‘This life is not wasted’ – Ramoji Rao

Esteemed business tycoon and media pioneer Ramoji Rao, who passed away in the wee hours on Saturday, left an indelible mark in the field of journalism with his unwavering dedication in an illustrious career which spanned close to five decades.

With credibility and forthrightness as the hallmarks, Ramoji Rao launched Eenadu news daily in 1974 and established an empire that turned into an invincible fortress in the field of media because of the exemplary journalistic values and uncompromising attitude adopted by him.

Even during his last days, Ramoji Rao fought like a doughty warrior with his never give up fighting spirit against vindictive politics and has had the last laugh after seeing the recent political winds in Andhra Pradesh. He always stood by values and never tried to please the ruling dispensations. His no-holds-barred approach in bringing out the inefficiencies and atrocities of political parties is the reason why people call him a fighter.

Despite ailing health, Ramoji Rao didn’t yield to political tyranny in his last days. Even though he was targeted for various reasons in the last five years, he didn’t succumb and stood like a fearless warrior for the sake of Telugu people. Notwithstanding the advent of many media houses with political affiliations, Eenadu remained a dominant force in the field of media because of strong foundation laid by Ramoji Rao.

As described by many, Ramoji Rao is a personality par excellence and fought like a soldier till the end of his life. Even during his last days, Ramoji Rao felt there is still something he could do to the Telugu society and the field of journalism. Hence, he came out all guns blazing in the last few months and landed a knock out punch to his opponents before taking a permanent exit.

Recalling an incident when some of his well-wishers met him a few months and asked him to describe his life in a sentence, Ramoji Rao smiled and said ‘This Life is not wasted’.

Yes, it is true that the media baron’s life is not wasted’. He tasted success in all his endeavours. Hence, that sentence summaries his life without any doubt.