Friends carry on legacy of Prabhash Joshi

The Satyagrah Mandap near Gandhi Darshan Parisar, Rajghat, came alive with journalists and scholars, who gathered on Thursday to celebrate the setting up of Prabhash Parampara Nyas, a Trust in memory of Prabhash Joshi, late journalist and Chief Editorial Advisor of Jansatta, The Indian Express Group's Hindi daily.

Joshi was a Gandhian, activist and the founder-editor of Jansatta since 1983. He passed away on November 5 last year.

The event was organised to mark the first meeting of the Trust on his birthday, July 15. "He would have been 74 today," said Ashok Maheshwari of Rajkamal Publication.

A month after his demise, 30 friends, led by eminent Hindi critic Namvar Singh, decided to set up the Trust. "The Trust will carry on his work. He brought to light the issue of paid news and organised discussions," Joshi's son Sopan said.

The Trust will provide fellowships to students sharing an interest in subjects that appealed to Joshi, such as cricket. The chairperson of the Trust is Namvar Singh while journalist Ram Bahadur Rai, who runs Pratham Pravakta, is the secretary.

Other prominent names among the trustees are Justice P B Sawant, veteran leader Murli Manohar Joshi, journalists Kuldip Nayar and Rahul Dev, poet Ashok Vajpayee, Jansatta editor Om Thanvi, economist Amit Bhaduri and lyricist Javed Akhtar among others.

"Issues like Naxalism never figured in Delhi dailies. Prabhash Joshi brought them to the fore. He would give lectures in villages and people turned up in hordes to listen to him," said Harivansh, Chief Editor, Parbhat Khabar.

The evening also saw the release of three books by Rajkamal Publications: Ikkisvin Sadi, Pehla Dashak, a collection of essays published in Jansatta from 2000-2009 and Aage Andhi Gali Hai, a collection of essays published in Tehelka and Pratham Pravakta, a Hindi news magazine run by noted Hindi journalist Ram Bahadur Rai.

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