Hyderabad: Telangana region was enveloped in a gloom and mourning as one of the oldest ideologues and visionaries of Telangana state Prof Kothapally Jayashankar passed away on Tuesday.
The 76-year-old professor, who was suffering from cancer and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Hyderabad, breathed his last at his home in Hanmakonda in Warangal district where he was shifted earlier.
A leading light of all the movements for Telangana state during last half a century, Jayashankar also served as a the vice chancellor of the Kakatiya university in Warangal.
Jayashankar who made his last public appearance at the launch of a pro Telangana Telugu daily "Namaste Telangana" in Hyderabad last month, always held the dream of separate state very close to his heart as he believed that the region was not getting justice from Andhra region.
News of Jayashankar's death spread like a wild fire across the region and political leaders cutting across the party lines mourned the stalwart.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti leader K Chandrsekhar Rao and Telangana Joint Action Committee convenor Prof Kodanda Ram was among the important leaders of the movement was rushed to Hanmakonda to pay their tributes.
KCR who rushed from Hyderabad, broke down on seeing the mortal remains of Jayashankar and described his death as a great loss for Telangana movement. "Achieving Telangana state would be the real tribute for him because he spent his life fighting for this cause", he said.
KCR announced that Prof Jayashankar's last rites will be performed on Wednesday. Before that his body will be kept at the Telangana Martyrs memorial, where the people will pay their last respects.
Kodandaram, a disciple of Jayashankar appealed to the people of Telangna region ti observe a three day mourning over the passing away of the ideologue. "Telangana organizations should not organize any program other than the condolence meetings", he said.
Born on August 6, 1934 in Hanmakonda, Prof Jayashankar studied in Banaras University, and Osmania University in Hyderabad and did his PhD in economics. Starting his career as a lecturer in Warangal he went on to become the vice chancellor of Kakatiya University.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and the state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana also expressed their sorrow over the death of Jayashankar.
Chief Minister, who was on a visit to Krishna district described Jayashankar as a great scholar and social crusader and said that his service can never be forgotten.
