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Gadicherla Harisarvothama Rao (1883–1960) was one of the top ranking nationalists in the erstwhile Madras Presidency of British India. He was an activisit for independence, a journalist, an orator, a writer, an intellectual and an essayist. He was born on 14September, 1883 in Kurnool. From 1930 until his death on 29 February 1960, in Madras, Harisarvothama Rao was associated with several movements like – Library, Adult Education, Cooperative, Trade Union; Separate Andhra, Development of Rayalaseema etc. He presided over a number of social and political conferences within and outside the Andhra region.

VANDEMATARAM MOVEMENT:Funds for sending students to Japan, 1906:- During the Vandemataram Movement in 1906, Syamji Rama Rao, a student of Bellary was sent to Japan to learn glass and watch making. His expenses were borne by the Madras National Fund and Industrial Association. Subscriptions were also collected in Kurnool to help Rama Rao. In a letter to The Hindu, Harisarvothama Rao mentioned his collections in Vijayawada and other places on behalf of Rama Rao and the small amount which he had been able to send to Rama Rao by Money Order.1 Rajahmundry College incident, 1907:- Harisarvothama Rao was the first student to be rusticated by Mark Hunter, the Principal of the Government Training College, Rajahmundry and this happened at the time of the visit of Bipin Chandra Pal to Rajahmundry. On 26 March 1907, Mark Hunter, the Principal addressed the students of the Training College. Harisarvothama Rao was a teacher-trainee during this period and was not present on that day. On 22 April 1907, Mark Hunter learnt that the students were completely carried away by Bipin Chandra Pal, that they were idolising him and coming once again to college wearing Vandemataram medals. He also learnt that one of the teacher-trainees, Harisarvothama Rao, had presented an address to Pal before he departed from Rajahmundry wherein he reiterated the determination of the students and the people to attain Swaraj through the methods advocated by Bipin Chandra Pal.2 On the evening of 24 April 1907, the Principal passed orders dismissing Harisarvothama Rao from the Training College. The Madras Government in its G.O.No. 385, Education, dated 18 June 1907 not only debarred Harisarvothama Rao from College but also debarred him from employment in any Government or aided school and later on he was debarred from employment in any office under the Government.3 Funds for National College at Machilipatnam:- Harisarvothama Rao after his expulsion from the Training College, Rajahmundry , settled down at Vijayawada and devoted his time in collecting funds for building the National College (Andhra Jateeya Kalasala) at Machilipatnam and in the cause of social reform.4 Editing Swarajya, a Telugu weekly:- It may be recalled here that there was a paper called Swarajya (a Telugu weekly) which ceased publication on 27 January 1908. Harisarvothama Rao revived this weekly on 12 March 1908 to mark the occasion of the release of Bipin Chandra Pal from prison and to spread the new spirit in the Telugu country. The circulation of this paper was only 150 copies. 5           The articles found obnoxious enough to be taken action against were mainly five:- 1.        “Strange Proceedings”, dated 26 March 1908. 2.        “Are we Armed or Disarmed” dated 2 April 1908. 3.        “Disturbance at Calcutta ” dated 14 May 1908 4.        “Failure of Passive Resistance” dated 11 June 1908 5.        “Interview with Mother India : Plan of the Coming Conflict”. dated 11 June 1908. Of these, the fiery articles published on 26 March 1908 and 11 June 1908 formed the ground for the judicial department to prosecute the Swarajya paper.6 Swarajya Sedition case:- Harisarvothama Rao wrote several articles on the revolutionary movements that took place in various parts of Europe. In 1908, Vachinatha Iyer shot at Ash, the District Magistrate of Tirunalveli, in Tamil Nadu, for which Chidambaram Pillai was arrested and was awarded life sentence. The people of Madras were greatly agitated at the arrest of Chidambaram Pillai and to contain the agitation, one Englishman shot dead two Indians. Harisarvothama Rao wrote an editorial under the heading “Vipareetha Buddhi”, condemning the action of the Englishman in his journal Swarajya of 26 March 1908, wherein he said that the cruel English tiger had devoured two Indians. In the editorial, he wrote: Arere! firanghi crura Vyagrama! Nishkaranamuga Neevu Iddaru Hinduvulanu Pottana Pettukontivi gadara !7. The Government treated this editorial as a seditious article and arrested Harisarvothama Rao