Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar
| Balshastri Jambhekar | |
|---|---|
| Born |
6 January 1812 Pombhurle in the Rajapur taluka, Konkan region, Maharashtra, India |
| Died | 18 May 1846 (aged 34) |
Balshastri Jambhekar (Marathi: बाळशास्त्री जांभेकर) (6 January 1812 – 18 May 1846) is also known as Father of Marathi journalism for his efforts in starting journalism in Marathi language with the first newspaper in the language named 'Darpan' in the early days of British Rule in India.
(1810-1846) He was born in 1810 in the village of Pombhurle in Devgad taluka (Sindhudurga) in Konkan region of Maharashtra state. Talented and intelligent since childhood, Jambhekar became a great scholar and researcher in many subjects on adulthood.He was active only for a very short period, but his exceptional work left a permanent mark on India.
Balshastri Jambhekar had grasped correctly the importance and power of the print media in the coming times during British Rule in India. He was sure that if the British was to be overthrown and freedom was to be attained, then it was essential to awaken the masses and the print media was the most useful tool to that end.
The newspaper Darpan was born out of this patriotism and social awareness. He founded Darpan as the first Marathi newspaper. He was editor of this newspaper during the British rule in India. This turned out to be the beginning of Marathi journalism. Balshastri Jambhekar was only 20 years old then.
His associates in this phase included people like Govind Kunte and Bhau Mahajan.
The first issue of Darpan was published on 6 January 1832. The newspaper was printed both in English and Marathi languages in two separate columns. Marathi was meant for the general public and English was meant for the ruling British. It was priced at 1 rupee. Newspaper was a new idea in India at that time hence there were very few subscribers in the beginning but slowly people appreciated it and agreed with the thoughts expressed in it. The readership grew.
It was published for eight and half years. The last issue was published in July 1840.
He specifically dealt with the issues of widow re-marriage in his newspaper. He tried to develop a scientific set of mind in the masses of uneducated India.
This resulted in a large-scale debate in the society and finally in a movement for the support of widow re-marriage.
He passionately desired that the knowledge should percolate in the society and Darpan was one of the means to this end. He was aware that the country could only progress with the use of scientific knowledge and a rational outlook towards social problems. He wanted to build a society having a scientific outlook. He was one of those social activists who made continuous effort in generating useful and healthy consciousness amongst the common masses and attempted to educate the uneducated. His never-dying talent and endeavour left a stamp over not only the Maharashtrian public, but across India, as a distinguished social reformer and journalist.
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