Amaravati space sought for Prof. Jayashankar memorial

Telangana group writes to Naidu, seeks reciprocity on statues in Telugu States

metro india news I hyderabad

The unveiling of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao's statue in Hyderabad by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy triggered renewed discussions on whether Telangana's iconic personalities are receiving similar recognition in Andhra Pradesh.

Leading the demand, Telangana Young Thinkers Forum Convener Rohith Vakrala has written to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana and AP Capital Region Development Authority officials, urging them to allot land in Amaravati for the installation of a 10-feet statue of Prof. Kothapalli Jayashankar, widely regarded as the chief ideologue of the Telangana movement.

Rohith argues that Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana are home to numerous statues of leaders, artists, intellectuals and public figures from the Andhra region. 

While many of those statues were installed during the era of the united Andhra Pradesh and the same trend is continuing even in the separate state of Telangana, he questions why similar recognition has not been extended to prominent Telangana personalities in the Andhra Pradesh region, earlier also and even in last 10 years.

According to Rohith, the demand goes beyond Prof. Jayashankar alone. He believes that cultural and historical figures from Telangana, including revolutionary balladeer Gaddar, tribal freedom fighter Komaram Bheem and renowned Telugu poet Bammera Pothana, deserve recognition in Andhra Pradesh. He contends that if Andhra icons are celebrated in Telangana, Telangana's heroes should also find a place in the public spaces of Andhra Pradesh.

The forum has also raised questions about the absence of statues of Telangana leaders who played significant roles in united Andhra Pradesh. Rohith pointed out that former Chief Minister Marri Chenna Reddy, who hailed from Telangana and served the undivided state, has not received similar recognition in Andhra Pradesh. He further noted that several Andhra Pradesh Chief Ministers, from Neelam Sanjiva Reddy to Konijeti Rosaiah, are commemorated in Telangana, while Telangana leaders have not been accorded the same treatment across the border.

The representation also highlights former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, describing him as a son of Telangana whose contributions to the nation deserve greater recognition in Andhra Pradesh.

In his letter, Rohith said the installation of Prof. Jayashankar's statue in Amaravati would symbolize friendship, mutual respect and enduring cultural ties between the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He described the proposal as an opportunity for both Telugu states to demonstrate maturity, reciprocity and respect for each other's historical figures while strengthening inter state goodwill.