Honour YSR, but why disrespect NTR?

Will our political parties stop indulging in cheap politics? Still, some feel that the change of names or freebies can win them votes and they would be back in power. It's high time the politicians stopped thinking about continuing in power and started thinking about people's welfare.

Forming new national parties, changing of names where there is no necessity, announcing freebies on the eve of election, etc., are only doing more harm to the state where they are in power and the country in general. Take for example, the decision of the Andhra Pradesh government to change the name of NTR Health University as YSR Health University. What is that the YSRCP government would be achieving by this? NTR should not be seen as TDP leader or a film actor.

He is a person who had brought recognition for Telugus at national and international level. He had introduced several revolutionary reforms in the state. Even to date, he is considered as "Aradhya Daiwam' for the Telugus.

People of Andhra Pradesh have a major complaint that the Central government, both the Congress in the past and the BJP-led NDA now, has not considered bestowing Bharat Ratna on him.

That being the stature of NTR, it is most unfortunate decision taken by YSRCP. The state BJP reacted opposing the move. But the question is what will they do now? Can they force the government to reverse the decision?

The university was established as University of Health Sciences by the Government of Andhra Pradesh and was inaugurated on April 9 by the then Chief Minister N T Rama Rao. It started functioning on November 1, 1986 with Rama Rao as the University's first Chancellor. Following the death of NTR, a directive was issued by then Government of Andhra Pradesh to rename the university "Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences," on February 2, 1998.

The only reason one can think of for taking such a decision could be that it is an attempt to divert the issue from the ongoing padayatra by the farmers of Amravati. The government, if it wanted, could have named any of the new 17 medical colleges, which Jagan claimed to be getting ready, in memory of YSR. No one would have objected as YSR was a practicing medical doctor before joining politics, had been a pioneer in taking quality medicare to the common people with his innovative Aarogyasri besides introducing the 108, 104 ambulance services in the State. Wouldn't it have been appropriate to name one medical college in each of the 23 districts? YSR, certainly, is regarded as a great leader. But that does not mean that another great leader should be disrespected.

This decision has come as a shock even for many within the YSRCP. Some durbaris may praise him as a visionary and the social media which of late is turning into a menace as far as political comments are concerned. YSRCP may have political rivalry with TDP and it may even want to decimate the party totally, but changing the name of the founder of a university cannot be supported at any cost.

No wonder, the Chairman of Official Languages Commission Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad quit in protest. It would also be interesting to see what Lakshmi Parvati, the wife of NTR who is now in YSRCP and is always highly critical of TDP, would do now? She is known for giving lectures on the values and vision of NTR.