The perception that the Kamma community is conscious only of its own welfare and not that of the Telugu people as a whole has been reinforced beyond doubt.
How else can one explain the statue of NTR that was specially put up at the Rajahmundry bathing ghat for the Pushkaralu?
The statue shows NTR in an attire of Lord Krishna, a role that made him popular in movies.
At a sacred place like the Godavari, what one needs is a statue of a person or someone that is a real source of pride to the Telugu people cutting across caste and regional barriers.
NTR by no means is a symbolic of the Telugu people no is he acceptable to all the sections of people or communities. NTR is a god only to the particular communicty, not the Telugu people as a whole.
He made the Kammas rich beyond their wildest dreams and gave them political power. But what did he do for the other communities? Zilch! Nothing!
He is a successful politician but by no means merits a statue at Godavari bathing ghats on such an auspicious occasion.
The best statue would have been that of ‘Telugu Thalli’. There can be no better choice than this. But if there has to be a statue of a person then are we so bereft of legendary personalities that a statue of NTR had to be put up?
As many as four writ petitions were filed against NTR by Vizag strongman Dronamraju Satyanarayana for dereliction of constitutional duty, and violation of various laws-including those relating to foreign exchange violation, income tax, wealth tax and anti-corruption.
‘India Today’ reported in 1987 that NTR and his family were indulging in corruption on an unprecedented scale and had few convincing answers to the allegations against them. And he was no Gandhi either!
He was accused of orchestrating the murder of Vangaveeti Mohan Ranga Rao, the Vijayawada legislator through Devineni Rajsekhar (Nehru) apart from breeding and supporting factionists like Paritala Ravi.
He also indulged in politics of vendetta, especially against the Brahmins by removing the posts of village Karanams and temple priests, the lifeblood of the community.
Pingali Dasarath Ram, a journalist who exposed the misdeeds of NTR was stabbed to death in Vijayawada. He was the grandson of Pingali Venkayya, who designed the National Flag of India.
And is this the guy whose life we celebrate by setting up statues of him at the Pushkaralu? Why not Potti Sriramulu, who gave his life for a separate Telugu state?
Who better than Alluri Seetharama Raju, the lion that fought against the British and even died for the cause of the poor? How about Sri Krishna deva Raya, Gautamiputra Satkarni, Tyagaraja, Annamayya, Bhakta Potana, Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, Kaneganti Hanumanthu, Kondra Pydithalli Naidu?
The list is endless and it shows that there are great personalities from each and every community of Andhra Pradesh, personalities that enriched the Telugus as a whole, whose identity was that of a Telugu and not that of their caste. And the TDP cannot think beyond NTR? Shame on them!
Kiran Sharma
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are the author's and not of greatandhra.com.
