Swadesamitran

Last updated

Swadesamitran
Swadesamitran logo.jpg
TypeDaily newspaper
Format Broadsheet
Owner(s)The Swadesamitran Limited
PublisherThe Swadesamitran Limited
Founded1882
LanguageTamil,
Headquarters Madras, India

Swadesamitran was a Tamil language newspaper that was published from the then Madras city from 1882 to 1985. One of the earliest Tamil newspapers and the longest in print, Swadesamitran was founded by Indian nationalist G. Subramania Iyer four years after he had started The Hindu . The newspaper was sold to A. Rangaswami Iyengar of the Kasturi family in 1915 and the newspaper remained with them until its liquidation in 1985.

Contents

History

Swadesamitran (1881–1985) was the first Tamil language newspaper owned and operated by Indians. It was published from Chennai (then called Madras). It was founded by G Subramania Aiyer who also served as the papers first editor. It was founded as a sister paper of The Hindu which Aiyer had also founded two years earlier in 1879. The name translated from Tamil to English literally means "friend of self rule".

It was originally started as a weekly and became a daily by 1889. It was a chronicle of the Indian National Independence movement from its inception and it was used by Subramania Aiyer to rouse the nationalistic feelings of the Tamil people. A host of very eminent men like Subramania Pillai, Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi (aka "Bharathiyar"), VVS Iyer and other worked as editor or sub-editors of the paper during the struggle for Independence. These men used familiar anecdotes form the great epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata to rouse public opinion in the cause of nationalism within Tamil Nadu (then known as The Madras Presidency). Bharthiyar was sub-editor from 1904 to 1906 when he left to start his own publication "India".

The Swadesamitran was the second vernacular newspaper published in India. The first was Kesari which was published in Hindi. Subramania Aiyer although more comfortable in English, was determined to take the discussion of the future of India's independence to the masses. He was supported by Deshbandhu Chittranjan Das (CR Das) and Motilal Nehru in this approach. The paper was successful quite early in its life and quickly found readership wherever there was a significant Tamil population not only in India but also in Burma, Sri Lanka and Mauritius.

Subramania Aiyer was also a social reformer and sponsored the Madras Hindu Social Reform Association. During his tenure as editor he was also prosecuted and sentenced for sedition (1908) by the British due to his writings in the paper. He was never the same man after he went to prison. After his death (?) the paper was run by Rangaswamy Iyengar (Kasthuri Ranga Iyengars nephew and right-hand man at the Hindu) and thereafter by CR Srinivasan (died 1962). Rangaswamy and Srinivasan were a potent combination and when Bharathiyar rejoined the newspaper in 1920 the three of them took the paper to lofty new heights of popularity and fame.

It was under Srinivasan's leadership that it became a Public Limited Company "The Swadesamitran Limited" which became the publisher of the newspaper. After Srinivasan's death his son CS Narasimhan sold the controlling shares held by him to the Silver Jubilee of Independence Trust of the Congress Party headed by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minisher Shri M Bhaktavatsalam.

This Trust continued to run the paper till August 1977 when due to financial and other reasons the publication of the paper was stopped and the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. It was purchased from the Trust by John Thomas (born 1 August 1924, died 18 November 2001) a distinguished lawyer of the Madras High Court and successful local businessman. The paper was shut down for 30 months but the new proprietor was determined that such a storied icon of India's independence movement should not go quietly into the night. He was able to resurrect the newspaper and it began publication again in March 1980 under editor Sundaresan. The newspaper went back to its origins and its editorial pages were openly supportive of the Congress Party and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in particular.

Swadesamitran published a Who's Who in Tamil Nadu in 1980-1981 (edited by Philip Thomas born 18 July 1960 died 9 May 2006) and the publication was released in Madurai by Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi during the celebrations marking the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Thiruvalluvar, the great Tamil poet and author of Thirukural.

The Swadesamitran was printed at the company's Printing Press and office "Deshbandu Bhavan" on Whites Road in Royapettah, Madras. The company also owned Victory House on Anna Salai (formerly Mount Road). The property was formerly the Whiteaways Building and was purchased by CR Srinivasan. He renamed it Victory House to reflect the success of the Quit India movement.

