Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu held up the example of Gora Sastri as a perfect journalist while speaking at the latter’s birth centenary symposium here on Saturday.
“He was a fountainhead of knowledge; fearless, forthright and a man of rectitude as he did not mix opinion with news. He was a beacon of objectivity where nothing mattered to him, not even friendship. Though he was a friend of the then Chief Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, he didn’t flinch from writing the headline ‘For God’s sake, go’ during the height of separate Telangana movement in the ‘60s,” said Mr. Naidu.
The event was organised by Sahitya Akademi and Veteran Journalists’ Association, Hyderabad, to commemorate the memory of the editor who was among the first to move to Hyderabad and edit the Andhra Bhoomi, after making a name for himself with Telugu Swatantra in Madras (now Chennai) and Swatantra in Hyderabad .
An exemplary career
Mr. Naidu delved into the career of Govindu Rama Sastri or Gora Sastri as well as the times he lived in. “The current generation needs to learn from the examples of the earlier generations. Wealth is usually measured in terms of money a person has. But the knowledge of letters is a wealth that stays with you,” he added as he spoke about decay in values, standards and traditions.
Earlier, the Vice-President released the book ‘Vinayakudi Veena’, a collection of articles written by Gora Sastri.
“The editorials written by Gora Sastri had literary value. The tone was as if the editor was conversing with the reader. His writing had a personal touch. At a time when government jobs were highly coveted, he quit his job in the Railways and trusted his writing,” shared Mr. Naidu as he narrated anecdotes from the life of Gora Sastri.
Sahitya Akademi secretary K. Srinivas Rao, and several prominent senior journalists, including G.S. Varadachari and K. Laxmana Rao, were present on the occasion.
