వెన్నెలకు వన్నెలద్దుతున్నామని మురిసిపోయే మూర్ఖశిఖామణులకు

(టపా మారలేదు. మారింది టైటిలే. :) )

మూడు తరాలుగా ఆబాలగోపాలాన్ని అలరించిన చందమామలో గత కొన్ని నెలలుగా "వినాశకాలే..." అన్న తీరులో చోటు చేసుకున్న పెనుమార్పులపై నేను చందమామ సంపాదకులకు ఒక ఈమెయిలు ఘాటుగా పంపాను. (పాత చందమామలను పునర్ముద్రించమని విడిగా ఇంకొక మెయిలు కూడా పంపాను.) పత్రిక ముఖచిత్రాలుగా వపా బొమ్మలనే చూడబోతున్నామనే వార్త ఆనందాన్ని కలిగించేదే అయినా మిగతా మార్పుల విషయంలో చందమామ ప్రస్తుత యాజమాన్యం వైఖరి తెలియకపోవడం వల్ల తోటి చం.పి.లు కూడా ఈమెయిళ్ళ ద్వారా వారిపై ఒత్తిడి తీసుకురావడానికి వీలుగా నేను పంపిన ఈమెయిలు పాఠ్యాన్ని క్రింద ఇస్తున్నాను. (Update: కప్పగంతు శివరామప్రసాద్ గారు చందమామకు రాసిన లేఖ కూడా చూడండి) దీంట్లో మీకు అవసరమనిపించిన మార్పులు - చేర్పులు చేసి editor@chandamama.com, online@chandamama.com లకు పంపవలసిందిగా కోరుతున్నాను.

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Changes in Chandamama

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am an ardent reader of Chandamama (Telugu). The recent changes in the layout of language editions of Chandamama can only be conceived by a foolish mind which thinks it can make the moonlight more attractive by adding colours to it. There is no need to make Chandamama more 'popular'. What is needed is dedication to make it stick to its core values. It is not just a magazine for us. It much more: to me it is the cultural ambassador of India.

Here is what I want and don't want in Chandamama:

1. Recently you have been asking whether we want more Contemporary stories: My answer is a big NOOOOOOOOOOO if by Contemporary stories you mean stories set in the contemporary/modern world. I definitely want more stories which are set in the ancient/medieval times.

2. You have also discarded the 25-ఏళ్ళనాటి చందమామ కథ in Telugu. I want one every month without fail.

3. Jataka tales: I want them back in the old form. In stead of wasting the time, space and effort on experiments like this, why don't you just reproduce them in their original form and give bigger illustrations in the regular serials and concentrate on improving the quality of content and translations?

4. No more comic strips, please! These are very irksome in Chandamama. if you can't do anything better, you please continue the tradition. Don't meddle and mess up with it. (You can try giving this kind of stuff in Junior Chandamama).

5. I also want two full-page illustrations in the regular serials.

6. One more suggestion: don't leave blank space on either side of the title of each story. It should be covered with illustration only. That way, we can have slightly bigger illustrations as we had previously. They have shrunk to a large extent in recent times and sometimes appear more like miniature paintings. The 'Send SMS' requests have also eaten into the space meant for the illustrations. Please stop them.

7. The editorial page: I haven't ever seen any journal/magazine without its name/logo in the editorial page. The frame designed by Chitra with swans swimming in the lake was pleasing. It's again a foolish idea to discard it.

8. Illustrations: The illustrations with their edges mutilated look as if they are eaten up by white ants. I want them with clear, straight edges.

9. Footer: The writers' names should be given in the footers only.

10. Ordering of the pages: Please retain the old order with the photo caption contest in the last page, etc.

11. Don't publish commercial advertisements between stories.

12. And last but not the least, The cover page: The cover page should reflect the nature and content of the magazine. Once in a while if you have chosen to publish the full-size illustrations of King Vikram carrying the corpse or the illustrations by Chitra that would have been nice. But a group of small small illustrations don't look beautiful and it is blasphemous, disgusting and an unpardonable crime if you think Chandamama can attract more readers or make its readers happy by showing the pictures of cricketers and film stars.

The only thing I liked in the changes you have introduced is the icons indicating the nature of each article/story.