KCR pays tribute to Mahatma Jyotirao Phule

Describing Phule as a true Indian revolutionary, Chandrashekhar Rao recalled his early recognition of entrenched caste and gender-based injustices, and his pioneering work to reform them

Hyderabad: BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao paid rich tributes to social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, marking the latter’s birth anniversary, on Friday. He called the 19th-century social reformer as a visionary who dedicated his life to eradicating caste discrimination and uplifting the oppressed sections of Indian society.

Describing Phule as a true Indian revolutionary, Chandrashekhar Rao recalled his early recognition of entrenched caste and gender-based injustices, and his pioneering work to reform them. He said Phule’s mission of social equality served as the ideological foundation for the first Telangana government led by BRS, which had prioritised the empowerment of backward classes, scheduled castes and tribes through effective policy and governance.

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He said agriculture and its allied sectors were prioritised in Telangana’s governance model under the BRS, reflecting the intertwined nature of caste-based professions and rural livelihoods in India. “Recognising this historical reality, we implemented programmes that revitalised the rural economy and strengthened the foundation of social justice,” he said.

The former Chief Minister credited Telangana’s economic growth to key interventions like large-scale irrigation projects, free electricity for farmers, the Rythu Bandhu investment scheme, and procurement of agricultural produce. “These initiatives increased the purchasing power of the poor, boosted rural financial security, and created a ripple effect across the State’s rural economy,” he added.

Chandrashekhar Rao asserted that these efforts brought historically marginalised communities, particularly BCs and SCs, into the mainstream socio-economic framework, restoring their dignity and confidence. “Today, the backward classes are no longer on the margins. They are at the forefront of Telangana’s development journey,” he said. He urged the current Congress government to continue these policies and schemes, upholding Phule’s legacy, for upliftment of marginalised sections and disadvantaged communities.