NTR: The man who symbolized Andhra Pride – Part-2

The previous first part of the article can be accessed here, Part 1. This is the second part

NTR – The revolutionary reformer CM

The reinvention of Bhagyanagar – The Telugu Velugulu and the Buddha statue

In his early stint as Chief Minister, it was NTR who developed the Buddha Purnima project around Tank Bund area in Hyderabad and commissioned installation of the statues of 34 great Telugu personalities over the ages (A committee shortlisted the icons)- Telugu Velugulu– Gautamiputra Satakarni, Brahma Naidu, Rudrama Devi, Sri Krishna Devaraya, Adikavi Nannaya, Mahakavi Pothana, Tikkana, Yerrapragada, Vaggeyakaras -Annamayya, Thyagaraja and Bhakta Ramadasu; Siddhendra Yogi, Yogi Vemana, Kshetrayya, Kavayitri Molla, Potuluri Veera Brahmendra Swami, Tana Shah, C R Reddy, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Bellary Raghava, Gurajada Apparao, Sir Arthur Cotton, Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Alluri Sitaramaraju, Komaram Bheem, Pingali Venkaiah, Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Chowdary, Gurram Jashuva, Sri Sri, Mahbub Ali Khan- Asaf Jah VI, Raghupati Venkataratnam Naidu, Mutnuri Krishna Rao, Makhdoom Mohiuddin.

NTR wanted to install an iconic statue in the Tank Bund lake, inspired by the Statue of Liberty; he chose Gautama Buddha, for which he found the solid white granite rock near Bhuvanagiri, outside Hyderabad. Hundreds of workers worked for years under the temple architect and sculptor Sri Ganapati Sthapati who created the massive 58 feet, 350 tonne Buddha statue, which was mounted on a 15 feet high platform. Lumbini Park was constructed adjacent to the lake and the statue. Unfortunately, the statue fell into the water in March 1990 while transporting it to the middle of the lake; it was ultimately pulled out of the lake and was installed in December 1992, and was consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 2006.

In his very first year as CM, NTR started the Telugu Ganga project, which provided water to the parched Rayalaseema region as well as took drinking water to the city of Madras. He supported his old friend MGR and campaigned for him in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 1984, when MGR fell ill.

Welfare policies

For a so-called political novice, NTR’s political and administrative reforms were far too many.

In his political career, he was Chief Minister for a brief seven-year period only, yet the changes he brought in were far-reaching and often permanent. He called the people his Gods – Prajale Devullu; he introduced the concept of taking the governance closer to people and initiated Prajala vaddaku palana (Governance to the doorstep of the people) and Janmabhumi campaigns. He introduced the Rs 2 kg rice scheme for the BPL population, he also introduced the mid-day meal scheme for primary school children, ensured atleast one electricity bulb for every poor household, along with subsidized electricity for small and marginal farmers and pucca housing projects for low-income households, and the Janatha clothes (from Andhra Pradesh Cooperatives– APCO) to the impoverished people of the largely poor state with the slogan- `koodu, goodu, gudda’ to all.

Administration in Telugu

As an old BA, even though he spoke excellent English, his love for his mother tongue prevailed, he ensured that the State govt’s administration is conducted in the people’s language, Telugu, with files being made, and GOs being issued in Telugu, he signed on the files in Telugu. He was always dressed in the traditional Dhoti kurta style.

The extremely hardworking NTR with his unique work culture jolted the laidback bureaucracy; he started the day at 3 am and saw visitors and party workers from 5 am onwards. Extremely punctual and disciplined, he disposed off the files efficiently; he announced several measures to streamline administration and instill discipline in the government offices, often facing stiff resistance from them. He reduced the age of retirement from 58 to 55 years, he introduced the bill banning defections of elected representatives.

Pro-women initiatives

In a revolutionary measure, four decades ago in early 1985, he amended the Hindu Succession Act, and brought in `equal rights in ancestral property’ to women; Andhra Pradesh became the first state in the country to give equal property share to women by law. He also established the Padmavathi Women’s University in Tirupati. In yet another major move, his Govt passed an order reserving 30% of government jobs to women. It was NTR’s government which started the practice of giving house pattas in the name of women, fulfilling his promise of providing `Telugu adapadachulu’ with homes.

