Lokesh to Press Centre for Commemorative Coin in Potti Sriraramulu’s Name

Vijayawada:Education minister N. Lokesh has promised efforts with the central government to get a commemorative coin released in the name of Potti Sriramulu, who had sacrificed his life for the formation of the first linguistic state.

Taking part in the unveiling of 58-feet bronze statue of Potti Sriramulu and the public meeting held to mark his 125 birth anniversary in Amaravati on Monday, Lokesh said the memorial park was coming up in a 6.8 acre area at Sakhamuru in Amaravati.

The minister said the AP Arya Vysya welfare and development corporation chairman Doondi Rakesh approached him for advice to name the statue. To this, he suggested naming it the ‘Statue of Sacrifice’ so that the greatness of Potti Sriramulu would be known to the entire world.

He said, “I feel proud to be a Telugu and also a citizen of Andhra Pradesh. Potti Sriramulu is not just a man. He is the symbol of Telugu pride and his sacrifice of life helped form the Telugu state. I pay my tributes to him.”

Lokesh said that during his Yuvagalam padayatra, several brothers from the Arya Vysya community met him. They discussed their problems and noted that after their government assumed power, he could solve some of their problems.

He promised all efforts to resolve the remaining issues.

Lokesh explained in detail the circumstances wherein Potti Sriramulu started his fast unto death with a demand for a separate Telugu state. He faced hardships with no political motive and no aspiration for a political position.

The minister recalled noted historian Ramachandra Guha’s article on Potti Sriramulu, saying his sacrifice caused a major impact on Indian history and its geological features wherein the Indian map had the lines of linguistic states.

Lokesh remembered former chief minister K. Rosaiah and called him a statesman in politics.