and the publisher Bodi Narayana Rao on 13 July 1908. The Sessions Judge in Krishna District originally awarded 6 months simple imprisonment for Harisarvothama Rao and 9 months for Bodi Narayana Rao on 9 November 1908. When an appeal was made to the High Court in Madras, the High Court Judge Benson, while confirming 9 months imprisonment for Bodi Narayana Rao, increased the sentence of Harisarvothama Rao from 6 months to 3 years rigorous imprisonment. When serving a jail sentence was not rated as a meritorious political deed, Harisarvothama Rao emerged as the first ever “political prisoner” in Andhra. During the three years in prison, Harisarvothma Rao was treated no different from other hardened criminal convicts. He was forced to wear a loin cloth, eat stale food and weave carpets. 8. ANDHRA TILAK:- Harisarvothama Rao came to be reverentially called as “Andhra Tilak” since he was arrested at Machilipatnam on 13 July 1908 on the same day that Bala Gangadhar Tilak was imprisoned in Poona. 9.           It was said that the British Police, scared as by the doughty character of Rao, kept a 24 hour vigil on his activities after his release from prison and this came in the way of his securing employment. 10 TANGUTURI PRAKASAM’S HESITATION:- The English daily “Swarajya” established by Tanguturi Prakasam in the twenties was keen on hiring the services of Harisarvothama Rao but hesitated on considering the possible conflict that might arise with the authorities, when the newspaper was still in the nascent stage. 11. First Editor of Andhra Patrika (1914–1917):- In 1914, Harisarvothama Rao became the first editor of “Andhra Patrika:, a Telugu daily published from Madras. “Sampadakudu”, the Telugu term for the word “editor” is believed to have been coined and popularised by him. 12 HOME RULE MOVEMENT: The All India Home Rule League was founded in Madras in Gokhale Hall, on 1 September 1916 by Mrs. Annie Besant. For furthering the work, the Andhra Branch of the League was formed with Harisarvothama Rao as its Secretary. 13 Home Rule Pamphlets:- Harisarvothama Rao also issued several pamphlets in Telugu defining “Swaraj” and also translated into Telugu the song of Sarojini Naidu, “Awake Mother” as “Nutana Haindava Matrugeetamu”. Other pamphlets like “Swarajya Paramoddesam” (the ideal of Home Rule), “Swatantra Varadhana Patramu” (Proclamation of Queen Victoria promising equal rights and treatment of Indians). “Swarajya Sabdamu-Bhavamu” (Swaraj the word and the thought) and “Swarajyamu Korutaku Karanamu” (The reason why we want Home Rule). All these pamphlets were priced at three paise each and sold among the people to spread the ideal of the Home Rule. 14. Security from New India – Protest Meetings:- The demand of security from Mrs. Besant, keeper of New India press, by the Presidency Magistrate, Madras, without assigning any reasons, led to a lot of protests both from the public and the press against the action of the Government. As a member of the Madras Branch of the Press Association of India, Harisarvothama Rao, Editor of Andhra Patrika, was one of the five editors who addressed a letter to the Secretary, Press Association of India, Bombay, requesting him to take necessary steps in the matter. The editors criticized the action of the Government as unjustifiable and harmful to the best interests of Indian journalism.15. Warning to Andhra Patrika:- A warning was issued on 3 August 1917 to Harisarvothama Rao, Editor of Andhra Patrika in consequence of the disaffected tone of a number of articles published in the recent issues of that paper. 16. Home Rule Meetings:- In Anantapur, a Home Rule Conference was held in 1917. Harisarvothama Rao, the President of the Conference was escorted in a procession to his temporary residence and also to the meeting place of the conference, accompanied by a band and with Home Rule flags flying. 17.           In August, 1917, the Chittoor District Theosophical Conference was held at Madanapalle. Harisarvothama Rao was one of the speakers. 18. Home Rule League Training Scheme and Propaganda:- Sir Subrahmanya Iyer inaugurated on 18 September 1917, a Home Rule League Training Scheme at Madras. This scheme which was expounded by Harisarvothama Rao contemplates systematic arrangements for the training of young men to be sent out as vernacular preachers of Home Rule propaganda in villages and towns. This agency would probably be utilized for the procuring of signatures to the “monster” petition to the Secretary of State under initiation by M.K. Gandhi, who visited Madras in 1917 in order to enlist local support. The monster petition was sent on 10 November 1917 by Harisarvothama Rao.19.

