AA Edit | Honour for NTR long overdue

Nearly a year after BJP leader Daggubati Purandeswari first floated the idea, President Draupadi Murmu released a commemorative coin on the occasion of centenary birth celebrations of legendary Telugu film actor and three-time Chief Minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao.

Though the coin having a face value of Rs 100 will not be released for general circulation and can be bought from the Indian Government Mint, this marks the first occasion when N.T. Rama Rao (or NTR as he was fondly called by people) has been honoured at the national level.

NTR is one of the cultural icons of Telugu-speaking people, who constitute the fourth largest linguistic group in the country, and the largest in southern India. He was among the first crop of leaders, who made regional pride — Telugu Atma Gouravam — an electoral plank, just like Narendra Modi reaped electoral dividend of Gujarati Asmitha. NTR contributed immensely to the promotion of Telugu language and culture and gave a separate identity to Telugu people, after being condescendingly clubbed into a homogenous stereotype called ‘Madrasi’.

NTR was the first leader in India who rode to power within less than a year (nine months) of starting a new political outfit. On the social development front, NTR unshackled Telangana farmers from the Patel-Patwari system and laid the foundation for the equitable development of feudal-infested Telangana region. He was also a big champion of powerful welfare schemes.

He had also become a rallying point for Opposition unity against the Rajiv Gandhi government, which led to the creation of the National Front, which managed to form the second ever non-Congress government at the Centre.

Perhaps, few leaders in India could boast of such an impressive resume. However, sadly, he never received the kind of recognition he deserved at the national level, primarily because he was aligned to an anti-Congress orientation.

After the honour came to NTR, people will hope the BJP, which has been trying to claim the legacy of former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, will also give credit to one of mother India’s greatest sons, who was also like NTR, a proud Telugu.