Rayapati Sambasiva Rao’s unforgettable help
Professions, Checkered Career, and Lessons
From Khangi School to Center for Excellence-8
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
(April 22, 2026)
At a critical juncture of my career, I was also subjected
to relentless mental harassment for nearly two months. The antagonists, acting
without restraint, haunted me in umpteen ways, levelling fictitious
allegations, none of which ever found a place on paper.
Eventually, as truth often does, nothing came of it. That
episode, too, became yet another profound learning lesson. My assignment as
Public Relations Officer was on a one-year contract, and with its completion, I
had to return to Raj Bhavan once again. There followed a conspicuous gap, an
apparent void in my career path. A gap that naturally invited the question:
why?
After completing my contract at the Chief Minister’s
office, I returned with the intent of rejoining my post at Chetana, from where
I had originally been sent on deputation. For reasons best known to those in
authority, Governor Krishna Kant, in his capacity as Chairman of Chetana, which
by then was made dormant by him, convened the Managing Committee meeting.
A resolution was passed declaring my position redundant
and stating that my services were no longer required. In one stroke, I was
removed from my job. With three children still in school and no financial
cushion to fall back upon, I was left stunned and spellbound. Survival itself
seemed uncertain.
With the assistance of a couple of Managing Committee
Members of Chetana, who, though they had been party to the resolution, were
unaware that I was the individual concerned, I approached the High Court.
The legal process commenced. There were stays, vacations
of stays, pressure to vacate the Raj Bhavan residence, my approach to the Rent
Control Authority, and even an allegation of security threat, which was later
proved to be entirely baseless.
Through it all, I found myself suspended in a
Trishanku-like state, neither here nor there. Then, two significant
developments brought both relief and renewed courage. The first was an act of
kindness from the then Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Chairman of the
Twenty-Point Economic Program Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, holding Cabinet rank, who
was also a family friend.
Rayapati Garu instantly offered me a stopgap assignment,
with remuneration slightly higher than what I had been receiving as PRO to the
Chief Minister. Almost simultaneously, the authorities of the BHEL Higher
Secondary School, in what felt like a God-sent blessing, sent me a demand draft
for Rs. 10,000/- towards my terminal benefits. This was an amount I had never
expected and had mentally written off altogether. That gesture carried not just
financial value, but deep emotional reassurance.
At that point, I resolved to fight, fight with faith,
fight with dignity, and fight with perseverance. In due course, and over time,
the matter with Chetana was settled through a compromise. I was paid a
substantial amount (In those days standards) in lieu of my terminal benefits by
the Governor.
More than anything else, the then Editor Andhra Jyothi I
Venkat Rao encouraged me to write a weekly column, based on the material
provided by the paper, which added to my revenue.
By the time this chapter reached closure, I had already
secured my next employment, marking yet another transition in my long and
checkered journey. Through these experiences, marked by turbulence and
unexpected grace alike, I learned that setbacks do not define us. At the most
they were speed breakers. It was the resolve to stand firm, to remain positive,
and to continue moving forward that ultimately shapes one’s destiny.
{{From my Forthcoming Book
PROFESSIONS, CHECKERED CAREER, AND LESSONS
(From Librarian to CPRO to CM KCR)
A Journey from Khangi School to Center for Excellence}}
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