Happy Birthday Vijayamma—a woman of courage and grit!

  'Cometh the hour, Cometh the woman'. A quiet self-effacing woman suddenly found herself launched on to the centrestage of state politics in June 2012.

Up until YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's arrest, his mother, YS Vijayamma chose to remain behind the scenes playing her role as a dutiful wife and mother diligently. No one had seen the gritty side of her personality till then.
The sudden death of Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy in tragic circumstances on September 02, 2009 left Vijayamma and her family members in a state of total shock from which she could never quite recover. Added to that was the cloak and dagger political scenes that were being enacted all around them. People who were their trusted lieutenants and who had breakfast, lunch and dinner at their house had suddenly turned against them. The system was out to frame her son and both the State and Central governments hounded him so relentlessly that they made sure he was kept away from the people and in jail.
It was at this point that the mantle of the party's leadership fell on Vijayamma. Suddenly, she found herself propelled into the thick of electioneering and she drew huge crowds wherever she went. She emerged as a pillar of strength for her party's followers and supporters. Members of her family looked up to her for hope and inspiration. Her larger family of the people of Andhra Pradesh saw that she belonged to them. In her, people saw a woman who had not only lost her husband, but who was being victimised by a sadistic Central leadership in tandem with the state leaders.
Some of the barbs of the state Congress leaders shocked even the masses when she repeated them at her rallies. For example, when she recalled that Botsa Satyanarayana had said that it was she and her son, Jagan who were responsible for Dr YSR's death, people could not believe that politicians could stoop to such abysmal depths. They decided to teach a lesson to both the Congress and the TDP and did so in resounding terms.
Wherever Vijayamma went, she spoke from her heart and raised issues which were close to the everyday life of the common man. Be it the issue of the weavers in Sircilla or that of the farmers in the state — she spoke with exemplary authenticity. This made people identify themselves with her. And women in particular, thronged to her gatherings in massive numbers.
For someone who is not used to the rough and tumble of Indian politics, Vijayamma buffeted the storms of ill-directed criticism at her and the YSRCP with admirable courage. Despite all the emotional upheavals that she and her family members went through each time her son's bail petition was adjourned or rejected, she refused to buckle down or show any signs of fear or nervousness. She was also subject to personal criticisms and attacks in public which she took in her stride manfully. This is where strength of character comes in!
And YS Vijayamma has shown on more than one occasion that she has the grit and single-mindedness of purpose to stand up to the challenges that come her way.
Today, on her birthday, Sakshipost salutes the gutsy woman. We hope Vijayamma continues to inspire millions of other women who face the same plight to fight against all odds and emerge a winner.
-Reshmi@sakshipost