In memory of martyrs

12 stupas of seven men who died in a police firing during the Quit India Movement in 1942, were inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao along with a host of other dignitaries in Tenali on Wednesday.

On this very day in 1942, Quit India Movement was launched and Mahatma Gandhi was arrested by the British Police Tenali observed bandh in protest against Gandhi's arrest. The bandh took a violant turn resulting in police firing and the death of seven persons.

The stupas were errected by freedom fighter Allapati Venkataramaiah with his son Allapati Rajendra Prasad who is currently an MLA in Tenali. He has taken the initiative to rennovate and further develop them into Freedom Fighters Memorial.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting, Kodela Siva Prasada Rao described Telugu people as fighters for different causes who at the end of the day were always at the receiving end. Going back to history Kodela said that Potti Sreeramuly fought for a seperate Telugu state at a time when injustice was being meted out to them by the Madras Presidency.

In course of time separatist movements cropped up in Telangana and Andhra region for the bifurcation of the state of AP. Finally in 2014 the Telangana agitation led to the bifurcation with people of Seemandhra being shunted out of Hyderabad once again without a capital.

After the bifurcation people of AP are still compelled to fight for 'special status'. In all the past experiences, Kodela observed that Telugu people were always at the recieving end. Local MLA Allapati Rajendra Prasad in his presidential address recalled the greatness of Tenali in all fields, be it freedom struggle, politics, art and culture and literary contribution.

Speaking on the police firing which led to the martyrdom of seven men from Tenali, he said that the incident shook the British so much that Tenali drew the attention of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and he located the town in the world map which was on his table.