Leaders come and go but the people will remain. Only people are immortal but with great deeds even leaders can become immortal like late Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.For the followers of YSR, he is mortal God.
Here is how YSR became a God for masses
- YSR ensured to provide all the assistance to the ailing – be it through Arogya Sri or 108 services. It is because of YSR, each time a 108 ambulance goes by with its siren wailing, people heave a sigh of relief. Arogyasri is still being carried forward by both the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- YSR is the one who recognized the importance of old people and gave them pensions. Today politicians might claim that they are giving more money as pension, but it was his brainchild.
- The Red corridor in Andhra Pradesh shrank in size with the development through his populist schemes in rural areas where Naxals dominated.
- This day people cite various reasons to circumvent Padyatra or are strategising walkathons based on the weather conditions, YSR marched in all the backward areas of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in summer in 2003 and met with several families.
- In the political trade, each day politicians are living in a state of fear or of losing seat, YSR ensured that nobody protests against his leadership. Operation Akarsh again which was his brainchild is being used against his son by the ruling party leaders now.
- Like Sonia Gandhi gave free hand to YSR, he is known to replicate it with the bureaucrats with hardly any micromanagement. It is undeniable that there was rampant corruption, yet the welfare schemes like Arogya Sri, Pavala Vaddi, 108 services, Indiramma housing scheme, Free Current supply and Pension schemes which he introduced will be remembered for decades to come.
With the recent defeat in Nandyal and Kakinada elections, his son Jagan Mohan Reddy has to take a leaf out of YSR’s life. By merely attempting to become like his father, Jagan will see a lot of change in how differently YSR perceived the society which made him popular among the masses.
