Obituaries are generally not written for ordinary people who have lived their lives and shed their mortal coils (‘From the Readers’ Editor’ – “The importance of an obituary”, July 4). It is a fact that fitting farewells are not accorded to such eminent personalities these days as the print media often gives preference to advertisers who bring home the bacon.
However, as an avid reader of this daily for over four decades now, I have always found that sizeable space has been allotted to obituaries, with close associates and critics of the person sharing snippets and valuable insights on his or her contribution. With regard to the lament by art critics like Sadanand Menon, one has to admit that the space allotted for coverage of arts and entertainment has been gradually shrinking and this is not a healthy development. Arts and culture constitute the spice of human life and articles on artists, playwrights, film stars make for good reading.
C.V. Aravind,
Bengaluru
A peek into the lives of intellectuals and artists gives us an idea of the principles and ethos with which they led their lives. In this age of social media and instant fame, writing about a personality who has done a great deal for us and to enrich our lives, and who many of us may not know much about, can be enlightening.
Ravikant Beniwal,
Hisar, Haryana
