C. Karunakara Menon facts for kids

Diwan Bahadur Cozhisseri Karunakara Menon (1863–1922) was an important Indian journalist and politician. He lived during a time when India was under British rule, in a region called the Madras Presidency. He was known for being the second editor of a famous newspaper called The Hindu. He also started his own newspaper, the Indian Patriot.

Karunakara Menon was born in a place called Parappanangadi. He studied in Madras (now Chennai). He worked as a sub-editor for The Hindu newspaper until 1898. After that, he became the main editor from 1898 to 1905. In 1905, he decided to start his own newspaper, The Indian Patriot. This newspaper ran until 1924. He was a well-known public figure and was involved in many political events of his time.

Menon passed away in 1922 at his home in Parappanangadi, Kerala. He was highly respected by many important people, including other famous leaders and even the British Governor of Madras, Sir Arthur Lawley.

Early Life and Education

Cozhisseri Karunakara Menon was born into a Nair family in Parappanangadi, which was part of the Malabar district in the Madras Presidency. He went to the University of Madras and studied law. After finishing his studies, he joined The Hindu newspaper as a sub-editor.

In 1890, he became involved in public life. He spoke out against a new law called the Malabar Marriage Bill. His strong opinions impressed T. Muthuswamy Iyer, another important person, and they became good friends. During this time, Menon also became friends with T. Madhava Rao.

Becoming a Newspaper Leader

When G. Subramania Iyer, who was the editor of The Hindu, traveled to the United Kingdom, Karunakara Menon took charge of the newspaper. He managed it with help from Mr. Natarajan.

Later, in October 1898, when Veeraraghavachariar took over The Hindu, he chose Karunakara Menon to be the new editor. Menon continued to edit The Hindu until 1905. That's when he decided to start his own newspaper, The Indian Patriot.

In 1903, Veeraraghavachariar praised Karunakara Menon, saying:

I have every reason to be proud that he has maintained the prestige of the paper unimpaired, coming as he did after Mr. G. Subramania Aiyer

This meant that Menon had done a great job keeping the newspaper's good reputation, even after a very respected editor like G. Subramania Iyer.

Leading The Indian Patriot

The Indian Patriot newspaper had a challenging role. It was one of the few newspapers at the time that openly supported the Indian National Congress. This was a major political party that worked for India's independence. The newspaper also strongly supported law and order. For example, it spoke against those involved in a famous legal case known as the Alipore bomb case.

Because of his support for law and order, the British government honored Karunakara Menon with the title "Diwan Bahadur."

However, Menon faced difficulties. He didn't fully agree with some of the more extreme groups who wanted quick independence. He also sometimes disagreed with the British government. Because he didn't have strong support from either side, he eventually had to sell his newspaper to cover its costs.

His Ideas and Beliefs

Karunakara Menon was a supporter of the Home Rule Movement in the Madras Presidency. This movement wanted India to have more control over its own affairs, similar to how countries like Canada or Australia were governed by Britain. Even though he sometimes disagreed with the political goals of the non-Brahmin movement, he still supported their efforts to bring about social reforms and improve society.

A Respected Statesman

Many people believed that Karunakara Menon had great political skills. V. Krishnaswamy Iyer, another important leader, thought Menon was a very capable statesman. He felt that Menon was too talented for just journalism and should be involved in bigger political roles. Krishnaswamy Iyer once said:

You are a statesman. You cannot run a newspaper without sensationalism nowadays. You must go elsewhere.

This shows how highly he thought of Menon's abilities.

The Governor of Madras, Arthur Lawley, often asked Menon for his advice. People believed that Menon had enough political skill to become a Diwan of Travancore (a high-ranking minister) or even the Chief Minister of Madras.

Death

Karunakara Menon passed away in 1922 at his home, Cozhissery House, in Parappanangadi. He died due to health problems that followed a stroke.

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