Rachakonda Viswanatha Sastry, some say, is next only to Ko Ku in
Telugu short story writing. He spent a lifetime writing about the trials
and tribulations of the underdog and arguing on behalf of and bailing out
kids thrown in jail during and after the Srikakulam
movement. In spite of all that, Ra Vi Sastry turned out to be no better
than a Neanderthal when it comes to feminist writers. When asked to
comment on the upsurge in feminist poets, he made the following remarks:
"veella kanna intlo vunde gayyaali thananni bharincha galam"
"panee paataa lekunda streela hakkulu antunnaaru"
"Madhuravaani (Kanyasulkam) nijangaa madhurame! Madhuravaani feminist
kaadu. Ee gayyaalullaa kaakundaa, Madhuravaanilaa feministulu vunnaa
baagundedi"
Promptly came the following reply:
Aunu. Mem gayyaalulame!
Nijame - smadeham ledu. Mem gayyaalulame
Intlo evari poraatam vaalladainappatikante
Andaram kalisinappati arupu marintha bheekarame!
Kaanee, kathakula thilakaa! mem visigi poyaam
Saaraa musalamma kante maridee maalakshmi kante
Vietnam vimala kante marintha visigi poyaam!
Meedaina porulo vinayamgaa mee venaka nilabadithe
Mem veeravanithalam, sahanamurthulam, santhiswaroopulam.
Aa poru meekante ekkuvagaa maadani thelisi
Mee venuka kaaka sarasuna nilabadathaamani ante
Aa poraatamtho paatu illallo mee meeda
Mee aabhijaatyam meeda mee ahamkaaram meeda
Yuddham prakatisthe appudu mem gayyaalulam!
Mee choopulloni, maatalloni, premalloni
Asalardhaalanu aakalimpu chesukovaalante
Mem gayyaalulam kaaka thappadu, kaaka thappadu
Noorella kritham madhuravaani mruduvina mandalimpulu
Mee dalasari charmaalaku aananappudu
Mem eetellanti maatalathone podisthaam.
Maa gundela meeda koorchonnadi
Purushankaarapu pedda puli ani thelisaaka koodaa
Suthi methagaa prema palukulu palukuthaamaa?
Mem gayyaalulame kaadu, bhayamkara kaahalulam
Aithe inthavarakoo aa kaahalulanu
mee ishtaa ishtaalanu batti meere mroginchaaru.
Maa sareeraala meeda mee sparsa mudrinchaalane
Mee sparsaa tharangaalanu meere pattukovaalane duraasathone
Innaallu mammalni kavithaa vasthuvulugaa sweekarinchaaru.
Ippudu maalo upponge bhaavatharangaalanu vinaalane
Korika meeku lekunnaa, sparsakoo charyakoo baduluntundi.
Idi kevalam oka badulu, oka prathi charya maatrame
Nijangaa maa aakrosamanthaa arupainappudu
Maa pegullo lungalu chuttukunna aarthi aavesamainappudu
Ee bhoomi kadilela samastha prakruthi pulakinchelaa
Aakaasamlo sagamanthaa ariche aa arupulanu
pipeelakaadi mooga baadha vinagaligina
Mee sunnitha sravenendriyaalu vinagaligithe -
(Ra Vi Sastry gariki - jaalitho)
-Olga
8-11-92
Andhra Jyothi Daily