Funds for National Education Movement:- In March, 1918, Harisarvothama Rao visited Madanapalle and other places in Chittoor District, delivering addresses and endeavouring to collect funds for the National Education Movement. 20. FORFEITING SECURITY DEPOSIT OF THE NATIONALIST:- In 1919, Harisarvothama Rao wrote an editorial entitled, “Cult of the Bullet” in his English weekly, “The Nationalist” dated 13 April (Sunday edition) condemning the Jallianwalabagh tragedy for which his weekly was proscribed by the Government. Rs. 2,000/-, the Security Deposit of the paper was also forfeited under the Indian Press Act of 1910. 21. NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT:- Rayachoti Forest Satyagraha, 1921:- In May 1921, forest stayagraha was carried on in Rayachoti taluk in Cuddapah District. It may be stated here that Mohmmad Hussain and Shafique Rahman Kidwai were the two students of the National University, Aligarh. They were posted in the Andhra Districts by their Principal Maulana Mohammad Ali to work along with the other Andhra leaders. After bidding farewell to Gandhi at Guntakal, the two Aligarh students went to Adoni where they received a wire from Harisarvothama Rao calling them to Cuddpah because three Congres workers had been arrested there. 22.           As a result of the propaganda carried on by Harisarvothama Rao in October, 1921 some Muslim policemen were affected in Kurnool and Cuddapah Districts. One Yakub Hassan was arrested, prosecuted and convicted. 23.           On 10 December 1922, a meeting of the non-cooperators was convened at Tadpatri. Harisarvothama Rao, Editor of the Matruseva took an active part in it. 24. Andhra Swarajya Party, 1923:- An Andhra Branch of the Swarajya Party was formed on 18 April 1923 at Vijayawada and elected V. Ramadas as the President. Harisarvothama Rao also joined the party. 25.           In 1924, the Kurnool Khaddar Board was started under the leadership of Harisarvothama Rao. He also distributed charkas among the poor people in several parts of Rayalaseema. 26. As M.L.C:- In the elections held to the third Madras Legislative Council in November, 1926, Harisarvothama Rao was elected from Kurnool District Non Muhammadan Rural Constituency. In accordance with a resolution of the Lahore Congress of 1929, Harisarvothama Rao resigned his membership of the Legislative Council. 27. ASSOCIATION WITH GANDHIJI:- Gandhi undertook a tour of Rayalaseema during the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921 (28 September – 1 October), All India Khaddar tour of 1929 (14 – 22 May) and All India Harijan tour of 1933–1934 (31 December 1933 – 4 January 1934). In all these meetings, Gandhiji spoke in English and Urdu. His speeches in 1921 and 1929 were translated into Telugu by Harisarvothama Rao. Way back in 1922, Gandhiji called him as “Brave Harisarvothama Rao”. 28. SUMMER SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICS, KALVABUGGA AND HINDUPUR:- A Summer School of Economics and Politics was organized from 20 May to 20 June 1939 at Kalvabugga in Kurnool District. Harisarvothama Rao was its Principal and it had a strength of 64 students. The staff included eminent personalities of the time like Deshapandya Subba Rao, Surampudi Srihari Rao, Vennelakanti Raghavayya, Jonnalagada Ramalingayya, Vidwan Viswam, T. Nagi Reddy, A.B. Hardikar and others. The Communist leaders like Bukhari and Khadelkhar and other leaders like Sami Venkatachalam Setty, Tekuru Subrahmanyam and Maganti Bapineedu visited the School and delivered lectures. Harisarvothama Rao also prepared special lectures on the history of Rayalaseema, famines, Tungabhadra Project, Gandhism etc. and used to deliver lectures in the temple-garden. The students were also taken to the nearby village, Kalva Hussainapuram, where the students were taught about the rural life and village reconstruction. Debates and group discussions formed part of the syllabus. B. Gopala Reddy, the Minister for Local Administration delivered the convocation address on the closing day. Seeing the success of the Kalvabugga School, leaders like N. Sanjeeva Reddy appealed to Harisarvothama Rao to start one such school in Anantapur District. The result was the starting of Summer School of Economics and Politics at Hindupur on 5 May 1939. Harisarvothama Rao, P. Sundarayya and Nyapati Narayana Murthy (the then Editor of Andhra Prabha) trained the student-volunteers of Anantapur District. 