Vijayawada: The flood of demands to rename the new districts continued on Saturday. The latest demands were to name the districts after National Flag designer Pingali Venkayya, former President of India Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and freedom fighter Kanneganti Hanumanthu others others.
Venkayya, born in Bhatlapenumarru in Krishna district, designed the Flag and presented it to Mahatma Gandhi on April 1, 1921, during Gandhi's visit to Vijayawada. Venkayya started educational institutions and was a famous agriculturist and yet died in poverty in 1963.
AP Brahmana Chiatanya Vedika president Siripu-rapu Sridhar Sarma said that Venkayya gave global recognition to Telugus. Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu's name was given to the then newly formed Prakasam district and on the same principle Pingali Venkayya’s name should be given to the new district.
The Kakani Aasaya Saadhana Samiti (KASS) is seeking renaming the new district of Vijayawada as Kakani district or Kakani Venkataratnam district in the memory of freedom fighter and legendary minister of agriculture the late Kakani Venkataratnam also known as Ukku Kakani.
KASS president Tarun Kakani said that Venkatratman was the pioneer of the ‘Jai Andhra’ movement for allocation of AP resources for Andhra region. Prominent leaders including Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu were part of the agitation. Venkataratnam fought for the Vizag Steel Plant, and died on seeing agitating youth being fired upon by police at Gannavaram airport on December 25, 1972, amid a separate Andhra agitation.
Tarun Kakani said that the samiti had submitted a memorandum to Krishna collector J. Nivas seeking naming of Vijayawada district as Kakani Venkataratnam district and merger of Nuzvid mandal, 30 km from Vijayawada, with the district instead of with Eluru. Majority of the farming and dairy community member have cultural roots and business and personal associations with Vijayawada.
Jana Chaitanya Vedika state president Vallamreddy Lakshmana Reddy said has asked to rechristen Anantapur district as Dr Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy Anantapur district for his selfless services.
Kapu community leader and former minister Mudragada Padnamabham sought wanted the name of former minister and Lok Sabha Speaker, the late G.M.C. Balayogi, lent to the proposed Konaseema district. He wanted East or West Godavari district to be named after Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Former MLA G.V. Aanjaneyulu sought to give the name of famous writer Gurram Joshua to Palnadu
