THE
LATE SRI M. SESHACHALAPATI
The
most poignant of losses sustained by us in recent months was the sudden demise
of Sri M. Seshachalapati, who happened to be a member
of the Advisory Board of the Triveni for more than four decades. When
the New Era, a journal in English, of which he was an Associate Editor,
merged with the Triveni, he was taken on the Advisory Board as a natural
outcome of the event. But otherwise also by his literary achievements and
knowledge of literature, his addition to the Advisory Board was a distinct honour to covet.
An
advocate by profession, he early made a mark at the Madras Bar, when the Andhra
Pradesh had not been formed. He became the first Government Pleader of the
newly-formed State and was soon elevated to the Bench of its High Court with
natural transformation as a Judge from 1958 till his retirement in July 1963.
Known for his penetrating intellect and facility of expression, he won the
respect of the practitioners of the High Court. He possessed a very select
memory for passages of enduring value from both the pages of law and
literature. More than his enviable memory, his manner of communication was so
enjoyable that eminent lawyers such as Dr. Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyar and Sri A.
V. Visvanatha Sastri began to hang on his lips,
listening to the incantations of his gifted tongue. Though not a regular
penman, he was by far an able critic of men and affairs than most of the
so-called critics.
His
charm lay chiefly in his enviable capacity to recall incidents and associations
of men with all the glow of literary craftsmanship. It is a pity most of such
vignettes of life and portraits have not been preserved in print. Else they
could have effectively shown to the world what a remarkable writer he was.
Born
the son of Sri Chengaiah Pantulu
of
He
maintained a dignity all his own. He never appeared to show off his talents,
though his gifts were many and deserving of the highest appreciation.
May
his soul rest in peace!
–K. CHANDRASEKHAR