Govindrao Talwalkar
Encyclopedia
Govind Shripad Talwalkar (b 1925, also known honorifically as Govindrao Talwalkar) is a former journalist, editor of Maharashtra Times
, and author of 11 books. He received the Lokmanya Tilak
Award from the Government of Maharashtra, India.
, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Coming from a family with limited means, Talwalkar graduated from the university of Mumbai
while doing odd jobs at the same time to pay for his fees. Talwalkar's family has a special place in Maharashtra. Talwalkar's uncle Gopinath Talwalkar was a well-known poet and writer. His other uncle Sharad Talwalkar
was a famous actor in Marathi
films and on stage.
, a Marathi daily of the Indian Express Group
, to join as a sub-editor. The work was not clearly defined. Talwalkar started writing editorials in the daily and the weekly edition of the paper. In fact, he wrote an editorial the first day he joined Loksatta at the age 23. He was greatly influenced by the writings of Lokmanya Tilak
, M.N. Roy and other Indian intellectuals. From 1950 to 1962 he served as assistant editor of Loksatt.
Talwalkar is best known for his editorials and articles. According to Raj Thackeray
, "Talwalkar justified being recognized as Agralekhancha Badshah (the emperor of editorials)". S.M. Mate admiringly remarked that Talwalkar had a felicity of pen. In the tradition of Lokmanya Tilak & the Maharashtra saint Samarth Ramdas
, he used simple Marathi to make difficult subjects easily understandable to ordinary readers, while at the same time making all salient points with notable gravitas. Several of his editorials and articles are collected in his books, includingAgralekh, Bahar, Pushpanjali, Lal gulag ('Red Gulag
'), Niyatishi karar.
On his retirement in 1996, Talwalkar settled with his daughters in the USA, but continued to critique the Maharashtra government.
Though proud of his mother-tongue, Marathi, Talwalkar thought that his readers should know whatever best was produced in the literature in various languages. He started a popular column introducing books in English, writing under the pseudonym Vachaspati. His articles on books have been published as collections - Vachta vachta, 1& 2.
Many of his books are on the leaders of India's freedom movement: Naoroji, Nehru, Justice Ranade, Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale
. The books Naoroji te Nehru, Virat dnyani - M.G. Ranade, Tilak darshan, Bal Gangadhar Tilak were awarded various prizes. The Tribune
s review of Gopal Krishna Gokhale praises Talwalkar as "a versatile journalist", and describes the book as a "comprehensive study" with a "lucid and straightforward" narrative.
. When it was fashionable to be a communist, Talwalkar remained an independent and wrote against the totalitarianism of the Right as well as the Left.
He was steeped in the humanist thoughts of M. N. Roy, George Orwell
, Karl Pauper, Arthur Koestler
, Kolakovwsky.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Talwalkar toured Eastern Europe and wrote a four volume book in Marathi on the rise and fall of the Soviet empire: Soviet Samrajyacha Uday Ani Asta in 4 volumes, winning the Kelkar prize.
, The Telegraph (of Calcutta)
, The Illustrated Weekly of India
, Frontline magazine
, The Mainstream and the Deccan Herald
.
He regularly wrote articles in Marathi
for a literary magazine Lalit. He has received the Durga Ratan and B.D. Goenka Awards for excellence in journalism, and the Ramshatri Award for social justice.
Now retired, Talwalkar still writes regularly for the Asian Age
.
Maharashtra Times
Maharashtra Times , coloquially referred to as 'Ma Taa' from its Marathi initialism, is a Marathi newspaper based out of Mumbai, India. It is the 9th largest selling daily newspaper in the country. It is owned by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, and author of 11 books. He received the Lokmanya Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Lokmanya Tilak –, was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer and independence fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities derogatorily called the great leader "Father of the Indian unrest"...
Award from the Government of Maharashtra, India.
Early life
Talwalkar was born on July 22, 1925 in DombivaliKalyan-Dombivali
Kalyan-Dombivli is a city and a municipal corporation with its headquarters located in Kalyan in Thane district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formed in 1982 to administer the twin townships of Kalyan and Dombivli...
, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Coming from a family with limited means, Talwalkar graduated from the university of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
while doing odd jobs at the same time to pay for his fees. Talwalkar's family has a special place in Maharashtra. Talwalkar's uncle Gopinath Talwalkar was a well-known poet and writer. His other uncle Sharad Talwalkar
Sharad Talwalkar
Sharad Talwalkar was an Indian film and television actor who led the Marathi Film Industry and Theatre for many years. He had performed in more than 180 Marathi films.-Childhood:...
was a famous actor in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
films and on stage.
Editing Loksatta
After getting a degree, Talwalkar joined an intellectual magazine. After that, he was invited by Mr. H.R. Mahajani, the then editor of LoksattaLoksatta (newspaper)
-Introduction:Launched on January 14, 1948, Loksatta has stood by its tradition of being a forum and voice of democracy in Maharashtra, India. Published by The Indian Express Group, a champion of change, Loksatta is known for its impartial coverage and nonconformist & liberal viewpoint...
, a Marathi daily of the Indian Express Group
Indian Express Group
Indian Express Limited is an Indian news media publishing company. It publishes several widely circulated dailies, including The Indian Express and The Financial Express in English, the Loksatta in Marathi and the Jansatta in Hindi...
