KAKINADA: President of Kakinada Brahmo Samaj, marine scientist and veteran environmentalist Telikacherla Rajyalakshmi, 85, passed away at her residence here after a brief illness late on Thursday.
Being the granddaughter of Raghupati Venkataratnam Naidu (adopted daughter’s daughter), Rajyalakshmi took the lead to continue the Brahmo movement in the district by arranging weekly prayer meetings at ‘Om’ Bhavan, besides bringing out Dharmajyothi , a monthly magazine.
After getting retired from government service as the Director of the Central Institute of Brackish Water Aquaculture, she established an NGO, Society for the Promotion of Integrated Coastal Areas Management (SPICAM), and conducted case studies on issues pertaining to marine life. She launched a fight against the successors of the Rajah of Pithapuram to protect the ‘Om’ building and against the government to protect the Coringa wildlife sanctuary from encroachments and for the protection of the Eastern ghats. Even at the age of 85, she updated herself on the subjects of her interest and was respected as an authority on issues pertaining to environment and Brahmo Samaj. Her husband the late Sasi Bhushan too was a scientist and social activist and the couple had no children. She donated her body to Rangaraya Medical College and her friends and fellow Brahmos and environmentalists offered special prayers at the Om Bhavan before handing over the body to the medical college on Friday.
