Journalist, unionist Vasant Pradhan dies

Vasant Pradhan, a veteran Marathi journalist, trade unionist and Gandhian, passed away Sunday following old age related problems, his family said here Monday.

He was 90 and is survived by his wife, lawyer Kisan, daughters Justice Nishita Mhatre of the Calcutta High Court and Deepti Pradhan, a scientist at Yale University, US, musician son Aneesh and daughter-in-law, classical vocalist Shubha Mudgal.

He breathed his last at his home in Khar and the funeral shall be performed here Tuesday.

Born June 16, 1924, he plunged into the Indian freedom struggle at the age of 18 and was jailed during the Quit India Movement.

Later, under the guidance of a senior journalist, the late G.M. Chitnis, he started his media career with Chitra, a Marathi daily which he later headed.

In 1956, Pradhan and his wife Kisan launched a Marathi eveninger Zunjar which ran for 10 years, but shut down following various obstacles.

He joined the Loksatta Marathi daily in 1969 and continued till his retirement in 1984.

Pradhan was active with the Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Employees Union and had faced action for his union activities, but was associated with it for 15 years after his retirement.

Besides his media career, Pradhan authored several books on labour laws and was considered an authority on the subject by workers and the industry comprising small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

He also served as the president of the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Library, honorary Secretary of Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, and president of Gandhi Films Foundation in Mumbai.