CHERISH OUR HERITAGE
we must in all circumstances and at all costs – such of it as is conducive to democratic, humane and truly civilized progress of our community – though no doubt we need abandon such of it that is reactionary, superstitious and constrictive of human rights. While extending to all our readers hearty Khara nama samvatsara Telugu Ugadi greetings, we wish to point out that this New Year day itself is an irrebuttable proof of the common culture of all Telugus across all borders and the current regional divide is but an historical anomaly, which was not there in all periods of history and the great Telugu personalities over the ages, reverently remembered by a grateful Telugu nation through installation of their statues on the Tank Bund, Hyderabad, rise above any regional rifts. It is much regrettable that recently many of these statues were wantonly destroyed by ignorant rowdy persons parading in the garb of regional democracy, and no words are too strong to condemn this stupid atrocity. They do not know that Nannaya was probably a Kannadiga by birth who contributed greatly to Telugu literature just as Pampa, writer of the Kannada Bharata, was perhaps a Telugu from Vemulavada; that the Vijayanagara Empire itself was established by two erstwhile military officers of the Kakatiya empire; that the Kakatiyas themselves ruled over almost the entire Telugu country and Tikkana was greatly revered by Ganapati Deva; that Srikrishnadeva Raya was son of a Tulu father and Telugu mother – a great personality who raised the name and fame of Telugu language to the skies by a single powerful line: ‘Desabhashalandu Telugu lessa’; that Sri Sri, whose statue was also desecrated, was a revolutionary poet of unparalled excellence preaching universal socialist values and cannot be looked through narrow parochial glasses. Such are their noble stories, and in the statues-installation if any more deserving are left out or less worthy are kept in, that is a matter for healthy discussion and serious consideration by people, especially scholars and litterateurs, and always due respect can be given to sterling personalities at appropriate times at appropriate places. All this vandalism reinforces our apprehensions about the great danger and loss due to the current separatist agitation and we earnestly appeal to the people to realize that Telangana means, it always meant, entire Telugu land, and as such strive for the retention and promotion of the politico-cultural unity of all Telugu people §§§
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