On the first Sunday of August, annually celebrated as the International Day of Friendship, it is natural to find celebrities, actors, sportspersons and even politicians take to social media to wish their peers and contemporaries. However, in Kerala, on Friendship Day, which falls on Sunday, August 1 this year, a unique wish between two 100-year-old professional rivals has grabbed much attention on social media. In a novel gesture, Mathrubhumi, one of the leading Malayalam dailies in the state, published a front page wish for Malayala Manorama, another leading Malayalam daily, wishing the latter a ‘loving Friendship Day.’
In the bottom half of the front page of the August 1 edition, Mathrubhumi’s wishes to Malayala Manorama read, “A very loving Friendship Day wishes to dear Malayala Manorama,” The wish, written in bold letters with a wink smiley at the end against a dark blue background, is being widely shared on social media.
Mathrubhumi Group Managing Director and Rajya Sabha MP MV Shreyams Kumar said that being professional adversaries does not make the two newspapers enemies.
"Being an adversary in the marketplace of ideas does not make us enemies. Instead, it goads us to strive to be better in the true spirit of competitive companionship. I can say this with confidence since our two families of Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhumi have faced our share of institutional and personal tragedies and have lent mutual support in times of crisis. It is this human legacy of our forebearers that propelled us to extend our arms in a warm embrace to our worthy friend in the world of media. A Happy Friendship Day to Us," said Shreyams Kumar, in a statement.
Many social media users shared the unusual wish for the camaraderie between the two rival newspapers, and many wondered how Malayala Manorama would respond to the wish.
“Mathrubhumi took a bold and nice step to greet its rival player Manorama on #FriendshipDay Let's wait for tomorrow morning to see how Manorama respond to this in their own style.”
Mathrubhumi took a bold and nice step to greet its rival player Manorama on #FriendshipDay
— VK Adarsh (@VKadarsh) August 1, 2021
Let's wait for tomorrow morning to see how manorama respond to this in their own style. pic.twitter.com/D6iuU9fGrz
“Matrubhumi won the hearts of millions today with this bold gesture,” wrote a Facebook user.
Rivals on #FriendshipDay @mathrubhumi newspaper gives an advt on it’s front page greeting rival @MalayalaManorma on Friendship day! pic.twitter.com/CkxPIc56Ae
— Liz Mathew (@MathewLiz) August 1, 2021
Mathrubhumi newspaper, which was launched in 1923, was an integral part of the freedom movement in the state with its first editor KP Kesava Menon, a prominent freedom fighter. The newspaper was launched with the aim of disseminating the message of the national movement during the freedom struggle. Malayala Manorama, launched in 1890, was founded by Kandathil Varghese Mappilai, the first editor of ‘Kerala Mitram,’ considered the first newspaper in Kerala.