Development of the education sector

Much less is known about NTR’s love for education and his keen interest in developing Andhra Pradesh as an education hub. Understanding the power of professional courses, he wanted students from Andhra Pradesh to reach greater heights and compete at a global level. He introduced EAMCET entrance tests for engineering, medical, and agricultural sciences graduation courses in 1986. He banned donations and capitation fees to professional colleges, which favored only the well-off students. In a bid to ensure that education and health sectors remained as service sectors in the society, he abolished government teachers teaching private tuitions, and Govt doctors working as private sector doctors simultaneously. He correctly diagnosed that if education was in people’s mother tongue, generations of people will get educated and economic opportunities will expand tremendously. He also emphasized the three-language formula to provide the students with a competitive edge in diverse professional environments.

It is not a mere coincidence that thousands of professional graduates from Andhra Pradesh went abroad for higher studies and careers, so much so that Silicon Valley is often humorously referred to as Andhra Silicon Valley.

Satellite capacity upgradation was done to support education satellites for rural education; people may remember the Tele-school experiments with the provision of TV sets in primary schools in rural AP.

The Andhra Pradesh Residential Junior Colleges (APRJC) flourished under his administration with maximum students making it to premier educational institutes for higher education.

Padmavathi Mahila Viswavidyalayam for women was founded by NTR in 1983 in Tirupati.

In 1985, NTR invited US-based renowned Cardiac surgeon Dr Kakarla Subbarao to lead Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad, and it was turned into a super-specialty hospital.

In the same year 1985, the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University was founded in Hyderabad by NTR, as he amalgamated a few academies which were riddled with politics.

In 1986, NTR also established the country’s first dedicated Health sciences University, University of Health Sciences in Vijayawada, later named after him as NTR University of Health Sciences (YSR Jagan’s Govt during 2019-2024 most brazenly renamed it as YSR University).

In the year 1986, NTR also started the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) in Tirupati, which started functioning a few years later, and also became a University in the 1990s.

Dravidian University in Kuppam, Chittoor district too is a brainchild of NTR.

Economic policies

The momentous 1995 MACS (Mutually Aided Co-operative Societies) Act was a game-changer, it was replicated later at the national level. The law notified the rules on the formation and running of cooperatives, ensuring separation from the government as well as proper regulations. In the later period, thousands of MACS societies developed and flourished in Andhra Pradesh.

NTR’s decision to divest state resources from non-performing PSUs to private sector was a revolutionary step in the `socialist’ country and attracted much criticism. For example, Allwyn Motors was divested and it became Mahindra & Mahindra.

NTR’s Govt initiated the construction and upgradation of airports in Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Warangal; Investment studies of three ports, Nellore, Machilipatnam, and Kakinada were conducted. He invested heavily in building the rural road network, which was practically non-existent before that. NFCL (National Fertilizer Corporation of India) and GFCL (Godavari Fertilizer Corporation of India), were initiated and have grown rapidly under him.

Due to NTR’s strong initiatives, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was finally on its own feet after a long period of struggle. Tirumala Devasthanam and Tirupati were modernized tremendously with huge developmental work.

He was also instrumental in the Telugu film industry shifting from Madras to Hyderabad, he himself built Ramakrishna Cine studios in Hyderabad along with other movie stalwarts.

Law and order, Communal harmony, Naxal politics

Very few remember that when NTR took over as Chief Minister, Hyderabad used to be routinely ravaged with communal clashes, especially during Ganesh Nimajjanam days. Regular curfews were the order of the day, schools were often forced to give holidays. With an iron fist, NTR clamped down against communal riots; it used to be reported in the Telugu press that he made the police accountable for any communal disturbances in the city; NTR soon became famous for managing to control the cycle of violence, and communal harmony was restored. It may be recalled that when NTR tried to revive the Quli Qutb Shah Development Authority for growth in the old city, there was resistance against the move, soon he convinced them and development was restarted by NTR. In the turbulent 1980s, NTR, who idealistically started with the slogan that Naxals were `misguided patriots’ soon learnt the hard way when the PWG was busy taking people’s lives and blowing up infrastructure. Soon he clamped down heavily against Naxal politics, a new Commando force was created in 1989, which was largely successful in anti-naxal operations, these initiatives were much strengthened during the next decade under Chandrababu Naidu’s Govt.

