Vemuri Anjaneya Sarma

Vemuri Anjaneya Sarma (24 October 1917 – 6 May 2003) was an Indian writer in the Telugu and Hindi languages. He was active in literary and cultural fields in the Indian independence movement, and became an important figure in the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha (DBHP), a Hindi-language movement in South India.

Vemuri Anjaneya Sarma
Born24 October 1917
Edumudi, Prakasham district, Andhra Pradesh
Died2 May 2003(2003-05-02) (aged 85)
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Occupationwriter

Birth and early years

Shri Vemuri Anjaneya Sarma was born to Shri Vemuri Venkateshwarlu and Smt. Raghavamma in Edumudi village, six miles away from Uppugunduru railway station in Prakasham district, Andhra Pradesh state, India on 24 October 1917 (Wednesday), on Maha Navami (a day before Dussera).

Shri Vemuri Anjaneya Sarma had two brothers and four sisters. His grandfather was a merchant with agricultural land of around 300 acres. Due to losses in business, they lost everything and had to move to Kuchipudi Village, 3 miles near to Tenali, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. Due to business losses the family went through extreme poverty.

As he grew, Seshaiah Garu made Anjaneya Sarma to realize that for a poor Brahmin family to survive, he had to practice paurohitya (ritual practices in the Vedic tradition). To learn Sanskrit, Anjaneya Sarma learnt "Raghuvamsham" from Shri Venkatappayya Sastry Garu, "Smarthamu" from Seshaiah Garu. He later joined Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Sastry Garu in Varahapuram as a disciple for three years. He also traveled to Vemuru village near Varahapuram to learn "Tarka Shastram" and "Nishada Kavyam" from Shri Kuruganti Venkata Ramana Sastry Garu. During this period, Anjaneya Sarma Garu used to eat with one Brahmin family each day of the week to survive.

Education

Anjaneya Sarma studied for 'Ubhayabhasha Praveen' of Andhra University Oriental Degree at Sanskrit College, Tenali, Andhra Pradesh. After leaving college he participated in National Movement, and subsequently studied 'Sahitya Visharada' Hindi Literature at Naini Hindi Vidyapeeth, Allahabad.

Achievements and recognition

Computers in Indian languages

Working with the Department of Electronics, Govt. of India, Anjaneya Sharma contributed to developing computer keyboards for all Indian languages, and was instrumental in taking up developmental projects in software and hardware.

Propagation and development of national language

Anjaneya Sharma sought to propagate of Hindi as the national language in the former dominions of the Nizam of Hyderabad, comprising Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka. He took part in the literary movement in Hyderabad, and organised and coordinated Kavi Sammelans and Nataka Sammelans in fourteen languages.

He joined the DBHP movement in 1938 and established a postgraduate department within it. He introduced M.A. in Functional Hindi at Hyderabad in 1978, the first of its kind in India. He also introduced M.Phil., Ph.D. and D.Litt., and postgraduate diploma in Translation and Journalism. He founded two more colleges, at Ernakulam and Dharwar, and introduced Hindi Teacher Training Colleges offering B.Ed., & M.Ed., Courses at Hyderabad and then in Madras, Dharwar and Ernakulam. Finally he helped to design DCA and MCA courses through the medium of Hindi.

Awards
  • 'Babu Ganga Saran Singh Award' - Awarded by Govt. of India in 1989
  • 'Souhardra Award' given by Govt. of Uttar Pradesh in 1990
  • Felicitations by more than 200 organisations at more than 50 cities and towns
  • 'Abhinandan Granth' - A book marking his contribution to the national language

Professional career

Positions held

Anjaneya Sarma began to teach Hindi in 1935 at Bheemavaram and Eluru, West Godavari District. Within the DBHP he was appointed as organiser in Andhra in 1940, and as Chief Executive successively of Hyderabad Hindi prachar Sangh, Hyderabad, of DBHP Sabha Andhra Pradesh (1958–59), of DBHP Sabha, Kerala Eranakulam (1962–66), and of DBHP Sabha, Delhi (1966–74). He served as its Chief Secretary at the Madras headquarters 1974-79. He was Registrar, DBHP Sabha at Hindi University (declared by The Parliament of India as an Institution of National Importance) from 1978 to 1991 when Sri P.V. Narasimha Rao was Vice-Chancellor. He was appointed Pro-Vice Chancellor of Post Graduate and Research Wing of DBHP Sabha in 1999.

He worked as General Secretary of Federation of All-India Voluntary Hindi organisations, Delhi, sponsored by Govt. of India, for a period of six years.

