Yukthivadi: Encyclopedia - Yukthivadi

Yukthivadi

Yukthivadi (The Rationalist) was the first rationalist/atheist journal published in Malayalam. The contribution made by Yukthivadi to the renaissance of Kerala, India is phenomenal.

Yukthivadi started its publication in August 1929 from Ernakulam under the editorial board of M. Ramavarma Thampan, C. Krishnan, C.V.Kunhiraman, Sahodaran K. Ayyappan and M.C.Joseph. In a statement published in the first issue of Yukthivadi, Sahodaran K. Ayyappan wrote:

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In spite of the fact that all of the editorial board members were well known social activists, the conservative Kerala welcomed its publication with the expected derision. Even such a well known personality as Murkoth Kumaran did not hesitate to pen a poem denigrating the publishers. Not surprisingly, a meeting of a religious sect passed a resolution cursing the publishers of Yukthivadi'!

In August 1931 M.C.Joseph became its sole editor-publisher and shifted the publication to Irinjalakkuda. For the next forty five years until June 1974 M.C.Joseph brought out the magazine without any interruption. In July 1974, because of his failing health (he was 87 then), he handed over the magazine to Unni Kakkanad, who published it for yet another decade before it ceased publication.

The vibrant rationalist movement that is seen in Kerala today is undoubtedly the direct consequence of the ideas spread by Yukthivadi for more than half a century.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Yukthivadi", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki