– Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi
This is the story of a differently abled dwarf, Rajini, a postgraduate whose struggle to find a job has continued for over a decade now. Her short physical stature came in the way of securing a job, whether in the government or in the private sector. But her perseverance, determination, hard work and out-of-the-box thinking opened a way – as she managed to extract a promise out of Revanth Reddy, the Chief Minister designate of Telangana when he met him two months ago at a press meet.
Media persons in Telangana when came to know of her plight, took her along to the press meet to be addressed by the TPCC president Revanth Reddy. It was on October 17, that she met the Congress leader when he was leading the Congress campaign for elections.
The fiery leader who rebuilt the Congress party from scratch, so to speak, proved that it was a human heart that was beating inside him. Revanth Reddy promised her a job then and there and declared that hers would be the first job he would give if he became the Chief Minister.
On that day it was a kind heart that was beating inside him – and promised that the first job he would give to anyone if he became a Chief Minister, would be to Rajini. Cut to today, even in the extreme excitement, exhilaration and stress relating to the victory, his own chances of becoming the Chief Minister, the government formation blues, and in hectic parleys on balancing various factors in government formation, Revanth Reddy remembered the differently abled Rajini. And why not? Revanth Reddy had given a written and signed promise to the 38-year-old Rajini. She lives in Boyiguda in Nampally with her aging parents. She also graduated from a college in Nampally and later did her post-graduation in Commerce through distance learning. All her trials for several years to find a decent job, either in the government or the private sector proved futile, because of her short stature.
Well, for the present, Revanth Reddy did forget his part of the deal and had instructed his people to send Rajini an invite to the Swearing In ceremony scheduled for Thursday, December 7 at Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium. Rajini confirmed to the media that she has been invited to the Swearing In ceremony as a Special Guest.
The Congress party is expecting close to one lakh people to witness the swearing-in ceremony in person, and accordingly, the arrangements are being made. Incidentally, after the official swearing-in ceremony is over, at the same venue, it would be converted into a political public meeting, where senior Congress leaders party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi, are expected to thank the Telangana people for voting the party into government. It may be recalled that Revanth Reddy had during the election campaign itself declared that the swearing-in ceremony would be held on September 9, the birthday of Sonia Gandhi, as a birthday gift to the person responsible for the creation of Telangana state.
But the same has been pre-poned to the Seventh due to astrological reasons.
Rajini, the dwarf, on Thursday, displayed a nervous anticipation on a private television channel where she was asked many questions if she believed in the promise made by Revanth Reddy. All that she could say nervously was that she hoped it would come true and she would get a job that would make her life better.
“I was promised and given a ‘guarantee card’ signed by Revanthanna. I am confident that now I will get a job,” she said. Her perseverance, determination and hard work are already being appreciated by the masses, but more so, people are waiting to see if Revanth Reddy comes good on this promise, he made in full media glare during campaigning.
