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Tirupati reverberates with 'Jai Rayalaseema' slogans
Rayalaseema Abhivrudhi Sanghala Samanvaya Vedika leaders join hands in support of decentralisation, at a public meeting in Tirupati on Saturday
- Rayalaseema Abhivrudhi Sanghala Samanvaya Vedika holds public meeting on decentralisation
- Speakers insist on need for three capitals
Tirupati: A day after 'Jai Amaravati' slogans echoed in the pilgrim city, it was the turn of 'Jai Rayalaseema' slogans on Saturday at the public meeting on 'decentralisation of development' organised by Rayalaseema Abhivrudhi Sanghala Samanvaya Vedika (RASSV).
To counter the demands of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi for making Amaravati as the only capital of Andhra Pradesh, RASSV held the public meeting after getting the green signal from AP High Court.
The speakers were drawn from various fields supporting the three capitals move of the State Government. They strongly advocated the need for the united fight to protect their right of getting at least a judicial capital in Rayalaseema though the region was entitled to get the state capital itself.
The leaders expressed the idea of going for a padayatra in the State soon with a slogan of opposing Amaravati as the only capital and supporting the three capitals. They want to start relay fasts too in Tirupati to highlight their feelings. The speakers include noted writer and central Sahitya Academy awardee Bandi Narayana Swamy, Rayalaseema workers and farmers association president Ch Chandrasekhar Reddy, Rayalaseema Mahasabha president Santhi Narayana, High Court lawyer Siva Reddy, Kundu Porata Samithi president Venugopal Reddy, students' leader Srikantaiah, North Andhra Journalists' Front president MRN Varma, CPI ML New Democracy district general secretary Harikrishna and others. M Purushotham Reddy, convenor of Rayalaseema Intellectual Forum, presided over the meeting. They strongly supported the three capitals in line with decentralisation of development. "Looking beyond politics, Amaravati region is a well-developed area and it does not even need legislative capital," they said.
If the capital is set up there for the sake of 29 villages, it will be nothing but an insult to the 4.5 crore people of the State. The speakers said that the three capitals move was not new and has been the essence of the Sri Bagh Pact of 1937.
In 1953, the capital was in Kurnool while Guntur had a High Court. The farmers can seek compensation if they lost their lands but demanding capital is not correct, they added.
If the people of Rayalaseema do not fight for their due, it has to forego even the judiciary capital. Rayalaseema was subjected to severe injustice with lack of funds, water and employment. Anantapur had to get AIIMS and Tirupati should have got HCL company which diverted to Amaravati area in the name of state capital.
Interestingly, many people said that Amaravati was an ideal place for a capital.
