T. V. Ramasubbaiyer
Encyclopedia
Thazhuvia Ramasubbaiyer (October 2, 1908 – July 21, 1984) (popularly referred to as TVR) was an India
n freedom fighter, philanthropist and founder of the popular Tamil daily newspaper Dina Malar
.
Right from his childhood, Ramasubbaiyer was a vocal opponent of caste-based discrimination. He strived for the upliftment of depressed classes.
In 1946, Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the then Diwan of Travancore
, introduced the Compulsory Educational Scheme at the Vellamadam village in Nanjilnadu province (present-day Kanyakumari district
).
This plan actually made it possible for Kanyakumari District to achieve the first place in education. To gain people’s support for this plan,TVR travelled to many cities, along with the then Director of School Education, Mr. A.N. Thambi. He emphasized its significance to people and took successful steps to construct 50 school buildings within 3 months.
.
For 20 long years TVR was repeatedly insisting through his ‘Dinamalar’ daily that the train service between Trivandrum-Kanyakumari-Tirunelveli was essential for the development of that area. Because of his relentless efforts, he succeeded in getting this railway service.
His firm principle was that both the Tamil language and the history must be studied imbued with a scientific spirit as the western scholars do, so that the whole world would not only accept our language but also appreciate our perception and work.
After the attainment of success in the agitation for linking Nanjil with Tamilnadu, ‘Dinamalar’ was transferred from Trivandrum to Tirunelveli on April 15, 1957. Thereafter, news items were published by giving greater importance to the general problems of the Tamil people.
The Siddha Medical College was established at Tirunelveli, only because of the repeated insistence given to it in ‘Dinamalar’ through its news and articles.
He pointed out to the Government through ‘Dinamalar’ that in spite of good rains, the lakes and ponds could not become full due to lack of maintenance. TVR showed keen interest in the rural and urban drinking water problem. ‘Dinamalar’ was responsible to create a permanent plan for the Drinking Water supply at both Kovilpatti and Dindigul which had suffered without drinking water.
On November 6, 1964 the former Prime Minister, Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri initiated the Tuticorin Port-Trust work involving expenditure to the tune of 15 crores. ‘Dinamalar’ was continuously writing about the scope of starting different industries in and around Tuticorin, after making a thorough study.
TVR persisted that a new district must be formed by linking together hilly regions like Bodi, Kumbum, Periyakulam, Kodaikanal, Palani and Dindigul. The Dindigul District was born because of this perseverance. Similarly, he wrote that the Ramnad District remained a backward place, since it was very large and that it should be divided into two. And the partition happened.
TVR wrote incessantly that if the dry areas of Tirunelveli District were brought together to create a new district, places like Kovilpatti, Vilathikulam, Ottappitaram and Tiruchendur would show improvement. Once again, as he visualized, the Tuticorin District was born with Turicorin as its capital.
TVR thus published news with far-sighted thinking.
Though TVR himself was an owner of the salt-pit in Nanjil, when there was an agitation in the salt-pits , he did not shy away to publish the news regarding the agitation in ‘Dinamalar’ As a result,.his relatives in the salt industry and the other owners of the salt-pit discarded him. He supported the agitation whole-heartedly since the workers’ demands were justifiable.
, in Trivandrum, the then capital of Travancore
state where Nagercoil
also was situated in. He basically founded the newspaper as a way to vent the feelings and rights of the people. The first issue was released by Prof. Vaiyapuripillai, a man who gave a new dimension to Tamil Literature.
In the initial days after the launch, the newspaper did not find favour with the government, but TVR persisted. The newspaper grew up to be one of the leading newspapers in Tamilnadu, and has always pioneered new methods in the Tamil print media. Today, the newspaper is one of the largest in circulation in Tamilnadu and very popular among the Tamil masses.
became a commercial success, TVR held steadfast in his convictions and principles, and was a noble philanthropist, loved by people in all walks of life. TVR died on 21 July, 1984.
TVR’s son, Shri R Lakshmipathy later became the Chairman of the Press Trust of India
, and another son, Shri R Krishnamoorthy became the President of the Numismatic Society.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n freedom fighter, philanthropist and founder of the popular Tamil daily newspaper Dina Malar
Dina Malar
Dinamalar or "Daily Malar" is a daily newspaper in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Trichy, Erode, Vellore and Tamil Nadu, India. Dinamalar was founded by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer. T. V...
.
Early life
TVR was born on October 2, 1908 to Ramalinga Iyer and Bhagavathi at Thazhuvia Mahadevar Koil village in the then Nanjil land, now the Kanyakumari District.Right from his childhood, Ramasubbaiyer was a vocal opponent of caste-based discrimination. He strived for the upliftment of depressed classes.
