N. Sankaraiah
The passing of the veteran Marxist leader, N. Sankaraiah, who was 101, is saddening. I have vivid memories of an incident of the early 1980s. While travelling in a crowded electric train on the Tambaram-Madras Beach line, I spotted the leader — he was an MLA — and greeted him. He sported a smile and asked me where I was working. He surprised me by immediately naming the president of the association in my organisation and asking me how he was.
The best tribute we can pay to him is to request his alma mater, American College, Madurai, to build a conference hall and hold an annual seminar in his memory. The Tamil Nadu government should help in this.
K. Chellappan,
Chennai
I fondly remember my childhood, of the veteran leader in our house, discussing political matters with my father, C.A. Balan, who was also a freedom fighter and a CPI leader. Their discussions were always around trade unions, the welfare of the unorganised sector and ensuring the livelihood of the inhabitants of the Trisoolam quarry. It is a blot on the system that the recommendations of the Tamil Nadu Government in conferring a honorary doctorate on the leader were turned down.
M.B. Madhusudanan,
Chennai
The news deeply shocks all those who were familiar with his struggles and sacrifices. His choice of Left ideology and the relentless struggles he was involved in for the cause of the economically and socially suppressed sections only highlight his unstinted commitment to the have-nots.
A.G. Rajmohan,
Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
The last stage
What a performance by the Indian cricket team! As the team gears up for the finals, it is time for the nation to rally behind the Men in Blue.
Jahangir Shaikh,
Mumbai
