People Remember YSR As His Vision Fades Away

Today is YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s 68th birth anniversary. He was a messiah for the poor, a succor for the downtrodden and a helping hand for the needy.

His life was a saga of concern for the poor. His politics was meant to alleviate their lot. Every position of power he held was an instrument to serve the humanity.

His was a remarkable life well spent in alleviating the lot of the poor, the uncared for and the marginalized. Though he belonged to a particular party, his fan base cut across party lines and his helping hand never differentiated between people. He never believed in my way or highway. He helped all those who came seeking regardless of their party affiliation and political choice.

The 108 service, whose sirens used to be heard everywhere and were just a phone call away to ferry across the patients to hospitals, is in its last gasp. YSR’s dream of making quality and corporate medicare accessible to the poorest of the poor through Arogya Sri, is but a mere shadow of its former self.

The assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund was at an all time high during his regime. He was not one to nitpick and invent ways and means to deny assistance to the needy. His agenda was to see a smiling and a tear-less Andhra Pradesh. That was his agenda. He wanted to see farmer smiling and confident. His was the regime that waived off all crop loans with a sweep of hand, unlike the present dispensation, which talks of phased waiver and acts on zero waiver.

He believed in providing succor, instilling confidence. Hence, he was a true people’s leader, whose memories are inerasable and 100 Chandrababus cannot wipe out those memories that are firmly ensconced in the hearts and minds of the people.

On his birth anniversary, the countless Telugus worldover fondly remember him and pay their debt of gratitude.