A
CATALYST OF SOCIAL CHANGE
 Hemalatha
Lavanam's life is a story of social activism that spans
over four decades. She is a rare combination of a brilliant
mind and steely determination. She is an example of
a practical thinker who passionately advocates for a
cause. Her story is indeed a profound chapter in history,
one in which she was not a mere spectator but an active
catalyst of social change.
Hemaltha was born at Vinukonda in Guntur district to
Mariyamba and Gurram Joshua, an eminent Telugu poet
who, later, was honoured with a Padma Bhushan. After
her SSLC at Guntur, Hemalatha did her Bachelors Degree
in English at the Queens Mary College in Madras, where
she stood first. But it was under the guidance and tutelage
of her father that she imbibed the rational way of thinking
and humanistic approach to life. She married Lavanam,
the eldest son of social reformer and atheist leader,
Gora.
Her tryst with history dates back to 1960, when she
marched in the padyatra with Acharya Vinoba Bhave to
Chambal valley. There she witnessed the surrender of
the notorious dacoits of the valley, something that
made a deep impression on her. Her lifelong task of
reforming criminals took roots here. In 1977, when a
tidal wave struck Divi Seema in Krishna District, Hemalatha
immersed herself into the arduous task of providing
relief and reconstruction. She also assisted in the
relief works of 1978, 1980 and 1996 cyclones that hit
Nellore East, Godavari and West Godavari District.
In 1985, with the ecouragement of then Governor Kumudben
Joshi, she initiated the task of eradicating the dreaded
Jogin system, that bonded young rural girls to temple
goddesses Yellamma and Pochamma. An atheist and rationalist,
Hemalatha fought hard to dispel superstitious belief.
Later, she founded Samskar, an NGO that continues
to fight for the cause even today. In 1988, when caste
riots erupted in Andhra Pradesh, Hemalatha along with
husband Lavanam, undertook a padyatra from Vijaywada
to Kakinada, covering 400 villages over 1400 km in 70
days, urging peace and propagating unity.
Her battle for social equality continues even today,
in spite of her age and bad knees. In her father's memory,
she has set up the Joshua Foundation. With this
and the Samskar, she campaigns tirelessly for the empowerment
of Jogins, reformation of criminals, upliftment of the
underprivileged and reformation of discriminatory thinking.
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