Followers of American missionary John Everett Clough celebrated 180th birth anniversary of the apostle to Telugus here on Saturday.
Pastor Rev A. John Prabakar led the people at the Jewett Memorial Bapatist Church in recalling the services of the New York-born missionary who worked to ameliorate the living condition of people suffering due to the famine in 1878.
Fruits were distributed to the inmates of the Disabled welfare hostel here by JMB functionaries led by its president T. David. Cloughpet named after him by the side of ABM college here remains as testimony to the love of Telugus for the American missionary, he added.
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When the American Baptist Mission decided to close down the Ongole mission, the missionary stood with the toiling Telugus and preferred to die in India instead of returning to the USA, recalled the pastor, adding that Dr. Clough had given employment to thousands of Telugus who might have otherwise starved by taking a contract for digging the Buckingham canal.