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Madras remembers Kandukuri
On 31st October in Chennai, Kranthadarsi Kandukuri, a threehundredpage volume of tributes is being released For this value addition, Telugus in Chennai have strived for a meaningful accomplishment in the hundredth year of the doyens passing away Jagaddhatri spoke to Tumati Sanjeeva Rao, to present a perspective of the Chennapuri Telugu Vani, under the aegis of which, the activities are tak
On 31st October in Chennai, “Kranthadarsi Kandukuri”, a three-hundred-page volume of tributes is being released. For this value addition, Telugus in Chennai have strived for a meaningful accomplishment in the hundredth year of the doyen’s passing away. Jagaddhatri spoke to Tumati Sanjeeva Rao, to present a perspective of the Chennapuri Telugu Vani, under the aegis of which, the activities are taking place regularly
Excerpts from an interview
Tell us about Chennapuri Telugu Vani, and its activities?
Chennapuri Telugu Vani (CTV) was started in 2004. M Saikumar, IAS, Dr PB Srinivas, and Movva Vrishadhipathi participated in the inaugural. The main objective of CTV is to help the students of Telugu medium in Chennai and Tamil Nadu. Besides providing students study material in 2004 and 2011, literary endeavours such as publishing Kavana Vijayam and enactment of the same was done in 2011, along with the release of a few tiles on education sector “Gadi Tappina Chaduvulu”, “Telugu Bhashante Telusaa?”, “Chatikilabadda Telugu”, “Telugu Pada Sopaanam”, “Telugu Bhasaku Pracheena Hodaa – Vihanga Veekshanam”, “Telugu Bhashalo Melakuvalu”, etc. On August 29 we conducted a meeting to deliberate on the place of “Telugu in India”. A compendium of papers presented is to be released on this October 31 viz. “Bharata Desamlo Telugu Sthanam”.
Kandukuri and Madras, tell us about the significance of the relationship.
He had worked for five long years at this composite Capital as Telugu pandit at Presidency College and as things stand now, there is no memory of this at present. It is a forgotten chapter, and in this year of his death centennial, we need to improve the memory perpetuation.
During the death centennial, you are the first to bring out a topical tribute to the savant? What is the purpose behind that?
Finding that the AP government response is inadequate, and since Kandukuri not only worked at Madras but breathed his last here in 1919, we felt as Telugus of Chennai to contribute to the observance. Vardhanthi means the marking the occasion of death, and more so “Sata Vardhanthi”, i.e. death centennial is an extraordinary thing in the present fast-paced world, and we thought it would be befitting to take lead in this aspect and observe the death centennial in a good manner. Such a resolve made us to go ahead with the compilation and bring out the first volume of tributes to Kandukuri. Though initially it was thought to be only a hundred-page affair, slowly we realised the significance of the material coming in from the annals of past, from the present writers and adding some poetic tributes as well, now the volume named “Kranthadarsi Kandukuri” is three hundred pages plus. It will be released at Chennai on this October 31 by Vithapu Balasubramanyam, MLC, Govt of AP in presence of eminent writers and distinguished citizens.
What are your ideas to propagate culture among the youth and future generations?
What the present-day youth lack is patriotic feeling and identifying with the national causes. Culture and literature need to strive to inculcate these values. This made us to come up with a collection of ideas about “Patriotism in Telugu Literature”, a hefty seven hundred pages publication recently.
In view of his selfless work a century back, now how he can be focused as a role model to the present generations?
Since the work of any thinker who puts them into action such as Kandukuri, there will be many facets, from which the present youth can learn a thing or two. With the political scenario turning pragmatic and career centred, good education that places society above the individual is to begin again from the corridors of educational institutions only. As a teacher, preceptor and guru, Kandukuri highly influenced the society of not only his times but the future one as well. It would be our earnest endeavour to bring it closer to the present times. In that direction, CTV would strive in a humble yet determined manner.
Tumati Sanjeeva Rao - The writer is a bi-lingual writer, translator, critic and columnist.
