Question

Deenbandhu, the newspaper was started by _____.

Answer 1

Hint: It was a newspaper in the Marathi language. It was first published for the first time in Pune, British India in the year 1877. The newspaper served as an outlet for Satyashodhak Samaj, which was a social reforms society formed by Jyotirao Govindrao Phule. The founder of this newspaper was an associate of Jyotirao Phule.

Complete answer:
The Deenbandhu newspaper was started by Krishnarao Pandurang Bhalekar in 1877. Krishnarao was born to a Mali family in Bhamburde. He operated the Deenbandhu newspaper single-handedly till April of 1880, after which the newspaper was shifted to Mumbai due to financial problems. Narayan Meghaji, who earlier wrote for the paper, also became its editor in 1880. Later in 1903, Vasudeo Birje became the editor of Deenbandhu after he came to Mumbai from Baroda.

Vasudeo Birje died suddenly due to cholera in 1908. Therefore, his wife Tanubai Birje had to take over the responsibility of running the newspaper. She edited the newspaper from 1908 till her death in 1913. Tanubai Birje is remembered as the first woman editor in the history of non-Brahmin journalism and even Marathi journalism.

Later, the Deenbandhu newspaper was published by Lokhande. While he was publishing, an admirer of Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, Vithhal Marutrao Nawle, purchased the rights to publish the Deenbandhu’s edition in Pune. He imported a printing press from Ohio for this very purpose and continued to publish newspapers till its publication ceased in the 1970s.

Note: Many years after its publication ceased, the printing press still existed in Pune till 2013. Its ownership was still with the Nawle family. But the press, however, was in a state of sizable disrepair and decay. The state government could not decide whether to preserve the press or not.