One of India’s oldest English newspapers The Hindu is celebrating its 14oth birthday today.
It was started in 1878 by six young men as an eight-page weekly. The Hindu’s first editor was G Subramania Aiyer.
In 1889, it became a daily newspaper. But over the turn of 19th century, the newspaper became a major voice of criticism and public service driven journalism in India.
During its 140 years of existence, the newspaper has been witness to all the historical developments across the country in the 20th century.
Also, its role was instrumental in shaping public opinion during the freedom struggle.
“The Hindu was firmly in support of the freedom movement, particularly of the Gandhian variety. It strongly condemned regimes of repression everywhere, be it in other parts of the world, or in the Princely States of India. In those days, if you were in the government, you could not take a decision without getting an earful from The Hindu,” V. Sriram, a heritage activist and author, wrote on the 140th anniversary of the newspaper on Thursday.
The Hindu’s objective and ‘public-good’ driven coverage has earned it millions of avid followers, particularly in south India.
In 1995, it became India’s first newspaper to have an online edition. Currently, the newspaper is published across 11 states of the country and is carrying on its legacy of being a bold and sharp voice.
Happy Birthday, The Hindu
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