Shankarlal Banker

Shankarlal Ghelabhai Banker (1889 – 1985)^[1] was an Indian independence activist. He was one of the early associates of Mahatma Gandhi.

Career

Banker and his friend Indulal Yagnik had established Young India and Navjivan publications respectively. They had handed over these publications to Mahatma Gandhi when he entered public life in India. He was one of the early associates of Gandhi.^[1]

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.^[2]

On 10 March 1922, Gandhi and Banker, as publisher and editor of Gandhi's newspaper Young India, were accused of treason and arrested.^[3][4] 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, Sarojini Naidu and Madan Mohan Malaviya attended. Judge C. N. Broomfield delivered his judgement and Banker was sentenced to a year and a half in jail.^[5]

Banker had played a major role in Gandhi's activities in Ahmedabad. He participated in the textile mill workers’ strike in Ahmedabad, the 1918 Kheda Satyagraha and the protests against the Rowlatt Act. He was the secretary of the Bharatiya Charkha Sangh which promoted khadi and Charkha.^[1]