Keralapress
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Keralapress is a Malayalam language News agency established in the year 1930 by veteran journalist C.G.Kesavan from Madras, from where he was working with The Hindu at the time.[1]
Keralapress (Kerala Press Service)(Kepra) commenced operation as a mail service giving news about Malayali activities in Madras to the Malayalam daily Malayala Rajyam published from Kollam. In 1942 the operation was shifted to Quilon where the founder was a practicing lawyer and the correspondent of The Hindu the English daily.
Stalwarts of Malayalam news papers like K.C. Mammen Mappila, K.G.Sanker and K.Sukumaran extended all support to the new venture. Many news papers including Mathrubhoomi, Kerala Kaumudi and Malayala Manorama subscribed to the news service. Deepika, Malayaly, Desa Bandhu, Deenabandhu, Keraladhwani, Malabar Mail, Powradhwani, Kerala Bhooshanam, Malayala Rajyam, Prabhatham, Chandrika, Kerala Bandhu, Janayugom, Desabhimani, Express, Kaumudi, Powradhwani, Dinamani, were all subscribers of this news agency for daily news and feature service by 1950.
Keralapress had arrangements in London, New York and Tokyo to cover activities of Keralites who work in these cities and also to cover the news of visits of dignitaries from Kerala to these cities.[2]
Private Limited Company
Keralapress was registered as a private limited company in 1956. Mention of Keralapress is made in many GOI Publications such as 'among other Indian News Agencies are Eastern News Agency and Kerala Press Service.'[3]
Within this period all the Malayalam dailies of Kerala became subscribers of Keralapress of their daily news service.[4] Keralapress is Kerala's own and the only news agency in Malayalam language.[5] Almost all the Malayalam dailies of Kerala including Malayala Manorama, Kerala Kaumudi, Malayala Rajyam, Kaumudi, Prabhatham, Pothujanam, Desabandhu, Deepika, Dinamani, Prakasam through their editorial columns requested the Government the need to encourage Keralapress which provides the needed service to Malayalam news papers.
C. Kesavan, former Chief Minister of Kerala, K.P.Madhavan Nair, Former General Secretary of AICC, also appealed to the Government to encourage this only news agency in Malayalam language. Eminent journalists like C.H.V Pathy and C. Narayana Pillai were regular columnists of Keralapress.