Mumbai, Aug 1 (IANS): Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan Sunday expressed grief over the demise of Malayala Manorama chief editor K.M. Mathew, describing him as a visionary leader of the Indian media.

Saying that he was "at a loss to describe the life and work" of Mathew, Sankaranarayanan added: "He took Malayala Manorama to dizzying heights in terms of circulation, readership and popularity.

"It would not be an exaggeration to say that he created benchmarks for language press in India and brought journalism closer to masses," Sankaranarayanan said in a message to Mathew's son, Jacob Mathew.

Mathew, 93 died early Sunday in Kottayam, Kerala.

Terming Mathew a staunch nationalist, the governor said he stood for development and through the medium of the newspaper, worked for a stable democracy with genuine concern for the common man and helped people from all walks of life.

Sankaranarayanan said that villagers sitting at a roadside corner, reading the morning newspaper and debating over issues of topical interests is common in Kerala.

"It was Mathew who inculcated the habit of newspaper reading among ordinary people and impressed upon them the power of debate in a democracy. If Malayala Manorama has become a folklore name, the major credit goes to its main protagonist K.M. Mathew," the governor said.

Terming Mathew's death as "a personal loss", the governor offered his condolences to the family on his demise.