Committee memberships In various ministries
  • Hindi Advisory Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, New Delhi
  • Hindi Advisory Committee, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India, New Delhi
  • Hindi Advisory Committee, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi
  • Hindi Advisory Committee, Coal India Ltd.
  • Hindi Advisory Committee, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
  • Hindi Advisory Committee, Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India, New Delhi
  • Committee for Common Key Board for Computer, Department of Electronics, Govt. of India, New Delhi
  • Committee on Technology Mission, Govt. of India, New Delhi
  • Was Member of 12 other Ministries in the Past

Literary contributions

Books written on Literary Integration
  • 'Tootthi Paramparayen' Translation of Telugu novel by Mahidhar Rammohan Rao into Hindi.
  • "House Surgeon" translation of Telugu novel written by Dr. Kommuri Venugopala Rao which was awarded with National prize for best translation
  • "Is Desh Ki Yah Bhi Ek Samasya Hai" translation of novel by Dr. K. Venugopal Rao into Hindi
  • "Dilli Dalarulu" translation of Hindi novel by Panday Bechan Sarma "Ugra" into Telugu
  • "Kalasina Jeevithalu", translation of Malela Jeev in Telugu, Gujarati novel by Pannalal Patel
  • "Jeevitham Oka Nataka Rangam" translation of Gujarathi Novel into Telugu by Sri Pannalal Patel
  • "Vishwarathudu" - Gujarathi Novel - K.M. Munshi into Telugu
  • 'Sambarakanya' - Gujarathi Novel — K.M. Munshi
  • 'Devadatta' - Gujarathi Novel — K.M. Munshi into Telugu
  • 'Vishwanath Ki Kahaniyan' - Telugu Stories of Jnanapeeth Puraskar Winner Sri Viswanatha Satyanarayana into Hindi
  • 'Munimanikyam Ki Kahaniyan' - Telugu Stories by Sri Munimanikyam Narasimha Rao into Hindi
  • 'Akkasha Deepam' - Hindi Stories into Telugu
  • 'Urdu Kathalu' - Urdu Stories into Telugu
  • 'Alluri Seetharama Raju' - Drama of Sri Padala Rama Rao into Hindi
  • 'Kala-Jeevitha Darshanam' - Kaka Kalekar's Book into Telugu
  • Naa Bhartha Naa Daivam' - Book on Sri Lalbahadur Sastry as Told by Smt. Lalitha Devi written by Umashankarji
  • 'Tirupathi Venkata Kavulu' English to Telugu Translation
  • Translation of 'Gandhi and Marx' by Kishorilal Mashruwala into Telugu
  • 'Godavari Hans Padi' - Telugu Stories into Hindi — Editing
  • 'Kali Khil Uthi' - Telugu Short Stories — Editing
  • 'Srestha Kahaniyan' - Collection of Hindi Stories - 1973
  • 'Bharath Katha Sarovar' - Stories written in Hindi by Non Hindi writers — Editing
  • 'Vishwanath Krititva Aur Vyaktitwa' - Articles written — Editing
  • 'Mangal prabhatham' - Gandhi's book into Telugu
  • Founder Editor of 'Sravanthi' Telugu Literary Monthly

Editor
  • Founder Editor of 'Sravanthi' - Telugu Literary Monthly being Published for 52 years By DBHP Sabha, Hyderabad
  • Poorna Kumbh_Hindi Monthly
  • Dakshin Bharath — Hindi Monthly
  • Dakshin Bharathi — Hindi Quarterly
  • Kerala Bharathi — Hindi Monthly
  • Samaveth Swar — Hindi Bi – Monthly

Theatre movement

Anjaneya Sarma participated in theatre movement as a means to propagate nationalism from the age of 20. He acted as "Devadas" and in other lead roles in many dramatic performances, and wrote and directed plays and dramas in Hindi and Telugu.

Library movement

Anjaneya Sarma was instrumental in establishing 'National Library' for Research in Hindi at Madras. He established many other libraries and reading rooms, and organised literary and cultural activities using libraries as a common place of meeting to arouse nationalism among the lawyers and other elite groups of towns and cities.

Educational activities

Anjaneya Sarma served as advisor of teaching South Indian languages for Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. He also taught Hindi and Telugu to parliamentarians in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Cultural activities

Anjaneya Sarma was in contact with Sri Prithviraj Kapoor and other leaders in the cultural field. He held many posts of responsibility in Andhra Nataka Kala Parishad, and organised cultural activities involving artists in Delhi, Madras, Hyderabad and Ernakulam.

Broadcasting

For many years Anjaneya Sarma taught Hindi through radio lessons on All India Radio. Through All India Radio he also broadcast over 100 speeches in Hindi and Telugu , and participated in more than 50 panel discussions and interviews. On Doordarshan he presented reviews of Telugu films, and appeared in national telecasts connected with Hindi Day.

Institutions Associated with
  • Parliamentarians Hindi Association, New Delhi
  • Central Hindi Directorate, New Delhi
  • Central Sahitya Akademi
  • Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Agra
  • Federation of Hindi Organisations of India, New Delhi
  • Department of Electronics, Govt. of India, New Delhi
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
  • Different Universities of the Country

Creation of Memorial Trust

On 6 May 2003, Shri Anjaneya Sarma died. To remember Shri Anjaneya Sarma and to take forward his legacy, his entire family came together to create "Shri Vemuri Anjaneya Sarma Smarak Trust" and since then on each anniversary of his birth they have recognised people with their contribution in the field of Hindi literature, Telugu literature and theatre. Over the last decade around 40 achievers have been recognized for their contribution in these fields.

References
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