29. OTHER PAPERS EDITED BY HARISARVOTHAMA RAO:- (1)  The Nationalist, an English weekly from Madras in 1919; (2)  Soundaryavalli, a Telugu monthly from Madras in 1919 edited by Smt. Ramabai, wife of Harisarvothama Rao; (3)  Matruseva, a Telugu weekly from Tadpatri (and later from Nandyal) in 1922;  Harisarvothama Rao ws paid an honorarium of Rs. 25/- per month. K. Venkata Reddy and S. Konda Reddy were also associated with Matruseva. (4)  Kowmodaki, a Telugu monthly from Nandyal in 1929 in collaboration with Kypa Subrahmanya Sarma: (5)  Madras Grama Panchayat, a Telugu, Tamil &  English journal from Madras in 1930; (6)  The Grandhalaya Sarvaswamu in 1935; (7)  Andhra Vartha, a Telugu daily from Vijayawada in 1936. (8)  The South Indian Adult Education Review in 1937. 30. CONCLUSION:- Harisarvothama Rao was in active public life for more than five decades (1906–1960) and remained as a Congressman till his death. He was one of the tallest figures in Andhradesha and a towering personality from Rayalaseema. It would be a fitting tribute to this eminent Andhra if his journals are preserved for the posterity and life - size statues are installed at the State Capital as well as at Kurnool. R E F E R E N C E S 1.        Rangaswamy Parthasarathi, A Hundred Years of the Hindu : The Epic Story of Indian Nationalism ( Madras, 1978), P. 181. See also Sarojini Regani, Highlights of the Freedom Movement in Andhra Pradesh ( Hyderabad, 1972). P. Nagabhushanam, (ed) Vandemataram : Sri Gadicherla Centenary Souvenir ( Vijayawada, 1986). 2.        Sarojini Regani, Op.cit. P. 32. 3.        When the first Congress Ministry came to power in Madras in 1937 under the leadership of C. Rajagopalachari, the first act of the government was to issue G.O.MS.No. 2498, Education, dated 25 October 1937 which revoked the debarment on Harisarvothama Rao’s employment. See M. Veerabhadra Rao, Sree Sarvothama Jeevitham ( Vijayawada, 1965) P. 22. 4.        Sarojini Regani, Op.cit., P. 38. 5.        V. Sankaran Nair, Swadeshi Movement : The Beginnings of Student Unrest in South India ( Delhi, 1985) pp. 92–94. 6.        Ibid., 7.        Sarojini Regani, Op.cit., P. 38. However, M. Veerabhadra Rao says that three Indians were killed by an Englishman. For details, see M. Veerabhadra Rao, Op.cit., pp. 26–27 8.        Journalism in Andhra Pradesh : A Biref Survey published by Hyderabad Union of Journalists ( Hyderabad, 1987), pp. 136–137. 9.        Ibid., 10.      Ibid., 11.      Ibid., 12.      M. Veerabhadra Rao,Op. Cit., P. 121. 13.      Annie Besant, National Home Rule League – Why founded and How ( Madras, 1919) P.1; Also see Organisation of the Home Rule League ( Madras , 1916) P. 1. 14.      Extracts from G.O’s relating to the Home Rule Movement G.O. No. 1021, Public (General) Department, dated 11 August 1917. 15.      Selected extracts from confidential records on Home Rule Movement Bundle No. 4, Volume No. 64, 1914–1920; Extracts from New India, dated 6 August 1917, pp. 97–98. 16.      Fortnightly Letters, Public (General) Department, D.O. Letter No. 3250-W-1 dated 17 August 1917, Pp. 138 – 139, paras 8,9 and 13. 17.      Fortnightly Letters, Judicial Department, D.O. Letter No. 3768-W-1 dated 5 October 1917, P.1. 18.      Fortnightly Letters, Public (General) Department, D.O. Letter No. 3415-W-1 dated 1 September 1917, P.2. 19.      Fortnightly Letters, Judicial Department, D.O. Letter No. 3768-W-1 dated 5 October 1917, P.3. 20.      Fortnightly Letters to the  Government of India, Public (General) Department  D.O.No. 887-W-1 (confidential) dated 20 March. 1918. Vol. IV. P. 25. 21.      Sarojini Regani, Op.cit. 65. 22.      Extracts from G.O.’s Judicial Department (confidential) G.O. No. 121, dated 28 January 1922. 23.      History of the Non. Cooperation and Khilafat Movement in the Madras Presidency, Vol. 84, Pp. 1-43. 24.      Under Secretary’s Safe Secret file No. 407, 6 May 1923. Pp. 46-47. 25.      M. Ananthasayanam Iyengar, “ Freedom Struggle in Chittoor District” Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad, November, 1977) pp. 62–68. 26.      M. Veerbhadra Rao, Op. Cit. P. 46 27.      