Gujarat's foremost intellectual Achyut Yagnik passes away

Achyut Yagnik, known as the encyclopedia of Gujarat's political and social landscape of the 20th century, passed away early Friday morning in Ahmedabad. He was 78.

As Gujarat's foremost public intellectual, he was the most sought-after social scientist for his understanding of Gujarati society. He was not only a store-house of knowledge but also one of the rare voices who was critical of the government of the day. He is survived his wife, son and grandchildren.

He donned many hats including that of a journalist, activist, scholar and author. In 1982, he founded SETU: Centre for Social Knowledge and Action, Ahmedabad, an organisation which worked for the vulnerable communities in western India.

From 1970 to 1980, he worked as a journalist and was actively associated with the Working Journalists Union and Press Workers Union in Ahmedabad, his son Anandvardhan, a noted lawyer and activist, said.

He was the founder editor of the Gujarati research journal Arthat (1981) for the Centre for Social Studies, Surat. Between 1981 and 1985, he worked as Gujarat correspondent for Economic and Political Weekly.

From 1986-87, he was a consultant and a Fellow of the United Nations University, Tokyo. He taught as guest faculty at Gujarat University and took lectures at Universities of Columbia, Chicago and Berlin. In 2005-06, he was a Fellow at the Hebrew University at Jerusalem.

He has published several articles and books in Gujarati and has co-authored several critical books in English including, Creating a Nationality: Ramjanmabhoomi Movement and Fear of the Self with Ashis Nandy, The Shaping of Modern Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva and Beyond, Ahmedabad: From Royal City to Megacity, among others.