Saurabh at 08:01, 31 December 2025

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{{Short description|Indian journalist, academic and activist (1946–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Achyut Yagnik
| birth_name = Jayendra Jani
| birth_date = {{birth date|1946|02|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Dharmaj]], [[Kaira district]], [[Bombay Presidency|Bombay Province]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|08|04|1946|02|01|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Ambawadi]], [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]], India
| occupation = Journalist, academic, activist
| spouse = Dr. Bharati Patel
| children = Anandvardhan Yagnik
}}

'''Achyut Yagnik''' (1 February 1946 – 4 August 2023) was an Indian journalist, academic, political analyst and activist based in [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]].

== Early life ==
Yagnik was born on 1 February 1946,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Kothari |first=Urvish |date=2023-08-05 |orig-date=2006-04-30 |title=સગવડિયા ઇતિહાસ અને સગવડિયા ધર્મથી પેદા થયેલા મતિભ્રમે ગુજરાતીઓને વધારે હિંસક અને ક્રૂર બનાવ્યાં છે |url=https://opinionmagazine.co.uk/sagavadiyaa-itihaas-ane-sagavadiyaa-dharmathee-pedaa-thayelaa-matibhrame-gujaratione-vadhaare-himsak-ane-kroor-banavyaan-chhe/ |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=Divya Bhaskar |page=3 |language=gu}}</ref> in [[Dharmaj]] village in [[Charotar]] region (now in [[Anand district]] of Gujarat).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2023-08-07 |title=અચ્યુત યાજ્ઞિક : વંચિતોના બેલીની વિદાયથી ગુજરાતે શું ખોયું? |url=https://www.bbc.com/gujarati/articles/c9ek2yr91dxo |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=BBC News ગુજરાતી |language=gu}}</ref> He was a native of [[Sojitra]].<ref name=":4" /> He had studied anthropology in [[Delhi University]] but dropped out. He prepared a catalogue of a Sanskrit library as part-time work during his stay in Delhi University. During this period, he came in contact with poet [[Tribhuvandas Luhar|Sundaram]], linguist [[Prabodh Pandit]] and socialist political leader [[Ram Manohar Lohia]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />

==Career==
In late 1960s, he returned to [[Ahmedabad]] and joined ''[[Gujarat Samachar]]'' where he worked for a decade.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-08-04 |title=Journalist Achyut Yagnik, who donned many hats, dies at 77 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/gandhinagar/writer-political-analyst-activist-achyut-yagnik-dies-cardiac-arrest-8876681/ |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> From 1970 to 1980, Yagnik worked as a journalist.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-05 |title=Activist, writer, Gujarat expert Achyut Yagnik dies at 78 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/activist-writer-gujarat-expert-achyut-yagnik-dies-at-78-101691175657539.html |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> He worked closely with several poets and writers as well as sociologists and historians during this period.<ref name=":3" /> He became specifically interested in medieval [[Gujarati literature]].<ref name=":4" /> He edited a Gujarati magazine called ''Gurjar Bharati''.<ref name=":0" /> In 1981, he became a founder editor of a Gujarati research journal called ''Arthat'' published by Centre for Social Studies, [[Surat]].<ref name=":3" />''<ref name=":0" />'' He served as the correspondent of the ''[[Economic and Political Weekly]]'' and the state coordinator of the Lokayan project of the [[Centre for the Study of Developing Societies]] as well as the state general secretary of the [[People's Union for Civil Liberties]] from 1982 to 1984.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> He opposed the anti-reservation agitations of Gujarat in 1981 and 1985.<ref name=":0" />

In 1982, he founded the Setu - Center for Social Knowledge and Action in Ahmedabad which worked for the marginalised communities. He served it as head for the rest of his life.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=2023-08-04 |title=Author and historian Achyut Yagnik passes away |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/author-and-historian-achyut-yagnik-passes-away/article67158312.ece |access-date=2023-09-02 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> He worked with the [[Maldhari]] community of [[Gir National Park|Gir]].<ref name=":0" /> [[Medha Patkar]] worked for SETU and during that time became the leader of [[Narmada Bachao Andolan]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=2023-08-05 |title=Leading public intellectual Achyut Yagnik passes away |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/leading-public-intellectual-achyut-yagnik-passes-away/articleshow/102439837.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-09-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> He worked for the tribals under Vishamata Nirmulan Samiti.<ref name=":0" /> He also founded Forum 21 with lawyer [[Girishbhai Patel|Girish Patel]].<ref name=":3" />

