VISAKHAPATNAM: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday visited the birthplace of noted freedom fighter and revolutionary Alluri Sitarama Raju at Pandrangi village in Padmanabham mandal in the district.Describing it as a memorable day in his life, Naidu said he has been an ardent follower of Alluri since his student days. After garlanding a statue of Alluri, he met the family members of the freedom fighter and interacted with the villagers.
“The youth must learn the spirit of sacrifice and unwavering commitment from our freedom fighters,” he observed. Lauding the brave sacrifices of Alluri, Naidu said the former did not flinch while facing the might of the British Empire.“His conviction, commitment, selfless dedication and sincerity were unshakeable as he galvanised the tribals to fight against the injustices of the British.”
Later, in a FaceBook post, Naidu said as India celebrates ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, “we must recollect the innumerable sacrifices of our freedom fighters and take inspiration from their patriotic zeal”. He reminded the gathering at the village that these heroes fought “not merely for an abstract geographical entity, but to free millions of people from an oppressive and unjust British rule”.
Later, he participated in the 90th anniversary celebrations of ‘Prema Samajam’. He called upon the youth to dedicate some of their time and resources to help the poor and needy and live by the spirit of India’s core value of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.
Paying tribute to the founder of the organisation, Maredla Sathyanarayana, Naidu recalled his own experience of working with Prema Samajam during his student days.Naidu lauded the organisation for catering to the needs of the poor and the underprivileged through an orphanage, old-age home, and offering free medical services.
Touching upon India’s age-old philosophy of ‘share and care’, the Vice President said everyone should imbibe the spirit of service and extend help to others, particularly to the underprivileged sections. Naidu also urged NGOs and social welfare organizations to promote skill-development activities to generate livelihoods, especially for the youth and women.
‘Alluri’s sincerity was unshakeable’
M Venkaiah Naidu, who visited the birthplace of freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju on Tuesday, said he has been an ardent follower of Alluri since his student days. After garlanding a statue of Alluri, he met the family members of the freedom fighter and interacted with the residents of Pandrangi village.