Managing Directors

Editors

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <i>The Hindu</i> English-language daily newspaper in India

    The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record. As of March 2018, The Hindu is published from 21 locations across 11 states of India.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamil literature</span> South-Indian Literature by language

    Tamil literature includes a collection of literary works that have come from a tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the Tamil literature are mainly from Tamil people from south India, including the land now comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Eelam Tamils from Sri Lanka, as well as the Tamil diaspora.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Subramania Bharati</span> Indian poet and activist (1882–1921)

    C. Subramania Bharati(IPA: ; born C. Subramaniyan 11 December 1882 – 11 September 1921) was a Tamil writer, poet, journalist, Indian independence activist, social reformer and polyglot. He was bestowed the title Bharati for his poetry and was a pioneer of modern Tamil poetry. He is popularly known by his title Bharati or Bharathiyaar and also by the other title "Mahakavi Bharati". His works included patriotic songs composed during the Indian Independence movement. He fought for the emancipation of women, against child marriage, vehemently opposed the caste system, and stood for reforming society and religion.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidency College, Chennai</span> College in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India

    Presidency College is an art, commerce, and science college in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. On 16 October 1840, this school was established as the Madras Preparatory School before being repurposed as a high school, and then a graduate college. The Presidency College is one of the oldest government arts colleges in India. It is one of two Presidency Colleges established by the British in India, the other being the Presidency College, Kolkata.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar</span>

    Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, popularly known as Ariyakudi, was a Carnatic music vocalist, born in Ariyakudi, a town in the present-day Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. Ariyakudi developed a unique style of singing which came to be known as The Ariyakudi Tradition and is followed by his students. He is credited with establishing the modern katcheri (concert) traditions in Carnatic music.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanchinathan</span> Indian independence activist (1886–1911)

    Vanchinathan, popularly known as Vanchi, was an Indian independence activist. He assassinated Robert Ashe, then district collector of Tirunelveli district on 17 June 1911 at Maniyachchi railway station. Ashe was considered to have suppressed independence activism and ordered the police to use violence. Vanchinathan later committed suicide later while trying to evade arrest. The assassination of Ashe was one of the significant events in the Indian independence movement in South India and supported the rise of revolutionary movement against the British rule.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">G. Subramania Iyer</span> Indian journalist, social reformer and freedom fighter

    Ganapathy Dikshitar Subramania Iyer was a leading Indian journalist, social reformer and freedom fighter who led the Triplicane Six in launching The Hindu, an English newspaper on 20 September 1878. He was proprietor, editor and managing director of The Hindu from 20 September 1878 to October 1898. The Tamil language newspaper 'Swadesamitran' was also founded by him in 1891.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">S. Subramania Iyer</span> Indian lawyer, jurist and freedom fighter

    Sir Subbier Subramania Iyer was an Indian lawyer, jurist and freedom fighter who, along with Annie Besant, founded the Home Rule Movement. He was popularly known as the "Grand Old Man of South India".

    Kasturi Srinivasan was an Indian journalist and businessman. He was the eldest son of S. Kasturi Ranga Iyengar.

    Diwan Bahadur Cozhisseri Karunakara Menon (1863–1922) was an Indian journalist and politician from the erstwhile Madras Presidency. He was the second editor of The Hindu after G. Subramania Iyer and the founder of the Indian Patriot.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">S. A. Saminatha Iyer</span> Indian lawyer, landlord, politician and theosophist

    Rao Bahadur S. A. Saminatha Iyer, also known as Thanjavur Saminatha Iyer, was an Indian lawyer, landlord, politician and theosophist who served as Chairman of the Tanjore municipality and a delegate to the 1885, 1886, 1887, 1889 and 1894 sessions of the Indian National Congress. He spoke against salt tax in the first session conducted in 1885 and in 1887, was a part of a 32-member team that wrote the constitution of the Congress. Christopher Baker and D. A. Washbrook describe him as the "most celebrated spokesman of the Tanjore gentry".

    Mudumbai Veeraraghavachariar (1857–1906) was an Indian journalist, freedom-fighter and teacher from the erstwhile Madras Presidency. He was one of the founding Triplicane Six of The Hindu newspaper and served as its Managing Director from 1878 to 1905.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">S. Kasturi Ranga Iyengar</span>

    S. Kasturi Ranga Iyengar was an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist, politician and journalist who served as the managing director of The Hindu from 1 April 1905 until his death. He opposed the Mylapore clique as the leader of the Egmore clique.

    The Indian independence movement had a long history in the Tamil-speaking districts of the then Madras Presidency going back to the 18th century.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">A. Rangaswami Iyengar</span>

    A. Rangaswami Iyengar was an Indian journalist, lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Central Legislative Assembly and as the chief editor of The Hindu from 1928 till his death in 1934. He was a nephew of Kasturi Ranga Iyengar.

    Gopalan Narasimhan was an Indian journalist and entrepreneur who served as the Managing Director of The Hindu from 1959 until his death in 1977. He was a grandson of S. Kasturi Ranga Iyengar, the patriarch of the family that owns The Hindu.

    C. R. Srinivasan was an Indian journalist who served as Managing Director of the Tamil language newspaper Swadesamitran from 1934 to 1962.

    C. Srinivasan Narasimhan was an Indian journalist who served as the Managing Director of the Tamil newspaper Swadesamitran from 1962 to 1985. He was the paper's last Managing Director and presided over its liquidation in 1985.

    Balasubramaniam Rajam Iyer was a Carnatic singer from South India. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1987.

    References