Sri Sadhana, Anantapur, 20 November 1926, Pp. 1 and 8 edited by Pappur Ramacharlu. 28.      C.B. Dalal (Comp.) Gandhi (1915–1948) : A Detailed Chronology (New Delhi, 1971), P.42; Also see K. Anjaneyulu (ed), Andhra Pradeshlo Gandhiji (Hyderbad, 1978) 29.      M. Veerbhadra Rao, Op. Cit. Pp. 157 – 161. 30.      K. Maddaiah, Freedom Movement in Rayalaseeema : A Study of Peoples’ Response to the Major Phases of National Movement, 1905–1947 (Appendix-B-List of Newspapers/Journals published in Rayalaseema during 1835–1947), Pp. VII – XVI unpublished Ph.D., dissertation submitted to the University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad , 1995.

Jai Hind, K C Kalkura B.A, B.L Advocate President: Gadicharla Foundation D No: 65/64, Old Post Office Road, KURNOOL – 518001 (A.P) 08518-245018, 240171 Cell: +91 - 94402 92979

THE HINDU Wednesday June 14, 1995 Reader's Mail Of Leaders and Statues Sri- Iam in agreement with Mr.M.A. Gafoor, M.LA, Kurnool, that it is not a good practice to install the statue of a living person and hence it (installation of the statue of Mr.N.T.Rama Rao at the tri-junction before the collectorate, Kurnool ) had to be opposed (The Hindu, 23-5-95) However, in the past, with little opposition, statues of legendary leaders were installed in various towns and cities. If at all somebody’s statues are to be installed in Kurnool, they are of Prakasam Pantulu and Gadicherla Harisarvottama Rao. I am not undermining the qualities of Damodaram Sanjeevaiah. There is a statue of the late Sanjeevaiah. There is a status of the late Sanjeevaiah in front of the District Congress Committee, Kurnool. This was the nerve center of Kurnool. Prakasam and Gadicherla were Andhra Kesari and Andhra Tilak respectively. Prakasam was born in abject poverty. By hard work, patience and perseverance, he became rich by honest means and sacrificed the last pie for the cause of the nation. Mostly through Swarajya, the paper he ran, and died a penyless hero. Many leaders of the national movement accepted the leadership of Tilak. So also people in all spheres of public life reverentially acknowledge Gadicherla as their guru. After incurring the wrath of the people of Vijayawada and Guntur, Prakasam opted for Kurnool as the temporary capital of the first linguistic State in the country. Andhra. When his statue was demolished in Vijayawada his reaction was “they installed it. I did not ask for demolition. That is their funeral.” The same people re-erected his statue within 13 months of his rule. Prakasam rebuilt the totally washed away Krishna barrage and renamed it after him. He insisted that Kurnool should be the capital of Andhra because Hyderabad is nearer to Kurnool and Hyderabad which had infrastructure would become the capital of Vishalandra. Thus resources saved from building a capital could be usefully utilized developmental activities. He ordered that the Secretariat building in Kurnool be constructed to suit the future needs of a medical college. So we have Kurnool Medical College. The tri-Junction wherein the Kurnool Municipal Corporation has proposed to install the statue of Prakasam is opposite the Government General Hospital and Medical College. So this is the most suitable place to install the statue of Andhra Kesari. There is no memorial to Prakasam in Kurnool except one colony, Prakasam Nagar. I wish the Medical College and the General Hospital are named after this greater patriot. Coming to Gadicherla, the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha, Kurnool and the Andhra Pradesh Gradhalaya Parishad have unanimously passed a resolution to name the District Central Library, Kurnool. As Sri Gadicherla Hari Sarvottama Rao Bhavanam. Government order is awaited. Gadicherla was a social reformer, leader of the depressed classes pioneer of the freedom, Library, adult education, co-operative and various other political, social and cultural movements. He was the first Congress legislator from Kurnool District in 1925. It would be appropriate to have his statue at the Srinivasa Nagar, Nagalakunta cross road at Nandyal. Mr. Rama Rao had taken an initative in his previous term to install the statue of Prakasam in New Delhi, the only statue of an Andhra. I hope now he will take the lead to install the statue of