Lavanam Biography 
Lavanam was a social worker, Gandhian and atheist from Andhra Pradesh. His full name is Goparaju Ramachandra Lavanam. He is the son of noted social reformers and activists - Saraswathi Gora and Goparaju Ramachandra Rao, who founded and ran the Atheist Centre for many years. It was world’s first Atheist centre, which ran till the death of his mother in 2006. As a social worker and activist he campaigned against untouchability and the caste system, and other social issues. His wife Hemalatha Lavanam also worked for the same goal. The couple founded the social organization Samskar. His wife Hemalatha Lavanam was the daughter of Telugu poet Gurram Joshua and Mirayamma, who also worked against caste prejudices and social issues.
Goparaju Ramachandra Lavanam was born on 10 October 1930 into an atheist family. Both his parents - Saraswathi Gora and Goparaju Ramachandra Rao were social workers and atheists. As he was born at the time of Salt Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi, his father Gora named him Lavanam, which literally means salt. He had 8 younger siblings. His sister Chennupati Vidya is a former MP from the Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency. His brother Samaram is a physician, who authored several books on health awareness and sex education. His wife Hemalatha Lavanam was a social activist, and daughter of Telugu poet Gurram Joshua, often referred to as first Dalit poet of modern Telugu literature.
At a very young age of 12, he discontinued school to join his father Gora and participate in the freedom struggle. He also propagated atheism since then. Since young he got exposed to the life style and speeches of some of the great leaders and Lavanam’s radical thoughts on social change drew inspirations from those experiences as well. He was also an unconventional scholar, a social philosopher and a Gandhian scholar. Like his mother, he donated his eyes to Swetcha Gora Eye Bank, after his death in 2015.
Published: October 08, 2018
Updated: October 08, 2018
