Indulal Yagnik

Indulal Kanaiyalal Yagnik (February 22, 1892 - July 17, 1972) was an Indian independence activist, a leader of the All India Kisan Sabha, and one of the leaders of the Mahagujarat movement that led the demand for a separate state of Gujarat on August 8, 1956. He is also known as Indu Chacha. He was also a writer and filmmaker. Yagnik was elected to the 2nd Lok Sabha from the Ahmedabad constituency in the former state of Bombay in 1957. From 1962-1972, he was re-elected to the 3rd, 4th and 5th Lok Sabha in the same constituency.

Early life (1892–1915)

Yagnik was born in Jhagadia Pol in Nadiad, Kheda, Gujarat. His father Kanaiyalal died at a young age while he was studying. Yagnik completed his primary and secondary education in Nadiad and, after passing the matriculation examination, entered Gujarat College in Ahmedabad in 1906. After passing the intermediate examination, he was admitted to St. Xavier's College, Bombay, and passed his B.A. examination there. In 1912, he passed his L.L.B. examination.

Independence movement (1915–1947)

Yagnik was strongly influenced by Annie Besant during his student years. In 1915, he co-edited an English-language journal, Young India, from Bombay with Jamnadas Dwarkadas and Shankerlal Banker. In the same year he began publishing a Gujarati monthly Navjivan ane Satya, of which Yagnik was editor until 1919, when he handed it over to Mahatma Gandhi. He wrote the first 30 chapters of Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography in Yeravada Jail after being dictated by him. 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 founded another Gujarati monthly, Yugadharm. From 1924-28 he was editor of Hindustan, a Gujarati daily from Bombay. In 1926-27, he was also deputy editor of the Bombay Chronicle. In 1936, he actively took the initiative to establish the All India Kisan Sabha and attended its first meeting. In 1939, he founded the Gujarat Kisan Parishad. In 1942, he presided over the annual session of the Akhil Hind Kisan Sabha. He founded a Gujarati daily newspaper Nutan Gujarat in 1943.

Bombay State, 1956-1960

Post-independence (1947–1972)

In 1956, Yagnik led the Mahagujarat movement for a separate state of Gujarat and became the founding president of the Mahagujarat Janata Parishad. In 1957, he was elected to the 2nd Lok Sabha as a Mahagujarat Janata Parishad candidate in the Ahmedabad constituency. After the creation of the state of Gujarat on May 1, 1960, the Mahagujarat Janata Parishad was dissolved. In June 1960, he formed the Nutan Maha Gujarat Janata Parishad and was elected as its candidate to the 3rd Lok Sabha in 1962. He died in Ahmedabad on July 7, 1972.