The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Tribute to Gandhians

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Tribute to Gandhians

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, FEB. 22. They were perhaps some of their best moments in the refreshing company of their `Didi'. They were nearly 30 in number representing different States of the country but assembled here for a common cause -- to felicitate Gandhians and social reformers who strove for removal of untouchability during the freedom movement. Clad in white kurtas and dhotis and women in white cotton saris, they gazed in awe as their `Didi' addressed them on Tuesday.Over 40 delegates representing State units of the Harijan Sevak Sangh have descended on the city to participate in the 135th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, being celebrated in a big way by the Andhra Pradesh chapter of the Sangh this year.

Their `Didi', Nirmala Deshpande, the all-India president of the Sangh will preside over the function scheduled for Wednesday. The Andhra Pradesh Governor, Sushil Kumar Shinde, would honour freedom fighters for their contribution in controlling caste discrimination.

Delegates feted

The president of the Andhra Pradesh unit of the Sangh, Chennupati Vidya, organised a felicitation for the delegates at the conference hall of Vasavya Mahila Mandali. The delegates were presented Kalamkari shawls designed by girls and women of the mandali and a citation.

Tomorrow's felicitation will be held at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram, at 10 a.m. The Ministers for Municipal Administration and Higher Education, Koneru Ranga Rao and Pinnamaneni Venkateswara Rao respectively, the Vijayawada MP, Lagadapati Rajagopal, the Krishna district Collector, K. Prabhakara Reddy, the Mayor of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, P. Anuradha, the Krishna Zilla Parishad Chairperson, N. Sudha Rani, Devineni Rajasekhar (Nehru), Shaik Nazar Vali, Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, Mandali Buddha Prasad and Vanama Venkateswara Rao, MLAs of Kankipadu, Vijayawada West, Vijayawada East, Avanigadda and Kothagudem Assembly constituencies respectively and the Chairman of Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri - Urban Development Authority, Malladi Vishnu, would also grace the occasion.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh