`Navodaya' Rammohan Rao feted by book festival society

Rammohan Rao an institution, says Mayor

VIJAYAWADA: Members of the Vijayawada Book Festival Society on Sunday felicitated the society's founder president `Navodaya' Rammohan Rao, who received the `Ramineni Foundation Award' for his services to the field of publications.

Mayor Tadi Sakuntala, chief guest of the function, said that the name of Rammohan Rao was synonymous with the name of his publication house `Navodaya.'

Mr. Rao was one of the publishers who made Vijayawada the capital for literature and publications, she said.

Recalling her childhood, Ms. Sakuntala said that she grew up by reading `Budugu' ( బుడుగు ) a comic strip penned by Bapu-Ramana and published by Mr. Rao. The legacy of `Navodaya' would continue as Mr. Rao's grandchildren were showing interest in entering the field of publications, she said.

For Communist Party

Freedom fighter Kondapalli Koteswaramma recalled the services offered by Mr. Rao to the Communist Party.

She said that he worked as a courier when the Government imposed a ban on the party and helped senior leaders continue their underground activities.

Lauding the qualities of Mr. Rao for having many friends and well-wishers, she said that he did not earn anything except a good and wide circle of friends. Senior journalist and director of Neelam Rajasekhara Reddy Research Centre C. Raghavachari underlined the need for encouraging publishers to keep Telugu literature alive.

The publisher was a bridge between the writer and the reader, he saidP.P.C. Joshi of Prachi Publications said that Mr. Rao made his mark in the field of publications by bringing out good books.

He made good readers and writers in the State and infused life into the publication industry, Mr. Joshi said.

President of the Vijayawada Book Festival Society Ravikrindi Ramaswami presided over the meeting.

Courtesy: The Hindu