Historic building at Tanuku on the brink

Historic building at Tanuku on the brink:

• B.V.S. BHASKAR

• Greats such as Gandhi and Kanchi Paramacharya had stayed there for a while

  

  Symbol of neglect:A view of the building that was constructed by Yerramilli Ramanatham. —Photo: B.V.S. Bhaskar
  : Sri Yerramilli Ramanatham building, which had virtually become a second home for freedom fighters during the struggle for independence, is on the verge of collapse. The building has become an outlet for drainage water of an adjacent building housing a bank. With people relieving themselves, it presents a revolting sight.

  Yerrammili Ramanatham, a follower of the Mahatma, had constructed the building with the intention of providing free meal to freedom fighters. When Gandhiji visited Tanuku on April 27, 1929, during a campaign to boycott foreign clothes and wear khadi ones only, Ramanatham urged him to stay in the building to which the latter readily agreed. During his visit, Gandhiji formally launched the common meal initiative. “The Mahatma again visited the building on December 26, 1933, and asked us to launch the Harijan movement,” said Konda Venkatappaiah, also a freedom fighter, in one of his books. Ramanatham, who was given the title of “karmayogi,” got an opportunity to provide accommodation to the Kanchi Paramacharya in 1938. The seer stayed for three days in the building with his entire “parivaram” and other paraphernalia, a devotee said.

  Freedom fighters from the Godavari districts and north Andhra, including Konda Venkatappaiah, Mangipudi Purushothama Sarma, Mudiganti Jagganna Sastry, Bandha Viyyanna, and Sanivarapu Subbarao, would regularly meet in the building and discuss strategies.

  But unfortunately, after the country gained Independence, the sacrifices made by Ramanatham and his family were forgotten.

  “Ramanatham’s son Narasimha Rao, a Sarvodaya worker, was asked to write a book on Alluri Seetharama Raju’s life and his wife Parameswari also undertook some research,” said Vadrevu Sundarrao, a lecturer at the SCIM Government Degree College here.

  He said it was unfortunate that successive governments had neglected such a great building.

Ghanapatis’ children in search of their roots

Ghanapatis’ children in search of their roots:

• B.V.S. BHASKAR

• Delta areas in East and West Godavari districts known for the rich Vedic tradition

  

  A view of Agraharam at Peruru in Amalapuram rural mandal.
  “Kramapati”, “Ghanapati”, “Somayaji” and “Vajapayee” are some of the highest degrees in Vedic education and those who have achieved them will be honoured by adding the tag to their name. Delta areas in East and West Godavari districts are not only popular for paddy production, but also for the rich Vedic tradition for more than 500 years.

  The Vedic scholars settled down mostly in Agraharams (specially designed lanes) like Peruru in Amalapuram rural mandal, Nandampudi, Vyaghreswaram, Vakkalanka, Gangalakurru and Tondavaram villages in Ambajipeta mandal of Konaseema region in East Godavari and the most popular village Iragavaram in West Godavari. Ganti Lakshmana Somayajulu, Ganti Purushothama Somayajulu, Nemani Somasekhara Avadhanulu and Nemani Jwala Narasimha Avadhanulu are popular in Peruru and Amabjipeta mandals.

  According to Nemani Sriramachandra Murthy, Head of HDFC Bank, Raichur, many of their families have settled in Nagpur, Mumbai and Chennai about two generations ago for livelihood, particularly in Railways, though they had learnt conducting Yagnas and Homams and were well-versed in Vedic sastras.

  This happened in the 1950s and then in my generation youngsters started going to Bengaluru and Chennai for software jobs as Vedic rituals would not earn bread and butter, he added.

  “But, there was a sea change since the last one decade as the youngsters started looking back to their roots. They are coming to Agraharams. Every year during the summer they are coming with families and spending almost a month here to learn daily rituals like ‘Sandhya Vandanam’ from their grandfathers,” Mr. Murthy added. Pidaparthi Sivarama Sarma of Sri Dattatreya Veda Vidya Gurukulam, Rajamahendravaram, said though the youth were getting attracted to Vedic culture and learning rituals, many scholars were not encouraging them to enter their own profession or learn the Vedas.

