Who was Ramnath Goenka ?

In 1987 Goenka’s newspapers resumed criticism of the government with allegations of nepotism and corruption. His stinging editorials and cartoons about Rajiv Gandhi were largely credited with securing the election victory of V.P. Singh in 1989.

The panel comprised Dhanya Rajendran, editor-in-chief of The News Minute, Meenal Baghel, editor of Mumbai Mirror, Ritu Kapur, chief executive officer of The Quint and Rupa Jha of BBC World Service. The discussion will be moderated by Seema Chishti, Deputy Editor, The Indian Express.

The Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards, named after Ramnath Goenka, have become one of the most prestigious award functions for Indian journalists.

Ramnath Goenka, (born April 3, 1904, Darbhanga district, Bihar, India—died Oct. 5, 1991, Bombay [now Mumbai]), Indian newspaper publisher and crusader against government corruption.

Goenka was born in northeastern India, schooled in Benares (Varanasi), and sent by his family to Madras (now Chennai) in 1922 to become a dealer in yarn and jute.

Ramnath Goenka was born on 22 April 1904 in Bihar, to Basantlal Goenka.

He started his career as a newspaper dispatch vendor, and went on to become the president of the National Newspapers Editor’s Conference in a short span of time.

In 1934 he bought shares in a local company that owned the Indian Express newspaper.

While most news organisations were either threatened or cajoled to be mouthpieces of the government at the Centre, The Indian Express under the tutelage of Goenka led the charge against the government. He continued printing news articles, brushed aside the censorship imposed, and did all this while battling “sudden electricity failures” and the fine charged against the group for refusing to conform to government demands.

In 1922, he moved to Madras as the agent for Sukhdevdoss Ramprasad[citation needed] on a salary of Rs. 30/- and took shelter with a family named Chaudhry which came from a village near to his native Mandawa, at 23 Peria Naicker Street

Two years later he took over the company and began to build a national network that eventually included 14 editions of the Indian Express—making it India’s largest English-language daily—and six other newspapers in as many Indian languages.

One day after the Emergency was imposed, Goenka asked The Indian Express to carry a blank editorial as a sign of protest. To this day, this act by The Indian Express is perceived to have sent across a stronger message to the then government than written words.

During the 1930s Goenka joined Mohandas Gandhi’s fight for independence from Britain and later became a supporter of the Indian National Congress (Congress Party) headed by Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1971 he was elected to Parliament and served one term.

At a very young age, Goenka was married to Moongibai, a lady of his own community and similar background, in a match arranged by their parents in the usual Indian way.

But the government was still not happy with the functioning of The Indian Express as it refused to do as demanded. During this period, Goenka suffered a heart attack and it was assumed that full control of the newspaper would be taken over by the government-nominated committee.

In 1975, reportedly in retaliation for enthusiastically supporting Jaya Prakash Narayan for prime minister, Goenka and the Indian Express were among the most harshly penalized during the national state of emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Son Bhagwan Das. He married Saroj Jain, daughter of the Jain family which own the Times of India, in the usual Indian way. They had three daughters but no son. BHagwan das predeceased his father, leaving Goenka with no heirs; he therefore adopted a son of his elder daughter (see below).

On 18 August 1976, the Indira Gandhi government imposed pre-censorship. The papers were to be checked by the government before they went in for printing. This meant that the printing of papers was delayed and the distribution was affected, not to mention there were also strict conditions on what could and could not make it to the papers.

As soon as censorship was lifted, Goenka’s newspapers published a series of exposés on forced sterilizations, mass resettlements of the extreme poor, widespread corruption, and political arrests.

Elder daughter Krishna Khaitan. She was married in the usual Indian way to Ajay Khaitan, scion of the family which owns Williamson Magor and McLeod Russell Tea and Eveready Batteries. She had two sons, including Vivek Khaitan, who was adopted by Goenka after the death of his own son. Vivek, now known as Viveck Goenka, is currently the chairman of the Mumbai-based Indian Express group (which circulates in north India)

These reports were a key factor in the defeat of Indira Gandhi in 1977 and the rise of the Janata Party.

Younger daughter Radha Sonthalia. She was married in the usual Indian way to Shyam Sunder Sonthalia, a businessman based in south India. Her son now runs the Madurai-based New Indian Express group, which circulates in south India.

When she was reelected (1980), the Indian Express was deluged with tax- and property-violation notices. A truce was called when she was assassinated in 1984 and her son Rajiv Gandhi succeeded her.

Goenka's only son, Bhagwan Das, was slated to take over his father's business interests, prime among which was the Indian Express, for which he served as managing director under the chairmanship of his father.

However, he died suddenly of a heart attack in 1979, leaving a wife and three daughters. The absence of a direct male heir caused Ramnath to decide to adopt his grandson, Vivek Khaitan, son of A. M. Khaitan and his wife Krishna.