Hyderabad: US Ambassador to India invokes Telugu poet Sri Sri

Hyderabad: The United States Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, landed in the city and visited the newly built American Consulate, chanted an epitome of the communist manifesto by the legendary Telugu poet Srirangam Srinivas Rao’s (Sri Sri) book, "Maha Prasthanam" (Great March).

Eric, who is on his maiden visit to the city addressed a media conference of around 30 minutes where he readout Sri Sri's Telugu poem "Maro Prapancham, Maro Prpancham Pilichindi! Padandi Munduku, Padandi Thosuku! Podam Podam Pi Paiki.”

This means: "Let us move forward, Let us propel forward," as "Another world is calling (us)."

Curiously, Eric's action of reading out the first few lines of the poem is of great significance for the leftists in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, which the US Consulate in Hyderabad deals with, and inaugurated at a time when the USA is celebrating its 246th anniversary of Independence in June, this year.

The Ambassador also received some clapping for reading out the first few lines of the poem in Telugu from a few audiences in the media conference hall held at T-Hub.

When a scribe pointed out that the poem of Sri Sri has a communist orientation, an all-in smiles US Ambassador responded, emphasising the importance of community relations.