Grand birth centenary year to venerate PV Narasimha Rao's role in the making of resurgent India

About three decades after he had set the economic reforms ball rolling and over a decade and half after his demise, former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao will perhaps be receiving his due recognition now.

Extolling his wide and immense contributions for the nation, the K Chandrasekhar Rao government has planned a yearlong activity in honor of the first Prime Minister from south India.

PV, as he is popularly referred to, was born on June 28, 1921 in Telangana (then Nizam’s Hyderabad state) and expired on December 23, 2004 in New Delhi.

The birth centenary events could have the participation of prominent personalities associated with the late PM like Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, Bill Clinton, John Major, as proposed by CM Rao in a meeting held earlier this week with senior officials and PV’s children, Prabhakara Rao and Vani Devi.

The CM decided that the Telangana legislature would send a resolution to the centre demanding Bharat-Ratna posthumously for the 'son of the soil'. A memorial like that of former President APJ Abdul Kalam at Rameshwaram, would be developed in reverence of PV in Hyderabad where he was cremated in December 2004.

Several political and economic analysts believe that PV, who led a minority government successfully for a full term (1991-96), never got the credit he deserved as the architect of transformation of India into a strong economy.

Speaking in Lok Sabha in June last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi castigated the Congress leadership for allegedly disregarding the contribution of PV, besides that of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Singh.

Though the ex-PM breathed his last in New Delhi, during the Congress led UPA-1 tenure, his body was moved to Hyderabad for cremation.

The TRS government now wants to install the polyglot’s bronze statue in New Delhi and his portrait in Parliament.

PV’s statues would also come up in Hyderabad, Warangal, Karimnagar and his native Vangara.

PV was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 1971 to 1973. A Lok Sabha member of six terms, PV had served as a minister holding decisive portfolios like defence, external affairs, home at the centre.

A memorial award, special souvenirs, photo exhibitions, and hoardings about PV in places including Bengaluru are among other things planned. “Programmes should be organised at such levels that the whole country would recognise PV’s greatness,” CM said.

A big event is being designed, in which President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Modi could join.

The remembrance year would begin on Sunday, June 28 at PV Gnana-bhoomi (his cremation ground) in Hyderabad, simultaneous programmes at 50 locations world-wide.