  Dr. Gullapalli Dattatreya Ghanapati, who had done research in Vedic literature and head of the Gurukulam, said once the number of institutions went up, the next generations would automatically carry the torch of the Vedas to the masses.

  Like Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi, the young generation of the Agraharams wants to preserve the Vedic culture in these districts, says Nukala Bapanna Somayajulu.

  Maha Mahopadhyaya and Vedic adviser to Sringeri Peetam Sri Sri Viswanatha Gopalakrishna said the East and West Godavari districts were the only places which would continue to produce hundreds and thousands of Vedic scholars.

‘Koya’ youth climbs Everest, creates record

‘Koya’ youth climbs Everest, creates record

• B.V.S. BHASKAR

• He is the first from the State to achieve the feat after bifurcation

  

  Summit of achievement:Doodi Bhadraiah was part of Transcend Adventures International Mount Everest, Hyderabad. —PHoto: By Arrangement
  Doodi Bhadraiah, a tribal youth, has created a record of sorts by climbing world’s highest mount — the Everest — on Friday, and he is first tribal lad from Andhra Pradesh to achieve the feat — after bifurcation.

  He is part of the Transcend Adventures International Mount Everest, Hyderabad, a professional unit led by Arjun awardee Sekhar Babu Bachinepally. This year, Mr. Babu took eight others along with Bhadraiah to the expedition. The ‘Koya’ lad is from of Kothapalli village in Chinturu mandal, which was merged into East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh from Khammam district in Telangana.

  His arduous journey started on April 8. After reaching Kathmandu (Nepal), he completed documentation work and flew to Lhasa with his team. He stayed for three days there to get acclimatised to the weather.

  The team started climbing Mt. Everest from April 20 and reached the North Base camp (5,200m height) and later reached 8,300m on May 19 to set up a summit camp.

  “It was so exiting leaving the Summit Camp — world’s highest elevated camp — around 9 p.m. on Thursday night. I climbed for entire night to reach the 8,848m mark on Friday morning along with my team. It is my life’s goal to climb the Everest. I have achieved it,” said Bhadraiah who called Integrated Tribal Development Agency Project Officer KVN Chakradharababu over satellite phone from the base camp, who incidentally supported him financially for this adventurous trip.

  The road to become part of team was not easy for Bhadraiah. Last year, he visited the rock-climbing school at Bhuvanagiri in Nalgonda district and met the coach Mr. Sekhar Babu who responded favourably to his plea to admit him in the team.

  After a training session at Bhuvanagiri Fort, Mr. Bhadraiah emerged as one of the two persons selected for the expedition.

  After completing an industrial training programme from Kothagudem College, he worked for the Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation plant near Mothugudem on contract basis. “My parents are farm labourers,” he said.
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Water pollution a perennial problem in Konaseema region

Water pollution a perennial problem in Konaseema region

• B.V.S. BHASKAR

• Drains are connected to main canal in Kothapeta, Ravulapalem, and Amalapuram

  

  The Central Delta canal near Tatipaka in Konaseema region where water gets polluted.
  Water from a septic tank is being let out into irrigation canal and the same is being supplied as drinking water after a little treatment. If a farmer needs water for his field, the nearby canal is filled with drain water. It may sound strange. But, it’s true and the practice has been going on for the last two decades in the Konaseema region with or without the knowledge of the public.

  Though the officials are aware of it, they express their inability to address the issue.

  The water pollution is a perennial problem in Konaseema and now it has assumed alarming proportions. As a result, people of this fertile region are made to drink polluted water. Lack of awareness among farmers, political pressure and negligence on the part of officials have resulted in the situation turning from bad to worse.

  The main source for irrigation in East Godavari district is the Godavari. The canal which flows through Central Delta is known as Amalapuram main canal and it first touches Lolla lakula in Konaseema. The Central Delta canal caters to the irrigation and drinking water needs of 19 mandals of the region. It irrigates 1.80 lakh acres of paddy and one lakh acres of crops, including coconut. The canal water is used for drinking purpose after being treated. But at Kothapeta, Ravulapalem, and Amalapuram the major drains are connected to Central Delta main canal.

  In Amalapuram, hospital waste, water from restaurants, hotels and households are let out in huge quantities into the main canal.