Prakasam at Kurnool and Mr.P.V.Narasimha Rao, who represents Nandyal. = = = = K.C.Kalkura, Kurnool. THE HINDU Wednesday, March 27, 1996 Reader's Mail Honour Gadicherla Sir-Many stamps and cancellations were issued by the Postal Department in honour of the great Telugus or those who served the cause of the Andhra Desam or to commemorate some landmarks. One prominent person who has been denied this rare honour, but richly deserves it, is Gadicherla Hari Sarvothama Rao. Mr. Justice D.J. Jagannatha Raju, the Lok Ayuktha, says of him : "A doyen of the library movement, Gadicherla was, in some respects more prominent than even Prakasam. But unfortunately, he was sidelined in the later part of his life and nobody seems to think of this great son of Andhra". The second Andhra to get a post-graduate degree Gadicherla influenced every sphere of activity on Andhra Pradesh during the first half of thi 20th century-political, social, cultural literature, economic, Khadi movement, Andhra movement, adult education, etc. It was he who renamed the ceded districts as Rayalaseema. He was the grand old man of Telugu journalism, a crusader for the uplift of the downtrodden. A postal stamp must be issued on anyone of the days associated with his life, which have proved to be landmarks in the history of the State. He was born on September 14, 1882, he was arrested for participating in the Vande Mataram Movement. At the fifteenth session of the Andhra Mahasabha held at Nandyal in November 1928, under the president ship of Dr. S.Radhakrishnan, he moved the resolution to rename the Ceded districts ( Bellary, Anantapur, Kadapa and Kurnool-Back) as Rayalaseema after the great Rayas of Vijayanagar empire. The Resolution was carried out unanimously. He was a signatory, representing the interests of Rayalaseema, to the much talked about and the famous Sree Baugh Pact which was entered in to on November 16, 1937 at the residence of Desodharaka Nagewara Rao Panthulu at Madras. The foundation stone for the first monument, Hari Sarvothama Bhavanam in Vijayawada, was laid on March 23, 1948 and was inaugurated on June 1, 1949. On September 25, 1992 the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha, Kurnool, named its building and the District Central Library after him as Gadicherla Hari Sarvothama Rao Bhavanam. Kurnool district was the Center of his political activities and he spent his last days in Vijayawada. Hence the postal region of Kurnool or Vijaywada should take the initiative to issue a stamp in memory of Brave Hari Sarvothama Rao, As Gandhi Called him. K.C. Kalkura, Kurnool. THE HINDU Wednesday May 22, 1996 Reader's Mail Working of Democracy Sir- The Reporter’s Diary (The Hindu dt. 13-5-96) carrying the surprises news of Mr. Jain receiving a response to his letter to the Prime Minister of England speakes volumes of the functioning of democracy in England which is hailed as the Mother of modern democracy. Your reporter has posed a pertinent point. If such a letter were to be sent to the Prime Minister  of India bureaucrats would have thrown it into the dustbin, perhaps dismissing it as a mad Chap’s query. I swear that it is truth but truth and truth alone. I have addressed several letters to the Prime Minister and the Officer on Special Duty(OSD) ( by name cover) several letters seeking his intervention to improve the Public Library system in his constituency by making use of the funds available with the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation.(RRMRLF) and agency under the Human resources Development Ministry (HRD). I suggested to construct a memorial at Nandyal, the headquarters, town of the Prime Minister’s constituency, for Kavisamrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana during his centenary celebrations. I also requested the Prime Minister of India to erect a fitting memorial to the first political prisoner of Andhra Desam, Gadicherla Harisarvotham Rao, whose headquarters was Nandyal and from where he was elected a member of the Madras Legislative Council in 1925 on the Indian National Congress ticket. The records of the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha, a statutory body, bear testimony to the correspondence. Primarily being a scholar, I had hoped that the Prime Minister would