One can see the first edition of the erstwhile popular weekly, Prajamata, published in 1937. Also on display is the first copy of the popular Kannada weekly, Sudha, published in 1975. People could also see the first copy of the erstwhile popular Kannada daily “Mungauru” published from Mangaluru.
These are part of the collection of 73-year-old retired Junior College vice-principal Umesh Rao Yekkar, whose hobby is collecting old periodicals, newspapers and books since 1960. He has copies of 34 Tulu newspapers, 2,500 Kannada newspapers and periodicals and around 200 English newspapers from India and abroad.
Mr. Yekkar exhibited part of his collection at the Press Club on the occasion of the Press Day organised jointly by the Dakshina Kannada Working Journalists Union and Mangaluru Press Club on Wednesday.
The day is held to commemorate the start of Kannada newspaper “Mangalura Samachara” by Hermann Mogling in Mangaluru on July 1, 1843.
In the collection displayed by Mr. Yekkar, there was a copy of an edition of Hitavada English newspaper published in 1911. He had also brought a copy of the first edition of Kannada newspaper Udayavani published in 1970 and a Kannada periodical “Karmaveera” published in 1960.
He had also brought a copy of “Vignyana Prapancha”, a Kannada newsletter brought out by Indian Institute of Science published in 1978.
Among other collections displayed included book on “Hindu Law” in Halegannada (Old Kannada) published in 1854 and of Jemini Bharata published in 1824.
Senior Journalist Gururaj and Chairman of Alva’s Education Foundation Mohan Alva inaugurated the exhibition. They also spoke about journalists and their relevance. Senior journalist Manohar Prasad also spoke.
Ganesh Prabhu reports from Udupi:
N. Raju, President of Karnataka State Working Journalists Association, said on Friday that the field of journalism was getting increasingly commercialised and losing its social obligation. He was speaking after inaugurating the Press Day celebrations organised by the Udupi District Working Journalists Association in Udupi. Madan Gowda, senior journalist, Rohini, District Information Officer and others were present.
