Digital media may be prevalent, but colourful wooden display panels seem to retain their rustic charm.
Set on the sidelines of Tamil Murasu’s 90th Anniversary celebration event held on Sunday (July 6) at Fairmont Singapore, an exhibition of eight colourful banners illustrating the rich history of Tamil Murasu attracted a fair amount of notice.
One of the banners features images of early Tamil Murasu staff and the then Tamils Reform Association, which served as the newspaper’s first office.
Another banner showcases bold front pages announcing Singapore’s independence in fancy, block Tamil letters.
For bus driver and literature enthusiast Mr V. Thamizhmaraiyan, 70, the exhibition doled out a visual treat.
“I was fascinated by the various stylisations of the brand name ‘Tamil Murasu’ appearing on the front page over the years. This exhibition acknowledges the designers and artists behind the newspaper,” he said.
Historian Dr. Theresa Devasahayam remarked that the banners offer a glimpse into the lives of Tamil people of that era, serving as windows into their world.
Chairman of the Indian Heritage Centre, Mr R. Rajaram, noted that Tamil Murasu holds a special place among objects that celebrate Indian heritage in Singapore.
“In line with the saying that journalism is the first rough draft of history, Tamil Murasu has, for over 90 years, served as both a tool and a record of the growth of the Tamil community and the Tamil language in Singapore,” he said.
“At a time when other diaspora newspapers focused primarily on news from Tamil Nadu, Tamil Murasu began to tell the stories of Singapore’s Tamil community. The articles, stories, and poems it published reflected the contributions of local writers in each era, highlighting their role in shaping our language and way of life,” Mr. Rajaram added.
The exhibition, which was part of Sunday’s anniversary celebrations at the Fairmont Singapore hotel, will be displayed at the Indian Heritage Centre from July 7 to July 21.
From July 22 to July 30, the exhibition will move to the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre.
Subsequently, it will be held at the Jurong Regional Library from Aug 1 to Sep 1.
