Icon for Physically challenged with patriotic zeal

Ratinam Tangaraj proves that faith can work wonder

Ratinam Tangaraj, a postgraduate and diploma holder in engineering, started crawling from his childhood as he was physically challenged by birth as a result of polio. But, he did not lose his courage or hope to come up in life. He decided to dedicate his life at the adobe feet of Swami Vivekananda and joined as an employee at Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.

Not like others, he wanted to do some thing unique in his life, in spite of his disability and convinced his employer at the Kendra to a journey from Kanyakumari to Chennai from January 19 to February 6 this year.. He wanted to awaken the youth of his home State and enlighten them on the speeches of Swami Vivekananda.

After this mission, he did not stop his journey. He took another bold step of covering 2,600 km on his tricycle. Mr. Tangaraj named the yatra as “Narendra-Vivekananda Yatra” on the eve of 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. He started his journey from the house of the Swami at Kolkata on the day of Guru Pournima (July 22) and decided to cover West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to reach Kanyakumari by September 11.

He reached Rajahmundry via National Highway on Thursday and took a break at Lalacheruvu Centre. Mr. Tangaraj garlanded the statue of Raviprasad, Kargil War martyr, along with ABVP national executive member Kompella Sastry.

Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Tangaraj said that he had covered 1,050 km till now and had not faced any problem throughout his journey. He is covering about 30 to 40 km a day and meeting college and school students on the way.

“Students of the State are not interested to join politics. But, they are waiting for a good leader to lead the country,” he said.

JOB VACANCY: Wanted a leader for Seemandhra...interested can apply....!!!
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There is no dearth of leaders in Seemandhra. But there is no leader like KCR or Prof. Kodanda Ram in this region to lead agitation under one roof or under one banner. 
Take Kavuri Sambasiva Rao and Lagadapati Rajagopal. Mr. Kavuri is having good political knowledge of present and past and also vision. Mr. Rajagopal may not be knowing much about past, knows about contemporary politics and maintaining very good back office with volumes of information by using IT. Vision without view, arguments without any substance are some of the qualities of Mr. Rajagopal. Unfortunately, both have pledged their self interests at the feet of High Command. There is no exception to Mega Star Chiranjeevi, who is having no knowledge about politics, history and subjects like irrigation, agriculture, IT and so on. But, he is great brand ambassador for Congress party for crowd pulling in South, Icon for Tourism ministry and his charisma is nothing less than NTR. 
The think tank, "dubasi" of Congress party and Seemandhra's `valuable' leader is Rajahmundry MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar. The translation specialist from Indira Gandhi time to Sonia Gandhi is dillydallying and uncomfortable after bifurcation announcement by CWC. It is quite obvious that he is to dance to the tunes of Sonia Gandhi and at the same time, he has to won the hearts of his voters at home town, fans in AP. He is having credibility, respect and charisma. He is bookworm and computer savvy. But, he never gives solution to any of the issues he rises during his annual reports during public meetings. Mr. Arun Kumar makes scathing attack on KCR and shows clippings of his speeches against Seemandhra leaders (including Mr. Vundavalli). He is indecisive on whether to support united Andhra or only speak on Hyderabad.
Another mass maharajah is Amalapuram MP GV Harsha Kumar. He is good organizer, but in some occasions his credibility is at stake. His great minus in this movement is, he is speaking in support of bifurcation of state from the beginning. And now he is fighting for Hyderabad. Union Ministers Purandhareswari, Pallamraju are not crowd pullers and there are not much followers. 
Next comes, Bireddy Rajasekhara Reddy or TG Venkatesh or limited to three to four districts and they are not in a position to command the entire region. 
No minister in Kiran's Cabinet in Seemandhra are capable of leading entire Seemandhra people under one banner like Telangana Rastra Samiti or Telangana JAC. Katti Padma Rao, Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, Kasu Krishna Reddy, Gade Venkata Reddy, Balineni Srinivasula Reddy (Ongole), Mahidhar Reddy (Kandukuru), Kodelsa Siva Prasa, Devineni Uma, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy are confined to their districts and not considered as state or regional leaders.
Business interests, doubts about their tickets in 2014 Parliament and Assembly elections, lack of knowledge about past history, present status and future political scenario are some of the regions for dearth of collective leadership.
Congress high command very well knows that there is no leader in his party to unite Seemandhra people from Tada to Itchapuram, Tirupati to Hyderabad or Visakhapatnam to Anantapuram.
People of Telangana agitated for separate state aggressively from last 12 years. We started our `struggle' only 15 days back. There is no seriousness in our agitation and there are many if's and but's in our efforts for united Andhra. 
Anyway, we are fighting for United Andhra Pradesh, if public are not having any problem, I want to make a suggestion. Shall we import a leader from Telangana to fight for Samaikhyandhra?
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BIFURCATION OF STATE...KCR COMMENTS, REACTIONS, REPERCUSSIONS..

Rajiv Gandhi statue is in flames in Konaseema

KCR is a very sagacious politician with cunning nature. He knows where he can cross his fingers and timings. Every one thought that Mr. KCR was quite and clam when there was a big hue and cry about bifurcation of state. But, he racked up new issue by asking non-Telangana NGOs to back to their respective district to "contribute to their new state", which instigated Seemandhra leaders, NGOs in Secretariat. 

The Telangana protagonist knows very well about the mindset of Congress leaders who started lamenting on KCR, because he started getting mileage after non-Telangana NGOs statement. He completely turned tables in favour of TRS and now Congress is in soup. 

One of my political friend's wife asked me, whether the ongoing agitation by Seemandhra is a "paid agitation"?. I was shocked and also surprised on her question. I simply said, "I don't think so". But she went on telling that each youth who are participating in agitation is being paid by different political parties on every evening.

But, fact is that NGOs, Advocates, students from different colleges including professional colleges, Universities in East Godavari are participating in agitation voluntarily. When, Rajahmundry Un-aided Colleges Association and All private schools management association met on Saturday and declared that they will sponsor part-time agitation by sending their students for one or two hours every day and seek police protection to run their institutions from Monday (5 Aug) as usually, my self and other journalist friends who are present at the meeting strongly opposed their move and suggested them to re-think about their decision. We told them that Seemandhra interests will not be safeguarded unless we are ready for some or other sacrifice. "At lease we have to a little sacrifice what the Telangana people have done earlier"-we suggested.

FIGHT...AND ALSO GET READY FOR STATIC PLAY

 No one will say that agitations be should stopped immediately and every one should be in closed doors. But, the agitations should continue by major sections of people and the think tank in the society should play a strategic and static role in getting our legitimate rights and share in all aspects.

Where is NIT (Regional Engineering College), it is in Warangal. After bifurcation, Andhra students are going to be non-locals in NIT, Warangal. Where is B-School, it is in Hyderabad, if Hyderabad is given to Telangana, our students are going to be non-locals. Like this, we are not having IIT, IISC, Hi-tech City, Metro Rail Project and so many. We are going to loose so many things. 

Already, the parents started sending their lads for Engineering this year to Chennai instead of Hyderabad as the process of EAMCET was not completed and agitations in Andhra had flaring up. Private medical seats are also vacant. 

It is the time now for our Central ministers, MPs to give pressure on CWC, Cabinet, PM, Ministerial Committee headed by Mr. AK Antony to give major share in every aspect. As told by Amalapuram MP Harsha Kumar, Telangana is not divided, "Andhra is separated".

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