Even as publishing moves to a digital platform and digitisation is taking over different aspects of our lives, employees of the Economics and Statistics (E&S) Department in Kerala have launched manuscript magazines ( Kaiyezhuthu Masika ), with the aim of promoting Malayalam and giving a creative break to the staff from the drab world of statistics, surveys and computations.
Manuscript magazines with elegant calligraphy were once a popular and low-cost means of communication and channelling creativity. But the format started losing popularity with the advance in printing technology. But it is seeing a revival after a handful of employees at the Economics and Statistics Department in Ernakulam district decided to launch their first manuscript magazine, titled Niravu . Soon, their colleagues in Kottayamand Wayanad came up with their own magazines Kaiyoppu (Signature) and Kathir (Paddy Ears) respectively.
The popularity of these initiatives is now inspiring employees in other districts and departments to bring out their own magazines. The 90-page Niravu is into its second issue, three months after the first came out. “Many of our staff are talented in arts and literature. But after joining government service, they hardly get a platform to hone their creativity,” said Sincy Mol Antony, Deputy Director, Ernakulam.
“With their emphasis on calligraphy, manuscript magazines give a boost to the written form. The versatility of calligraphy helps to retain the vibrancy of the language,” said one of the employees.
Publishing a manuscript magazine is not easy. Contributions of the employees are rewritten by those with good handwriting skills. Pencil drawings and colour sketches are included in the magazine. “One cannot distinguish between a handwritten copy and DTP work,” said Anil James, one of the editors of Niravu .
Despite their fascination for the written format, the editors are not indifferent to technology. They are using the digital platform to popularise the magazine by circulating it in PDF format.
