UPSC Prelims 2020 Q28: Modern History – Social & Religious Reform Movements
The Vital-Vidhvansak, the first monthly journal to have the untouchable people as its target audience was published by
- (a) Gopal Baba Walangkar
- (b) Jyotiba Phule
- (c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- (d) Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
Answer: (a) Gopal Baba Walangkar
Explanation
Vital-Vidhvansak and Gopal Baba Walangkar
Vital-Vidhvansak ('Destroyer of Brahmanical or Ceremonial Pollution') was started in 1888.
It was the first monthly journal to have the untouchable people as its target audience.
It was published by Gopal Baba Walangkar.
| Option | Verdict | Journals linked to the person |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Gopal Baba Walangkar | Correct | Vital-Vidhvansak (1888) |
| (b) Jyotiba Phule | Incorrect | Wrote Gulamgiri; his Satyashodhak colleague Krishnarao Bhalekar ran Din Bandhu |
| (c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi | Incorrect | Harijan (1933), Young India, Navajivan |
| (d) Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar | Incorrect | Mooknayak (1920), Bahishkrit Bharat (1927), Janata |
About Walangkar:
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Community | Mahar; a retired soldier from the Konkan |
| Influence | A follower of Jyotiba Phule's ideas |
| Organisation | Anarya Dosh-Parihar Mandali, founded at Dapoli |
| Place in history | Seen as a pioneer of the Dalit movement, before Ambedkar |
Answer: (a) Gopal Baba Walangkar.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Gopal Baba Walangkar published Vital-Vidhvansak in 1888.
- (b) Incorrect. Jyotiba Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj; he did not publish this journal.
- (c) Incorrect. Gandhi's journal on untouchability was Harijan, started in 1933.
- (d) Incorrect. Ambedkar's first journal was Mooknayak, started in 1920, much later.
Key point
Gopal Baba Walangkar: Mahar ex-soldier, Vital-Vidhvansak (1888), Anarya Dosh-Parihar Mandali. Ambedkar: Mooknayak (1920), Bahishkrit Bharat (1927). Gandhi: Harijan (1933).
Remember
Vital-Vidhvansak, 1888 = Gopal Baba Walangkar.
Common mistakes
- Choosing Ambedkar for every question on Dalit journals; Walangkar came earlier.
- Choosing Phule because Walangkar followed his ideas.
- Confusing Vital-Vidhvansak with Mooknayak or with Din Bandhu.
Exam tip
Check the date. A journal of the 1880s cannot be Ambedkar's (born 1891) or Gandhi's.
Sources
- Eleanor Zelliot — From Untouchable to Dalit: Essays on the Ambedkar Movement
- Rosalind O'Hanlon — Caste, Conflict and Ideology: Mahatma Jotirao Phule and Low Caste Protest