Date:18/09/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/18/stories/2004091815041300.htm

National

Swami Agnivesh's campaign against bonded labour lauded

By Our Staff Reporter

Swami Agnivesh (third from left) being honoured by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Chairman, T. Subbarami Reddy (second from left), and religious leaders at the birthday celebrations of Mr. Reddy at Visakhapatnam on Friday. - Photo: K.R. Deepak

VISAKHAPATNAM, SEPT. 17. A felicitation to social activist, Swami Agnivesh, at a `sarva dharma sama bhavana sammelan' in the presence of a galaxy leaders marked the birthday celebrations of the TTD Chairman, T. Subbarami Reddy, here today. A citation on the selfless service and campaign against bonded labour by Swami Agnivesh was read out and presented to him by the religious leaders present.

The former Chief Minister and Visakhapatnam MP, N. Janardhan Reddy, MPs, G. Venkata Swamy, V. Hanumantha Rao, Nandi Yellaiah, the Mayor, Rajana Ramani, the AICC secretary, P. Sudhakar Reddy, and several MLAs, including Dronamraju Satyanarayana and film actress, Sarada, were present. While playback singer, P. Suseela, rendered a devotional film song, Mr. Subbarami Reddy released a book of her songs.

Lauding Mr. Subbarami Reddy's way of celebrating his birthday, Mr. Janardhan Reddy suggested that henceforth every year it should be organised as one which propagated equality of religions. Mr. Hanumantha Rao said the celebration was in contrast to the yatras being taken out with the tricolour to ``divide people''. Even the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, rejecting the Prime Ministership was to deal a severe blow to ``communal parties,'' he said. Mr. Venkata Swamy took exception to his being described as a Dalit leader even after so many decades of being in politics.

Mr. Subbarami Reddy said he had earned the affection of people of Visakhapatnam rising above electoral politics. He vowed to serve the people of the city for a long time to come. He had visited more than 500 villages and got constructed temples in the district. Thanking all those who had turned up, he rendered a `Sivastuti' too.

Sri Swaroopanandendra Saraswati of Sri Sarada Peetham, Mohammed Osman Saheb Naqshebandi, Imam-o-Nayab Qateeb of Makka Masjid, Gali Bali D.D., Bishop of Guntur, and Sahadev Singh, Head Grandhi of the Gurudwara, Visakhapatnam, participated in the dharma sammelan and honoured Swami Agnivesh.