Goreti Venkanna gets Kaloji award

​Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Friday felicitated noted lyricist and writer Goreti Venkanna for his outstanding contribution to Telangana culture with Kaloji Narayana Rao Puraskar along with Rs 1,01,116 cash prize, citation and a shawl. To mark the 102nd birth anniversary of Kaloji Narayana Rao at Ravindra Bharathi, the government felicitated him.

Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy, Finance Minister Eatala Rajender, Telangana Sanskritika Sarathi cabinet chairman and MLA Rasamayi Balakishan, MLCs K Prabhakar, N Lakshman Rao, P Sudhakar Reddy, Mayor Bonthu Rammohan and others were present.

Speaking on the occasion, the Speaker said Kaloji offered unstinted services to culture by depicting the problems of the society and for the cause of the poor. Narayana Rao’s works used to reflect self-respect and it was apt to give the award to Goreti Venkanna, he noted.

Speaking on the occasion, lyricist Goreti Venkanna thanked the State government and vowed to reflect the voice of the people as was the case with Kaloji Narayana Rao. Venkanna also said Kaloji’s works reflected the voice of the oppressed class in the society and my efforts will continue. When the Ministers insisted, the lyricist attempted a few songs he penned and enthralled the audience.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister (Education) Kadiyam Srihari said Goreti Venkanna deserved Kaloji Award as his songs were well received by not only people of Telangana but all Telugu speaking people. He said Venkanna’s lyrics moved hearts of Telangana people and injected much-needed oxygen to Telangana movement.

Stressing the need to provide Venkanna’s songs to the future generations, the Deputy Chief Minister said an album on the poet’s songs will be taken out. He also said he would request Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to give a doctorate to Venkanna from the Telugu University.

Finance Minister Eatala Rajendar recalled he came to know about late Kaloji Narayana Rao in 1971. The legendary Telangana poet Kaloji yearned for separate Telangana State till his last breath. He also praised Goreti Venkanna saying that his songs on life in Telangana villages will be everlasting.

Home Minister Nayani Narsimha Reddy described Goreti Venkanna’s lyrics as the voice of the people of the State. He recalled that people in the region used to shed tears on hearing his songs. He also recalled that during the Telangana agitation, the activists used to dance in ecstasy on hearing his voice. He felt that the lyrics of Venkanna should be brought into a cassette and distributed among the people of the State. He would take up the issue with the government soon.

Officer on Special Duty Desapathi Srinivas has said Kaloji was not a person… but a power and modern Vemana. Kaloji made his political statement through his poems. His book ‘Naa Godava Maha Kavyam’ mirrors Kaloji’s philosophy, he added.