VISAKHAPATNAM: Penury has never deterred him from developing leadership qualities. A school dropout Gowri Shankar, who was born into a poor family at Dalaipeta in Kurupam constituency, has made sustained efforts to become a role model for many of his class. He was surprised when he was chosen by Jana Sena as its nominee for Parvatipuram SC constituency.
His road to education has never been smooth and he dropped out of school in 2000 while he was studying seventh class to work in the agriculture field along with his father. However, his urge to continue education did not die and appeared for class 10 direct exam and passed in first class in 2003. Later, he did Intermediate at Vasavi Junior College in Parvatipuram.
However, he had to discontinue degree after the second year due to poor financial condition of the family. He shifted to Hyderabad to work in an automobile company and an agent of IFFL.
However, in the interregnum, he chose to complete the degree in distance mode from MR College in 2012. He returned from Hyderabad in 2014 and joined two-year teacher training course at DIET centre at Parvatipuram.
While his father Gumpa Swamy works as a farm hand and rears sheep, his mother Appayamma supports the family by selling vegetables she procures from Kallikota. Gowri Shankar says many girls and boys of his village are deprived of schooling due to the absence of road connectivity.
The village lacked basic infrastructure and health care facilities. This prompted him to start ‘Pranamitrula group’ with like-minded youth to promote awareness among people in 2015.
Initially, he said they promoted awareness among people about health and also need for education to children.
They took up the campaign with the slogan of ‘low cost, no cost’ to reach out to people.
Gowri Shankar said he came across the ‘Akshara Mala’ programme implemented by a Jana Sena NRI.
He took the pitiable condition of the villagers, particularly youth, to the notice of the NRI. Responding to his plea, the NRI included the village under ‘Akshara Mala’. About 80 children both boys and girls of Kurupam constituency were provided free education under the programme.
He said he wanted that people should not face problems like him. Proper education will make people strong enough mentally, which in turn promotes physical health, he felt.
Gowri Shankar said he was inspired by ideologies of Jana Sena Party floated by Pawan Kalyan. When Praja Porata Yatra was held at Kurupam one and a half years ago, he took the lead in organising the programme.
Following the success of Kurupam meeting, Jana Sena leaders entrusted the party meetings at Parvatipuram and Bhogapuram also to Gowri Shankar. Impressed by his organising skills, the party has nominated him as mandal coordinator.
Later, he applied for Pawan Kalyan ’s pet programme - President’s Leadership Programme’. He said he was surprised when he got a call from the party office to attend the programme on February 4.
He said he was very fortunate that he got a chance to have a one-to-one meeting with Pawan Kalyan. In his 38-minute meeting, he spoke about the travails he had undergone and how he was organising campaigns successfully for the benefit of people.
He was part of the 17-member group which was given training under the President’s Leadership Programme. He said Pawan Kalyan was all praise for his suggestion of ‘drone ambulance’ to provide medical aid to the tribals in difficult terrains.
Gowri Shankar has been a happy man as he got the chance of moving along with Pawan Kalyan during his meetings in the last couple of months. However, more surprise was in store for him when he was called by
Pawan Kalyan to give him B Form for Parvatipuram Assembly seat a couple of days ago. Gowri Shankar said he was really excited at that moment.
He said he was blessed and honoured. It was really a true recognition for hard work and integrity and his selection would send good signals to the youth, he said. He said his goal was to spread the message that education will work wonders in one’s career building.
Stating that though he did not know the reason why he was chosen by JSP chief for Parvatipuram when many influential persons were in the race, he said his selection would surely set the trend of change in politics. “My parents are now a happy lot over my selection and they want me to win the election hands down,” he said.