YSRCP leaders pay tributes to poet Molla on birth anniversary

Leaders of the YSR Congress Party paid rich tributes to noted Telugu poet Molla on her birth anniversary at the party’s central office in Tadepalli near here on Friday. Floral tributes were paid to her portrait during a commemorative programme organised by the party.

The speakers described Molla as a visionary poet who made the Ramayana accessible to common people through her simple and lucid Telugu. They recalled that her literary brilliance had earned the admiration of the great Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya. Despite being born in a remote village, Molla overcame the social barriers of gender and caste discrimination prevalent in her time and left an indelible mark on Telugu literary history, they said.

Speaking on the occasion, MLC and YSRCP central office in-charge Lella Appi Reddy said Molla’s life continues to inspire generations, as she proved through her writings that poverty is no barrier to talent. He urged people to draw inspiration from her achievements and noted that her works have secured a permanent place in the hearts of Telugu readers.

Former Salivahana Corporation chairman Purushottam recalled that during the tenure of former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the State government had recognised Molla’s birth anniversary as a State festival through G.O. No. 99. He thanked the former Chief Minister for giving due recognition to the poet.

Mr. Purushottam alleged that the present coalition government had neglected the Salivahana community and expressed hope that better days would return when Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy becomes Chief Minister again.

Several YSRCP leaders, including Badisa Ganesh, Bapanapalli Ravikumar, Nalluri Shivaji, Pedapudi Kishore, Rajesh, Dr. Ramanamam, G. Shivakumar, Vijayawada corporator Alampur Vijayalakshmi and Pensioners Association president Bapanapalli Veeranjaneyulu, participated in the programme.