>Titodutta at 09:22, 15 September 2021

2021-09-15T09:22:41Z

New page

{{short description|Indian social worker}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2015}}

'''Hemalatha Lavanam''' (26 February 1932 – 19 March 2008) was an Indian social reformer, writer, and atheist who protested against untouchability and the caste system. She was also a co-founder of Samskar with her husband, [[Lavanam]].

==Life==
Hemalatha was born on 26 February 1932 at [[Vinukonda]] in [[Madras Presidency]] of [[British India]], now in the [[Guntur District]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]]. She was the daughter of [[Telugu language|Telugu]] poet [[Gurram Joshua]] and Mirayamma and the daughter-in-law of social reformer [[Goparaju Ramachandra Rao]] and [[Saraswathi Gora]], who were atheist social reformers and founders of the [[Atheist Centre]] in [[Vijayawada]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Reformist’s life to be chronicled |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/reformists-life-to-be-chronicled/article5360473.ece |access-date=17 November 2013}}</ref>

===Reformation of denotified tribes===
Through Samskar, Lavanam and Hemlatha took part in historical surrenders of [[dacoit]]s in Chambal Valley to [[Vinobha Bhave]]. [[Jaya Prakash Narayan]] inspired the couple to work on criminal rehabilitation. Hemlatha, Lavanam and volunteers from atheist centre participated actively in criminal reformation and rehabilitation in 1974 in the areas of erstwhile criminal settlements Sitanagaram, Stuartpuram, Kawali, and Kapparallathippa in Andhra Pradesh. They devoted their time to bring change in the mindset of criminal tribal shelter helped to provide alternative livelihood to criminal rehabilitated families. Hemalatha and Lavanam demanded government of Andhra Pradesh to abolish settlements. Due to their efforts, the state government took a step in abolishing the managements and declaring them as free colonies in 1976. They visited the prisoners of Stuartpuram and kept constant contact through letters. The families of settlers visited Atheist center for advice. This contact changed some hardened criminals. They motivated the criminals to change from crime culture.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ex-Criminal tribes of india|url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/10603/25615/8/08-chapter%201.pdf}}</ref>

===Work on Jogini===
Hemalatha and Lavanam worked on upliftment and eradication of [[Jogini]]s in Nizamabad district through Samskar. Her work made the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh [[N. T. Rama Rao]] Government enact legislation in 1988 to eradicate the Jogini system, [[Kumud Ben Joshi]], [[C. Rangarajan]] as Governor of Andhra pradesh oversaw the marriages for joginis in Rajbhavan, Hyderabad.<ref>{{cite news|title=Old avatar still bristles|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/article96629.ece?service=print|access-date=19 Jul 2009|newspaper=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref> Samskar founded Chelli Nilyam Sister's Home in [[verni]] of [[Nizamabad district]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Hemalatha Lavanam passes away|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/hemalatha-lavanam-passes-away/article1223334.ece|access-date=20 March 2008}}</ref>

===Joshua Foundation===
The Joshua Foundation instituted the Joshua Sahitya Puraskaram, a national award for poets of any language who had enriched Indian literature with human values. The rationale was to promote national integration and encourage purposeful poetry.<ref>{{cite news|title=Assamese poet presented Joshua award|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2002/07/27/stories/2002072705960400.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150421064341/http://www.thehindu.com/2002/07/27/stories/2002072705960400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 April 2015|access-date=27 July 2002|date=2002-07-27|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>

==Awards and recognition==
Hemalatha received her doctorate in social work from [[Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University]] in [[Hyderabad]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Telegu University to confer Doctorate to Hemalata
|url= http://www.oneindia.com/2007/02/25/telegu-university-confer-doctorate-hemalata.html|access-date=25 February 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=True purpose of education is character-building|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/true-purpose-of-education-is-characterbuilding/article1803121.ece|access-date=27 February 2007|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> The National Book Trust of India published a biography of her in the National Biography series, written by Vakulabharanam Lalitha and Kompalli Sundar.<ref>{{cite news|title=NBT to release Hemalatha Lavanam’s biography today|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/nbt-to-release-hemalatha-lavanams-biography-today/article6116408.ece|access-date=15 June 2014|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Book on Hemalatha Lavanam released|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/book-on-hemalatha-lavanam-released/article6118601.ece|access-date=16 June 2014|newspaper=[[The Hindu|The hindu]]}}</ref> K. Viyanna Rao, the Vice-Chancellor of [[Acharya Nagarjuna University]], released the book and presented the first copy to her husband, Lavanam.

In 2003 she received a [[Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Awards|Red and White Bravery Award]] from [[Surjit Singh Barnala]], the Governor of [[Andhra Pradesh]], for her contribution to the field of social work.<ref>{{cite news|title=12th Red & White Bravery awards:Bravery wins them awards|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Bravery-wins-them-awards/articleshow/329241.cms|access-date=29 November 2003|newspaper=[[The Times of India]] }}</ref>

==Death==
Hemalatha suffered from ovarian cancer and died at the Atheist Centre, Vijayawada, on 19 March 2008. She was cremated without any religious rites.<ref>{{cite web|title=Outstanding social reformer, eminent atheist and literary figure Dr. HEMALATA LAVANAM PASSED AWAY|url=http://www.atheistcentre.in/HemalataLavanampassedaway.html}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://origins.osu.edu/sites/origins.osu.edu/files/origins%20-%20july%201993%20-%20devadasi.pdf"Against Her Will: Devadasi Culture In South India"]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150924111622/http://www.sundarayya.org/sites/default/files/papers/NGO_Sector_Sundarayya_Conference_2013_SUNDAR.pdf 'Evolution of Voluntary Sector in Modern Andhra: Past and Present- Sundar Kompalli, Ph D (HCU)']

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lavanam, Hemalatha}}
[[Category:Indian atheists]]
[[Category:Indian sceptics]]
[[Category:Telugu people]]
[[Category:Activists from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian social reformers]]
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian women activists]]
[[Category:People from Guntur district]]
[[Category:Women educators from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Educators from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian women educational theorists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educational theorists]]
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women]]

Hemalatha Lavanam - Revision history

>Titodutta at 09:22, 15 September 2021