Preserving the legacy of a veteran freedom fighter

The Vavilala Samsta building that set up by veteran freedom fighter and former MLA Vavilala Gopala Krishnaiah is preserving his legacy in Arundalpet at Guntur.

The then Andhra University vice-chancellor Prof. Bhavaraju Sarveswara Rao, suggested for him to set up a libraryafter which he started working towards it. He actively participated in the Grandhalaya Udyamam Visalandhra movement and collected over 6000 books and set up a library in 1981 which has been useful to scholars from far and wide.

Rare books on irrigation, Economics and World Finance are still available in the library. As many as 74 students who had gotten their PHDs with the help of the books from the library. The official language commission is digitalising the books following instructions from the government.

The aim Vavilala Samsta was to work towards bringing Information Science and rural development together. Vavilala Gopala Krishnaiah worked for rural development and actively took part in the Grandhalaya Movement. The organization began its functions in the temporary premises.

Later, permanent the building was constructed. Vavilala Samsta building was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Kotla Vijayabhakara Reddy in 1994. They set up a Library Science School. The Vavilala Samsta has a proposal to construct an auditorium in the vacant land of the premises for conducting meetings.

Vavilala Samstha joint secretary Mannava Sodekar said, “Vavilala Samsta has a proposal to construct an auditorium in the vacant land of the premises. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu assured the governments financial assistance to construct the auditorium 15-years-ago.

They also applied for Spoken English Training and certification course to the British Council for accreditation. The British Council committee is expecting to visit the Vavilala Samsta during next month. They are also giving scholarships to the meritorious poor students with the co-operation of Taruni (NGO). We have started a skill development centre in the Vaviala Samsta to train the youth to find jobs.

As a chairman of officials language, Vavilala Gopala Krishnaiah took the initiative to set up Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University and Telugu Academy. He took the initiative to introduce Telugu script in the education system because of his love for his mother tongue."

Chairman of Vavilala Samsta, Vavilala Leela Maheswari said, “Vavilala Gopala Krishnaiah worked as a chairman of the state-level implementation committee for total prohibition, before the ban on Indian-made foreign liquor was relaxed in 1997. He participated in all the major movements.

I am requesting for the government to declare his birth day, September 17, as ' Social Responsibility Day'. We have proposals to develop the Vavilala Samsta as well.”