The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Library in dire straits

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Sunday, Dec 09, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Library in dire straits

G. Nagaraja

Photo: M. Anil Kumar

The abandoned library at Dhirusumarru in West Godavari district. —

DHIRUSUMARRU (WEST GODAVARI DIST): This abandoned library named Alluri Rama Raju Smaraka Grameena Grandhayalam, inaugurated here in mid 1940s, serves as a mute witness to the government’s apathy and a classic example of the poor state of libraries.

After passing through a golden age when it was served by selfless volunteers, the library fell on bad days ever since it went into the government’s fold. It all began when the library was taken over by the gram panchayat. Soon, it was turned into a panchayat office.

Later, it went into the control of the Zilla Grandhaya Samstha (ZGS). The takeover by the ZGS helped the library restore its original shape.

It ran for nearly two decades under the management of an attender donning the role of a librarian.

It was back to the square one when the attender left the village on promotion. Now, it remains closed for quite some time for want of personnel.

According to Alluri Venkatanarasimha Raju, one of the promoters of the library movement in the district, the ZGS closed it due to paucity of staff. Mr. Raju said the ZGS closed down half a dozen libraries like the one at this village on the pretext that it did not have powers to appoint personnel to manage them.

History

The library had an illustrious history. Bhagavan Raju, a village elder, founded the library in memory of his father Rama Raju at the instance of Bhupatiraju Somaraju from the neighbouring Kumudavalli, who was known as ‘Grandhalaya Bhishma’.

Somaraju, a staunch follower of Kandukuri Veeresalingam Panthulu, a pioneer of cultural renaissance in the State, was said to have refused to accept an invitation by Bhagavan Raju to dine with the latter on the ground that the village did not have a library.

It was only after establishing the library did Soma Raju honoured the invitation.

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