HYDERABAD:Six Telugu people have been conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri Awards this year. Popular badminton player PV Sindhu, women cricket player Mithali Raj, popular character artiste Kota Srinivasa Rao, eminent doctor Nori Dattatreyudu, breast cancer surgeon P Raghuram, gynaecological surgeon Manjula Anagani bagged Padma Shri Awards.
While PV Sindhu, Mithali Raj and Manjula Anagani are from Telangana, Kota Srinivasa Rao was selected for the awards from Andhra Pradesh in arts category. N Dattatreyudu and P Raghuram both have been conferred with Padma Shri award in the category of medicine and Non Resident Indians (NRIs).
“I am so happy to receive prestigious award like Padma Shri at an young age. Though news reports have been saying that I would get the award, I didn’t expect this. This is a big honour for me. I am also happy that Mithali Raj also got the award,” said 19-year-old badminton player PV Sindhu after hearing the news.
Mithali Raj and Manjula Angani are the other two women along with PV Sindhu who won the awards. While cricketer Mithali Raj is known to all, Manjula Anagani is a senior gynaecologist and laparoscopic surgeon with about two decades .
“The award has increased my responsibility. It also inspires me to take up new initiatives in delivering better health care facilities,” expressed Manjula Anagani who heads Sunshine Women and Child Centre, Hyderabad. It is noteworthy that two NRI Telugu doctors who worked in the field of cancer prevention and treatment were selected for the award in the same year.
P Raghuram has set up Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation and has been extensively working for creating awareness on breast cancer among Indian women.
N Dattatreyudu, fellow of American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology is currently director of a Cancer Centre in New York City. Dattatreyudu is known internationally for his contribution to the field of cancer treatment. He is one of the founding members of Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research centre in Hyderabad.
Coming to arts category, Padma Shri was conferred on senior actor Kota Srinivasa Rao, who left an indelible impression on Telugu movies with his excellent and versatile performances. Kota is not just highly respected in Tollywood but also widely loved by Telugu people.