Will Old City chose its daughter to usher in development?

Hyderabad: An NCC RD cadet, accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, classical singer,philanthropist, a devout Hindu and Chairperson of Virinchi Hospital, Madhavi Latha Kompella, is all set to take on the AIMIM in the old city in the Lok Sabha elections if the Bharatiya Janata Party decides to field her against the so far unchallenged AIMIM chief Assaduddin Owaisi.

In a freewheeling interview with Hans India, the multifaceted Madhavi Latha said that it may sound funny that woman and that too a devout Hindu wants to contest from old city. But then she said, “I am prepared to take the hit irrespective of what comes my way. I am daughter of old city. I grew up here for 25 years and I very well know the pain of the people.When I have no problem and ready to take on opponents why should it bother others,” It is my Dharama to stand up for the people and make their voices win." she said.

Narrating her experiences of early days, she said she was from economically weaker section and went to government aided college and many experiences as a half saree clad girl to a post graduate from Nizam College. Recalling those days she said Madhavi Latha was the only girl student leader in the college.

She said, “I did not choose Old City. But, it has chosen its daughter and I am glad to be associated with the place where I have grown up. My stint of service activities started intensely by associating with Indresh Bhai in Old City.As a language lover, I love the language and that's how I picked up the Urduand with several people and NGOs and the Muslim RashtriyaManch (MRM) I contribute my best to the people.”

Madhavi Latha said getting involved in service activities had taken her deep into understanding the Old City. "As a social science student I figured out that the core problem was that people have been deprived of their rights anddevelopment was abandonedand there were none to question. Apart from the social activities which she had take up at different stages of life, she started working 24x7 for past 10 months. The old city has about 20,95,000 voters.

She said it was shocking that all these the Old City remained neglected and was the pathetic stage."I believe power has the characteristic of divinity to use for the betterment of human beings around us in the society.”

But it was misused. This triggered the thought that she should contest the elections. She felt keeping quite despite knowing what was the root cause, was not Dharma. People should be able to exercise their right to question those who misuse power. Hence I started with raising my voice for relocation of polling booths from the present locations so that people can fearlessly go and vote something that is missing now.

The existing pattern is that there are 2000 polling booths located in inaccessible locations which deprives people to go freely and vote. “ I was shocked to hear people say, char bajekebaad, "PuriDuniyaUnkihai Saheb. Do you know 7.8 lakh voters, Hindus and muslims have been declared as persona non grata. If someone calls me communal or with some other labels let it be so, she said. I want people of old city to be free from present autocratic system which denies them their rights and prevents them from voting without fear and violence.

When asked why she chose BJP and not BRS or Congress, Madhavi said, “BRS would have never allowed questioning AIMIM or even within the party. The Congress party also never focused on old city even when a strong leader like Y S Rajasekhar Reddy was there. “Modi’s vision and his determination to resolve many contentious issues by making people as stakeholders inspired me and I drew inspiration from him.He stands for the people and future of the country.”

“Reducing pain of the people is my aim. It gives me joy.Our services activities range from distribution of books, chappals, school fees, health camps, medical counseling and anything based on the needs of the people. On behalf of the Lopa Mudra Charitable Trust, we have adopted women of the Kodgatlapalli village, we have ensured the agricultural produce of the small vendors carrying bananas on their cycles was sold irrespective of their religion. Religion does not matter, welfare matters and that is what is missing in old city.I reached out to the Veda Patasalas as well as Madrasas. Pain has no religion, caste creed or sex,” she added.

She says people might look at her doing charity and factor her associating with a particular, culture, religion and the like. But, 'Mother' is the centrality of our Dharmic view. Mothers in this country responded to the call for seeking alms by a Buddha, a Jain monk and the like. For a mother practising Dharmic tradition sees no difference in who came to seek some help or assistance. That was my way of doing things and that tradition gives me the energy to serve and give back to society as much as I could, she says.