The Hindu is not merely a newspaper. It is an institution by itself. Founded in 1878 by a famous family of Madras, namely the Kasturirangans , it has spread its wings to 10 cities in India from where it is simultaneously published. The present Group, which publishes The Hindu is a Company called Kasturi & Sons based in Chennai.
I call The Hindu a complete newspaper having articles in readable English, excellent features and superb editorials. It has a regular column on religion and spirituality. On every day of the week except Monday, it carries an extra supplement like the one called Open Page carried on Tuesdays. It has articles and features on Education, and has Readers’ Views, Book Reviews and New Arrivals. Its copy editing is in the hands of experienced Sub-Editors and News Editors, who guard the spellings and punctuation marks.
The personnel policy of The Hindu is modern and welfare oriented. A former student of mine, who is working for the newspaper, was granted compassionate leave and a sumptuous allowance when she lost her mother. She burst into tears while narrating this to me. She is the Special Correspondent of the newspaper in Delhi.
Kasturi & Sons also publish the magazine The Frontline, very well produced with good photographs and excellent thought provoking articles. The Hindu also publishes occasional volumes like The Hindu Speaks on Education, The Hindu Speaks on Religion and the like. It also occasionally supplies a free pullout magazine called fo li o .
The Sunday Magazine Section of the newspaper is one of the best in India. It carries excellent articles with very good colour photographs. The Hindu is the first newspaper in India to have a Satellite through which its different editions are printed. Perfect cyber printing and editing in the Internet Age.
My only concern is that its Vishakhapatnam Edition reaches one day late in the interior places in Orissa. Why not start an edition from Bhubaneswar ?
The Hindu is the first newspaper, among the four I get, which I read over a cup of hot lemon tea in the morning. Without this ? I don’t know.