Telangana to Name Folklore Varsity After Ande Sri

 Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said the state government would positively examine the proposal to establish a Telangana Folklore University named after renowned poet and lyricist Ande Sri, who passed away recently. He was responding to appeals made by speakers at the condolence meeting of Ande Sri held at Ravindra Bharati on Saturday.

Several cultural figures speaking at the meeting urged the government to institutionalise research into and preservation of Telangana's folk heritage. They pointed out that Karnataka had set up a folklore university in Haveri district and suggested that Telangana should create a similar institution to study, document, and promote indigenous knowledge systems, traditional arts, and folk culture unique to the state.

Revanth Reddy acknowledged that Telangana’s folk traditions, songs, and artistic expressions formed an integral part of its social consciousness and must be preserved for future generations. He assured that he would soon convene a meeting with stakeholders to take a formal decision on the proposed university.

Recollecting Ande Sri’s contribution to the Telangana statehood movement, Revanth Reddy described him as a close associate who embodied the spirit of resistance through art. He said Telangana society may appear simple and accommodative, but history had shown its capacity to rise against oppression whenever required. He recalled how poets and artists had historically challenged authority, from anti-Nizam struggles to later movements demanding statehood.

Revanth Reddy noted that Ande Sri, despite having no formal schooling, penned the iconic ‘Jaya Jaya He Telangana’ anthem that infused a sense of identity among people. He remarked that though earlier governments sidelined the song, the spirit behind it lived on among four crore citizens. The Chief Minister said supporting Ande Sri’s family was his responsibility and announced that the government had provided employment to a family member and was establishing a memorial park in the poet’s name. His book 'Nippula Vaagu' would be kept in all public libraries, he said.

Revanth Reddy also said house plots had been allotted to nine poets who played crucial roles in the Telangana movement, and houses would be constructed for them in Bharat Future City. He added that Telangana was the only state implementing sub-classification among Dalits for reservations in education and employment, enabling the most marginalised to progress.

He said there were four ministers from the Dalit Community in his cabinet, which showed the priority accorded to Dalits by Congress leadership. Revanth Reddy said that however many poets emerge in the future, Ande Sri would remain a “Kohinoor diamond” in Telangana’s history.