Mysuru: “Star of Mysore eveninger is a darling and a Brand of Mysuru and is now called in the same breath as ‘Mysore Pak’ and ‘Mysooru Mallige.’ I have seen eveningers like Mid-Day in Mumbai and Bengaluru. But in this part of the country, Star of Mysore has earned its unique and respectful place and has touched the hearts of readers.”
These were the words of H.N. Ananth Kumar, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Chemicals, Fertilizers and Pharmaceuticals. Ananth Kumar was delivering his Presidential Address at Star of Mysore’s 40th Anniversary celebrations organised at the Platinum Jubilee Auditorium here last evening.
Beginning his speech with the lines published in ‘Editor’s Bottomline’ published in Star of Mysore dated Feb. 17 where columnist Veena Venugopal had written about MP Renuka Chowdhury’s cackle during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in the Parliament recently, Ananth Kumar said, “I don’t want to detail Renuka Chowdhury’s laugh and the PM’s response to it but I want to say that Star of Mysore’s Editorial Advisor Ganapathy still uses his pen to write with great wit and sarcasm and that is demonstrated with his choice of Editor’s Bottomline.”
K.B. Ganapathy presenting the traditional Kodava ‘Peeche Kathi,’ an ornamental dagger with a handle terminating in the shape of the head of a parrot or peacock and a sheath beautifully decorated with a gold covering and embedded with rubies. The Peeche Kathi is linked with a richly designed silver chain, which is tucked behind the chele (sash) to the right.
“There is no eveninger worth remembering for its content. Star of Mysore is an exception to this as it is an opinion-maker,” he said and called upon the audience to give a standing ovation to Ganapathy and the audience gladly did so.
“Narada is considered to be the first journalist as he carried news all over. But I consider Lord Hanuman as the first journalist as he carried the news of Lord Ram to Sita in Lanka and faced a risky and threatening situation where the guards of Lanka King Ravana set fire to Hanuman’s tail. Hanuman later set Ravana’s Palace on fire,” he said.
A section of the audience at the anniversary celebrations of Star of Mysore
Quoting a Kannada anecdote, the Union Minister, who is a six-time MP from Bengaluru South, said, “A poet sees what the sun cannot see. Here I say, a journalist sees what a poet cannot see. You journalists see we politicians through a microscope and if we escape, you see us with X-ray and even telescope. A journalist’s life is arduous as he faces many threats,” he said.
Heaping praises on SOM and its Editorial Advisor Ganapathy, he said, “If there is a torch-bearer in this part of the country that always stood for liberty and equality, it is Star of Mysore.”
“Ganapathy always wages a silent war with the establishment and in the process, he and his family faced many threats and attacks. This is easier said than done. I salute the courage and determination,” the Minister said amidst thunderous applause from the audience.
Book publisher T.S. Chayapathy being felicitated by Union Minister H.N. Ananth Kumar and K.B. Ganapathy.
The humorous part of his speech was when he narrated the incident where an Editor in Soviet Union was arrested for an article titled, ‘Supreme Soviet Stupid’. “The Editor was awarded 15 years jail. Five years for defamation and 10 years for revealing an official secret,” he said, leaving the audience in splits.
“You have presented me a Kodava knife (Peeche Kathi) as a memento. Like a knife cuts through lies and deception, let the pen held by Ganapathy (like a knife) cut through falsehoods and expose corruption and wrongdoings in the society,” he said.
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