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 Men of letters, in the conventional meaning of the term, are dozen a dime. But here is a man - literally and truly a man of letters. Social critic and advocate from Chennai M.A. Sadanand could be conferred the title `man of letters' for his voluminous contributions to enliven the letters to the editor columns of several news papers from Chennai. In the last reckoning, the number of letters he has published stood at over 850 in the `letters to the editor columns'.
He started his marathon innings in this direction way back on August 20, 1958, by publishing his first letter in 'The Hindu'. Ever since he never looked back and had published 242 letters in that paper, 173 in the now defunct `The Mail', and 409 in the Indian Express. On his compulsive writing, says Sadanand "I talk to people through the Editor. There is so much to talk about. But most of my talk goes into the editor's dustbin."
Sadanand is used to a certain racy and punchy style that had influenced his official reports too. When he was the government pleader of Tamil
Nadu, the then chief secretary T.V.Venkataraman commented that Sadanand's official communication too sounded more like a letter to the editor. "Irrespective of the tenor of the letter, I am happy if the readers understood the spirit behind it", grins
Sadanand.
With his prolific production of letters to editors continuing to show no sign of decline, it would not be surprising if he marches ahead into the Guinness Book of World Records for his caustic endeavor for over four decades.
Thomas
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