HYDERABAD: Nestled between Godavari waters and a paper mill near Bhadrachalam in Khammam district is the tiny village of Sarapaka. Largely inhabited by migrant workers, the village had been awaiting the return of their humble English Sir.
The English Sir sadly did not return home from Hyderabad. Nagaraju Koppula (34), perhaps the lone Dalit to have made a mark in English journalism in both the Telugu States of Andhra and Telangana in recent times, breathed his last on Sunday morning after battling cancer for over two years.
He began his career with The New Indian Express in Hyderabad and soon, earned the reputation of being a go-getter. Passionate about civil liberties, he had focused on highlighting issues that are usually ignored in the media.
Born into a poor family, Nagaraju had to earn and learn right from his school days. He worked as a construction worker and even sold ice-creams in Bhadrachalam but never neglected his education. Fond of painting, Nagaraju, under the tutelage of a professional painter, emerged as the finest sign board painter in Bhadrachalam.
With his exceptional ability, within no time, he had five juniors working under him. He carved out sign boards, under the pen name Vikas, for umpteen stores and industries that had sprung up near the temple town.
Although he was flourishing as a painter, he nurtured the dream of studying in Hyderabad. Chasing his dream, he completed his master’s in history at the University of Hyderabad. The intellectually stimulating environs of the university prompted him to take up journalism.
Without wasting time, he did a course in journalism at the Indian Institute of Journalism in Bangalore.
He worked in Express for about two years. But his promising career was cut-short by lung cancer. His former colleagues at Express visited his residence in Hyderabad and consoled the bereaved family. Nagaraju’s funeral will be conducted at his native village on Monday.