GUNTUR: The statue of Kotamaraju Rama Rao, freedom fighter, an outstanding figure in Indian journalism and a former Rajya Sabha member, will be unveiled at Bapatla in Guntur district on July 29.
This is the first statue in the State to be set up as a tribute to a journalist. Rama Rao’s statue installation project was taken up by Forum for Better Bapatla and AP Human Resource Development Institute director-general, D Chakrapani will unveil the statue.
Rama Rao was considered by many national leaders to be a patriot of impeccable integrity and great courage. Mahatma Gandhi described him as ‘Fighting Editor’ while Jawaharlal Nehru remarked that ‘Rama Rao is a man with ideals and a mission’.
Rama Rao worked for many papers with different cultures. The most important period in Rama Rao’s career was 1938 to 1946 when he was the editor of the National Herald, founded by former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He was also sentenced to jail in 1942. He was elected to India’s first Rajya Sabha from the undivided state of Madras and he was the first-ever advisor on ‘Plan Publicity’ to the Nehru government in 1956. He authored several books including his autobiography ‘The Pen as My Sword’.
Rama Rao also served as a member of the Press Council and Vice-Chairman of Working Journalists Union. He was born on 9th November 1896 in Chirala and died on 3rd March 1961.