The News, read by Coimbatore

Logo of Nava India, a Tamil evening daily. Photo: M. Periasamy

Nava India was the largest Tamil daily from Western Tamil Nadu and it was founded by Prof P.R.Ramakrishnan (PRR) in 1948.

The progressive Tamil daily was established with P.R.R (1916 - 2008) as its Managing Editor. The printing press was on Avanashi Road and V.N.Ramaswami officiated as its Editor.

Nava India was priced at one anna and its objective was to inculcate and share progressive ideals while sharing news with the general public. The famous poet Velliyangattan was with

Nava India .

The 'Ur Vambu' or the gossip column by U.R.Ramakrishnan in the newspaper was popular. E.V.Ramaswamy was the main photographer and S.M.Sanjeevi Raju its Correspondent.

Nava India ‘s other journalists included E.Ramakrishnan from Coimbatore, R.Dorairajan of Ooty, C.S.Raghavan from Pollachi, U.A.Sadasivam of Udumalpet, V.S.Kailasam from Erode, C.N.N.Murthy from Tirupur, K.S.Venkataraman from Dharapuram, G.S.Ramachandran from Gobichettipalayam.

The paper did very well in Western Tamil Nadu and on the request of the then Chief Minister K.Kamaraj it set up shop in Chennai, too. The special supplement released by Nava India on the occasion of the inauguration of the Southern India Mills Association Building under the Chairmanship of R.Venkataswamy Naidu contains rare information pertaining to the textile industry of the golden era. Journalist E.Ramakrishnan of Nava India recalls a few incidents during those times. He remembers asking Pandit Nehru who had spent time horse riding in Ooty if he rode regularly in Delhi. Nehru, he says, laughed aloud and said he never had the time to do so. When Chief Minister K.Kamaraj inaugurated a scheme relating to Siruvani by turning open the first tap, Ramakrishnan was the first one to taste the ‘nectar-like water’. Nava India also covered a conference of women in Gobi attended by Indira Gandhi, who later visited PRR’s residence. Ramakrishnan remembers, “Our Managing Editor involved himself with the paper on a daily basis in spite of his busy schedule. Nava India was always known for its qualitative reporting."