An advocate from the Fort City, who has a treasure trove of books — some of them quite rare — has decided to turn his residence into a library in order to help rekindle a love for reading among the younger generations.
S.V.R.M. Raju, who is a former Bar Association president of Vizianagaram, embarked on his journey of collecting books right from the 1970s. He is now the proud owner of many old books such as the ‘Brahma Sutralu’, written by Vavilala Venkata Shiva Avadhanulu in 1916, as well as a book on Sanskrit written in 1871.
“I live on the ground floor and have converted the first floor of my house into a library. Only reading can help pave the way for a civilised society,” said Mr. Raju.
Mr. Raju is a writer himself, and has authored books such as ‘Gaganamlo Naa Tara’, ‘Prakruti Matladithe Vinalanunda’, ‘Ramayanamlo Animutyalu’ and others. He has penned books on freedom fighters Alluri Sitarama Raju, Pasumarti Veerabhadra Swamy, MANSAS founder P.V.G. Raju and others. Mr. Raju started writing books from 1979 onwards when he was a law student.
He has also ensured publication of nearly 200 books by other writers in the last four decades. Booklets on mythology, biographies of great personalities and moral stories are being published and distributed to students on various occasions. “We need to inculcate a love of reading among the students and wean them away from gadgets. I request parents also to read books when they are at home so that children will follow suit,” Mr. Raju told The Hindu.
“I am encouraging budding writers by publishing their books. We are identifying and encouraging young and talented writers so that they will write more books in the future,” Mr. Raju said.
“The rich cultural history of Vizianagaram should be taught to the younger generations. It will be possibly only through the publication of such books,” said Mr. Raju, who is the president of several literary outfits based in Vizianagaram.
Also a legal expert, Mr. Raju’s knowledge of the litigation surrounding the Kotia hamlets along the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) region is now helping the A.P. government fight the cases in court against Odisha.
