Physically challenged concludes 1,350-km tour

Srikakulam: Demanding the State to be united, a physically disabled youth Srinivas toured 1350 km in the Seemandhra area which ended in Srikakulam town on Sunday. On August 4, he started his Samaikyandhra Chaitanya Yatra from Dharmavaram in Anantapuram district and ended in the town on Sunday. He was felicitated by the local Joint Action Committee leaders at the NGOs home. They commended his efforts and spirit of adventure in taking the risk and touring the entire region despite being physically handicapped.

In his reply, Srinivas said that his tour was not enough to bring pressure on the Central government to change its decision and he said that he was planning a protest demonstration with the physically challenged persons near Parliament in New Delhi soon. He wondered as to how the government would allocate budgetary grants or disburse pensions if the state was bifurcated when it was not able to do so when the State was united.

He said that the welfare schemes could be implemented effectively only if the state was united and if the state was divided, the physically challenged would have to suffer a lot. He said that they were ready to make any type of sacrifice to keep the state united.

Muslims back the movement: Muslims in large numbers in Palasa town in the district expressed their protests in a novel way by riding horses and taking out rallies on cycles here on Sunday. They also raised slogans in the main junctions. They also took part in relay hunger strikes.

People organized a rally on bullock carts from the local KT Road to Indira Chowk. Speaking on the occasion, the employees said that great injustice would be done to the people of Seemandhra area, especially to the farmers and the employees, if the state was bifurcated. Dr. Rama Raju, a veterinary doctor, said that state’s division would lead to problems in sharing of river waters and agriculture would be affected. The interests of the farmers would be in jeopardy, he said.

Protest the Yoga way In another incident in the town, people registered their protest in a novel way by doing Yoga exercises at the Seven Road Junction. Speaking to the media, a yoga teacher said that yoga gives peace and happiness to the mind and physical strength to the body. He wondered where the leaders have disappeared though the people were on strike for the last 33 days. He demanded the MPs and MLAs of the Seemandhra area to resign and create a constitutional crisis in the State.