Kunjirama menon, Chenkulath
Chenkulath Kunjirammenon started the first newspaper in Malabar , Kerala
Pathrika in 1906. Writers like Appu Nedungadi and O Chanthumenon
helped him during that time. Chenkulath was a great fighter and from its very beginning,
Kerala Pathrika unleashed a powerful campaign against the misdeeds committed by
government officials.
Once Kunjiramamenon had to pay a fine of Rs 51 for publishing an article that strongly criticized the government.
KP Kesavemenon recollects it as the first incident in Malabar in which aneditor was punished for upholding the freedom of the press.
Kunjiramamneon who strongly believed in the cause of national
Freedom movement. It was Kerala Pathrika, which pioneered the campaigns for Congress in
Kerala. In it he used to name Indian National Congress as`Bharatha Mahajansabha’ only.
Born in 1882 in Valapattanam in north Malabar, he was a prominent literary figure of that period. He had penned several notable short stories in the pen name MRKC.'malayaalathile janmimar, raghuvamsacharithram, george pattabhishekam, kambaraamaayanam, velluvakkammaaran were some of the short stories he wrote. He became manager of the publication Mangalodayam in 1912. He died in 1940.