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{{tone|date=July 2025}}
{{Short description|Indian Journalist}}

{{Infobox
| image = [[File:Kothari.jpg|thumb|Kothari]]
| name = Kakalbhai Kothari
| label1 = Born
| data1 = 1903
| label2 = Place
| data2 = [[Kathiawar]], [[Gujarat]]
| label3 = Work
| data3 = Indian Journalist
| label4 = Legacy
| data4 = Founder of [http://theprabhat.com Prabhat] Prabhat group of Newspapers (1934)
| label5 = Death
| data5 = [[Ahmedabad]] (1965)
| label6 = Spouse
| data6 = Soorajba Kothari
| label7 = Children
| data7 = Bachubhai Kothari, Rajnikant Kothari
}}
'''Kakalbhai Ravjibhai Kothari''' was an [https://amritkaal.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?15533 Indian freedom fighter], journalist, editor, and social reformer from the Kathiawar region of present-day [[Gujarat]]. His contributions were majorly to the struggle of the Indians to get independence especially in his pioneering work on the Gujarati press.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Shah |first=Girish |title=The Role of Gujarati Press in India's Freedom Struggle |journal=Indian Journalism Review |volume=12 |issue=1 |year=1995 |pages=43–55}}</ref> Kothari was also a person active in the mobilization of the nationalist cause and expressing the interests of the population in the princely colonials of the time.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Chakrabarty |first=Bidyut |title=Popular Movements in Princely India |journal=South Asian Studies |volume=15 |issue=1 |year=1999}}</ref> He was the founder of [https://theprabhat.com/ The Prabhat], a newspaper and piece of [[Media in Gujarati language]], which has been continuously published for over 90 years.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mehta |first=Urvish |title=Gujarati Patrakaritano Itihas |publisher=Gujarat Sahitya Akademi |year=2001}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==

Kakalbhai Kothari was born in 1902 in [[Kathiawar]], a historical province that contained several [[Princely state|princely states]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Patel |first=Ravindra |title=Freedom Fighters from Kathiawar |journal=Gujarat Historical Journal |volume=10 |issue=3 |year=1980}}</ref> His childhood was filled with national enthusiasm, and this affected him as a youngster, drawing him toward the ideas of [[freedom of the press]] and [[self-governance]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Yagnik |first=Achyut |title=Shaping Modern Gujarat |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2005}}</ref>
== Role in the Freedom Movement ==

Kothari actively participated in the [[Indian independence movement|Indian freedom struggle]]. In 1920, he participated in the ''Tilak Swaraj'' Fund collection in [[Saurashtra (state)|Saurashtra]], which was organized to finance the national movement of the Congress.<ref>{{cite book |last=Desai |first=Mahadev |title=The Story of Satyagraha |publisher=Navajivan Publishing |year=1930}}</ref> He also worked in arousing Western India's support against the Non-Cooperation Movement and subsequently the Civil Disobedience Movement.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chandra |first=Bipan |title=India's Struggle for Independence |publisher=Penguin Books |year=1989}}</ref>

Kothari also led the political awakening of the [[Princely state|princely states]] becoming a part of the [[Kathiawar|Kathiawar States People Convention]] in the 1930s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dalal |first=Shyam |title=People's Movements in Princely India |publisher=New Era Books |year=1983}}</ref> This campaign was aimed at placing awareness in the minds of the subjects to the princely rulers that they had a right and that they needed to associate with the larger freedom movement.<ref>{{cite book |last=Menon |first=V.P. |title=The Story of the Integration of the Indian States |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=1956}}</ref> In a letter to Kothari dated 2 November 1933, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] talks about the correspondence taking place between the two concerning these activities.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nehru |first=Jawaharlal |title=Letter to Kakalbhai Kothari |date=2 November 1933 |work=Collected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru |url=https://archive.org/stream/HindSwaraj-Nehru-SW-06/nehru.sw.vol.06_djvu.txt}}</ref>

== Journalism and editorial work ==

Kothari began his journalism career at [[Phulchhab]], a Gujarati newspaper known for its reformist and nationalist tone. In 1934, he founded his own daily newspaper, ''The Prabhat'', which quickly became a platform for articulating the nationalist agenda.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mehta |first=Urvish |title=Gujarati Patrakaritano Itihas |publisher=Gujarat Sahitya Akademi |year=2001}}</ref> He later edited the weekly ''Navsaurashtra'', which covered socio-political developments and carried articles in favor of [[swaraj]] (self-rule).<ref>{{cite journal |last=Trivedi |first=Rohit |title=Voices of the Press: Gujarat's Contribution |journal=Indian Freedom Chronicles |volume=6 |year=1990}}</ref>

Kothari was also associated with the [[Janmabhoomi (Gujarati newspaper)|Janmabhoomi]] group of newspapers, through which he continued to disseminate political awareness and press for reforms. His editorials often challenged British policies and called for solidarity among Indian states and commoners.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Joshi |first=Suresh |title=Forgotten Editors of Pre-Independence Gujarat |journal=Indian Media Studies |volume=5 |issue=2 |year=2007}}</ref> In 1928, he authored a biographical book titled ''Narveer Lalaji'', which detailed the life and contributions of a fellow nationalist and social worker.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kothari |first=Kakalbhai |title=Narveer Lalaji |publisher=Digital Library of India |year=1928 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.304492}}</ref> The book was among the earliest biographical efforts in [[Gujarat Literature Festival|Gujarati literature]] to celebrate contemporary freedom fighters.

== Later activities and social work ==

Apart from his journalism and political work, Kothari was a vocal advocate for education, press freedom, and social equity. He campaigned for literacy among rural populations and supported constructive programs aligned with [[Gandhian style non-violent action|Gandhian principles]], such as [[khadi]] promotion<ref>https://khadi.gov.in/saurashtra-initiatives</ref> and sanitation.
He also played a role in developing literary circles in Gujarat, encouraging the growth of independent thought and writing. Several journalists and writers who later emerged as leading figures in Gujarat's literary community credited Kothari for mentoring and supporting their early careers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rajyaguru |first=Sundarji |title=Gujarati Sahitya na Itihas |publisher=University Granth Nirman Board |year=1959}}</ref>

== Legacy ==

Kakalbhai Kothari has been acknowledged by the [[Government of India]] as one of the unsung heroes<ref>{{cite web | last1=Kaal | first1=Amrit | title=Kakalbhai Ravjibhai Kothari | work=Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India | url=https://amritkaal.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?15533 }}</ref> of the India independence struggle.He is also included in the official portal of the [[Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav]] initiative, featuring little-known freedom fighters. His presence has not been quite as well-regarded in popular history, but his contribution to the facturation of the popular opinion, confrontation of the colonial discourse in the press, and democratic reforms in state-states under the princes is substantial.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bhatt |first=Neelam |title=Unsung Nationalists of Gujarat |journal=Journal of Modern Indian History |volume=17 |issue=1 |year=2010}}</ref>

His work is still remembered at journalism schools and in Gujarat circles of historical knowledge where he is credited as an early leader of politically involved Gujarati journalism.<ref>{{cite book |last=Thakkar |first=D.R. |title=Who's Who of Indian Freedom Fighters |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |year=1969}}</ref>

== Prabhat group of Newspapers ==

Kakalbhai Kothari, a ''Indian journalist'', founded the Gujarati daily newspaper [https://theprabhat.com/ The Prabhat], expanding upon his previous editorial ventures with Saurashtra and Phulchhab.''Prabhat'' holds a unique place in the history of [[Media in Gujarati language|Gujarati journalism]]. It was among the earliest [[Media in Gujarati language]] daily newspapers, dedicated to covering socio-political issues, the nationalist movement, and regional affairs.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Thakkar |first=Manish |title=The Rise of Regional Press in Gujarat |journal=Journal of Media History |volume=9 |issue=2 |year=2003}}</ref> The paper gained a reputation for its fearless critique of colonial administration and its strong editorial stance promoting Indian self-rule.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Raval |first=Pratima |title=Press and Politics in Pre-Independence Gujarat |journal=Media and Culture Studies |volume=3 |issue=2 |year=2004}}</ref>

Over the decades, ''The Prabhat'' evolved into a credible source of news for Gujarati readers and has continued its publication for over 90 years, making it one of the longest-running Gujarati newspapers in India.<ref>{{cite book |last=Anjaria |first=Ulka |title=A History of the Indian Press |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2020}}</ref> It remains influential in Gujarat's journalistic and political circles even today. It is

The newspaper was printed and published from Prabhat Bhavan, located in Ahmedabad, under the banner of Kothari Printers. It was one of the few newspapers of the time to integrate editorial, publishing, and printing under a single roof. the Prabhat still runs successful by the Kothari family from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

== See also ==
* [[Indian independence movement]]
* [[Gujarati journalism|Journalism in Gujarat]]
* [[Janmabhoomi (Gujarati newspaper)]]
* [[Media in Gujarati language]]
* [[Phulchhab]]
* [[Bansilal Verma]]
* [[Chunilal Madia]]
* [[List of people from Ahmedabad|List of People from Ahmedabad]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?15533= Government of India – Unsung Heroes: Kakalbhai Kothari]
* [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.304492 "Narveer Lalaji" – Archive.org]
* [https://archive.org/stream/HindSwaraj-Nehru-SW-06/nehru.sw.vol.06_djvu.txt Nehru-Kothari Correspondence – Archive.org]
* [http://theprabhat.com/ The Prabhat Website]
* [https://amritkaal.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?15533 Indian Unsang Heroes of Freedom]
* [https://gujarativishwakosh.org/%e0%aa%95%e0%ab%8b%e0%aa%a0%e0%aa%be%e0%aa%b0%e0%ab%80-%e0%aa%95%e0%aa%95%e0%aa%b2%e0%aa%ad%e0%aa%be%e0%aa%88/ Kakalbhai Kothari Profile]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kothari, Kakalbhai Ravjibhai}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:Year of death unknown]]

Kakalbhai Ravjibhai Kothari - Revision history

Indiabulez at 12:06, 11 March 2026