Tirupati: SPKAS seeks Bharat Ratna for Ponaka Kanakamma

Tirupati: Srimathi Ponaka Kanakamma Aasayasasadhana Samithi (SPKAS) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer posthumously Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country to woman freedom fighter Ponaka Kanakamma (1892-1963) in recognition of the outstanding contribution of the woman in the Indian freedom struggle and also her remarkable services for women empowerment, girl child education and also for the cause of farmers.

Speaking to media here on Thursday, Samithi convener B Surendranatha Reddy said the woman freedom fighter from a well to do family had drained her entire properties to support the freedom struggle, set up educational institutions for education of girl children and established an Ashram in Pallipadu near Nellore for propagation of Gandhian principles.

Sadly, he said Kanakamma did not get due recognition for the sacrifices she made for the freedom of country and also for the cause of woman and farmers for whom she valiantly fought against powerful Zamindars for abolition of zamindari system and even established a daily Zamin Rythu to espouse the cause of famers in Nellore district. Though she won appreciation from Gandhiji who many times wrote her lauding efforts for girl child education but she did not get due recognition, he said.

Samithi had already sent online a representation in September to PM Modi seeking him to favourably consider Bharat Ratna to Kanakamma in honour of her services to country, he informed.

Reddy said Samithi which is based in Nellore has been striving for achieving the aims of Kanakamma. Samithi members Vemareddy Prabhakar Reddy, Guduru Lakshmi and others were present.