Today, Mumbai Samachar is 200 years old

Mumbai: It has seen two World Wars, two pandemics and watched Mumbai evolve into India’s financial capital. On July 1, Fort-based Gujarati daily, Mumbai Samachar, enters its 200th year.

Its director, Hormusji N Cama, credits the daily’s longevity to “content”. “Our readers are loyal to us because of the content we give. We criticize but our criticism is constructive,” said Cama whose grandfather Muncherji Cama bought the paper from the Belgaumwala family in 1933. The story of how it came into the Cama family is interesting.

The Cama family supplied newsprint and ink to Mumbai Samachar. They approached court over non-payment of dues and sought the paper’s liquidation. The judge, though, asked the Camas to take over the paper as shutting it would have rendered its employees jobless. Founded on July 1, 1822, it was initially a weekly and called Moombina Samachar. It became a bi-weekly in 1832 and a daily in 1855. Editor Nilesh Dave said, “The entire year we will try to promote the Gujarati language and readers through theatre, essay competitions and by roping in writers.”


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