use his good office with the state government to reopen the closed branch libraries in his constituency. I also wrote Mr. P.V.Narasimha Rao to if necessary pressurize the A.P. Government to name the Kurnool Medical college after Andhra Kesari. I urged him to allot Rs.50,000 to each of the seven Assembly segments, to improve repair and reconstruct the old library buildings, particularly the one at Athmakur building which is of Victorian Architecture. The list does not end here. I quite understand that the Prime Minister of the country has many national and international matters to look into. But the people of Nandyal had no other representative in Parliament to take care of their interest. Even the OSD specially appointed to assess the interest of the Nandyal Prliamentary constituency was not keeping good relations with people’s representatives and the heads of statutory bodies. When Pandit Nehru was the Prime Minister of India the PMO used to acknowledge every letter and forward it to the appropriate agencies for suitable action. Slowly, it deteriorated. Hope the PMO will regain the lost glory of the post independent era. K.C. Kalkura, Kurnool. THE HINDU Wednesday June 18, 1997 Reader's Mail Remembering the past Sir-The convening of meeting of the people, including freedom fighters by the Chief Minister, Mr.N. Chandrababu Naidu to chalk out a programme for Golden Jubilee celebrations of Indian Independence and constitution of a cell to recollect the past the to be remembered by us is commendable. So, the essence of the program is to recollect the saga of sacrifice of the leaders of the freedom struggle and make them known to the present and future generations. There are certain methods by which the goal can be achieved without incurring any expenditure. Releasing stamps and naming public institutions and organization such as schools, colleges, hospitals libraries, roads, bridges, dams in the name of the heroes of the National Movement among such measures. Exercise should start right earnest. The success is no so difficult. The freedom fighters may be requested to suggest the names of those who deserve memorials. The Postal Department may be requested to release the stamps and the State Government to issue as so to name the institutions after the person. Mr.Naidu deserves to be congratulated for naming Srisailam Dam after Sanjeeva Reddya and the Telugu University ; after Potti Sreeramulu, there is no memorial to Andhra Tilak Gadicherla Hari Sarvothama Rao, the First Sathyagrahi of Andhra under the Vande Mataram movement nor a stamp has been issued in his honor till now? The Kurnool Medical College should be named after Prakasam Panthulu who with foresight selected Kurnool as the Capital for Andhra State and as Chief Minister, built the Secretariat building within 13 months, to suit the future needs and the Medical College. Andhra Bank should be a memorial to the founder-patriot, Pattabhi Seetharamaiah. K.C. Kalkura, Kurnool. THE HINDU Wednesday February 11, 1998 Reader's Mail Thirst for knowledge Sir-apropos ‘District notes’ (The Hindu dt. Jan8, 1998) Mr.R.K. Lakshman Cartoonist, gave a vivid description of the academic atmosphere that prevailed on Mysore which he said, helped him and his brother Mr.R.K.Narayan, rise to great heights. Sir C.R.Reddy called Bezwada (as Vijayawada was then known) Blazewada on account of the extreme heatwave conditions in summer and an intellectual Sahara. For ages Rajahmundry has been the cultural and literary capital of Andhra. However, during the last one century Vijayawada has contributed its mite too. It became the hub of political activities during the Nationalist movement. Great patriots and intellectual giants flourished there; to name a few Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana, Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao, Bhogaraju Pattabhi Seetharamayya (though he directed his activities.from Machilipatnam ) Andhra Tilak Gadicherla spent his last days in Patamatam at Vijayawada. Even in other places many Andhras, without formal education, won rare distinctions. All due to insatiable thirst for knowledge and wisdom. Gadilyaram Venkata Sesha Sastry of Siva Bharatham fame, Gadiyaram Ramakrishna Sharma of Alampur, Saraswathi Puthra Puttaparthi Narayanacharyulu