Move forward with a sense of patriotism: Durgesh

Rajamahendravaram: Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh has called upon the student community to move forward with a strong sense of patriotism and to always remember the unparalleled sacrifices of freedom fighters. He spoke at the grand celebrations marking 150 years of the composition of Vande Mataram, held at Adikavi Nannaya University (AKNU) on Saturday. Over 20,000 students from the university and its affiliated colleges participated in the programme, which emerged as a collective platform reflecting patriotism, cultural heritage, and national consciousness. The event was organised to recall the spirit of the Vande Mataram movement that played a key role in India’s freedom struggle.

The Minister said it was a matter of pride that the 150th anniversary celebrations of Vande Mataram were organised in such a remarkable manner at a university named after Adikavi Nannaya, who laid a strong foundation for the Telugu language. He said many great souls fought without caring for their lives to break the chains of slavery of Bharat Mata, and remembering those martyrs is the basic duty of every citizen.

Vice-Chancellor Acharya S. Prasanna Sree said the main objective of the programme was to instil patriotism among students. She described Vande Mataram as the song that has given voice to the soul of the nation for 150 years, and said the two words penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee became the heartbeat of the freedom movement.

Rajamahendravaram Urban Development Authority (RUDA) chairman Boddu Venkata Ramana Chowdary said the collective rendition of Vande Mataram by thousands of students on the banks of the Godavari was a truly memorable and inspiring moment.