Achyit Yagnik, Achyutbhai to several thousands, was a journalist, activist, scholar and poet. In 1982, he founded SETU: Centre for Social Knowledge and Action, Ahmedabad, a social organisation based in Ahmedabad, working among vulnerable communities in western India. He was one of the clear headed and analytical voices from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a social scientist and public intellectual.

His home in Ahmedabad was a world stage, inviting friends and scholars from India and the globe who came to his state, his beloved Gujarat. Over decades, if anyone wanted to understand, report on or research Gujarat, the mandatory first stop was the discussion with Achyut Yagnik. A storehouse of information, details, anecdotes, data and deep insight about the political landscape of the state and its society’s schisms and passions. Achyut Bhai himself personified the quintessential Indian citizen, a product of India’s Independence, far distant from powerbrokers in Gandhinagar, untempted by the glitz of money and glamour, yet always engaging with “authority” on behalf of the poor and the underprivileged. He was available to any organisation, any movement working on economic injustice in any part of Gujarat. Achyut Bhai would often direct those to the late Girishbhai Patel, the intrepid lawyer who fought, pro bono, interminable injustices all over Gujarat.

Achyut Yagnik has published several articles and books in Gujarati and has co-authored the following books in English: Creating a Nationality: Ramjanmabhoomi Movement and Fear of the Self with Ashis Nandy et al, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1995; The Shaping of Modern Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva and Beyond, Penguin India, New Delhi, 2005; and Ahmedabad: From Royal City to Megacity, Penguin India, New Delhi, 2011.

From 1970 to 1980, he worked as a journalist and was actively associated with the Working Journalists Union and Press Workers Union in Ahmedabad, committed to the conditions for working journalists.

Between 1981 and 1985, he was the Gujarat correspondent of the “Economic and Political Weekly”.

Yagnik was also the founder editor of the Gujarati research journal “Arthat” (1981) for the Centre for Social Studies, Surat.  From 1982 to 1984 he was the Gujarat Coordinator of the Lokayan Project of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (Delhi) and also the General Secretary of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat.

In 1986-87, he was a consultant to and a Fellow of the United Nations University, Tokyo (1986-87).

Since 1982 he was Guest faculty of the Post-graduate Department of Development Communication, Gujarat University and has given lectures at the Universities of Columbia, Chicago and Berlin.

In the early 2000s, years 2005-06 he was Fellow at the Hebrew University at Jerusalem. The distinguished thinker and writer-activist was also a guest faculty at the Post-Graduate Department of Development Communication, at Gujarat University and has given lectures at the Universities of Columbia, Chicago and Berlin.

After the early 2000s, when the shrill noise of a new variant of politics rent the air and attempts were made to silence voices like Achyutbhai, who bore the legacy of both the 18^th century poet Narmad and the 19^th century Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, he still stood tall. Saluts Achutbhai!

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January 29, 2002

To,
Chief Minister
State of Gujarat
Gandhinagar

On January 26, members of several organisations in Gujarat — volunteers, activists and intelligentsia concerned about the rehabilitation of quake–affected people — gathered at Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad to observe a day–long fast and also held a dharna. The chief object was to register protest against the state authorities’ oppressive treatment towards the Lok Adhikar Manch and SUCI activists in Anjar, Bhachau and Rapar.

In the last 15 days, the Lok Adhikar Manch has organised peaceful rallies for people’s fundamental right to rehabilitation. On January 25, the government authorities began the shameful task of removing huts of the quake-affected victims living in and around Bhatt-Padia and Vagad Welfare Society. As a spontaneous response to this, many people joined a rasta–roko. The police ordered a merciless lathi–charge on unarmed citizens, especially helpless women.

We strongly condemn this undemocratic step against the activists and volunteers coordinated by the Lok Adhikar Manch to fight for a common citizen’s fundamental right to food, shelter and livelihood.

For the past 10 days at least, government officials have been destroying temporary tents and accommodation of these marginalised citizens asking for perfectly democratic rights. In a region suffering from paucity of water, their water has been thrown away and there have been blatant attempts to break Kutch’s confidence and self–respect. This is led by Mr. Chhibbar, the district collector of Kutch. Several government officers willing to do their duties have been thwarted by this collector.

It seems to us that Gujarat’s year-end attempt to present a rosy picture of rehabilitation is politically motivated. With this end in view, the government seems to be making a well–planned effort to silence the voice of the people. The government must abandon this anti–democratic approach and must adopt a pro–people, constructive approach and must complete the work of rehabilitation, keeping social justice as the central concern.

1. This meeting condemns the fascist, repressive and undemocratic approach adopted by the government in Bhachau on the 25th of this month and honours the fundamental right of the people of quake–affected areas to protest democratically against injustice. The government has struck a deadly blow on the democratic spirit by thwarting the constitutional right to self–expression. We demand that this right is respected in future.

2. The police have falsely charged the seven social activists arrested on January 25 with extremely shameful crimes of spreading terror, rioting, misleading people and attempted murder of government officers. We condemn this despotic attitude of the government and demand that all these false and fabricated cases be withdrawn immediately.

3. This meeting strongly condemns the despicable, anti–people and dictatorial attitude adopted by the District Collector of Bhuj during the meeting with media and leaders of this popular movement. The collector, who tries to depict the tragedy of the earthquake as a celebration, who disdains and threatens common citizens of this country has lost the right to be on a public position. Therefore, this meeting demands that the democratic spirit of this country be saved by the immediate suspension and punitive action against Mr. Chhibbar.

4. This meeting takes serious note of the fact that a number of problems related to assistance to the quake–affected people remain unsolved. Besides, the government approach of red–tapist officialdom keeps reducing the chances of justice for the people. Therefore, this meeting asks that the government appoint with immediate effect a taskforce in each of the talukas. This taskforce should comprise an equal number of representatives of quake affected citizens, of the Lok Adhikar Manch and of the government and that they be empowered to settle the problems at the village level.

We are convinced that such a system will reduce the suffering of the quake–affected people and bring under control the rampant corruption.
Signatories:

Achyut Yagnik, SETU James C. Dabhi, Behavioural Science Centre; Francis Parmar, St. Xavier’s College; Sonal Mehta, PUHR; Prakash Shah, MSD; Girish Patel, Lok Adhikar Sangh;
Sukhdev Patel, Janpath Lalji Desai, MARAG, Cedric Prakash, Prashant Neeta Desai, MARAG;
Victor Moses, XSSS; Javed Ameer, SEED; Indukmar Jani, Naya Marg; Ashim Roy, Sophiya Khan, INSAAF; Ishwarbhai, AVSC; Daheda Dhulabhai, MVS; Dhandhuka Reshmabhai Rahabhai, SVS, Hadad, Danta Hiren Gandhi, Darshan.

Archived from Communalism Combat, January-February 2002 Year 8  No. 75-76, Campaign 2

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