125 years of spreading
wings and continuing counting…
The president of India, Pranab Mukherjee unveiling the plaque at the inauguration of quasquicentennial
jubilee celebrations of Malayala Manorama, in Kottayam, Kerala. The governor of Kerala, HR Bhardwaj, the union minister for Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal and the chief minister, Kerala,
Oommen Chandy are also seen.
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One of the great newspapers of India, Malayala Manorama has come a long way in its journey to celebrate the 125th Anniversary. Founded by Kandathil Varghese Mappillai at Kottayam, a small town in the then princely state of Travancore (now in Kerala) on March 14, 1888 as India's first joint stock publishing company. It turned out to be an enchanting and enduring name in the Indian newspaper industry. The company has an impressive bag of about 25 publications, most of them are leaders in their respective categories which cater to the information and entertainment requirements of a large audience across various segments in India as well as ethnic Indian community groups elsewhere in the world. Apart from their flagship Malayala Manorama Daily, their publications include: Malayala Manorama Weekly, The Week, Bhashaposhini, Vanitha (Malayalam), Vanitha (Hindi), Balarama, Kalikkudukka, Manorama Year Book, etc. Started with less than a thousand copies, the Malayala Manorama newspaper is now published from 18 centres including two editions in the Gulf region and has a circulation of 21.29 lakh with around 97.52 lakh readers, making it an international media brand with a notable presence
in the cyber world and
electronic media.
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Started with less than a thousand copies, the Malayala Manorama newspaper is now published from 18 centres including two editions in the Gulf region and has a circulation of 21.29 lakh with around 97.52 lakh readers, making it an international media brand with a notable presence in the cyber world and electronic media.
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“Over the years, the Manorama has not just chronicled India’s amazing journey, it has also been an active participant in the process of bringing significant change in our country," noted the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee while inaugurating the 125th anniversary celebrations of Malayala Manorama at Kottayam. “The Manorama has reported on colonialism giving way to independence, self-sufficiency replacing hunger and deprivation, political emancipation evolving into a strong, mature democracy and the emergence of India as a major political and economic force in the world,” added the president further underlining its contribution in the last 125 years.
Contributing to ‘Kerala Model’
“Kerala has been a pioneer and a path-breaker in many fields. Near universal literacy and enrolment in schools has been achieved. Fertility rate of its people has declined below replacement level. The overall sex ratio is in favour of women and women enjoy higher life expectancy than men. Infant and maternal morality is low. All these together have been described as the ‘Kerala Model’ and the Malayala Manorama has not just reported on the emergence of this phenomenon, it has also directly contributed to the extraordinary success of the state in the field of human development by spreading literacy, inculcating a passion for reading and launching various social movements under its auspices,” mentioned the president.
Social commitments…
The president, Pranab Mukherjee releasing the postage stamp at the inauguration of quasquicentennial jubilee celebrations of Malayala Manorama, in Kottayam, Kerala. The union minister for Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal and the chief minister, Kerala, Oommen Chandy are also seen.
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In fact, the social commitment and vision of Malayala Manorama is evident from the fact that its first editorial was on the demand for education of ‘Pulayas’, a community of untouchables, who were not allowed to walk on public roads in those days. Manorama has always stood for the people and with the people in the battle against injustice and for freedom and equality. It is praiseworthy that in 45 days Manorama readers contributed Rs 2.39 crore for rebuilding of Banegaon village in Latur after the earthquake. "I believe this is the largest collection for relief work initiated by a newspapers in India. This shows that Manorama's care for the society is not limited to Kerala alone but extends to whole of India," appraised the president. “The Malayalam language owes a great deal to the crusading zeal of Malayala Manorama. Along with other newspapers, the Manorama led the way in developing a common script for printing and dissemination of the language. The Newspaper and its distinguished sister publication, Bhashaposhini have been a nursery for great thinkers and poets of Kerala,” he said.
‘Media has an important role
to play in cleansing public life’
“The media has an important role to play in cleansing public life. However, to undertake this role the conduct of the media itself should be above board. It must be always kept in mind that ends and means are both important. The highest standards of ethics must be maintained at all times. Sensationalism should never become a substitute for objective assessment and truthful reporting. Gossip and speculation should not replace hard facts. Every effort should be made to ensure that political or commercial interests are not passed off as legitimate and independent opinion,” said the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee while inaugurating the 125th Anniversary celebrations of Malayala Manorama at a function at Kottayam (Kerala).
“Integrity and independence are two sides of the same coin and both must be equally important for our media and for every one of us. There should be recognition that the media is accountable to its readers and viewers at large and through them to the entire nation,” he conveyed adding, “In our country, freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution and the influence, credibility and quality of our media is well recognized. However, freedom of expression can not be guaranteed only by legal rights and enactment. A conducive atmosphere must be created for the purpose and this can be done if we remember Gurudev Ravindranath Tagore’s words ‘where knowledge is free’ and ‘where words come out from the depths of truth’.”
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“The Manorama played a stellar role in our freedom movement, for which it suffered at the hands of then rulers. The newspaper was shut down for nine years but its management and staff refused to bow down or compromise on their ideals. Through its silent sacrifice, the newspaper became a symbol of our nations’ struggle for freedom and basic liberties,” said the president, adding that newspapers like Malayala Manorama had the benefit of leadership from several generations of luminaries like Kandathil Varghese Mapillai, KC Mammen Mapillai, KM Cherian and KM Mathew play a major role in shaping the values in journalism and of our society. In his Sacred Trust, Mammen Mapillai told his sons and the entire Malayala Manorama family: "Manorama is a sacred public trust or an institution God has bestowed upon us to be used without fear or favour from anyone. You should always work with this in mind. God has placed in our hands a mighty weapon. To use it for our personal, vindictive and vitriolic ends will be an unpardonable and immoral act injurious to the faith bestowed on us by a large number of people. God does not want that. And hence our eternal vow should be to tirelessly work for the success of fairness, justice and morality." If these words were true then, it is true now and will remain true in future. There can be no better mission for a news organization than what Mapillai said more than half a century ago. Today, Malayala Manorama stands as an outstanding example of quality and principled journalism.
Congratulating Malayala Manorama for its 125 years of public service, the president of India wished the organization every success in the future, continuing to serve the people of India with strength, vigour and dedication, with their columns giving voice to the voiceless and unorganized sectors, standing tall as a pillar that supports the democratic political system and being a guiding light for the society and leadership. The President also released a commemorative stamp on completion of 125 years of Malayala Manorama on the occasion.
