Rakhi fest. with a difference

Festival brings unity among Telangana brothers and Seemandhra sisters

Tirupati: The Raksha Bandhan festival brought unity among the employees belonging to the Telangana and Seemandhra regions in Sri Venkateswara Ayurvedic College here on Wednesday. The women employees of this college and APNGO Association tied rakhis to the employees of Ayurvedic College hailing from the Telangana region. As the Samaikyandhra agitations are at its peak in Tirupati, the unexpected honour stunned many.

The APNGOs and employees of this college identified 13 professors and lecturers belonging to the Telangana region and tied rakhis to 11. The Telangana employees stressed about unity among the Telugu speaking people. The Telangana employees strongly felt the unity among the Telugu people irrespective of division of the State.

Dr Venkatasivudu, professor, said that he is from the Telangana region and working in Rayalaseema and cooperation from co-staff of this region is satisfactory. Dr D Bhaskar Rao, another professor, said that irrespective of regional differences, the unity among the Telugu speaking people is most important.

A woman employee of APNGO Association, Sujatha said that they are treating the people from the Telangana region as brothers and sisters and on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan festival they tied rakhis to them.

Agitators staging novel protests

Chittoor: The Student Joint Action Committee took out a massive rally here on Wednesday, while the fast, which was launched by the lawyers, entered the 10th day.

In fact, the functioning of government schools would hit as 18,000 teachers are launching the strike from Thursday onwards. Meanwhile, the RTC buses confined to depots with the employees taking part in the agitation boycotting their duties. The administration too was hit as the employees belonging to commercial tax, transport, electricity and other departments are staging protests.

Women tie rakhis to ‘T’ drivers in Nellore

Nellore: The Samaikyandhra agitation got intensified with people irrespective of caste, creed and religion are joining the movement.

The employees of transport department expressed their solidarity with the striking APNGOs. A massive rally was taken out by the transport staff from the main office of the transport department under the aegis of motor vehicles association. The staff, who took part in the rally, reached the site where the APNGOs are fasting and extended their support here on Wednesday.

Transport department officer Prasad said that if the State is divided the transport department would be hit badly, and they are so many other problems, which would arise thereafter.

The agitation across the district was spreading like a wildfire as not only Political and Students Joint Action Committees but also People’s Associations intensified the stir. The employees launched relay fasts at their respective offices, while the ITI and Polytechnic College lecturers and officials too joined the agitation.

The indefinite fasts launched by YSRCP MLA Prasanna Kumar Reddy in Kovuru and TDP MLA Kurugondla Ramakrishna in Venkatgiri entered the third day on Wednesday. TDP senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy went to Venkatagiri and expressed his solidarity with the fasting MLA. Meanwhile, the YSRCP leaders Students and Employees Joint Action Committees extended their support to Prasanna Kumar Reddy. The women led by Telugu Yuvatha women’s wing president A Vani launched a novel protest by tying rakhis to the drivers and conductors, who had come from the Telangana region, on the occasion of Rakhi Pournami and urged them to support the unified State.

Teachers on strike from today

Kadapa: About 13,000 teachers of both government and private schools in the district are going on strike from the midnight of Wednesday, resulting in the closure of all schools from Thursday.

The roads blocking, rasta rokos, effigies burning, forming human chains are continuing in the district. Several unions extended their support to the indefinite and relay hunger strikes of employees at the Collectorate in Kadapa on Wednesday.

Badwel, Porumamilla, Kamalapuram, Mydukur, Jammalamadugu and other areas are echoed with Samaikyandhra slogans.

Kamalapuram MLA G Veera Siva Reddy criticised UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for dividing the State, which had given the Congress Party more than 30 MPs. Speaking with the media here on Wednesday, the MLA said the Centre will not yield to the Samaikyandhra demand until all the MPs and both Central and State Ministers will resign before August 30 and participate in the agitation.

He further added that they will form a new party and will fight and suggested the people and NGOs to continue their stir till the Centre takes back its decision.