Hyderabad: A group of senior intellectuals have written a letter to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi protesting against the Telangana government’s decision to replace the Telangana Talli in the Secretariat with the statue of Rajiv Gandhi.
In an open letter to the Congress leader, Telangana Talli represents the culture, heritage and pride of the people of Telangana. “Replacing her statue is not just the removal of a monument but an attempt to erase the identity and indomitable spirit of the people of Telangana who fought for statehood at countless sacrifices,” the letter said.
Civil society members noted that Telangana Talli symbolises language, traditions and the collective memory of our struggle for self-respect and autonomy. “Through it, we celebrate our victories, honour our sacrifices and inspire future generations to uphold our values. Even during the armed struggle in Telangana, well-known poets like Dasarathi and Ravella Venkatarama Rao composed poems and songs praising the concept of Telangana Talli. This concept was once ridiculed and neglected during the time of united Andhra Pradesh but was revived during the second phase of Telangana statehood agitation,” they said.
The design of the Telangana Talli statue was the result of intense discussions among intellectuals, poets and literary figures. “Before the formation of Telangana, a statue of Telugu Talli stood outside the Secretariat and it is only appropriate that the Telangana Talli statue should now stand outside the new Secretariat building. The proposal to install a statue of Rajiv Gandhi, a leader who though respected in many quarters, does not hold the same cultural and emotional significance for the Telugu people. This proposal is seen as an imposition by many and disregards the sentiments of those who consider Telangana Talli as the embodiment of their identity,” they said.
Intellectuals suggested that the statue of Rajiv Gandhi be installed at another suitable location. “We request the government to reconsider this decision which is deeply hurtful and unacceptable to the people of this state. We believe that respecting the sentiments of the people and preserving our cultural symbols are essential to maintain the dignity and unity of our society. Therefore, we request the government to keep the Telangana Talli statue at its rightful place and honour the cultural symbols which represent the true spirit of our people. We also wish to remind you of your promise during the elections to protect the cultural aspirations of the people of Telangana,” they said.
The signatories of the letter include Prof. Haragopal, Tankasala Ashok, Allam Narayana, Goreti Venkanna Mallepally Laxmaiah Nandini Sidda Reddy, Ayachitam Sridhar, Himajwala (Iriventi Venkatramana), Parankusham Venugopala Swamy, Naleshwaram Shankaram, Deshapati Srinivas, Ghanta Chakrapani, Katta Shekar Reddy and Tigulla Krishanmurthy, K Sreeinivas Reddy, Professor Dantu Kanakadurga, Rasmayi Balakrishna, Sangishetty Srinivas, Ele Laxman, Sridharrao Deshpande, Buddha Murali, STV Srinivas Rao, Anishetty Rajitha, Inampudi Srilaxmi, Kommaraju Ramalaxmi, Sridevi Mantri, Rajyasri Ketavarapu, Venkat Vardelli, Mangalampally hwar , Peddinti Ashok Kumar, Vemuganti Murali, Kandukuri Sriramulu, Mallavarushula Vijayanand, Dr Amakrishna, Kotla Venkateshwara Reddy, Laxman Goud, Dr. Bheempally Prashanth, Vanapatla Subbaiah, Laxman Murari (Banduk), Cartoonist Mruthyunjay, Chimmani Manohar, Yedirepalli Kashanna, Dr. A Jayanthi, Swarna Kilari, Bola Yadaiaha, K Veeraiah, S Balram, Uppuri Tirumalesh , Amarnath, Chikondra Ravi, Biraju Chandrashekhar, Biraju Rajashekhar, Biraju Shyamsunder, Waheed Khan, Veddaram Madhusudhana Sharma, R Ratnakar Reddy, Ch. Usha Rani, Bellamkonda Sampath Kumar, Ponnala Balaiah, K Anjaiah, Siddenki Yadagiri, Chaman Singh, K Ranga Chary, Taidala Anjaiah, Nagilla Ramashastry, Ghanapuram Devender, Veerendra Kaparthi, Pragathi, Parada Venkateshwara Rao, Acharya Pillalamarri Ramulu, Sanghani Malleshwar.
