Kakinada: In a bold act of defiance, a group of youths from Polavaram village in Tammavaram Panchayat organized a protest to remove the name ‘Jagan Mohanapuram’ from a large arch at the entrance of their village. The arch, which had been erected on December 25, 2020, bore pictures of former CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy and was part of the YSRCP’s Navaratnalu initiative, promoting houses for the poor.
The youths explained that for years, they were intimidated by the YSRCP whenever they objected to the renaming of their village. However, with the change in government, they felt emboldened to take action. They removed Jagan’s pictures from the arch and hoisted the JanaSena flag in its place, asserting their right to retain the village’s original name, Polavaram.
Nemam Layout, also known as Jagananna Colony, is situated along the road to Polavaram village. During the YSRCP government, arches and pylons were hastily constructed in various colonies as part of their housing initiative. The arch in Polavaram was intended to impress Jagan during his visit to the foundation-laying ceremony in the Komaragiri layout of U. Kottapalli mandal.
The protestors voiced their frustration, questioning the rationale behind naming their village after Jagan. They demanded respect for their village’s heritage and identity, demonstrating their resolve to resist any further attempts at forced renaming.
