“KARUPPU VELLAI” - A TAMIL MONTHLY WITH A DIFFERENCE


BY V.M.KHALEELUR RAHMAN

A popular medical practitioner Dr. M.M. Salahuddin who is connected with the Billroth Hospital here has brought out a clean and informative family monthly magazine named Karuppu Vellai – Black & White – without involving cinema and politics, the hot subjects for almost all dailies and periodicals everywhere. Its first issue (June 2010) is out now.

                                       FIRST ISSUE OF KARUPPU VELLAI

It contains several interesting and informative articles and some of them are under the following subjects

1. Water

2. Who has shattered the dream of Mahatma Gandhiji?

3. India’s double face

4. Salary increase for M.Ps.

5. Is God necessary?

6. Interview with the senior Tamil journalist Mr. Chinna Kuththoosi

7. Heart Attack

The magazine was released in a well attended function in Chennai recently. Its Editor and Publisher is Dr. M.M. Salahuddin, Executive Editor Mr. Prakash and Associate Editors are Mr. Tamiz Arasu and Mr. Pudu Surabi.

Audience in the inaugural function of the monthly at Dr. Jagannathan Memorial Hall in the Billroth Hospital, Chennai

In the following photos the well known journalist Mr. Chinna kuththoosi is seen handing over the first issue of the monthly to Mr. Meeran (Professional Courier), Dr. M.M. Salahuddin (Editor, Karuppu Vellai), Dr. Rajesh (Managing Director, Billroth Hospital) and Mr. Gopal (Editor, Nakkeeran) respectively after its release by him.

Interview with Mr. Chinna Kuththoosi

Some of the invaluable remarks made by Mr. Chinna Kuththoosi in the interview Mr. Mohideen and Mr. Tamizh Arasu had with him and published in Karuppu Vellai are interesting and hence given below:

Time was there when Tamilians were considered inferior. A section of the people thought that they were uneducated and they could not learn anything new. They must follow their family professions. At that time Dravidian movement was started. It appeared first as a Justice Party, contested elections, came to power and implemented many policies beneficial to 97% of the people. One of them was reservation. It was called community wise representation at that time. It has flowered now as reservation for the benefit of backward classes, schedule castes, schedule tribes, tribals etc. It brought great social reforms and created a self confidence in the minds of the people considered inferior.

There was a peculiar rule in the Madras University according to which one could not get a doctorate degree without passing an exam in Sanskrit. There was no connection between a doctorate degree and the Sanskrit exam. Nobody could question this meaningless condition. But the ruling Justice Party was able to abolish this clause.

There is no doubt that the Justice Party and all its offshoots like Self Respect Movement, Dravida Kazhagam (DK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have been successfully endeavouring to reform the society and create equality among the people. The spirit continues even now. Anyhow how can we expect the same things to be in tact even now when we are in a changed society?

The Dravida movement has achieved step by step 60-70% of what it wanted for the welfare of the society but we cannot say that all the dreams of the founders of the movement have been fulfilled. However we can say with pride that the achievements and activities of the movement are more now in comparison with those of its initial periods.

Mr. Chinna Kuththoosi has also given his views on Sri Lanka, Tamil scholar Dr. Kalaigner M. Karunanidhi and Poetess Ms. Kanimozhi, World Tamil Conference to be held at Coimbatore, Books of poet Bharathiyar’s articles published in The Hindu, etc.

This magazine is priced at Rs.5/- and its annual subscription is Rs.50/- It can be downloaded freely from its website www.karuppuvellai.com. One hopes that it will make a mark in the Tamil journalistic world.

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