RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: 45-year-old Peruka Raju, resident of Narsingapur of Veenavanka mandal, is an Army officer by day, and a translator, author and poet by night.
Raju, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) posted at Wellington, Nilgiri, Madras Regiment, has also penned 13 books and published thousands of poems. Inspired by Nalimela Bhaskar, an acclaimed Telugu writer and translator, Raju, whose parents are both farm labourers, finished his MA in English and joined the Army in 1996.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, he urged more youth from the State to serve with the armed forces. A self-taught polyglot, Raju has translated over 100 books to Telugu, and has received multiple awards by different institutions.
He was also presented with an honorary doctorate by the University of California, Berkeley. Even as an Army officer, he has been part of the President of India’s security details and been awarded for his service to the nation.
He was recently conferred the International Mother Language Puraskar for the year 2022. At the award ceremony, Raju said that despite working towards protecting the nation and crores of inhabitants as an Army officer, he is also following his dream to write books.
Apart from all this, Raju also runs an NGO, My Gift, through which he organises medical camps and offer financial aid for people from marginalised sections in Narsingapur.