From graduating from the Andhra University, to taking up a career in teaching in the same college to becoming Member of Parliament of the city has been a long journey for Khambampati Haribabu.
“I learnt the ABC of politics on the roads of the university campus and became general secretary of Engineering College Students Union. It is on the streets of the city that I learnt the value of people’s movements mentored by Tenneti Viswanatham and Gouthu Latchanna,” president of Andhra Pradesh BJP and MP-elect from Visakhapatnam said in response to the felicitation organised by his contemporaries, juniors and seniors from the university.
Incidentally Vice-Chancellor GSN Raju was his immediate junior in engineering and they both joined the university as teachers the same day. While Prof Raju continued teaching and went on to become its Vice-Chancellor, Mr Haribabu retired from teaching to join public life. Most of his contemporaries recalled anecdotes of their association.
Of course the university and its faculty had great expectations from Mr Haribabu and they did read out a wish-list including betterment of the university and increased funding. Vice-Chancellor, Rector EA Narayana, Registrar Ramamohana Rao and Principal AU College of Engineering (Autonomous) Ch Ramachandra Murthy, among others, were present.