Triple Stream

PLATINUM JUBILEE-TRIPLE STREAM

Prof. I. V. Chalapati Rao

‘Triveni’, India's Literary and Cultural quarterly was started on the 25th of December, 1927 in Madras by Late Sri. Kolavennu Ramakotiswara Rau, a freedom fighter and journalist of rare vintage. He lived like a crusader and died like a martyr for the cause journalism. His name is indissolubly linked with this long standing and ever-popular journal which has now completed 75 years of service to the reading public. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the Chairman of the Committee. Journals like institutions pass through the successive stages of infancy, golden youth, mellowed middle age and venerable old age. Having celebrated Silver Jubilee. Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee, it is now celebrating the Platinum Jubilee.

On this land-mark occasion we take stock of things, evaluate the present position and make blue prints for a better future. Its contributors of yester years were a galaxy of great men - Sri Aurobindo, Jiddu Krishnamurthy, Radhakrishnan, Rajaji, Pattabhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, C.P. Ramaswmni Iyer, Harindranadh Chatopadhyaya, K. M. Munshi, Rt. Hon’ble Srinivasa Sastry, Srinivasa Iyengar, Gokak et. al. When Kolavennu was in jail the journal was shifted to Bangalore and managed by Justice Nittur Srinivasa Rao, K. Sampatgiri Rao and Masti Venkatesa Iyengar. The Maharajah of Mysore was the chief patron. On being released from the prison Kolavennu continued to edit the journal. Late Sri Burra Subrahmanyam, the Advocate General of Madras edited it for a short period from 1950. Late Dr. Bhavaraju Narasimha Rao, a scholar and humanist took over the editorship of the journal except for a short stint by late Sri Dhan of Guntur. For a long period of more than 40 years Dr. Narasimha Rao edited the journal from Machilipatnam. For his distinguished service to the journal he was honoured by the Nagarjuna University of Guntur with honorary Doctorate in Literature. Before he died he made permanent arrangements by setting up a Trust in the name of Triveni Foundation in Hyderabad.

Dr. Bhavaraju Narasimha Rao handed over Triveni editorship to Prof. I. V. Chalapati Rao. It was released in Hyderabad by Swami Ranganadhananda, the present All India President of Sri Ramakrishna Misson, Calcutta. The present editor is also the Chairman of the Foundation and Sri Vemaraju Narasimha Ran is the Managing Trustee.

We are publishing in a section of this issue a few articles received from persons who had recorded their impressions about the founder editor and the former editor who had put their indelible stamp on the journal.

We have always kept in view the original object to make Triveni an organ of the Indian Renaissance, including the revival of letters by making the contributors and readers of every language group note and appreciate the beauty and merits of other national languages. In our humble way we wish to direct the taste of the readers towards the Composite Culture of India and the true spirit of national integration through the common medium of English. Speaking about Triveni’s laudable objectives Dr. V. K. Gokak commented: “The Indian P.E.N. and the Sahitya Akademi took up this work long after Triveni did and it was indeed a step in the direction of federation of cultures, arts and literatures through identification of their similarities and a cross fertilization of ideas.”

The readers perhaps know that the drastic dip in readership taste even in U.K. has led to the demise of once popular journals like John O’ London, London Mercury, the Pall Mall Gazette, the Nation, Horizon, Athenium, Adelphi, Scrutiny, Criterion and Punch. If this is the fate of quality journals in England which is the home of English language, it is not a surprise that The Modern Review, the Indian Review and Hindustan Times of India too had vanished long ago. Viewed against this ­ground, is it not a minor miracle that our frail bark sailing in low financial waters has survived to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee? It is the set of the sail that enables the vessel to safely cruise against the uncongenial winds of the times. We are grateful to our patrons, donors, life members annual subscribers and contributors of articles and poems for their continued support. Our generous advertisers are a perenniel source of strength.

This special number is appearing in two sections without donning gorgeous decorations - one section dealing with the usual contemporary material and the other containing matter relating to the Platinum Jubilee. Readers will be glad to find samples of vintage articles and poems written by eminent personages for Triveni in the ‘thirties of the previous century and even earlier’.

            Readers will find in this Special Number, samples of vintage articles or poems of yester years, the illustrious contributors being Dr. S Radhakrishnan, Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Jiddu Krishna Murthy, C. Rajagopalachary, Harindranath Chatopadhyaya, Bezwada Gopala Reddi and Prof K. Swaminadhan. They wrote on topics of relevance to contemporary life.

            Also they will find photos of news value presenting a galaxy of great men who participated in the historic celebrations of the Jubilees preceding the present Platinum Jubilee. 
- Ed.