  Important drains in Gandhinagar, Vittanalavaripalem, Abbireddyvari Veedhi are being connected to the main canal.

  At places there are outlets from municipal dumping yards and burial grounds.

  Dr. Anil, a doctor in Amalapuram, says that water-born diseases are increasing every year due to irrigation canal being polluted as a result of linking it with septic tank water.

  Gopinath, Deputy Engineer of Irrigation Department, says that from 2009 to 2014 the irrigation authorities tried to close drains in consultation with farmers, but in vain.

  Turbidity levels

  Former RDO of Amalapuram P. Sampath Kumar has prepared a report to completely close all the drains that lead to the Central Delta Canal from Lolla Lakula Junction. He has suggested all MPDOs, panchayat officials and village secretaries and municipal officials to check turbidity levels in the water that is being supplied to the public through CPW schemes.

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Women SHG members turn entrepreneurs

Women SHG members turn entrepreneurs:

• B.V.S. BHASKAR

  Chief Minister to launch ‘Swashakthi Note Book Industry’ through Internet today

  

  Scripting success:SHG women at their unit in Amalapuram. —Photo: B.V.S. Bhaskar
  On your next visit to a book store, you may find notebooks with attractive cover page design and titled ‘Amaravati,’ ‘Godavari’, and ‘Konaseema.’

  “What’s so special!” one may wonder.

  They are special in that they are products of an industry established by women self-help groups of East Godavari district.

  The thrift groups, inspired by the Central Government’s ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’ initiative, launched a notebook manufacturing unit— Swashakthi Note Book Industry— which is first of its kind in the State.

  Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will formally inaugurate it through the Internet on Wednesday. He will also interact with the members through the video link.

  The unit is located on the premises of the GMC Balayogi Training and Technology Development Centre (DRDA Training Centre) here.

  The SHG federations —zilla samakhyas, mandal samakhyas, village organisations, and Sand Mining Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies— with profits/earnings from ‘Anna Deevena,’ paddy procurement centres, and sale of sand, mobilised the share capital.

  The group, comprising 14 women and led by N. Durga Devi as managing partner, invested Rs. 94.72 lakh, besides obtaining a bank loan of Rs.1 crore.

  Ms. Durga Devi has invested Rs. 20 lakh as representative from the zilla samakhya (district body of all SHGs). The other members who represent various groups have invested amounts ranging from Rs.1.99 lakh to Rs.10 lakh.

  Working capital

  Out of Rs.1.94 crore thus mobilised, they purchased machinery worth Rs. 89.42 lakh. The balance amount is kept as working capital.

  District Collector H. Arun Kumar has extended all support in the establishment of the industry, and DRDA Project Director S. Mallibabu has been the guiding force, say the members.

  “We are sourcing paper from A.P. Paper Mills, Rajamahendravaram. Till date, we have sourced 80 tonnes of paper. We are manufacturing about 40,000 to 50,000 172-page notebooks and 50,000 to 90,000 84-page notebooks every day,” says Jayakrishna Kakarala, general manager of the unit. Mr. Mallibabu says that all the SHG women in the district have been instructed to promote the sale of the notebooks, both white and ruled.

  “The brand names will help sell the products like hot cakes. We are confident of reaching breakeven in one year,” says G. Varalakshmi, another partner.
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A feather in CRPF’s ‘CAP’ in East Agency

A feather in CRPF’s ‘CAP’ in East Agency

• B.V.S. BHASKAR

• 42nd Battalion with Rajamahendravaram as headquarters tops in conducting welfare activities

