FOUNDATION LAYING CEREMONY OF RAJASEKHARA REDDY RESEARCH CENTRE

Com. AB Bardhan, General Secretary, Communist Party of India laid the foundation stone for the Neelam Rajasekhara Reddy Research Centre in the presence of large gathering on 9th April, 2000. NR Dasari the General Secretary of the CR Foundation and the secretariat member of the CPI, Com. S Sudhakara Reddy, Secretary AP Council CPI, Com YV Krishna Rao, Director NRR Research Centre, Sri Valluripalli Nageswara Rao, President of CR Foundation, Dr N Vijay Kumar, S/o. N Rajasekhara Reddy, Tammareddy Krishna Murthy, Prof. Seshadri were present at the foundation laying ceremony.

After the foundation laying ceremony a largely attended public meeting was held in the Complex of CR Foundation. Prof. Seshadri presided over the meeting. The meeting observed two minute’s silence in memory of Sri V Srikrishna, Secretary CR Foundation, who died a day before.

S. Sudhakar Reddy invited Com. AB Bardhan, V. Nageswara Rao, NR Dasari, YV Krishna Rao, Prof. V Ramakrishna to the Dias. Com. Bardhan garlanded the photo of Chandra Rajeswara Rao in memory of whose name the foundation was established.

Com. Bardhan Speaking in the occasion strongly criticized the policies of the then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who was implicitly implementing the dictate of IMF. He further said regarding the functioning of the Research Centre observed as follows “We are not against technical revolution and computers. We welcome the revolutionary changes in scientific and technical field. But our view is that these scientific and technical revolution should not be confined to a few capitalists”, he said. Touching on the subjects of communist parties in the present situation, Bardhan said that Left parties were stagnating, as “we are victims of subjectivism and lacked objective analysis’.

Com Sudhakara Reddy said after completing the NRR Research Centre the foundation will take up in future the construction of Women’s Welfare Centre and also a Youth Centre.

Com. Dasari Nagabhushana Rao explained the objectives of the CR Foundation and the Neelam Rajasekhara Reddy Research Centre. He further said that the foundation has taken up the construction of such a big project, which involves a lot of money at a time when the communist movement is stagnating. However he promised that the Research Centre will be completed with in the shortest time possible.

Com. YV Krishna Rao, Director of the Research Centre in his speech detailed the various Research Objectives, which the centre will take up. He further stated the centre will carry on such researches, which will held progressive, socio- economic movement. He said the research will bring out such researches, exposing thoroughly the nefarious game of the IMF and the World Bank and helping the mobilization of the people to oppose and defeat the evil designs of the above institutions and also the Neo-liberal policies of America and other imperialist powers.

Prof. V. Ramakrishna wished that the Research Centre will fulfill the objectives set before itself. Com. T. Krishnamurthy offered vote of thanks.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE RESEARCH CENTRE

Chanara Rajeswara Rao Foundation for Social Progress is located in a Five Acre Land allotted by the State Government, abutting the National Highway at Kondapur; Neelam Rajasekhara Reddy Research Cenire is situated in this spacious complex.

Com. A.B. BARDHAN, General Secretary, Communist Party of India laid the Foundation for the Neelam Rajasekhara Reddy Research Centre, sponsored by Chandra Rajeswara Rao Foundation for Social Progress, on 9" April 2000. The actual construction started 3 months later. Only labour contract was given to Sri M. Srinivasa Rao. The burden of procuring needed material fell on Com. Meka Rama Koteswara Rao. Over seeing the construction work was undertake by Com. Meka Rama Koteswara Rao and by Com. Y.V. Krishna Rao, Director of the Research Centre.

Sri M. Chandra Shekara Rao, Consulting Engineer has prepared the building plan and visited the center whenever necessary to give further directions regarding the construction. SriL.S. Rama Chandra Rao has lent his services to supervise the construction.

Besides the amount alloted by C.R.Foundation com's Dasari Nagabhushana Rao, Y.V. Krishna Rao and Meka Ramakoteswara Rao have collected donations for the construction of the Research Centre. Com Dasari Nagabhushana Rao has alloted Rs. 10,00,000/- (Ten Lakhs) from his MPLADS. Thus about a total of Rs. 60 lakhs was spent for the construction of the ground floor.

INAUGURAL FUNCTION

The inaugural function of the Research Centre was celebrated on 30 September 2002. Not only a good number of Communists from the city, but a large number of people also from neighboring villages of Ranga Reddy District, intellectuals, Communist Party sympathizers have attended the function, more than the expectation of the office bearer of the CR Foundation and the Research Cenire.

At the outset Com YV Krishna Rao, Director NRR Research Centre took round the dignitaries and showed them the Seminar Hall, Library, Computer Centre and Etc. After the inaugural function a public meeting was held in the premises of the Research Centre.

Former Chief Minister of Kerala Com. P.K. Vasudevan Nair inaugurated the Indrajit Gupta Hall and noted economist and former member of the planning commission Prof. Ch. Hanumantha Rao, the library. CPI general secretary Com. A.B. Bardhan presided over the well-attended meeting.

Though the speakers at the inaugural session of the Neelam Rajasekhara Reddy Research Center differed on their perspective of what is good for society they were one on the point that in order to ascertain how far the worldwide reforms, integrated development and social progress are prompting the banishment of poverty only a scientific research will help and the Rajasekhara Reddy Research Centre will provide help in this process. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, while addressing the audience after the inauguration of Research Center, recalled his conversation with CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan and said that time was over for “isms” and that tourism was the only thing now. “Any “isms” should have removal of poverty as the aim’, he said. He observed that he was following reforms with a humane face. Naidu went on to say that China showed tremendous development in short span and reached a stage where it was attracting huge FDI even in comparison to USA. “Our aim is to eradicate poverty and disparity in every region”, he said.

Whether it is communist or Telugu Desam everybody is striving to banish the poverty and only the ways they chose are different, Naidu said and added that priority should be given to research on immediate steps to drive away social ills. Calling Naidu as a thinking Chief Minister, A.B. Bardhan disagreed with his thinking. He said that though some claim time is over for “isms” “we don’t think that time was over for basic tenets of Marxism and their goals”. “We are Marxists and we believe in scientific socialism. We do not mean in a dogmatic sense, we are Marxists. We do keep in step with all changes in sciences — social and natural sciences. We too are keen on development of science and technology”, Bardhan said.

Com. Vasudevan Nair dealing with the subject of China mentioned by the Chief Minister observed “80 per cent of the FDI it got was through the overseas Chinese while in India the situation was entirely different where in very few NRis invested here. Nair asserted that China has socialist market economy and our reforms lack a human face. He said that communal forces posed a threat to the secular fabric of the country and all like-minded people; secular forces and democratic forces will have to come together to tackle the situation.

CPI (M) state secretary B.V. Raghavulu wished that the Research Centre would be helpful in formulating policies that would be beneficial for the people. He said that those who say that history and social science are not useful for the society should realize their importance even after seeing the divisive forces, which are poisoning the minds of the people by distorting history.

Prof. Ch. Hanumantha Rao stressed the need for research on new ideas and policies for alleviating the lot of the poor in the background of globalisation and privatization. General Secretary of CR Foundation N.R. Dasari presenting his report elaborated on the work related to Research Centre and the future plans. Director of the Centre Y.V. Krishna Rao detailed the aims & objectives of the Research Centre and said the research would be conducted with most modern methods and in association with renowned research centers in the country.

Treasurer of C.R. Foundation S Sudhakar Reddy welcomed the guests. Editor of the Visalaandhra E. Nageswara Rao presented voie of thanks.