Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy has said that the relaunch of Amaravati’s construction is the symbolic beginning of building a new Andhra Pradesh, emphasising that the capital is not merely a geographical location but a living emblem of the hopes and aspirations of Telugu people.  

Referring to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi relaunching the capital works on Friday, the Minister said, “Amaravati is the capital of dreams. Every citizen of the State can proudly raise their head. The new capital will stand as the crowning jewel for future generations.”

He stressed that the foundation stones were being laid for Amaravati’s revival under the leadership of Mr. Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and it would be etched in history as milestones of vision and resolve.

Krishna said, “Paritranaay saadhunam vinaashaay cha dushkritaam, dharmasanstha panaarthay sambhavaami yuge yuge” (to protect the righteous, to annihilate the wicked, and to reestablish the principles of dharma, I appear on this earth, age after age). Many mahans have appeared on this earth, some to offer protection to sadhus, some others to overcome demons. However, only those avatars are celebrated to this day where the proponents establish dharma by following through in practice. Devotees connect to Rama and Krishna. Similarly, there is only one jagath guru, who established practices and remains a guide to all devotees. This is Adi Sankara, said Damodhara Dikshidhar.

To disseminate our sastras and guide devotees is not an easy task; our Vedas are limitless, the information contained are vast and complex. Hinduism also boasts a pantheon of gods, from Brahma, Vishnu, Siva to the local deities in remote villages and some may not realise that Hinduism is beyond the confines of temples, as one cannot read and process all the information in the Vedas in one’s lifetime. However, Adi Sankara, born in Kalady, in 8th century, and hailed as a manifestation of Parameswara Himself, walked the talk. Travelling across the country, he visited countless kshetras, engaged in debates and discourses and is credited with having removed the first knot (in understanding the religion), making it easy for other acharyas following him to remove the rest of the knots.

As the propounder of Advaitha philosophy, Adi Sankara said bhakti is an easy way to reach God, but that alone is not enough. One cannot cross a waterbody by holding on to the tail of a crocodile. Similarly, one should not give up sampradaya in the name of karma. Bhakti is a means to realising the ultimate truth (Brahman). Like a river following its course (and changing its course due to obstacles where necessary), and reaching the sea, one should be a complete devotee, like Kannappa, who sacrificed his eyes for Siva. He was not well versed in rituals and practices but his devotion was pristine.

VELAGAPUDI: Education and IT minister Nara Lokesh has asserted that no amount of adversity, even in the form of “one hundred Pakistanis,” would affect India as the nation possesses a “missile” in the form of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At the work relaunch event on Friday, Lokesh began his speech by chanting, “Amaravati Namah Namah”, twice.

“Amaravati is now unstoppable,” he declared, stressing that Andhra Pradesh has regained its momentum for inclusive and rapid growth.

Lokesh referred to recent provocations from Pakistan and asserted, “Even if 100 Pakistanis come together, they cannot remove a blade of grass from the Indian soil. PM Modi is our missile. One strike, and Pakistan will go missing from the world map.”

The minister said the previous government halted the development of Amaravati due to the YSRC leadership’s personal vendetta against Chandrababu Naidu. It wanted to kill the capital project, he said.

He recalled the sacrifices of farmers and women during the 1,631-day-long Amaravati movement. “From 8-year-old children to 80-year-old elders, all held flags and chanted ‘Jai Amaravati’. Farmers were chained, women were beaten. Yet, the spirit of Amaravati couldn’t be crushed,” he stated and paid homage to the 270 farmers who died during the agitation.

Lokesh said, “Amaravati is not a plant in your backyard to be uprooted at will. It is the people’s capital, etched in the hearts of Andhra’s citizens. It was Prime Minister Modi who laid the foundation stone of Amaravati, and no one has the courage to undo that.”

“From Polavaram to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Bhogapuram Airport to green energy projects in Prakasam, the Centre is backing AP’s growth with full force,” he stated.

Highlighting the central government’s historic decision to include caste data in the next Census exercise, Lokesh said this would empower the backward classes. “What others feared to do for decades, Modi ji did with boldness.”

He highlighted the strength of the “double engine sarkar”, a powerful combination of PM Modi at the Centre and CM Naidu in the state.

In just 10 months, he said, AP has signed MoUs worth Rs 8 lakh crore, which can generate 5 lakh jobs. Future investments include NTPC Green Energy in Vizag (Rs 1.85 lakh crore), Arcelor Mittal in Anakapalli (Rs 1.36 lakh crore) and BPCL in Ramayapatnam (Rs 97,000 crore). The government aims to create 20 lakh jobs over the next five years, he said.