands of years, the community known as Shudras and Atishudras in this land lived a life similar to that of mute cattle. Their cries were confined within the walls of their own sheds. When the British came to India, they introduced English schools. Mahatma Phule carried these schools to the voiceless sections of society and made sincere efforts to express their pain, suffering, and emotions. Inspired by the work of Mahatma Phule, a courageous personality from the Mahar community, Gopal Baba Walangkar, raised the issues of injustice and oppression faced by the voiceless through newspapers such as Deenmitra, Deenbandhu, and Sudharak. In 1898, he wrote a book titled Vitthal Vidhwansak, in which he posed 26 challenging questions to the custodians of religion, creating a powerful storm of debate. Inspired by Walangkar’s efforts, Kisan Phagoji Bansode started the weekly Nirashrit Hindu Nagarik. Shivram Janba Kamble launched the weekly Somvanshiya Mitra in 1908. In 1918, Kisan Phagoji Bansode started another weekly titled Mazoor Patrika. These leaders from the Mahar community established independent newspapers and fearlessly exposed the slavery prevailing in the country. Through these publications, they raised questions against religion, highlighted social issues, demanded the right to live with dignity as human beings, and exposed the exploitation of women. At the same time, conscious and progressive newspapers such as Jagruk, Deccan Ryot, Vijayi Maratha, Dnyanprakash, Subodh Patrika, and others also began reflecting these issues. However, newspapers started by the so-called untouchable communities often proved to be short-lived. Walangkar, Kamble, and Bansode became well-known leaders and pioneers of the oppressed communities of that era. Later, while continuing his education, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar made efforts to establish an independent mouthpiece for the oppressed community. During this period, he was serving as a professor at Sydenham College. Due to technical and practical difficulties, he assigned editorial responsibilities to others to overcome these challenges. As a result, on 31st January 1920, the fortnightly newspaper Mooknayak, which became the powerful voice of the voiceless, was launched. Dr. Ambedkar himself contributed editorial articles. Pandurang Nandram Bhatkar, a graduate and a highly influential figure in social and progressive movements, was appointed as the editor. Bhatkar was well-known at the time, especially because he had married a Brahmin woman, which attracted significant attention. Being passionate about writing, he accepted this responsibility with enthusiasm. Dnyaneshwar Gholap served as the manager, and later, after Bhatkar, Gholap also became the editor. While launching Mooknayak, Babasaheb stated: “If any movement is to be made successful, it is essential for that movement to have its own independent newspaper. A movement without its own newspaper is like a bird with broken wings.” On 31st January 1920, Mooknayak was born with the publication of its first issue. Even in 1920, just like today, false and deceptive nationalism was flourishing. Some people claimed that only they were true patriots and that only they understood nationalism. They promoted the idea that hating another community within one’s own country made one more patriotic. Such loud and shallow individuals received wide publicity. However, Mooknayak clearly reflected what true nationalism really meant. It stated that just as one person cannot be a family, or one house cannot be a society, village, province, or nation, similarly, one caste, one community, or one village cannot represent a nation. A nation is formed by many individuals, many families, many societies, many villages, and many provinces coming together. Just as members of a family share a sense of belonging toward each other, every community must share this feeling for a nation to truly be alive. Where such unity and vitality are absent, failure in competition with others is inevitable. Mooknayak was the first in this country to teach that a nation is like one family. It did not remain limited to one caste, one individual, or one movement. While other newspapers may not have given space to the issues of the oppressed, Mooknayak placed the issues of the entire nation on the anvil. It taught what it truly means to be human and what human rights are—whether one is from the so-called untouchable community or from any other section of society. It did not remain merely a newspaper for the voiceless; it became a platform that silenced the loud oppressors. On the occasion of its launch, Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj provided financial assistance of ₹2,500. Due to lack of funds, only 14 issues of Mooknayak were published. However, it left behind a powerful legacy by teaching what truly impartial and ethical journalism should be. It carved its permanent mark in the history of Indian journalism. On the birth anniversary of Mooknayak, heartfelt greetings to all.