In 1946, Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the then Diwan of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, introduced the Compulsory Educational Scheme at the Vellamadam village in Nanjilnadu province (present-day Kanyakumari district
Kanyakumari District
Kanyakumari District ) is a district of Tamil Nadu state, India and is the southernmost land area of mainland India.The district is the second most urbanised district in Tamilnadu, next only to Chennai and ahead of Coimbatore. It also has the highest literacy and education levels in the...
).
This plan actually made it possible for Kanyakumari District to achieve the first place in education. To gain people’s support for this plan,TVR travelled to many cities, along with the then Director of School Education, Mr. A.N. Thambi. He emphasized its significance to people and took successful steps to construct 50 school buildings within 3 months.
Founding of Dinamalar
Ramasubbaiyer started a Tamil periodical Dinamalar on September 6, 1951 at Trivandrum. He later spread his operations to Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
For 20 long years TVR was repeatedly insisting through his ‘Dinamalar’ daily that the train service between Trivandrum-Kanyakumari-Tirunelveli was essential for the development of that area. Because of his relentless efforts, he succeeded in getting this railway service.
His firm principle was that both the Tamil language and the history must be studied imbued with a scientific spirit as the western scholars do, so that the whole world would not only accept our language but also appreciate our perception and work.
After the attainment of success in the agitation for linking Nanjil with Tamilnadu, ‘Dinamalar’ was transferred from Trivandrum to Tirunelveli on April 15, 1957. Thereafter, news items were published by giving greater importance to the general problems of the Tamil people.
The Siddha Medical College was established at Tirunelveli, only because of the repeated insistence given to it in ‘Dinamalar’ through its news and articles.
He pointed out to the Government through ‘Dinamalar’ that in spite of good rains, the lakes and ponds could not become full due to lack of maintenance. TVR showed keen interest in the rural and urban drinking water problem. ‘Dinamalar’ was responsible to create a permanent plan for the Drinking Water supply at both Kovilpatti and Dindigul which had suffered without drinking water.
On November 6, 1964 the former Prime Minister, Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri initiated the Tuticorin Port-Trust work involving expenditure to the tune of 15 crores. ‘Dinamalar’ was continuously writing about the scope of starting different industries in and around Tuticorin, after making a thorough study.
TVR persisted that a new district must be formed by linking together hilly regions like Bodi, Kumbum, Periyakulam, Kodaikanal, Palani and Dindigul. The Dindigul District was born because of this perseverance. Similarly, he wrote that the Ramnad District remained a backward place, since it was very large and that it should be divided into two. And the partition happened.
TVR wrote incessantly that if the dry areas of Tirunelveli District were brought together to create a new district, places like Kovilpatti, Vilathikulam, Ottappitaram and Tiruchendur would show improvement. Once again, as he visualized, the Tuticorin District was born with Turicorin as its capital.
TVR thus published news with far-sighted thinking.
Though TVR himself was an owner of the salt-pit in Nanjil, when there was an agitation in the salt-pits , he did not shy away to publish the news regarding the agitation in ‘Dinamalar’ As a result,.his relatives in the salt industry and the other owners of the salt-pit discarded him. He supported the agitation whole-heartedly since the workers’ demands were justifiable.
Dina Malar
On September 6, 1951, TVR founded the Tamil daily Dina MalarDina Malar
Dinamalar or "Daily Malar" is a daily newspaper in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Trichy, Erode, Vellore and Tamil Nadu, India. Dinamalar was founded by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer. T. V...
, in Trivandrum, the then capital of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
state where Nagercoil
Nagercoil
Nagercoil is the 12th largest city in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu and a municipality and administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District...
also was situated in. He basically founded the newspaper as a way to vent the feelings and rights of the people. The first issue was released by Prof. Vaiyapuripillai, a man who gave a new dimension to Tamil Literature.
In the initial days after the launch, the newspaper did not find favour with the government, but TVR persisted. The newspaper grew up to be one of the leading newspapers in Tamilnadu, and has always pioneered new methods in the Tamil print media. Today, the newspaper is one of the largest in circulation in Tamilnadu and very popular among the Tamil masses.
Later years
Even after Dina MalarDina Malar
Dinamalar or "Daily Malar" is a daily newspaper in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Trichy, Erode, Vellore and Tamil Nadu, India. Dinamalar was founded by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer. T. V...
became a commercial success, TVR held steadfast in his convictions and principles, and was a noble philanthropist, loved by people in all walks of life. TVR died on 21 July, 1984.
TVR’s son, Shri R Lakshmipathy later became the Chairman of the Press Trust of India
Press Trust of India
Press Trust of India is the largest news agency in India. It is headquartered in Delhi and is a nonprofit cooperative among more than 450 Indian newspapers and has a staff of about 2,000 writers spread across 150 offices nationwide...
, and another son, Shri R Krishnamoorthy became the President of the Numismatic Society.