of Shiva Thandavam are a few examples. Puttaparthi had to take his Vidwan examination of the Madras University on his own writing “Penugonda Lakshmi”, and won many awards. But the prestigious Gnana Peeta Award, eluded him. In the Literary circles two Gadiyarams were known as Pedda Gadiyaram and Chinna Gadiyaram, Venkata Sesha Sasthry and Ramakrishna Sharma respectively. Venkata Sesha Sasthry was nominated member of the Legislative Council and got the Kendra Sahitya Akademi award. He was a farmer at Proddutur. Gadiyaram Ramakrshan Sarma got the Kendra Sahitya Academy posthumously in 2007. He was given the Gadicharla Award in 202 at Chennai. In olden days our teachers used to enlighten students with knowledge out side the syllabus and encourage extra curricular activities. There are any number of teachers unions now. Have they ever attempted a symposium or seminar or workshop on the syllabus and other related academic activities. ‘A mediocre teacher tells; an ordinary teacher teaches; a good teacher explains; and a great teacher inspires.’ K.C. Kalkura, Kurnool. THE HINDU Saturday August 15, 1998 Gadicherla: An Illustrious son of Kurnool Born on 14th Sept.1883, at Kurnool. Gadicherla Hari Sarvothama Rao was one of the proudest products of the century old municipal high School, Kurnool. Gadicherla was the second Andhra to get a post-graduate degree from the Madras University (Under a scholarship instituted for the backward, Ceded Districts- Rayalaseema) the first political prisoner from Andhra (Vandematharam Movemnt 1907) the first person in the Madras State to be barred from Government service the first journalist in the country to be sentenced and imprisoned for seditious writing in the Swarjya journal published from Vijayawada(1908) one among the first to start journals to rouse Nationalism (Kowmodaki from Nandyal, Aindravathi from Pattikonda) the first to translate the word, ‘Editor’ as “Samadaka”, the first Congress MLC from Kurnool District, 1925 Madras Legislative Council) the first politician to struggle for the improvement of K.C. Canal, the first litterateur to dispel the doubts about the authorship of ‘Amukthamalyadha’ by Sri Krishna Devaraya; a good critic of Telugu literature, who named called Romantic Poetry; Bhava Kavitvam; the only Legislator in the Madras Legislative Council to urge for a road from Dornal to Srisailam and also responsible for laying it : rarest among the rare candidates in the election to earn encomiums from the rival (Cumbham Sharabha Reddy-1925) President of the Andhra Grandhalaya Association for a long time, one who initiated the Library Movement in Andhra ; Vice-president of the Indian Library Association; first Director of Adult Education in the Madras Presidency. A ceaseless agitator, he spent his last days in creative, formative and constructive activities;  in as many movements as those forming part of the National Movement Co-operation, Literacy, Khadi, Library, Gram Swaraj, Welfare of Harijan, Tribals and Women, etc., a signatory to the Sri Baugh Pact (the Magna Carta for the development of Rayalaseema) one among the few who were responsible to change the name of Ceded Districts as Rayalaseema. Many more epithets can be inscribed on the graveyard and the cemetery of this most illustrious son of Kurnool, who breathed his last on February 19, 1960 at Madras. K.C.Kalkura, Kurnool THE HINDU Monday September 11, 2000 Reader's Mail Preventing Floods Sir-Everytime, the Musi overflows in Hyderabad and the Kurnool inundates Nandyal Town, it is termed natural calamity and nature’s fury. Man’s share in it is hypocritically shelved. Half the Musi bed is encroached and pucca houses are constructed. Roads are widened to meet the demands of the increased traffic. Neither new drainage pipes are constructed nor the existing ones strengthened. Leaders like Gadicherla Hari Sarvothama Rao conceived and raised the Galeru-Nagari and Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi and Varadaraja Swamy projects during pre-independence days. These projects are intended to carry the surplus flood waters of the Nallamala hill range and also meet the needs of drinking water of Rayalaseema. But plans and designs of these projects are gathering dust. Is this not a human failure? K.C.Kalkura, Kurnool