About this stamp
Seventy-Five Years of a Tamil Daily
Dinamalar, a Tamil daily newspaper, was launched in Thiruvananthapuram on 6 September 1951 and completed seventy-five years in 2026.
Founding
T. V. Ramasubbaiyer
The paper was founded by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer, a businessman and social activist from Nagercoil who was also active in campaigns against untouchability, for temple entry and for literacy among Scheduled Castes.
The merger movement
In 1951 the Tamil-speaking parts of the Travancore-Cochin State, including Kanyakumari district, were to remain with what would become Kerala, though most people there wanted to join Tamil Nadu. Dinamalar was founded to give their movement a voice and kept supporting it despite official pressure. In 1956 the Tamil-speaking areas were joined to Tamil Nadu.
Growth
The paper moved to Tirunelveli in 1957 and later opened editions across Tamil Nadu and beyond, including:
- Tiruchi (1966) and Chennai (1979)
- Madurai (1980) and Erode (1984)
- Pondicherry (1991), Coimbatore (1992) and Vellore (1993)
- Nagercoil (1996) and Salem (2000)
Today it is published from 12 centres, including New Delhi and Bengaluru.
Contributions to Tamil Journalism
- The first major media organisation to adopt reformed Tamil letters, later accepted by the State Government as the standard
- 1982: launched Varamalar, the first free weekly supplement in India
- 1985: launched the first free children’s supplement in Tamil
- The only Tamil newspaper with a student edition, and free exam-preparation events for government school students
- Campaigns that supported public schemes such as the mid-day meal scheme
The Commemorative Stamp
India Post issued a stamp on 5 September 2026 to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Dinamalar and its contribution to journalism and national integration.
For More Information
Read more here:
