Anantapur: Gurram Joshuva birth anniversary celebrated

Anantapur: The 125th birth anniversary of legendary social poet Gurram Joshuva was celebrated here on Friday by several people's organisations.

Addressing a meeting after garlanding the portrait of Gurram Joshua, MRPS state secretary and VCK party state secretary Eggadi Mallaiah pointed out that the works of great poet highlighted the atrocities perpetuated by the upper caste people on the Dalit community.

The subject of his poetry was humanity and rationalism, he pointed out. He likened himself to Karna of Mahabharat mythology. Karna was not allowed to participate in a competition along with the ruling class because he was a commoner. Similarly, Joshuva was not allowed to read his poetry in Vinukonda. Joshua condemns this discrimination and his poetry involves revolt against the exploitation of poor by the rich, he said.

Joshuva waged a war against both poverty and segregation with his poetry and succeeded. His famous works were Piradausi, Gabbilamu, Kandiseekudu, Mumtajmahal, Swapnakatha, Netaji, Kreestu Charitra, Kottalokamu and Naakatha, the MRPS leader said.

Mallaiah said that Joshua had worked for sometime (1915-16) as a story teller for the silent movies in Rajahmundry and as a dramatist in 'Chintamani nataka mandali.'

Later he worked for ten years as a teacher in a teacher-training institute run by Lutheran Church in Guntur. From 1928 through 1942 he was a Telugu pundit in a High School in Guntur. The Union Government bestowed upon Gurram Jashuva the Padma Bhushan Award in 1970 in recognition of his works.