HYDERABAD: Former editor of Nagpur Marathi daily Yugdharma, Manohar P. Andhare, died on Friday in Secunderabad. He was 87.
Comrade Andhare, as he was popularly known, was secretary-general of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ). He was also a professor of media studies at the Nagpur School of Journalism. He was nominated by the Union government on Journalists' Pension Committee and was national convener of IFWJ committee on Justice U.N. Bachawat Wages Board and served in many other capacities, including as secretary-general of the National Confederation of Newspaper and News Agencies.
An activist against the Emergency (1975-77), Andhare was in vanguard of struggle against press censorship. He was in forefront of the Jayaprakash Narayan movement. He led many media movements in the Vidarbha region.
Andhare was elected IFWJ secretary at the 21st plenum in Ayodhya on June 25, 1984. He led IFWJ delegations to 16 countries, including Britain, Germany, France and the Netherlands. Andhare had worked for many Marathi journals and was founder of the Lohia Adhiyayan Kendra.
Among Andhare's friends and admirers are Sharad Pawar (NCP), Devendra Fadanvis and Nitin Gadkari (BJP).
In his condolence message, Gadkari said he was saddened by the death of the senior journalist.
His son Ajit Andhare works as News Editor in for Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad. IFWJ has mourned the sad demise of its former secretary-general.
