In a significant tribute to literary giant Mahakavi Gurajada Apparao, Minister for MSME and NRI Affairs, Kondapalli Srinivas, emphasized the crucial need to incorporate the poet’s life story and profound teachings into school textbooks. This initiative aims to ensure that future generations are intimately familiar with the remarkable contributions of this influential writer. The Minister, accompanied by Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy and Joint Collector Sedhu Madhavan, paid heartfelt tributes at Apparao’s ancestral home on what would have been his 163rd birth anniversary. Their respects extended to a commemorative rally from the historic residence to Gurajada Junction, culminating in the garlanding of the Mahakavi’s statue.
During the commemorative event, Minister Srinivas also revealed that the government is actively considering proposals from various writers and poets to elevate Gurajada Apparao’s birth anniversary to a prestigious State festival, starting from the coming year. Adding to the discourse, Vizianagaram MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu highlighted Apparao’s courageous stance against societal injustices. He specifically cited works like ‘Kanyasulkam,’ a powerful literary piece that boldly confronted the grave issue of child marriages and underscored the plight of young girls.
Further bolstering the movement to honor Apparao’s legacy, representatives from organizations such as Gurajada Samskrutika Samakhya, including M. Venkateswara Rao and Kapuganti Prakash, along with Vizianagaram Powra Vedika president Bhisetti Babji, passionately appealed to the government for the construction of a dedicated auditorium. This proposed cultural hub would be situated strategically adjacent to Gurajada Apparao’s cherished home. Echoing these sentiments, Gurajada Vignan Kendram convener K. Srinivasa Rao, alongside association members G. S. Chalam and V. Yamini, lauded Apparao’s immense contributions, recognizing how he enriched Telugu literature with unparalleled brilliance. The solemn occasion was also graced by Gurajada Apparao’s great-grandson, Venkateswara Prasad, and his wife, G. Indira.