Narla Venkateswara Rao - Public Speaking

Public Speaking

Narla was more a thinker and writer than a speaker but that did not keep him away from public meetings, study camps, conferences, etc. where he would cogently and lucidly present his point of view. In his last days he actively participated in Radical Humanist, Rationalist and atheist meetings and participated in inter-caste functions. Narla's studies of the Gita, the Upanishads and the puranas (Hindu holy texts) were published posthumously. He also authored a Telugu play SEETHA JOSYAM (prophecy of Seetha) published by the Sahitya Academy. The play evinced much interest among religious and literary circles. However, Narla vehemently resented criticism of the play by the official journal of the Sahitya Academy, on the ground that being the mouthpiece of the publishers it should not voice criticism of the work. He also made it the ground for rejecting the Sahitya Academic award, which caused a sensation in the literary circles. Narla’s monographs on Vemana, Veerasalingam and Gurajada Appa Rao were translated into several Indian languages. In his last days, Narla took up cudgels against Viswanatha Satyanarayana, on the ground that he promoted revivalism. He also disapproved of the writings of Gudipati Venkata Chalam a popular Telugu writer who grew into an advocate of free sex while promoting women's liberation.