Telugu community to strengthen the bond, as one family, met for the first time in the house of Mr C.
Rajasekhar, a Foreign Service officer in Indian Embassy in 1994 and 1995. It was a gathering of six to
eight families who wanted to weave the first strands that bring the Telugu community into one single
family.

Mr. Rajasekhar had completed his tenure left Tokyo in the mid of 1995. However, the Telugu community found enthusiastic supporters who initiated a Bonenkai, in 1995 December. Idea was just to have a "small family get-together and say goodbye to 1995". Rather than just saying "goodbye" to 1995, Telugu community made the first plans to have a "family get-together" on a regular basis; key people who took this initiative were Mrs. & Mr. A. J. Smiles, Mrs. Raji (Rajya Lakshmi), Mrs. Gayathri Krishna Mohan and Dr. Manikyala Rao.

Ugadi-1996 became the first cultural event to consciously bring all the Telugu families in Tokyo region (Tokyo and Tsukuba) and express their cultural identify. Highlight of the event was the "Dance with Diyas" composed by Mrs. Gayathri Krishna Mohan; she turned house-wives - almost all of them were more comfortable with their culinary skills - into almost professional dancers. Gayathri garu has one more credit too: she was the first person who created a cyber-home for Telugu Community and put Telugu Community in Japan, on the world-map. And all this, while she was managing her twin kids!

The success of Ugadi-1996 showed the way to Vanabhojanalu-1996 (VB-1996). Naturally, Yeh Dil Mange More! VB-1996 was the first event to be organized by Telugu community in outdoors. This also set the tone for having two events - Ugadi and Vanabhojanalu - on a regular basis to bring Telugu community together.

Like always, Telugu community gave freedom for any enthusiastic volunteers to make new initiatives, a success. This time, it was Dr. Sesha Sai, a research scholar in Tokyo Institute of Technology, who arrived in Tokyo only in 1995. In a true spirit of Telugu community, it was a show by new comers with seniors giving guidance - at the same time, with no display of hierarchy whatsoever. It was a great success, as expected.

A major tragedy struck Telugu community immediately - actually, on the next day - after VB-1996. One of our active volunteers who was very enthusiastic in organizing the events had met with a major medical problem and within very short time, the health situation deteriorated drastically, putting him into a state of coma.  It was truly a testing time for Telugu community. And what a unity, it displayed!Everybody who knew about this  - just by a word of mouth - pitched in for the help. It was a two-month, trauma which Telugu community tried it's best to cope with.

Unfortunately, with all its best efforts, health situation deteriorated and it was decided to move him - in the state of coma - to India.  Two individuals were instrumental in achieving this plan into an action: one, Mr. A. J. Smiles, who could explain the seriousness to Chief of Air-India's East Asia's operations.  And two, Capt. Ashwin Sharma, the Chief of Air India's East Asia's operations. Entire Telugu community saluted Capt. Sharma for his great support from that moment on: virtually creating a hospital-in-the-air with two doctors, medical support at all the airports during the travel and finally taking the patient to the Apollo Hospital in Chennai - all free of cost.  At the end of the day, Telugu Community had to bow to God’s decision – the volunteer passed away in India - but it displayed the best of it’s human spirit by raising about five million yen for future of his family. It was best of the times; It was worst of the times. It closed one traumatic chapter of Telugu community’s life in Tokyo.

With this tragedy, Ugadi-1997 never happened in Tokyo. However, Telugu families in Tsukuba area took the initiative to organize the event. Like everything else,

Moving On....!

Telugu community came out of the trauma and regrouped for Vinayakachavithi in 1997, on the occasion of the visit by Speaker of A.P. assembly, Mr. Y. Ramakrishnudu. Around this time, due to career movements, lot of old timers started planning their movement out of Tokyo.

However, Telugu community was fortunate to find new set of volunteers like Ravi Mulukutla, Vijay, Prasad Bhagavatula, Rajasekhar,Pradeep, Shankar, Murthy Bhogarju, Gandham Prasad, Sai Prasad, Ravi Srinivas and Saradhi who took the baton from the old timers. In fact, Vinayakachavithi-1997 set the tone, with first time ever stage drama done in Telugu community, by Mr. Smiles and Ravi Mulukutla.

With this, the tenor and tone of activities of Telugu Community also changed dramatically.What was previously a "family reunion" twice a year now became a major cultural event. Most important contribution from these volunteers was the enthusiasm, energy and focus to create a platform for Telugu community to bring out the best of the talents in Telugu community: be it drama, or music or dance or mono action or story telling, be it for adults or children. There was a sincere attempt to bring out the best from the participants.

In a span of just two years - between 1998 and 2000 - Telugu community grew from 50 to about 120. And this was the same time, a clear focus and direction was set for Telugu community cultural activities, with the help of new set of volunteers. Any person who has a talent and made a sincere attempt to perform excelled.

Birth of Japan Telugu Samakhya

 The strength of Telugu community is to work in a democratic way, based on volunteerism. In fact, of all the Indian community groups, only Telugu community has a pride of operating without any "organized structure", and yet was able to run the organization successfully, demonstrating the spirit of volunteerism. However, with the increase in strength, it was felt that there was a need for a formal name - at least - to bring in the identity. Thus born “Japan Telugu Samakhya”. Ravi Kishore along with Prasad Bhagavatula, Raja Sekhar Gangavamsam, Pradeep and Ravi Mulukutla were instrumental in identifying the name, emblem and the motto.In April, 2000 Telugu community celebrated Ugadi-200, for the first time, under the banner of Japan Telugu Samakhya (JTS), with pride. What a start for the new millennium! Another great achievement in the year was the visit by Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, in October, 2000. JTS hosted Chandra Babu Naidu successfully and received a great appreciation from Chief Minister for the efforts of organization in creating an identity for Telugu community in Japan.

Once again, the year 2001 saw change in the set of volunteers who supported JTS. Lot of "university crowd" left Tokyo for professional reasons. Shankar, Sai Prasad, Murthy Bhogaraju, Ravi Srinivas and Saradhi were the key people who actively participated to carry the flag of JTS.

Present

The spirit and strength of JTS is volunteerism. JTS was always a platform to for encourage the talent and find ways to express the cultural leanings.

Give the closing remarks

Regards,
Ravi Kishore.