Whenever people talk about popular Telugu daily newspaper Eenadu, the name of Ramoji Rao strikes one’s mind. But there is also another person who is identified with Eenadu: he is cartoonist Sridhar.
Pochampalli Sridhar Rao, better known as Cartoonist Sridhar, on Monday resigned from Eenadu daily, after putting in more than 40 years in the organisation.
His first cartoon appeared in Eenadu on August 22, 1981 and since then, he has become synonymous with the daily.
“I left Eenadu. Resigned,” was the cryptic message Sridhar posted on his Facebook page on Monday evening.
If he has resigned, it was definitely a shock of the management. as well as the millions of readers who cannot imagine the daily without his cartoons. In a way, they are addicted to his cartoons.
In fact, Sridhar should have been out of Eenadu long ago, had he retired from service on superannuation like any other employee. But he has become so indispensable for the daily that he has been asked to continue even after completion of 60 years.
The exact reasons for his resignation are not immediately known. He might have taken the decision as he might have thought enough of the profession.
He has been travelling nearly 20 kilometres every day up and down to Ramoji Film City to work for the daily.
It is also not known whether Ramoji Rao himself might have thought enough of Sridhar and might be looking for a fresh face. The exact reason will be known sooner than later.
Known for his sharp, witty and thought-provoking cartoons, which are simple but convey powerful messages, Sridhar had never taken a break in his career, except for a few months last year when he suffered from Covid-19 and was hospitalised.
He lost his younger brother Achyuta Rao, well-known child rights’ activist, to the dreaded virus.
Though Sridhar returned to his job later, he was certainly missing the brother and that might be one of the reasons why he wanted to call it quits to the profession.
