Senior scribe’s birthday brings memories of yore

Hyderabad: Veteran journalist S Venkatnarayana recalled the amazing style of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to strike a chord with common people across the country during her election campaigns, the first general elections and the urge of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N T Rama Rao's urge to do good to people at a meeting organised on the occasion of 70th birthday of Editorial Director of Sakshi Media Group, Dr K Ramachandra Murthy, here on Sunday.

Venkatanarayana said his journey in journalism had started with handling a school magazine in Zilla Parishad High School, Kamalapuram. It was during campaign trail of Indira Gandhi during Maharashtra Assembly elections that he had observed the amazing style of her campaign. It was after covering the campaign he had written that Indira Gandhi was all set to make a comeback in flat 30 months, at the height of condemnation of her and her son Sanjay Gandhi's role during the emergency.

Similarly, when he was working with India Today, it was the first experiment of its kind to hold national wide exit polls on elections and it was well received by the people. Recollecting his interactions with NTR, he said, “His (NTR) heart was beating for people as he wanted to do something good for people.”

He said how the photograph taken against the backdrop of the Rashtrapati Bhavan had forced the then President of India left with no option but to recall him as the Chief Minister of the State, he added. Recollecting what led him to write a biography of NTR, he said, “We cannot compare NTR with Shakespeare, Milton or Karl Marx. But, what was interesting was his observation that ‘Do one need to know history to make history’?” he said.

Andhra Pradesh HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao recalled the services of Ramachandra Murthy, which would continue to inspire people. Former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar shared how being a senior journalist, Murthy encouraged people to write.

Senior IAS officer K R Venugopal released a book entitled ‘Trikalam’ written in Telugu on the occasion. Finance Minister Eatala Rajender, MP Bandaru Dattatreya, CPI secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, former Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy and others were present during the occasion.