Irony of life - ANR's message ignored!
India got Independence from British rule 67 years ago. We are celebrating 68th Indepence Day. The whole Nation is crooning patriotic songs. Grand and colorful celebrations are marking the event’s speciality. But no one still has an answer for the questions asked by legendary Akkineni Nageshwar Rao 53 years ago. You might be wondering how the late ANR can question us when he is no more with us.

Coming to the point, in 1961 ANR starrer ‘Velugu Needalu’ was released. There is a particular song on 15th August celebrations. The song was composed by Pendyala Nageshwar Rao and sung by golden voice Ghantasala and Susheela. The song goes like this. ‘Paadavoyi Bharateeyudaa, aadi paadavoyi vijaya geetika’. Though the pallavi (first thematic lines) and the first charanam (stanza) of the song is about the singing praise for the freedom achieved, the next stanzas question the evils prevailing in society like rise in prices, unemployment, corruption, partiality, black market, casteism, different kinds of discriminations and exploitation.

The last stanza of the song talks about classless society in which everyone is treated equal and how our India is required to set an example for the world by perceiving the goal of oneness. ‘Sama samaaja nirmaaname nee dhyeyam. Sakala janula saubhaagyame nii lakshyam. Eka reetiga gamyam cherina naadu, lokaaniki mana bhaarata desam amdinchunule shubha samdesham’. Even today, the songs holds good because the ideals aspired for in the song haven’t been achieved yet and still all the vices mentioned above are rampant in the Independent India. As Allu Arjun showed a guiding lamp ‘I Am That Change’, don’t we need to put a check on all the vices atleast now?