Mandals system of governance

In a far-reaching move, in early 1985, he abolished the archaic Taluka system, and introduced the Mandals system in its place. Following the recommendations of the Ashoka Mehta committee set up for this purpose, the government created 1104 mandals in place of 305 Talukas to make the administration more efficient and decentralized, and to take it closer to people. The system is still in place, making the Telugu states the only states in the country, which have the mandal administrative model.

In a large-scale decentralization of governance model, NTR’s govt created the Mandal Praja Parishads, and regular elections were held to the MPPs.

In yet another revolutionary move, he totally abolished the State Legislative Council, rightly recognizing it as a rehabilitation center for unelected or disgruntled politicians, which is just a waste of exchequer (revived by Congress YSR Govt again in 2004). Similarly, he had also reduced the government-related Corporations and Societies from 48 to 34, as they were just political rehabilitation centers.

In a bid to root out corruption entirely, he had established the Lokayukta (public ombudsman) in 1983 itself. The law allows any citizen to start an investigation of any person in power, including the Chief Minister.

NTR’s Govt also conducted direct elections to Panchayat bodies and provided quotas to various communities; this ensured large-scale participation of SC, ST, Backward Classes, and women in electoral politics, expanding India’s democratization. He increased the reservation of BCs from 25 to 44%, which was much later struck down by the High Court on the grounds that it exceeds 50% ceiling.

(It must be noted that the TDP government had agreed to the Scheduled Castes ABCD sub-quota way back in 1997 to ensure benefits to all the 59 SC sub-castes, however it ended up in courts later).

In yet another major move, NTR’s govt abolished the part-time hereditary posts of Karanam and Munasab in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, and Patel and Patwari in Telangana region, the state’s political landscape changed with this move, while he also made a substantial number of enemies.

Untimely demise

In an unfortunate turn of events, especially after the entry of NTR’s biographer and second wife Lakshmi Parvati, whom he married in 1993, huge upheavals in the party and in the government ensued, allegedly over her over-interference. The majority of the party and NTR’s own children too rebelled against him, Chandrababu Naidu was compelled to take control of the party and the government, to avoid further split and decline of the party, there was a lot at stake politically for the party. Chandrababu Naidu was sworn in as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in September 1995, NTR died a disillusioned man in January 1996 at a relatively younger age of 72 years. It is indeed a tragic and a most unfortunate end to an eventful life full of spectacular achievements.

The irony is that Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), an ardent fan of NTR who named his son Taraka Rama Rao after NTR, who was made a minister in the cabinets of both NTR and later Chandrababu Naidu, fanned the sub-regional sentiments of Telangana. He suddenly discovered his pet cause after spending decades in various ministerial positions when the TDP was in office. He resigned as Dy Speaker in 2001 and formed TRS party by virtually splitting TDP in Telangana region, going against the very unity of Telugus, which was the vision of NTR in establishing Telugu Desam party. It is to be noted that no other demand of statehood, whether Vidarbha, Gorkhaland or multiple others, was entertained, but only Andhra Pradesh, among the biggest states in the country, was split. If NTR was alive, he would have died a thousand deaths in 2014, when KCR and other political parties split NTR’s beloved Andhra Pradesh.

NTR will always live in the hearts of Telugus, though NTR’s legacy doesn’t need a Bharata Ratna to be presented posthumously, Telugu people are certainly watching that many others, and debatably lesser persons have been given the award, but not NTR. Congress party anyway is expected to play biased politics on this issue as NTR directly confronted Indira Gandhi’s and later Rajiv Gandhi’s step-motherly treatment towards Andhra Pradesh, but it is certainly not expected of the NDA government. After all, whether it was Atal Behari Vajpayee Govt or the present third term of Modi Govt, NDA was and is directly dependent on TDP, founded by NTR himself. Hopefully, at least now in 2025, nearly 30 years after his death, there won’t be any further delay in presenting the Bharata Ratna award posthumously to NTR.

If NTR were to be born again, undoubtedly he would be born only as an Andhra, the great Telugu that he was.

Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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