Praja Sankalpa Yatra Day 22 Diary: My Resolve To Serve The People Is Only Getting Stronger

November 30, Billekal, Kurnool District

As I entered Karumanchi village, 75-year-old Golla Nagamma and her family members welcomed me with amazing warmth and affection. Even at this age, Golla Nagamma’s enthusiasm is seen to be believed. She had got a statue of my late father installed on her land. I got the statue unveiled by a young girl from her family. This is the first statue of my late father to be unveiled during this Praja Sankalpa Yatra. At every step, in every moment and in every village, I am able to witness first-hand the great love and amazing adulation that people have for my late father.

When Nagamma’s family was in dire straits, my fathers’ welfare schemes came as a boon and their lives were transformed. As a friend and a benefactor, YSR is firmly planted in their hearts. “For us, YS Rajasekhara Reddy is God. We can never forget his help to extricate our family out of the mire of poverty,” she said. I could feel the emotion in her voice as she spoke about YSR. I was deeply moved and I realized that deifying a political leader is no small thing. Whenever I see people worshipping my father, I am reminded of the fact that people would never forget someone who wipes their tears and helps them tide over crises. Every such experience further reinforces my resolve to wipe the tears of the people.

The girl students of Karumanchi Government High School met me. They do not have toilets and school is an ordeal. The drinking water has insects. The midday meal is no better. Due to the uncontrolled growth of shrubs all around, there are snakes everywhere and they sneak into the classrooms as well. A decrepit wall of a dilapidated classroom caved in recently injuring a girl. The students fear for their life. As a result, the attendance has dropped considerably. The story is the same for the girl students in neighbouring Kairuppala too.

The Government, which mouths lofty slogans of Swachch Andhra Pradesh, is resorting to cheap politics when it comes to sanctioning toilets. There is total apathy even when it comes to constructing toilets in girls’ schools. This is a tragic and inhuman state of affairs! I wonder if we are living in a civilized society. Future generations would never forgive us if we fail to provide even basic amenities to promote the education of the girls from the poor and marginalized sections.

En route, Kuruva Ramanjaneyulu of Vengalayadoddi met me. His 10-year-old son is afflicted with leukemia. He is getting his son treated in neighbouring Chennai as AP does not have the facility to treat the affliction. He has so far spent Rs 3 lakhs. Such exorbitant costs are beyond the means of a poverty-stricken person like him. He finds it unbearable to see his son suffer every day. His plight has further strengthened my resolve to ensure that even cost-intensive treatment is provided under Arogya Sri Scheme to the needy poor!

Finally, here is my question to the chief minister!! You are never tired of posing for Swachch Bharat photo ops. How come you are ignoring the construction of toilets in schools, which is as important as it is a basic component for any cleanliness drive? For whose benefit and profit are the government schools being driven to closure through denial and degradation of amenities? For whose benefit are you tinkering with the education and the future of children from poor economic background?