  The presence of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) only indicates that there is some major incidence of law and order in the plains or exchange of fire with Maoists or a landmine blast in a deep forest. But, the different battalions of the CRPF in Andhra, Telangana, Odisha and Chattisgarh are being involved not only in area domination to show their power and might to the enemy, but also engaged in service activity under “Civic Action Programme-CAP”.
  The topper in this is the 42 Battalion which has Rajamahendravaram as its headquarters for the last three years. It was formed in 1968.
  Building up trust
  “We are building up trust among the tribal people with our CAP while we go for area domination programme. In the beginning they have hesitated to come nearer to us as they thought we also carry long weapons like Maoists,” said B. Veerraju, Commandant of 42 Battalion which covers Donkarai, Chintapalli, Annavaram, Maredumilli, Y. Ramavaram and G.K. Veedhi (Visakhapatnam district).
  Confidence-building
  Confidence-building among the tribals took between three and five years for the CRPF to achieve in all the places where area domination was carried out continuously. “At first instance the tribal’s feeling was that we are unofficial Maoists and they (naxals) are official Maoists as both are carrying long weapons and conducting operations in their villages,” said Mohan, Second-in-Command.
  Commandant Veerraju said they had bitter experiences with Maoists in the recent past when they distributed food stuff, blankets and medicines in the villages.
  The Maoists came to villages in Chintapalli, G.K. Veedhi and Y. Ramavaram areas and asked the tribals to bring all the stuff provided by the CRPF to one place and burnt them.
  Under CAP, the CRPF had connected pipelines from water sources to villages, including Lankapakalu in G.K. Veedhi, provided computers to schools, individual latrines to some villages and girls toilets in tribal schools.
  Psychological warfare
  Psychological warfare to restore confidence among the tribals and reaching out to areas where civil administration has not are ways of winning the people’s confidence, said Deputy Commandants Sameer Kumar Rao, Anil Kumar and Vikram Singh Thakur who participated in medical, blood donation camps in some areas.
  42nd Battalion with Rajamahendravaram as headquarters tops in conducting
  welfare activities

Nannaya varsity told to focus on employment-oriented courses

Nannaya varsity told to focus on employment-oriented courses

• B.V.S. BHASKAR

• Follow norms to get financial benefits, says UGC coordinator

  Adikavi Nannaya University has been introducing new courses every year to extend its purview in East and West Godavari districts. About 420 undergraduate colleges and PG centres were affiliated from Andhra University about two years ago, but there are two engineering and pharmacy colleges yet to be affiliated.
  Introduction of new courses without proper employment or post-graduation opportunities is inviting a lot of criticism from different quarters.
  “Being a new University it should consolidate in all aspects, particularly in view of the welfare of the student and offer courses which suit the order of the day,” said Principal Secretary of Government, Education, Sumita Dawara. Instead of hurrying to introduce new courses, the people who run the University should concentrate on getting 12B from UGC, she added.
  The University was established in March 2006.
  Director of Admissions, Prof. Matta Reddy, said they were running eight courses in arts, six in sciences on the University campus. Four courses were been added this year in arts and eight in science taking the total number to 26 courses. “We added 12 new courses keeping the market demand in view and assurance from some Executive Council members that they will offer jobs to the students who complete courses like aquaculture,” he added.
  Vedic Studies course
  The new courses introduced included biotechnology, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, polymer sciences, applied mathematics, applied geology, aquaculture, and MBA (Finance). The Vedic Studies course, started with the support of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, is yet to receive any response.
  Some of the courses have the required faculty, facilities like labs, infrastructure and also expertise.
  “Each department requires one professor, two assistant professors and four associate professors and some of the universities like Nannaya are not following these norms which UGC requires to issue 12B to get financial benefits,” said Prof. Srinivasa Rao, UGC Coordinator, Andhra University.
  The Nannaya University has introduced B. Tech (Electronics and Instrumentation) this year amid severe criticism as the course was not a success in other universities. “When I was in Osmania University, we suddenly withdrew the course as the student has to do M. Tech compulsorily and if he or she does so, there is no guarantee for job in the market,” said Prof. VSS Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, JNTU-Kakinada.
  Y. Ramakrishna, Additional Secretary, Finance, A.P. Government, and Executive Member of the Nannaya University, said that approval was necessary to recruit even ad hoc faculty or outsourcing staff in the university by the State Finance Department though it is approved by the executive council.
  Responding on behalf of the University, Prof. S. Teki, Head of Academic Affairs, said they were starting from the scratch and hoping for the good in niche marketing than going for mass marketing through M.B.A. Finance course. The Big Data Analysis, which the University is offering, will be useful in the near future and all the courses will create a new job market than traditional courses.
  Vice-Chancellor Prof. M. Mutyala Naidu said they would provide all infrastructure like science bloc, women’s hostel, and software technology park. “But my only concern is that the government has to release Rs. 20 crore that we have spent and Rs. 10 crore it has given to all new universities,” he added.