The year-long, nation-wide celebrations marking the 125th birth anniversary of revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Sitharama Raju will be kick-started from Bhimavaram on July 4.
Modi’s visit
Being organised as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, an initiative of the Union Government to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of Independence, the celebrations will commence with the unveiling of a 30-foot statue of Sitharama Raju at ASR Nagar in the town by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Kshatriya Seva Samithi (KSS), which is coordinating the arrangements for Mr. Modi’s visit, has identified about 100 statues of the freedom fighter that are in a state of neglect in various tribal hamlets, and sprucing them up. They will be unveiled again to mark the occasion, says KSS president Pericherla Nagaraju.
The KSS has been into many service activities in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana since its inception in 1961, says Mr. Nagaraju.
“After unveiling the statue in Bhimavaram, the Prime Minister will address a public meeting at Chinna Amiram village, in which a host of Ministers and other dignitaries from the State and Central governments will participate,” he says.
“The KSS members have visited about 125 tribal hamlets where Sitharama Raju had stayed and fought against the British,” KSS general secretary Nadimpalli Nani Raju told The Hindu on Saturday.
“Popularly known as ‘Manyam Veerudu’, Alluri Sitharama Raju had motivated the tribal people to fight against the British rulers. He had held sway over the areas such as Chintapalli, Mampa, Krishnadevi Peta, Rajavommangi, Mogallu, and Addateegala in the erstwhile Visakhapatnam, and East and West Godavari districts,” he said.
‘Descendants identified’
“The KSS members have identified nearly 100 statues of the great leader that are lying in a state of neglect. The KSS has also identified the descendants of Sitharama Raju and the adivasis who had fought for tribal rights. They will all be invited to the Prime Minister’s programme on July 4,” Mr. Nani Raju said.
“The KSS will provide jobs and construct houses for the identified family members. A booklet chronicling the life history and freedom struggle of Sitharama Raju will also be released during the celebrations,” Mr. Nagaraju said.
Distribution of scholarship among the poor students, providing employment, women empowerment programmes, pension for widows and other social service activities would be organised during the year-long celebrations, Mr. Nagaraju added.
