VIJAYAWADA: A 57-year-old Manchikanti Venkateswara Reddy, who hails from Kalikavaya in Singarayakonda mandal and settled in Ongole city of Prakasam district, is going to sow a seed for another library movement in Andhra Pradesh with bike yatra starting from Ongole.
As today’s students and youth are stuck in the darkness of technology, Venkateswara Reddy’s journey will help them guide through the importance of reading books. Teacher and literary scholar Venkateswara Reddy will begin his state-wide bike tour from Ongole on May 17 with the motto of developing reading habit among students.
The first library movement was organised around 1913-48, by Padmasri Iyyanki Venkata Ramanayya, who is known as the father of the Library movement. He took up the movement to develop the libraries in the State. After over a century, Venkateswara Reddy took the responsibility to encourage the public to establish new libraries and renovate the old ones to raise awareness and develop reading habits among children.
“The State has witnessed several changes over a period of time. The interest in books and storytelling has waned with the disappearance of joint families. Even textbook reading in schools and institutes has disappeared with the arrival of workbooks and smart classes. In addition to this, the mobile revolution has snatched away the books from the hands of people,” expressed Venkateswara Reddy. He further added that the creativity of the students has been completely suppressed in the guise of corporate education in the State.
Venkateswara Reddy also founded an NGO, Shanthivanam Foundation at Naidupalem in Cheemakurthi mandal of Prakasam district. He also penned several short story books, including Mittava, Marajulu, Chaduvu Chaduvu Chaduvu, Gabba Geemu and several other poetry collections.