Yagnik taught at the Centre for Development Communication of [[Gujarat University]] for about 10 years. He also taught journalism students at [[Bhavan's College|Bhavan’s College]] in Ahmedabad.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2023-08-04 |title=Achyut Yagnik Social activist, writer, thinker, founder of setu centre for social knowledge and action no more {{!}} ગુજરાતના જાણીતા વિચારક, સામાજિક કાર્યકર અને લેખક અચ્યુત યાજ્ઞિકનું નિધન |url=https://www.gujaratimidday.com/news/gujarat-news/article/achyut-yagnik-social-activist-writer-thinker-founder-of-setu-centre-for-social-knowledge-and-action-no-more-200328 |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=www.gujaratimidday.com |language=gu}}</ref> He was a Fellow of and Consultant to the [[United Nations University]] in 1986-87. He also served as a Fellow of the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]] in 2005-06.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />

In 1995, he wrote a book on [[Ram Janmabhoomi|Ram Janmabhoomi movement]].<ref name=":5" /> In 2005 and 2011, he published works on history of Gujarat and Ahmedabad respectively.<ref name=":3" />

== Personal life and death ==
His wife Bharati Patel is a retired professor from [[B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad|B. J. Medical College]], Ahmedabad. His son Anandvardhan Yagnik is a lawyer in the [[Gujarat High Court]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" />

Achyut Yagnik died following a cardiac arrest at his home in Ambawadi, Ahmedabad, on 4 August 2023. He was 77.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Samay |first=NavGujarat |title=Saddened by the death of Achyuta Yagnik, a social activist who was the 'Encyclopedia' of Gujarat |url=https://navgujaratsamay.com/saddened-by-the-death-of-achyuta-yagnik-a-social-activist-who-was-the-encyclopedia-of-gujarat/241136.html |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=NavGujarat Samay |language=en}}</ref> Yagnik was cremated in V. S. Antimdam.<ref name=":6" />

==Works==
* {{Cite book |last1=Yagnik |first1=Achyut |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wmKIiAPgnF0C |title=The Shaping of Modern Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva, and Beyond |last2=Sheth |first2=Suchitra |date=2005 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-400038-8 |language=en}}<ref>{{Cite web |title='In turbulent times Gujaratis have raised a voice' |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/29inter1.htm |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=www.rediff.com}}</ref>
* {{Cite book |last=Yagnik |first=Achyut |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ivMAUx6Hdl8C |title=Ahmedabad: From Royal city to Megacity |date=2011-02-02 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-473-5 |language=en}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ahmedabad: Portrait of a 600-year-old city |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-ahmedabad-portrait-of-a-600-year-old-city/20120227.htm |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=Rediff |language=en}}</ref>

* {{Cite book |last1=Yagnik |first1=Achyut|last2=Bhatt|first2=Anil H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hExdGwAACAAJ |title=The Anti-Dalit (Untouchable) Agitation in Gujarat |date=1983 |publisher=Minority Strategies, Perspectives on Racism & Untouchability |language=en}}

* {{Cite book |title=Creating a nationality: the Ramjanmabhumi movement and fear of the self |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-564271-1 |edition=Fifth impression |series=Oxford India paperbacks |location=New Delhi|author=[[Ashis Nandy]], Shikha Trivedy, Shail Mayaram, Achyut Yagnik}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yagnik, Achyut}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:Journalists from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Indian activist journalists]]
[[Category:Indian activists]]
[[Category:Indian academics]]
[[Category:People from Ahmedabad]]
[[Category:Indian writers]]
[[Category:People from Anand district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:Indian social scientists]]
[[Category:Indian anthropologists]]
[[Category:Dalit activists]]
[[Category:Delhi University alumni]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language Indian writers]]
[[Category:Indian columnists]]

Achyut Yagnik - Revision history

Saurabh at 08:01, 31 December 2025