Freedom fighter : He was arrested for the first time, when he was studying SSLC. The innate seeds of freedom began to sprout during that time. His belief in non-violence made him respond to the clarion call of Gandhiji, Discontinuing his studies, he jumped into freedom struggle. He shouldered the responsibility of supplying things to the Underground senior freedom fighters. Dr Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, the ex-President of India was one of them. He participated in Quit India Movement and courted arrest
Socialist to the core: Just like Sri PVG Raju, he was a socialist to the core His oft repeated slogans “Freedom is my breath and equality is my life “(Swetcha na oopiri, samatha naa pranam) and his life-long striving to achieve them made him a towering personality At an early age, Nannapaneni fell under the influence of Sri Jaya Prakash Narayan and imbibed in him the ideals of socialism NVR was neither a devotee nor a spiritual scientist. He knew that life is not all about being rich and it is much more than that. The wealth he coveted for was the welfare of the downtrodden sections. He was elected the Chairman, Tenali Municipality in 1949. He served as the Chairman for three consecutive terms. As the youngest socialist chairman in India, he took bold steps of abolishing taxes on the poor, His interest in every developmental activity and his service to society made people call him Andhra Kamarajnadar
Champion of the downtrodden sections: NVR stood for Equality till his last breath. His oft repeated slogan ‘Equality is my life’ is true to the core. He wanted to see a casteless, creedless society, where everyone is equal. During his regime as the Municipal Chairman, he rendered yeoman service to the downtrodden and poor sections. He dispensed with the taxes which were levied on the thatched houses, jatkas, rikshaws etc. All through his life he was for the uplift of the poor and weaker sections. The plight of the disadvantaged sections moved him. Offering monetary help to the poor within one’s means can be done by anyone. The task of Nannapaneni was to create awareness among them of their rights and make them fight for them. He decided to champion their cause and be their God father. The National Seminar, he organized on “The Homeless Poor” was an effort to open their eyes to the fact that they have a right to have their own houses. Another seminar on ‘Weaker Sections’ attracted the attention of thinkers and social reformers. Participants from different states gave a serious thought to it. It was a sensation as intellectuals, politicians and reformers, discussed the issue and came out with thought provoking suggestions, which paved way for thinkers to pay attention to the serious problem.
Educationist: There was not even a single educational institution of higher learning even in late 1940s in Tenali. The poor especially the weaker sections of Tenali and Repalle Taluqs were unable to go for higher education due to lack of an institution. Nannapaneni’s conviction that uplift of the poor and disadvantaged sections is possible only by means of providing higher education to them resulted in the establishment of VSR College in 1951. Keeping the weaker sections in mind, he saw that this institution was established to cater to their higher educational needs, which alone can raise their status. Mustering strength in every way from different angles, he constituted The Tenali College Committee, Tenali. Donating Rs 100000 from the Municipality with the permission of the Government, and motivating people committed for the cause of education, he established the College. After crossing the infantile hurdles, it began to grow by leaps and bounds and witnessed many fast phases of progress and it became a prestigious institution. As the Founder Secretary of the College, he conducted a mega national Seminar on Weaker Sections in 70s. Sri Damodaram Sanjeeviah and other great leaders participated in that. In 1979, he conducted a National Seminar on Homeless Poor, which was a sensation. Politicians, academicians, reformers, a large number of VIPs from different fields and various places attended the seminar. It was intended to create awareness among the poor of their rights and it was meant to be an eye opener to the poor .People from downtrodden sections and poor families, who never dreamt of education made use of this institution as a ladder and occupied very good positions in the society.
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