Shankarlal Ghelabhai Banker (1889 – 1985) was an Indian independence activist. He was one of the early associates of

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

Career

Banker and his friend Indulal Yagnik had established '' Young India'' and ''Navjivan'' publications respectively. They had handed over these publications to

when he entered public life in India. He was one of the early associates of Gandhi. In 1911 he travelled to London, England for four years to learn about the leather trade. Despite being raised as a vegetarian Vaishnava, when he was in Great Britain he ate meat. Upon returning to India he refused to perform the ''prayashchitta'' ceremony demanded by his caste, which led to his family's expulsion by the caste council. Despite this, he and his family were accepted back into the community by the caste at large. On 10 March 1922, Gandhi and Banker, as publisher and editor of Gandhi's newspaper '' Young India'', were accused of treason and arrested. Both Banker and Gandhi pleaded guilty and the trial was set for 18 March. It was held at the Circuit House and many leading Congressmen like

Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...

Sarojini Naidu Sarojini Naidu (Birth name, née Chattopadhyay) (; 13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949) was an Indian political activist and poet who served as the first Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Governor of United Provinces, after Independence Day (India), Indi ...

and

Madan Mohan Malaviya Madan Mohan Malaviya (25 December 1861 — 12 November 1946; ) was an Indian scholar, educational reformer and activist notable for his role in the Indian independence movement. He was president of the Indian National Congress three times and ...

attended. Judge C. N. Broomfield delivered his judgement and Banker was sentenced to a year and a half in jail. Banker had played a major role in Gandhi's activities in

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

. He participated in the

textile mill Textile manufacturing or textile engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful good ...

workers’ strike in Ahmedabad, the 1918 Kheda Satyagraha and the protests against the

Rowlatt Act The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, popularly known as the Rowlatt Act, was a law, applied during the British India period. It was a legislative council act passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in Delhi on 18 March 1919 ...

. He was the secretary of the Bharatiya Charkha Sangh which promoted

khadi Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi as Swadeshi movement, ''swadeshi (of homeland)'' for the freedom struggle of India and the term is used throughout the Indian sub ...

and Charkha.

References

Indian independence activists from Gujarat Gandhians 1889 births 1985 deaths {{India-activist-stub