Snobbish Sarvadesi Days

Barring to present day visual and print media emperors who are gargantuan and bestowed with abundant resources, technology savvy personnel equipped with modern visual, sound, communication and printing technology and wide marketing and distribution network, Sarvadesi was a very small Malayalam magazine published from Bombay. T.A. Jose started Sarvadesi in 1979. He was a modest, gentle, meek, honest and positive person. Sarvadesi bid adieu from the publishing arena in 1989 after an illustrious, glorious and wonderful 10 eventful publishing years. What was so special in Sarvadesi and how 10 publishing years, a small period compared too many a decades and even century old publications, differentiated? Which qualities make Sarvadesi imperative?

Many publishers will claim that they are giving family publications. Nevertheless, in my opinion, Sarvadesi was probably the first real family monthly magazine published in Malayalam from outside Kerala. T.A. Jose was working with Albright Morarjee Co. Ltd., Ambernath, and was staying in the same vicinity. As he was working, he made his classmate and friend K.J. Antony as the official Editor of Sarvadesi. Famous writer and playwright Ezhikara Ambjujakshan edited the first three issues of Sarvadesi.

I was fortunate to associate with Sarvadesi from the beginning. I met T.A. Jose personally after three issues and from that moment, I become the family member of Sarvadesi and T.A. Jose. He is very much to me – a friend, guide, philosopher, advisor, motivator, helping hand, mentor and above all an elder brother. Until date, I never addressed him Josetta, but I adore him rather than any of my related brothers and relatives. We had an amazing match up and mental rapport. I got the first remuneration in my life from T.A. Jose for publishing my story in Sarvadesi. Really, it was a treasured moment.

After retirement T.A. Jose shifted to his native place at Kattur in Thrissur District and now lives there. I worked with Sarvadesi behind the curtain without any by-line credit, but with full freedom. When I am with T.A. Jose, I will lose myself and used to forget the circumstances while carrying on our discussions on Sarvadesi and various other matters and persons. We shared many secrets-- evil and good, vice and chief – of a good many literati, which we never exploited or ever used for character assassination of anyone.

Any modern printing facilities and digital typesetting were not available at that time. Sarvadesi was printing in a treadle press with handpicked Malayalam letter types in St. Joseph’s I.S. Press, Thrissur. At least 10-12 days prior to publishing date all matters were ready in the press. Yet, Sarvadesi managed to cover current Bombay local news, reports on literary meetings, dramas, dance programmes and all cultural, religious and literary activities with equal importance and published on time. All these 10 years Sarvadesi published all issues regularly without skipping a single issue. Sarvadesi’s valuable platform benefited too many established as well as young and budding writers, performing artistes, actors, singers, upcoming dancers and journalists. The first feature on Nache Mayuri fame Sudha Chandran Sudha Chandran written by Soman Alappuzha, who died in Mumbai on May 30 2010, published in Sarvadesi about her first performance after the accident, which brought to her to the limelight. Similarly, one of the good features on Mata Amritandadamayi was published in Sarvadesi a quarter century ago. Bhart award winner great actor Premji was the proof reader of Sarvadesi at that time.

I had started many good relations and friendships during Sarvadesi days. Solomon Joseph, Ezhikara Ambujakshan, Pamman, Soman Alappuzha, R.M. Kooliyat, Edayali Gopalakrishnan, Leela Sarkar, Balakrishnan, M.G. Radhakrishnan, Prabhashankar, Meghanadan, Cheppad Somanathan, Dr. T.R. Raghavan, Pappanamcode Prabhakaran, V.T. Gopalakrishnan, Sankaranarayanan, Manasi, Dr. Venugopal, Kamal Jasapara, P.V. Nayar Agra, C.V. Saseendran (Sasi Edanadan), Sriman (K.S. Menon), Viswanathan Palloor, Vasu Kakkanad, N.K.N. Chammanad, E.K.K. Nayar, Kottayam Pushpanath, K.D. Chandran, Premlal, Orma Menon, N. Rajasekharan Nair and Uzhavoor Sasi are to name a few among them. Before I come to Bombay names like Solomon Joseph, Ezhikara Ambhujakshan, Pamman and Jayanthi JayanthiGeneral Stores, Dadar West were familiar to me through Malayalam publications and radio plays.

I don’t remember when I first met Solomon Joseph. But we met only few occasions. But, before meeting him, I heard a lot good things about him from T.A. Jose. I think K.J. Antony and T.A. Jose must have told to him about me. Solomon Joseph was very kind, affectionate, and friendly and treated me like a brother. Sarvadesi was the only Malayalam publication at that time from Mumbai except the Visalakeralam published by The Bombay Keraleeya Samaj, Matunga. Solomon Joseph opined once, Visalakeralam was fitting to frame and keep it in a glass box as a (an) (useless) antique.

Solomon Joseph was a good orator. I recall the inaugural meeting of Mahakeralam, the first Malayalam Daily from Mumbai, at Mysore Association Hall, Matunga. Solomon Joseph who inaugurated the daily was the sole attraction of the function held on a working day at 9.00 a.m. in Matunga. Because Solomon Joseph was inaugurating the daily, meeting held with packed audience on a working day at 9.00 am. I heard from the mouth of great Mathewkuttychayan (K.M. Mathew of Malayala Manorama) that once through Solomon Joseph’s articles only Malayalam readers knew about Hindi film world. His language and style was very simple, fascinating and attracting to all. Perchance Solomon Joseph would be the first writer from Bombay who had a membership in the most prestigious Sahithya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangham Limited, Kottayam, and published books under SPCS and received the highest royalty percentage in the world. Many writers who could not become SPCS members envied him. But, Solomon Joseph was standing like a colossus in front of them. In my opinion, the revered writer did not get his deserved recognition in his lifetime.

On another occasion, I shall write more about Solomon Joseph and high and mighty Sarvadesi days.