The Somanatha Kalapeetham, a literary, cultural, and social forum, has raised objections to renaming Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University after renowned poet Suravaram Prathap Reddy. The forum’s president, Dr. Rapolu Satyanarayana, and vice-president, Dr. Margam Laxminarayana, have urged the State Government to instead name the university after Saint Poet Palkuri Somanatha, who lived between 1160 and 1240.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had previously promised to seek a consensus before renaming the university. However, the forum claims that he acted unilaterally by naming it after Suravaram Prathap Reddy and introducing a bill in the Assembly. According to the forum, people in the region have been demanding that Palkuri Somanatha’s name be associated with the Telugu University since the second phase of the Telangana Movement.
The forum members have urged the Chief Minister to reconsider his decision. They suggested that Palamuru University or the Media Academy could instead be named after Suravaram Prathap Reddy. Additionally, the Kalapeetham called on the literary community to support their request.
To strengthen their appeal, the forum has sent articles written by historians about Saint Somanatha, along with newspaper clippings supporting their claim, to the Chief Minister. Members of the Kalapeetham have also made a heartfelt appeal to him, hoping for a favorable decision.
