Saraswathi Gora Biography 
Saraswathi Gora was a social worker and atheist from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. She served as leader of the Atheist Centre for many years. As a social worker and activist she campaigned against untouchability and the caste system. Atheist Centre was co-founded by her husband, Goparaju Ramachandra Rao who was also known as a social activist and atheist. Interestingly her son Lavanam and daughter-in-law Hemalatha Lavanam also worked for the same goal. The couple founded the social organization Samskar. Hemalatha Lavanam was the daughter of Telugu poet Gurram Joshua and Mirayamma, who also worked against caste prejudices and social issues.
Saraswathi Gora was born on 28 September 1912 in Andhra Pradesh. After her marriage with Goparaju Ramachandra Rao, she supported him in every mission of social service. In the 1930s the couple campaigned for marriages of devadasis and widows, and they arranged many similar marriages too. After that they concentrated most towards the abolition untouchability and the caste system, that was very much fierce in society then. Their fights against social injustice and evils attracted Mahatma Gandhi, who was then fully engaged with freedom struggle movement. He invited them his ashram in Sevagram in 1944, and the couple stayed there for two weeks.
In 1940, they started Atheist Center to promote human values based on atheism, rationalism and Gandhism. She was deeply influenced by the ideology of Gandhi, and she also participated in freedom struggle movement. She was imprisoned during the Quit India movement. She carried her two-and-half-year old son to jail. She wrote her autobiography My Life With Gora. The book was published six years after her death in 2006. Basava Puraskar in 2001 and Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 1999 are the major awards received by her. She stood for atheism, humanism, social equality and inter-caste marriages throughout her active years in social life.
She is survived by nine children. Her daughter Chennupati Vidya is a former MP from the Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency. Her son Lavanam and daughter-in-law Hemalatha Lavanam are social activists. Her son Samaram is a physician,who authored several books on health awareness and sex education. In deference to her wishes, her eyes were donated to the Swetcha Gora Eye Bank.
Published: October 08, 2018
Updated: October 08, 2018
