Prajatantra News
“Prajatantra’s first issue launched by the then CM Chandrababu naidu carried an article on the historic inevitability of Telangana state formation. Prajatantra was launched in 1998, the year in which the use of word Telangana was banned in the Assembly.
“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.”
Prajatantra News Prasthanam
The year was 1998. Chandrababu Naidu led TDP government was ruling the then united Andhra Pradesh State. During that regime, even a casual mention of the word “Telangana” was blasphemy. The TDP members in the Legislative Assembly were barred from using the word Telangana in their deliberations in the portals of the Assembly.
It was then that Prajatantra Weekly was launched by Devulapalli Brothers, totally dedicating their then weekly for the cause, welfare and aspirations of the people in the Telangana region. The commitment of Devulapalli family was such that in their inaugural issue, they had Revolutionary Poet and Balladeer Gadar on their cover page. The cover page story was about the historical necessity of carving a separate state for the Telanagana. The Devulapalli family did not stop there. They made the then Chief Minister of United AP, N Chandrababu Naidu, who was and is dead against the separate Telangana state to formally release the inaugural issue. Which he did.
With journalism running high in their DNA, Devulapalli family members, Madanmohan Rao, Prabhakar Rao, Amar, Ajoy and Vijay, have singlehandedly launched Prajatantra. Facing several hardships especially on the financial front, under the able guidance of Madanmohan Rao, Prabhakar Rao and with active support and blessings from veteran journalists like Juvvadi Gowtham Rao, Adiraju Venkateshwar Rao, Potturi Venkateswara Rao, K. Srinivas Reddy the then Chairman of Press Academy, known Human Rights and Civil Liberties Activists KG Kannabhiran, K Balagopal, noted columnists Yashoda Reddy, Avantsya Somasunder, G Krishna, Mallepalli Laxmaiah, N Venugopal, K. Srinivas, Allam Narayana and a host of others, Prajatantra had carved a niche in the Telugu journalism and always stood for the noble cause of separate Telangana state. It is no exaggeration that Prajatantra did to Telangana region what Andhra Patrika did during the freedom struggle to the people of Telugu. Right from the day one, Prajatantra steadfastly adhered to the high moral and ethical values in the field of journalism by never compromising once on the journalist’s ethos.
Since 1998 till date, Prajatantra, as weekly and daily newspaper always stood for the people, reflecting and voicing their immediate concerns in true letter and spirit. Several writers, columnists and journalists feel proud if their articles are published in Prajatantra. Though the publication cannot boast have its circulation figures compared the pulp newspapers and magazines of the day often declare. As an Independent and Responsible Weekly Launched in 1998 at Hyderabad, Prajatantra launched its daily edition initially from Nalgonda in 2001 and now has become formidable voice of Telangana State having 12 PC Centres with 350 Mandals reporting network. Prajatantra is having its own Production Unit with ad equate infrastructure at Uppal Industrial Area., Plot 1A, Industrial Park, IDA, Uppal, Hyderabad-