Birth and Growth of any
three newspapers in
Malayalam
Sona Joseph
2885
Deepika
• Oldest malayalam daily now in circulation
• Published from kottayam, St. Joseph Press, Mannanam, April 15, 1887
• 30 catholic priests + leading citizens : approached Mar Salinas,
metropolitan of varapuzha for a community newspaper in order to unite
the sects within christianity
• Under the leadership of Nidheerikkal Manikathanar
• Initial name Nazrani Deepika
• Catholic trumpet
• Aim : spread the teachings of christ and to promote interests of the syrian
christians
• The goal of the newspaper changed with times and played decisive role in
kerala society
• Supported popular movements
Malayali memorial (1891)
Equal Rights campaign (1919)
Vaikom sathyagraha (1924)
Abstention Movement (1933)
• 1887- It started as a fortnightly
• 1895- appeared thrice a month
• 1899- weekly
• 1927- daily
• 1938- Nazrani Deepika changed to Deepika
• Place of publication shifted from Mannanam to Kottayam
• Sister publications
Kuttikalude Deepika- children’s fortnightly
Rashtra Deepika- eveninger
Business Deepika- economical & financial fortnightly
Sthree dhanam- women’s monthly
Children’s digest
Cinema Deepika
Career Deepika – employment
• 1997- first newspaper in Malayalam to start an online edition
• First newspaper to devote an entire page to sports
• Editions: kottayam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kannur, Trivandrum, Kozhikode
Malayala Manorama
• Founder Kandathil Varghese Mappilai ( editor of Devji Bhimji’s Kerala
Mithram )
• Started as a joint stock company in Tranvancore in 1888 ( 100 shares,
each priced Rs 100.
• First established in 1888 as a weekly ( every Saturdays)
• First editorial stressed on the need of education to Pulaya community
• Initially contained poetry, literary criticisms, political and social
reports
• 1901 - biweekly
• 1908 - triweekly
• January 26, 1928 – daily
• Within a century, 9 editions in Kerala and 3 editions outside
• Editors:
Varghese Mappilai
Mammen Mappilai
K M Cherian
K M Mathew
• Varghese Mapilai started newspaper at his age of 31
died at the age of 47
He was a malayalam teacher, Kottayam College
Experience in working with Deepika and others
Initiated Bashaposhini Sabha ( language club)
He stressed on innovation, professionalism and social commitment
Started a residential school for girls
• Mammen Mappilai wrote articles and started special columns for women and
children
Started political articles
Turned newspaper to a powerful social catalyst
Teacher, writer, social reformer, planter, Industrialist, Banker, Businessman
Started National and Quilon Bank
Started an insurance company, New Guardian Of India
Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer, Dewan ( an autocrat) sealed National and Quilon Bank
Mammen Mappilai imprisoned for 2 years
For 9 years Malayala Manorama couldn’t be published
Resumed publication on Nov 29, 1947
• K M Cherian
Chairman of Press Trust Of India
During his time, newspaper became a national daily
After his death, his brother K M Mathew brought the easy to read
style, popular
He designed schemes to train family members to study journalism
Later they headed the organisation
• Importance of Malayala Manorama
The paper has been on the vanguard of innovation, professionalism, and social commitment
The paper campaigned for upliftment of backward community
Expression of educational facilities
Eradication of superstitious beliefs and practices
It campaigned for political justice for all sister publications ( Vanitha, Balarama, Thozhil
Veedhi, The Week, Manorma Weekly)
Malayala Manorama collected relief fund for Latur, a place in Maharashtra, Mission
Banegaon(1993)
Today Malayala Manorama is one of the largest circulated language dailies in India
• Manorama set up a second edition in Calicut- 1966
• Present chief editor – Mammen Mathew (eldest son of K M Mathew)
Mathrubumi
• Founded by K P Kesava Menon
• Founded in 1922 as a public limited company in the aftermath of
Gandhi’s Non- coorperation movement
• Shareholders 352 men and women from Kerala
• Initially registered as Mathrubumi Printing and Publishing Company
• First issue went to the public on March 18, 1923
• Founders – members of INC
• Supported Vaikom Satyagraha, Guruvayur Satyagraha and Aikya
Kerala Movement etc
• Before independence, Mathrubumi battled with British
• After independence, they battled with communist party
• Didn’t find any financial gain during initial years
• Goal – social service
• Sir C P Ramaswamy banned the paper in 1938, as its articles have honest criticism
• Restarted in 1947
• Reasons for rise of Mathrubumi
Gandhian Non- Coorperation movement and Khilafat movement had created a nationalistic fervour
throughout Malabar in 1920’s
Rootless supression of Malabar Rebellion in 1921
Mathrubumi- only newspaper that Supported freedom movement
Celebrated platinum jubilee (75 years) in 1998
Yeoman service : contribution to commoners
Second edition – Kochi in 1962
• 1930 – became a daily
• First newspapers in Malayalam to use a rotary press for printing
• First newspaper to start offset printing in Kerala and offer daily newspaper in colour
• Presently published in Trivandrum, Kollam, Kottayam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur,
Malappuram, Mumbai and Chennai
• Sister Publications
Mathrubumi Illustrated Weekly
Grahalakshmi
Chithrabhumi
Thozhilvartha
Balabhumi
Arogya Masika
