MADHAVARAM (West Godavari): Patriotism seems to be in the water they drink and the air they breathe in Madhavaram, which is popularly known as `Military Madhavaram’, a remote village in West Godavari district.A majority of the families here served in the military for several generations. Over 1,110 military persons of the village took part in World War I and World War II, and 11 persons laid down their lives.
The villagers would call their children lieutenants and sergeants, instilling in the young minds a sense of patriotism and a sense of duty to serve the country by joining the military, says exserviceman Subedar Batreddy Raja Rao.
Taking inspiration from the village, people of the surrounding villages, including Apparaopeta and Gollagudem, also send their children to the defence services, he says with pride.
Ugadi is a real festival in Madhavaram as 70 per cent of the villagers who are serving in the defence services try to visit home to spend the festival with their family members.
Several persons were honoured with `Pallaki Subedar” in which the retired military personnel were honoured by providing a `palanquin’ by British rulers and Rao Bahadur titles in the village, says Chityala Narasimha Rao. His father and forefathers had served in the military.
Another ex-serviceman, Narapareddy Seshavataram who served as Subedar Major, says that his four brothers, two brothers-in-law and and two grandchildren are also in military service.
The village also boasts of winners of the Param Visishta Seva medal and the Arjuna award. A military camp was set up in the village during the regime of Pusapati Madhava Brahma during Sri Krishna Devaraya rule. Since then people have been showing keen interest in serving the country by joining defence services, says Raja Rao. The villagers revere Goddess Poleramma and worship her before resuming their duties in the services after vacationing in their village, he adds.
Now the people wish to rename their village as Military Madhavaram and have sent proposals to the State and Central Governments. Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy has, during his recent visit to the village, promised to do all he can in that endeavour.
Former sarpanch Gandham Basavaiah says a pylon, with the names of those who laid down their lives in World War-I inscribed, was erected in the village.
Such stupams exist only in Delhi and Punjab.
The `military village’ urges the authorities including Sainik Board to provide medical facilities with referral hospitals at nearby Rajahmundry or Eluru as it is difficult for them to visit far-off Visakhapatnam or Secunderabad.
It also wants banks to set up ATMs for the convenience of pensioners.