The origins and growth of journalism in the Tamil Language in Sri Lanka (II)
This article was written by late Professor Bertram Bastiampillai ( Dept. of History and Political Science University of Colombo, Sri Lanka ) for ‘Kalaiththoothu’, a facilitation volume to mark the 60thBirthday of Rev. Fr. Saveri in 1999.
(This article cont. from May 07, 2015) Of course, these early Tamil newspapers through their articles contributed towards the strengthening of a distinctive prose style in Tamil writing and thereby wielded a positive influence on Tamil language and literary development. The Udaya Tarakai or the Morning Star founded in 1841, the Paliyar Nesan, the Katholika Pathukavalan or the Catholic Guardian and the Indu Sathanam were among such early newspapers or journals that popularized the usage of lively Tamil prose vigorously devoted primarily to propagandist themes in religion, and at times the style of writing was even absolutely polemical.
The Tamil press enjoyed a fair circulation on the whole, and as a result brought modern knowledge and information within the reach of a substantial proportion, albeit of the Tamil reading population. A smaller group of the Tamil reading public was additionally able to gain an acquaintance with professional skills in printing and publishing. More significantly, when Tamil medium schools were like a blind alley that usually would lead one nowhere, and the vernacular educated people had to occupy lower levels of the occupational and social strata, the articulate elements among them, however, could ventilate their resentment with the conditions of the alien colonial order, mainly through the means of the Tamil newspapers and publications.
One of the serious problems that was encountered by these early news publications in the Tamil language arose over viability. Apart from the constraints placed by inadequacy of commercial profits which were not easy to come by with a restricted readership and a consequently limited circulation, the producers of Tamil newsweeklies, fortnightlies and other publications also had to contend with a lack of trained staff who were adequately competent and versed in the technicalities of newspaper production, advertising, circulation and marketing. The approach to Tamil newspaper production in the early stages was mostly amateurish. Publishers often were inspired by a sort of romantic adventurism which alone was inadequate to sustain a newspaper.
Anyway for the record, it is worthwhile chronicling some information on Tamil newspapers starting from the 19th century. Already reference has been made to Udaya Tharakai (Morning Star) which commenced publication in 1841. The PaliyarNesan has been noticed earlier. It was commenced as an infrequent publication for children, as its title indicates, by William Sinnathamby in 1859, but came out more regularly from 1865. A children’s newspaper then is indeed remarkable. There followed the Lanka Guardian or Ilankai Pathukavalan in 1868. Between 1869 and 1873 there sprouted three other publications devoted to publishing news in Tamil. The earlier mentioned Catholic Guardian or Katholika Pathukavalan which made its advent in 1876 continued to was strong like the Morning star into the 20th century. Both the morning star and the Catholic Guardian grew into durable news organs of the Protestants and the Roman Catholics respectively, and stood the test of time. Propped by missionary zealous support these news publications had an assured readership of the followers of the espoused Faiths, and later on ventured to deal with temporal matters such as politics, education and matters of regional and even national interest, but invariably from a religious and moral standpoint.
The Ilankai Nesan began publication in 1877 while the more famous Muslim Neisan, of which we have discussed already, followed in 1882. In between, in 1880, another unusual publication for the time too appeared. A publication, as its title indicates, focusing on science called the VignanaVarthini was published in 1882 once again indicating an interesting trend towards producing more erudite and specialized news publications. More sectoring however was the next in line to follow in 1884 named the Siva Abhimani, and then in 1885 came out the publication, Sanmarkka Pathani, the Sarvajana Nesan was more universalistic in its scope and objectives, at least as the far as the title makes its objective clear. This was produced in 1886.
In 1886 and 1889 a Tamil publication, and more specially a Muslim publication in Tamil, appeared on the journalistic scene. The Hindu Sathanam dealing with Hindu affairs came out in 1890 and another publication devoted to Islam and the Muslim community was produced in the same year. The Island Mithiran or Islamic Friend followed in 1893 while in 1896 the Manavan or Student made its debut. Altogether twenty news sheets or publications in Tamil, catering to Hindus, Muslims, and Tamil Christians had sprung up in the latter half of the 19thcentury. This was indeed prolific for a small area and number of Tamil reading people; but it indicates the commendable amount of literate beings among them.
There were some publications of a more secular nature too, and a few meant to reach a special segment of readers as their contents indicate. Altogether, a large array of news publications indicating a remarkable surge of interest in them had been turned out in this period in the Tamil language, and to meet the needs of a relatively small population. Of course, the question one poses is how long did these publications survive. Evidently not so long. Out of the twenty publications it is possible to gain a knowledge of fourteen of them today, and of the other six one learns mainly from other news publications. They lasted all too briefly.
There were at that period three monthly publications. The Editor of the Sanmarkka Pothani was S.Thambimuttupillai; it was a publication of four pages and produced in Atchuvely off Jaffna town in the northern peninsula of Sri Lanka. The Manavan admirably illustrated the journalistic enterprise of the entrepreneurs of Eastern Sri Lanka. But it was not a newssheet for the students as the name implied. It was produced form the Wesleyan Mission Press by one M.S.Bawa for the Young Christian Movement on 14 March 1896. Although so much in production this publication seems to have received remarkable Muslim support. It is illustrative of the Muslim – Tamil cordiality that prevailed in those days, when ethnic disharmony was not the order of the time.
Among the fortnightly publications figure the Morning Star founded in Jaffna, as mentioned before, and released on the first and third Thursday of a month. The Lanka Nesan was edited first by H.H.Sinnathamby from 1877 and was issued from Jaffna twice in a month. The Islamic Friend or Islam Mithiran was published in the capital city of Colombo from 1893 onwards and was more metropolitan in its coverage and outlook.
We can count among the weekly publications the Paliyar Nesan, and the Sanmarkka Pothani. Both these newssheets originated in Jaffna. Some of the other publication such as the Manavan from Batticaloa also turned later on into weekly issues. From Colombo too, a weekly newssheet in Tamil appeared called the puthinathipathi edited by K. Appathurai while Puthinalankari came out in print in Colombo from 1873 onwards on Saturdays. The latter was edited by Wappu Maraikar Neinda Maraikarneinda Marikar. The Muslim Neisan of Siddi Lebbe of course was better known; it was a weekly and quite regular for six years, and later on it was continued by other Muslim entrepreneurs in the field of journalism. It is recalled today for its role in a notable Muslim national and cultural revival (Continues...).
