The nationalist newspaper “The Independent” was founded by which Indian leader during the freedom movement?

Introduction / Context:
This question is from the history of the Indian national movement and the role of the press in mobilising public opinion. Many freedom fighters started newspapers to criticise colonial policies, spread nationalist ideas and build political awareness. Knowing which leader founded which paper helps you connect personalities with their methods of struggle and is a common type of factual question in competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The newspaper in question is “The Independent”.
• The options list B. R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Motilal Nehru and Bipin Chandra Pal.
• We assume standard information from modern Indian history regarding nationalist newspapers.
• We distinguish “The Independent” from other well-known papers like “New India”, “Young India” and “Mooknayak”.

Concept / Approach:
Motilal Nehru, an important Congress leader and prominent lawyer from Allahabad, founded the newspaper “The Independent” in 1919. It was launched as a nationalist response to the pro-government paper “The Leader”, which sometimes took a more moderate line. Through “The Independent”, Motilal Nehru aimed to provide a strong anti-colonial voice and support for the Non-Cooperation and later movements. The other leaders listed founded or edited different publications: B. R. Ambedkar was associated with papers such as “Mooknayak” and “Bahishkrit Bharat”; Bipin Chandra Pal with “New India”; and Jawaharlal Nehru with journals like “National Herald” later on.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the exact name: “The Independent”, a newspaper of the national movement period.Step 2: Recall that Motilal Nehru, based in Allahabad, founded “The Independent” in 1919 to provide a firmer nationalist line than some existing papers.Step 3: Identify that B. R. Ambedkar started “Mooknayak” and “Bahishkrit Bharat”, focused on Dalit rights, not “The Independent”.Step 4: Remember that Bipin Chandra Pal was associated with “New India” and “Bande Mataram”.Step 5: Note that Jawaharlal Nehru later launched “National Herald”, but that is a different paper and period.Step 6: Therefore, the founder of “The Independent” must be Motilal Nehru.

Verification / Alternative check:
Modern Indian history textbooks and exam guides list important nationalist newspapers and their founders, often in tabular form. In these lists, “The Independent” is consistently attributed to Motilal Nehru, and the year of its founding is usually mentioned as 1919, against the backdrop of post-World War I politics. Multiple-choice questions that ask exactly this fact invariably mark Motilal Nehru as the correct answer, confirming our selection.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
B. R. Ambedkar: Founded and edited journals such as “Mooknayak” and “Bahishkrit Bharat”, focusing on social justice and Dalit issues.Jawaharlal Nehru: Associated with “National Herald”, which started later; he was not the founder of “The Independent”.Bipin Chandra Pal: Linked to “New India” and “Bande Mataram”, not to “The Independent”.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often confuse nationalist newspapers because many leaders were active journalists. Another frequent mistake is to assume that Jawaharlal Nehru started every publication connected with the Nehru family. To avoid confusion, memorise a few clear pairings: Motilal Nehru – “The Independent”; B. R. Ambedkar – “Mooknayak”; Bipin Chandra Pal – “New India”; Jawaharlal Nehru – “National Herald”. This makes it much easier to answer questions of this type under exam pressure.

Final Answer:
The nationalist newspaper “The Independent” was founded by Motilal Nehru.