Rename districts after Bahujan leaders: BCY chief Ramachandra Yadav

VIJAYAWADA: Alleging that social justice is completely missing in the naming of districts in Andhra Pradesh, Bharata Chaitanya Yuvajana (BCY) party national president Bode Ramachandra Yadav demanded the state govt correct the historical mistake. He criticised the state leadership for ignoring the prominent Dalit and BC leaders. He said that while rulers have named districts after their family members and political leaders, ignoring the names of Bahujan stalwarts who sacrificed their lives for this land and for the upliftment of the oppressed amounts to insulting the Bahujan community. He wrote an open letter to chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday, urging the govt to name districts after Bahujan icons without delay. In his letter, Bode Ramachandra Yadav clarified that his party is not opposing the naming of districts after N T Rama Rao or Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. However, Yadav questioned as to why the same respect is not being extended to Bahujan leaders who fought for centuries for the dignity and rights of marginalised communities. He urged the govt to uphold the self-respect of all sections of society rather than favouring only a few individuals. He proposed that Markapuram district be named as Katamaraju district in honour of the revered figure of the oppressed communities; Kurnool district be renamed after Damodaram Sanjivayya, the first Dalit chief minister of the state; Krishna district be named after Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga, known as a champion of the poor; and Srikakulam district be named after Gouthu Latchanna, a prominent voice of the Backward Classes. He asserted that naming districts after these leaders is not merely a symbolic act but a matter of recognising the dignity and rightful place of the Bahujan community in history. Bode Ramachandra Yadav warned that if the govt fails to take a positive decision immediately and fulfil its historic responsibility, the party would be compelled to launch a state-wide agitation to secure this right.