, to join as a sub-editor. The work was not clearly defined. Talwalkar started writing editorials in the daily and the weekly edition of the paper. In fact, he wrote an editorial the first day he joined Loksatta at the age 23. He was greatly influenced by the writings of Lokmanya Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Lokmanya Tilak –, was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer and independence fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities derogatorily called the great leader "Father of the Indian unrest"...
, M.N. Roy and other Indian intellectuals. From 1950 to 1962 he served as assistant editor of Loksatt.
Editor of the Maharashtra Times
Talwalkar worked as assistant editor of the Maharashtra Times, a new Marathi daily launched by the Times of India group for almost six years. He become chief editor in 1968, remaining in that role for 27 years until he retired in 1996. He also established a record as the longest serving editor in Bennett Coleman and Co. which owns the Times of India Group. The company is more than 150 years old.Talwalkar is best known for his editorials and articles. According to Raj Thackeray
Raj Thackeray
Raj Shrikant Thackeray is the founder and president of the right-wing Marathi ethnocentric regional political party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the state of Maharashtra, India...
, "Talwalkar justified being recognized as Agralekhancha Badshah (the emperor of editorials)". S.M. Mate admiringly remarked that Talwalkar had a felicity of pen. In the tradition of Lokmanya Tilak & the Maharashtra saint Samarth Ramdas
Samarth Ramdas
Ramdas was a prominent Marathi saint and religious poet in the Hindu tradition in Maharashtra, India. Samarth Ramdas was a devotee of Lord Hanuman and Lord Rama...
, he used simple Marathi to make difficult subjects easily understandable to ordinary readers, while at the same time making all salient points with notable gravitas. Several of his editorials and articles are collected in his books, includingAgralekh, Bahar, Pushpanjali, Lal gulag ('Red Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
'), Niyatishi karar.
On his retirement in 1996, Talwalkar settled with his daughters in the USA, but continued to critique the Maharashtra government.
Though proud of his mother-tongue, Marathi, Talwalkar thought that his readers should know whatever best was produced in the literature in various languages. He started a popular column introducing books in English, writing under the pseudonym Vachaspati. His articles on books have been published as collections - Vachta vachta, 1& 2.
Author of books on modern Indian history
Talwalkar has written eleven books on modern history. His book on the transfer of power in India ( Sattantar - 3 volumes) is now in its third edition.Many of his books are on the leaders of India's freedom movement: Naoroji, Nehru, Justice Ranade, Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, CIE was one of the founding social and political leaders during the Indian Independence Movement against the British Empire in India. Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and founder of the Servants of India Society...
. The books Naoroji te Nehru, Virat dnyani - M.G. Ranade, Tilak darshan, Bal Gangadhar Tilak were awarded various prizes. The Tribune
The Tribune
The Tribune is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Jalandhar, Dehradun and Bathinda. It was founded on 2 February 1881, in Lahore , by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as...
s review of Gopal Krishna Gokhale praises Talwalkar as "a versatile journalist", and describes the book as a "comprehensive study" with a "lucid and straightforward" narrative.
Freethinker, writer on the Soviet empire
From the 1950s, India sought economic and technological help from the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. When it was fashionable to be a communist, Talwalkar remained an independent and wrote against the totalitarianism of the Right as well as the Left.
He was steeped in the humanist thoughts of M. N. Roy, George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
, Karl Pauper, Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler CBE was a Hungarian author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest and, apart from his early school years, was educated in Austria...
, Kolakovwsky.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Talwalkar toured Eastern Europe and wrote a four volume book in Marathi on the rise and fall of the Soviet empire: Soviet Samrajyacha Uday Ani Asta in 4 volumes, winning the Kelkar prize.
Journalist
Talwalkar contributed articles in English to newspapers including The Times of IndiaThe Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, The Telegraph (of Calcutta)
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
, The Illustrated Weekly of India
The Illustrated Weekly of India
The Illustrated Weekly of India was an English language weekly newsmagazine publication in India. It started publication in 1880 and ceasing publication in 1993...
, Frontline magazine
Frontline (magazine)
Frontline is a fortnightly English language magazine published by The Hindu Group of publications from Chennai, India. Narasimhan Ram is the editor-in-chief of the magazine. As a current affairs magazine, it covers domestic and International news. Frontline gives a prominent place to various...
, The Mainstream and the Deccan Herald
Deccan Herald
The Deccan Herald is a leading English-language daily newspaper distributed in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is published by the Printers Private Limited and has a number of editions in Bangalore, Hubli, Mysore, Mangalore and Gulbarga....
.
He regularly wrote articles in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
for a literary magazine Lalit. He has received the Durga Ratan and B.D. Goenka Awards for excellence in journalism, and the Ramshatri Award for social justice.
Now retired, Talwalkar still writes regularly for the Asian Age
Asian Age
The Asian Age is an Indian daily newspaper with editions in four major cities in India and one in London. The newspaper was launched in February 1994, simultaneously in Delhi, Mumbai and London. At present, it has editions in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and London. The Asian Age brings out...
.
External links
- MANASE Biography of Govind Talwalkar by Raj Thackeray (Maharashtra NavNirman Sena)