A yatra to celebrate journalism in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Media Academy (KMA) in association with Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) and information and public relations department (I&PRD) will organize a ‘Media History Yatra’ scheduled to begin on Thursday. The nine-day journey will cover all significant locations in connection with the history of journalism in Kerala before culminating at Gundert Bhavan, Illikkunnu, Thalassery on March 1.
Around 50 journalists and journalism students will take part in the journey. Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan will inaugurate the yatra.
According to KMA chairman R S Babu, the journey intends to reclaim the values of journalism and to uplift renaissance values and freedom of the press. The journey will cover all major newspaper firms which have been in existence from the beginning of journalism and still active in Kerala. Editors who have contributed immensely to evolve journalism in Kerala will also be honoured during the yatra.
Former MP Sebastian Paul will flag off the journey from the birthplace of Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai at Neyyattinkara on Friday. The yatra will then proceed to ‘Sadhujanaparipaalini’ newspaper editor Ayyankali’s birthplace at Venganoor. The journey will then cover Abdul Khadar Moulavi’s Vakkom, Kumaranasan’s Kayikkara and Keshavanarayanan’s Paravoor.
On February 27 at Shoranur, CPI(M) politburo member M A Baby will inaugurate the memorial conference of ‘Prabhatham’ newspaper before concluding on March 1 at Thalassery, Kannur, said Babu.
In addition to the yatra, associated programmess like cartoon cart will be held in connection with the centenary of Kerala cartoons at Paravoor on Friday. Renowned cartoonists Sukumar, E P Unni and Sudheernath will attend the event. A national conclave on cartoons will also take place on Kollam on Saturday.
Gathering of journalists turned film actors and authors (Kottayam), photo walk (Ernakulam), national women journalists’ conclave and other programmes are scheduled to take place as part of the yatra.