This refers to the report “Left’s hit-or-miss poll experiment in Kerala” (some editions, March 19). While the names of stalwarts such as Joseph Mundassery, V.R. Krishna Iyer, S.K. Pottekkat, ONV, M.K. Sanoo and Murali (actor) were mentioned, the name of V. Sambasivan, the maestro of the ‘Kathaprasangam’ genre of storytelling — he was my father — was left out. He was fielded as an independent candidate of the Left in the Karunagappally Assembly constituency in 1970 against Baby John. The CPI(M)-led Left front then had only small parties including the KSP and the KTP as allies. Sambasivan was defeated but he could serve the Left’s strategy in its efforts to make inroads into non-Left votes. He had a magnetic voice which helped him perform before huge crowds for about half a century from 1949.
Vasanthakumar Sambasivan,Kollam
