A Dalit colony in a village in Anantapur district was named after Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to mark her visit on Saturday.
The Noble Peace Prize laureate was greeted by the residents of a scheduled caste enclave in Papasanipalli village standing below a huge banner that read "Aung San Suu Kyi Colony". Speaking on the occasion, Suu Kyi thanked the villagers for the gesture and said that she would always maintain a special connection with the village.
"My name means a broad collection of strange victories, and I hope you will have bright and unusual victories," Suu Kyi said. Stating that victory does not come by itself, she asked the villagers to work hard to achieve it. She also praised the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(NREGS) that was ensuring the empowerment of the rural poor.
Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy translated Suu Kyi's speech to Telugu, and advised the villagers to draw inspiration from her life.
Suu Kyi also interacted with women belonging to self-help groups. The local officials also gave a presentation on the various schemes being implemented by the state and central governments.
Suu Kyi was accompanied by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh. She also went to Govindapuram village and interacted with the people working under the NREGS. (INN)
filed in:Andhra Pradesh, Nobel Laureates, Myanmar, Eminent Visitors, Anantapur, Dalits