Kerala Kaumudi is a voice of credibility, says Vice-President

ALAPPUZHA: Kerala Kaumudi is a newspaper that has maintained its credibility despite the surge of social media, Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan said. He was inaugurating the 115th anniversary celebrations of Kerala Kaumudi at the Leo XIII HSS auditorium in Alappuzha.

The completion of 115 years was a testament to the trust placed in Kerala Kaumudi by the people, he said, adding that public trust was the newspaper's greatest asset. Recalling the legacy that began with C. V. Kunhiraman in 1911 and grew under K. Sukumaran, the Vice-President praised Kerala Kaumudi's contributions to raising the voice of marginalised and oppressed sections.

The vision and teachings of Sree Narayana Guru had guided Kerala Kaumudi throughout its history, he said. He added that he was proud to congratulate the newspaper for safeguarding credibility and ethical values. Kerala Kaumudi had witnessed the country's transition to independence, becoming a republic, economic liberalisation and the digital revolution, as well as the country's emergence as a major economy, he said.

The media sector had undergone major changes over the past two decades, transforming through television, websites, mobile journalism, social media and artificial intelligence. Today, a smartphone can turn every citizen into a publisher, Radhakrishnan said. The media has a major responsibility in building a strong, self-reliant and developed India, he said. Ideas should be conveyed to people objectively, responsibly and honestly, while public discussions should be encouraged and the core values of truth, justice and fairness upheld, he said.

He wished Kerala Kaumudi continued progress as a strong voice of journalism, connecting Kerala and the Malayalam language with future generations.

Kerala Kaumudi Chief Editor Deepu Ravi presented an Aranmula mirror as a memento to the Vice-President. Radhakrishnan honoured SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan.

He also honoured Kerala Kaumudi Excellence Award winners Jishnu Vasudevan Namboothiri; SK Hospital Chairman K. N. Sivankutty; Sapphire Entrance Coaching Managing Director Dr V. Sunil Kumar; Renergy System Private Limited Managing Director Roy Christy; Ratnakala Group founder and SN Charitable Trust president Ratnakaran Viswanathan; Somatheeram Ayurveda Group Chairman Baby Mathew; Vallath Education Managing Director Dr Kalyani Vallath; and SN Trust Regional Development Council Chairman and Veliyil Group founder V. N. Babu.

Kerala Kaumudi Chief Editor Deepu Ravi delivered the welcome address. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was the chief guest. Minister Roji M. John and MLAs A. D. Thomas and B. B. Gopakumar attended the function.