Chunibhai Vaidya (2 September 1917 – 19 December 2014), popularly calledChunikaka, was an Indian activist, author and aGandhian ideologue fromGujarat, India.
Chunibhai Vaidya was born on 2 September 1918 in a small village inPatan district, Gujarat. He was aGandhian and aSarvodaya veteran. He participated inIndian independence movement and later inVinoba Bhave'sBhoodan Movement. He worked for peace inAssam when violence broke out in 1960s. He was an editor ofBhumiputra. He opposed theEmergency imposed byIndira Gandhi in 1975 and was imprisoned. He also founded Gujarat Lok Samiti, a voluntary organization, in 1980. During draught from 1986 to 1988 in Gujarat, he was involved in relief work and construction of check dams inPatan district irrigating 12000 hectares of land. He was also critical of2002 Gujarat violence.[1][2]
Vaidya wroteAssassination of Gandhi : Facts and Falsehood which was translated and published in eleven languages.[1][2]
He died on 19 December 2014 atAhmedabad aged 97. He was cremated at Dadhichi crematorium in Vadaj area of the city.[1][2]
He received Sane Guruji Nirbhay Patrakarita Award for his journalism. He also received Vishva Gujarati Pratibha award by Vishva Gujarati Samaj.[1][2] He was awarded theJamnalal Bajaj Award in 2010.[3]
