Chennai: Tamil Maanila Congress leader GK Vasan today mourned for A Sivalingam who is known for inventing Tamil telegraphy and passed away Sunday after battling with prolonged age-related ailments.
Born in 1924, he joined the postal department as telegraph clerk in 1944. While working at Karambakudi, he invented Tamil telegraphy 1955 and was helpful in putting it to public use in 1956. This pioneer who was also called Tamil Thanthi Sivalinganar passed away at his residence in KK Nagar of Tiruchi at around 7 am on Sunday. He was 94.
Vasan, in his condolence message said, ‘It is saddened to know that Tamil Thanthi Sivalanganar has passed away’ and recalled Sivalingam’s days in Postal Department as a clerk and how he aspired to bring out Tamil telegraphy. Further, Vasan said, “Apart from his invention of vernacular telegraphy, he was also a Carnatic music enthusiast and a theatre artiste.”
Speaking to a publication about Sivalingam, his daughter S Manonmani said, “Telegraph was there only in English during those days. He understood its need for people of Tamilnadu who could not understand English during those days.” He learned Morse code for the purpose and is a scholar in the Tamil language. He was survived by his two sons and a daughter. As per his wish, his body will be donated to KAP Viswanathan government medical college, Tiruchi on Tuesday.