THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Only three months old as a fortnightly, ‘Thaliru’, the children’s magazine published by the State Institute of Children’s Literature, is back to being a monthly. Institute officials cite crippling losses and a stagnant circulation as reasons. ‘Thaliru’ was converted into a fortnightly from last August. But now, the Institute has notified that the magazine, among the best in Malayalam published for children, was reverting to the status of a monthly from November due to ‘’certain technical reasons.’’ However, those who have signed up for an annual subscription when ‘Thaliru’ - poet Sugathakumari edits it, incidentally - was a fortnightly, will continue getting up to 24 copies. ‘Thaliru’ faces the usual problems of a government enterprise. There is a frightening gap between publishing costs and actual demand, said Prof Thumbamon Thomas, director-in-charge of the Institute. Besides, merely 200 government schools are taking it despite efforts to increase circulation. ‘’Only 8,500 copies are being printed in all. A single copy costs Rs16-17 to print. Base price is Rs 10, but we sell it for just Rs 6. It is not sustainable,’’ Thomas said. The decision to make ‘Thaliru’ a fortnightly was taken by former director Rubin D’Cruz, who was controversially booted out by the UDF Government. D’Cruz, a former National Book Trust official, was posted as director by the previous LDF government. His sacking on the grounds he was inadequately qualified even sparked off a court case and an Opposition walkout. Earlier published by the Jawahar Balbhavan, ‘Thaliru’ monthly has been in circulation under the children’s institute since 1995. Much more informative than most children’s magazines, it targets readers in the 10-18 age group.
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