Member of Parliament K. Kavitha has assured the Banjaras that she would try her best to convince the Centre to confer the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, on Banjara seer Rama Rao Maharaj, who rendered yeoman service for the uplift of the community.
Accompanied by Endowment Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy and Nizamabad Rural MLA B. Govardhan, she opened Jagadamba temple at Devi tanda of Indalwai mandal on Thursday and received the Sri Chaitanya Rathayatra launched by Sri Rama Rao Maharaj - to propagate the Banjara culture and traditions across Telangana.
Addressing the Banjaras’ public meeting later, she said that she would take up the demand of conferring Bharat Ratna on Rama Rao Maharaj in the Parliament. She also assured them she would ensure writing of a letter by the TRS elected representatives to the Centre on it. “I pray Jagadamba mathaji to bless Lambada women who played Bathukamma along with me during Telangana agitation,” she said.
“Bathukamma festival is part of the Telangana culture while Teez is very important festival of Banjaras. I have been participating in the Teez every year. I will be very happy if the Telangana Government establishes a school to protect Banjara culture and traditions in Nizamabad,” she said.
Kavitha announced ₹15 lakh from her MPLAD fund for the construction of a function hall and accommodation to visiting devotees at Jagadamba temple. She said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has been striving for the overall development of Banjaras. Besides several other schemes an amount of ₹20 lakh was being sanctioned to bright tribal students for their education abroad, she added. Indrakaran Reddy said that he would sanction amount for the construction of rajagopuram to the Jagadamba temple.
He also promised to develop Ramalayam at Indalwai mandal headquarters.
MLA Bajireddy Govardhan presided over the meeting. MLC V.G. Goud, MPP president Indira Lakshminarsaiah, TRS district president E. Ganga Reddy, Banjara temple priests’ committee State president Shivaram Maharaj and sarpanch Lavanya Das attended.
