In news– The Prime Minister of India inaugurated the year-long celebrations of the centenary year of the Malayalam Daily Mathrubhumi recently.
History of Mathrubhumi magazine-
- It started functioning in 1923 in Kozhikode, Kerala as a beacon of the freedom struggle, by upholding the values of ‘Truth, Equality and Freedom’.
- The first copy of Mathrubhumi was published on 18th of March 1923 the day before the first anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s arrest for the first time by the British police.
- Led by K.P.Kesava Menon, the prominent freedom fighter, as Editor and K. MadhavanNair as Managing Director, Mathrubhumi was envisaged for spreading the message of the great National Movement.
- Kuroor Neelakandan Namboothiripad, K. Kesavan Nair and P. Achuthan are other people associated with this magazine.
- Before Mathrubhumi came into being, there were four Malayalam News Papers (‘Kerala Patrika’, ‘Kozhikodan Manorama’ , ‘Kerala Sanchari ‘ and ‘Mithavadi ‘) and three English News Papers (‘Champion’, ‘West Coast Reformer ‘and ‘Spectator’), which were being published from Kozhikode.
- All along the line, it has consistently played crucial roles in social reformation movements such as the ‘Vaikom Satyagraha’ and the ‘Guruvayur Satyagraha’.
- Moreover, while actively participating in the Satyagraha, K.P Keasava Menon was arrested and sent to the Pujappura Central Jail at Thiruvananthapuram.
- During the Quit India movement in 1942 the Mathrubhumi had to abandon the editorial column.
- For publishing a feature on the European soldiers’ misbehaviour with women in Kochi, the Government had the Mathrubhumi banned.
- In the beginning, the paper was published a week and had just one edition from Kozhikode (Calicut). Now, it has 16 editions and 11 periodicals.
Source: PIB
