Calicut : ‘Mathrubhumi’ newspaper reached its readers on this Republic day redolent of the heady fragrance of jasmine, from Persian ‘Yasameen’ {gift of God}.
The surprise caught many readers unaware but soon it gave way to a smile on every face. It was an apt Republic Day gift to the readers by a newspaper that rose to prominence during the nation’s freedom struggle.
In a first of its kind in Malayalam, the pleasant scent of this pristine flower emanating from all the pages of the main edition was impregnated during printing through latest technology.
Even the master head of the newspaper announcing the innovation – a jasmine plant twining Mathrubhumi with the Republic Day message just below it was a novelty.
On the occasion of the 66th anniversary of the declaration of India as a ‘sovereign secular socialist and democratic Republic,’ this gesture from ‘Mathrubhumi,’ born in the crucible of our struggle for freedom from imperialism.
No doubt It was the talking point of the day among the newspaper reading lot, and even the rare ones who don’t.
According to the newspaper group, the move symbolises the fragrance of plurality, polyphony and untrammelled freedom of expression, all hallmarks of an inclusive democracy.
