Thuglak
Encyclopedia
History
Cho Ramaswamy founded the magazine and commenced its first publication on the first day of the TamilTamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
harvesting month "Thai" based on the Tamil calendar
Tamil calendar
The Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in Pondicherry , and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It is also used by Telugu speaking people in Tamil Nadu...
system; which was January 14, 1970 in the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
. He has been the editor of the magazine ever since and has penned several columns. The name of the magazine and its mascot draws from Muhammad bin Thuglak
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq was the Turkic Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq.He was born in Kotla Tolay Khan in Multan. His wife was daughter of the raja of Dipalpur...
, Sultan of Delhi
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
; on whom in 1968, the founder staged a play and later a movie in 1971
Muhammad bin Tughluq (film)
Muhammad bin Thughlaq is a 1971 socio-political satire comedy film in Tamil by Cho Ramaswamy. It is the film version of the stageplay of the same name. Both the play and the film is conceptualized, wrote and directed by Cho who also stars as the titular character...
. The plot is a socio-political satire, which narrates the scheme and success of a small band of idealists who take over the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
as the resurrected Muhammad bin Thuglak
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq was the Turkic Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq.He was born in Kotla Tolay Khan in Multan. His wife was daughter of the raja of Dipalpur...
. The founder directed and plays the lead - Muhammad bin Thuglak
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq was the Turkic Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq.He was born in Kotla Tolay Khan in Multan. His wife was daughter of the raja of Dipalpur...
- in the movie and the play as well; which was conducted under the banner of Viveka Fine Arts Club.
Highlights
The magazine features on its front cover a satirical cartoon, pertinent to an issue of current social and public interest.The editor stopped publishing for two weeks, when a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
was declared in India. When the publication resumed after the first two weeks of emergency, the issue was published with a black front cover. Thuglak was the only magazine in India, whose advertisements were also censored during this time.
There was only other instance, later in its history, when the magazine was published with a black front was after the Babri Masjid was brought down in 1992. Thuglak Team: Cho (Editor), Swamynathan (publisher), Udhaya (Manager), Madhalai (senior sub editor), Sathya (Sub editor), Brakath Ali(sub editor), Vasanthan Perumal (special correspondent), Ramachandran @ Durvaasar (sub editor), S.Ramesh (Chief reporter), S.J.Idhaya (south reporter), S.P.Sanmugam(west reporter), P.J.Ramamoorthy(darmapuri reporter).