Question

Mooknayak was a _____.
A) Biography
B) Book
C) Fortnightly newspaper
D) All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: A weekly newspaper or Fortnightly newspaper is a general-news or current-events publication published once or twice a week in a range of broadsheet, magazine, and digital formats. Mooknayak literally means "master of the voiceless."

Complete answer:
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar began publishing the fortnightly Mooknayak in January 1920. Dr Ambedkar, however, had to leave for higher studies in England and thus passed this paper on to his colleagues.
Despite its brief existence, Mooknayak laid the groundwork for a strong and well-organized Dalit political movement. It heralded the emergence of a new wave of anti-caste politics that transcended regional, linguistic, and political boundaries, and coincided with broader nationalist developments.

The establishment of Mooknayak in 1920 represented a significant change in India's socio-political discourse on caste and untouchability. Beginning with Mooknayak, a Marathi fortnightly, Ambedkar's newspapers helped to launch a new politics of declaration that questioned the prevailing social diseases.

Unlike his other newspapers, Mooknayak faced a number of significant obstacles, including financial and management problems. The Mooknayak experiment not only changed Ambedkar's outlook on newspaper publishing but also served as a learning experience for many future generations of Ambedkarite activists.

Mooknayak was released on alternate Saturdays from Bombay. A single copy of the Mooknayak cost 2.5 n, and a reader could purchase an annual subscription for Rs 2.50. The newspaper's circulation was reduced to 700 subscribers in July 1920, with a slight increase in later years. The circulation had increased to 1,000 subscribers by July 1922.

Firstly we should evaluate each option in the question and should analyze. So after that, we firstly found that Option C-Fortnightly Newspaper is the correct option. So we can conclude that Mooknayak was a Fortnightly newspaper.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: Prior to the Mooknayak, non-Brahmins were the only ones who dared to criticise Hinduism, with very few from the Dalit community joining in. The Mooknayak's appearance signalled the beginning of the politicisation of the Dalit problem. It paved the way for Dalit politics to spread across India.