Role of Malayalam Press in the Freedom Struggle
Many newspapers were started in various places and a few among them supported the Indian National Congress and its activities. But it should be noted that not every Malayalam newspaper wholeheartedly supported the freedom movement. A brief history of the leading newspapers that supported the freedom struggle is given below.
1) Lokamanyan
It was edited by K.Neelakanda Pillai and published by Poovathungal Sebastian fromThrissur from 1920. Lokamanyan actively supported the Indian National Congress and it activities. The government prosecuted the editor and publisher and sentenced them to six months imprisonment on charges of sedition. The paper was closed down as a result.
2) Swarad
Swarad was a biweekly newspaper published from Kollam. This paper was started in 1921 for the purpose of spreading the ideology of INC and to support the Congress activities in Travancore. Swarad played a prominent role in the Vaikom Sathyagraha. From 1926, Swarad became a daily and its headquarters was shifted from Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram. This newspaper was at the forefront in criticising the Travancore Newspaper Regulation Act of 1926 promulgated by Dewan Watts. But Swarad could not survive long in the midst of hostilities from the government.
3) Mathrubhumi
In the 1920s, there were four newspapers published from Calicut namely Kerala Patrika, Kozhikodan Manorama, Kerala Sanchari and Mitavadi. These papers supported the British government and hardly any of them reported the activities of the Congress. Hence Congress leaders felt the need to set up a press and publish a newspaper. Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Company Limited was registered as a public limited company on February 15,1922. The first issue went to the public on March 18, 1923. The founders of Mathrubhumi were members of the Indian National Congress led by K.P. Kesava Menon (1886-1978). The paper lost money regularly in the initial years but that did not matter because its goals were not those of profitable commerce but of social service. It came to be known as a Congress newspaper which was also closely associated with Malabar region. Mathrubhumi was in the forefront of the events such as Vaikom Sathyagraha, Guruvayur Sathyagraha and Aikya Kerala Movement etc. Sri. K. P. Kesava Menon who was the founder-editor of Mathrubhumi was sent to jail for his leadership role in Vaikom Sathyagraha. Mathrubhumi became a daily from April 6, 1930. Mathrubhumi was a product of the freedom struggle. Mathrubhumi, keeping with its glorious traditions, continues to produce effective, high quality publications and render yeoman service to Malayalees.
4. Al-Ameen
Al-Ameen was launched in October 12, 1924 from Calicut. It was edited and promoted by Muhammed Abdul Rahiman. He was a great leader of the freedom struggle and a reformer in the Muslim community. While other newspapers faced difficulties from the Government, Al-Ameen had to face obstacles both from the Government and the orthodox sections of the Muslim community. Al- Ameen became a daily in 1930 and it had to continuously face many problems from the Government. Through an ordinance the Madras Presidency confiscated the press in August 1930 and demanded to execute a bond of Rs. 2000. The paper resumed publication on November 20, 1930 as a daily. But due to financial difficulties it was soon published as a tri-weekly. On March 15, 1939 Al- Ameen became once again a daily newspaper. The Madras Government banned the paper on September 26,1939 for its campaign for non cooperation in World War II. That was the end of this newspaper.
5) Malayala Rajyam
It was a weekly newspaper edited and published by K. G. Shanker from Kollam in 1929. Its main aim was to support the Congress Party’s activities. Malayala Rajyam is said to be the first morning newspaper in Kerala. In 1931, it become a daily newspaper. The paper had its own transportation system to distribute the copies to agents on time. Then it become one of the largest circulated newspapers in the 1930s. After the prolonged illness of K.G. Shanker, the ownership of the paper changed hands. Soon it became a pro-government newspaper .
6) Prabhatham
Prabhatham started publication from Shoranur with E.M.S. Namboodiripad as its editor. It was the organ of the newly-formed Congress Socialist Party. Its license was suspended following refusal to furnish security to government consequent on the publication of a poem on Bhagat Sing's martyrdom. The license was restored later. The paper was shifted to Kozhikode in 1938, but did not survive for long.
7) Deenabandhu
This newspaper was started as a weekly on January 26, 1941 from Thrissur. V.R. Krishnan Ezhuthachan was its editor. Right from its inception, this paper wholeheartedly supported the Congress and the freedom struggle. Its editor was imprisoned in 1942 during the Quit India Movement. The Deenabandu had also to face stiff opposition at the hands of the royal regime in Travancore. The paper was officially banned from this area. But the enterprising workers of the paper smuggled copies to Travancore through underground channels located in the British enclaves of Thangassery and Anchuthengu. The ban was lifted only after independence. It became a daily on January 26,1946 and the place of publication was shifted to Ernakulam. Sir C.P. Ramaswami Aiyer banned the circulation of this paper in Travancore. After a splendid innings spread over 21 years Deenabandu finally succumbed to financial difficulties and ceased publication in 1962.
It is nearly impossible to give an exhaustive list of the names of newspapers and journals that played a role in the freedom struggle. We have discussed only the publications that have played a predominant role in the freedom struggle. Several other newspapers have also contributed to the freedom struggle. The nationalist phase was a fertile period for Malayalam journalism. Newspapers sprang up in quick succession, often to go under with equal speed. Most of these publications could not survive owing to financial difficulties and in some cases following repression by the authorities. The history of Malayalam journalism is intricately interwoven with the history of the freedom struggle in Kerala. Among the many newspapers that supported the freedom struggle, only a handful have survived till today. But all of them played a historical role in shaping opinions, instructing people and carrying out the watchdog function of media. Importantly, these newspapers mobilised people for the country’s freedom struggle.