Vempalle Shareef's story is now a lesson for degree students in Andhra Pradesh

VIJAYAWADA: In a rare distinction, noted Telugu writer and Kendra Sahitya Academy awardee, Vempalle Shareef’s story, ‘Akupatchani Muggu’ has been included as a lesson for degree students in the state. The story will be part of four stories included in the curriculum for degree students from the current academic year.
Vempalle Shareef, hails from an illiterate family in Kadapa district, is already a famed personality in the literary circles.However, Shareef’s journey to popularity has never been so smooth.
He worked as a public telephone booth operator during his childhood to manage the family needs and also operated an auto during his young days. He also worked as a fruit vendor in the streets to support his educational needs and also family.
However, Shareef had never lost his love for writing skills. His story on forcible debt recovery by the bankers from the farmers of drought-hit region of his native place, “Jeepochindi” won accolades from the critics.
Shareef’s Jummah, scripted in 2011 in the backdrop of a bomb blast in a mosque took him to the elite circle of Telugu writers.
A compilation of his stories-Jummah, brought him the Kendra Sahitya Academy yuva award in 2012. His novels and stories were also translated into Hindi, English, Kannada, Malayalam, Konkani and Mithili languages.
Vempalle Shareef had also done a PhD in journalism. His research thesis, “language and culture in television advertisements’ has been made as a reference book for Journalism and research students in several universities.
Shareef’s story-Akupachani Muggu is an elaborative script on the communal harmony prevailed in rural areas of the state.
“This is the biggest achievement of my life. My parents are unaware of what I have actually achieved. I have never even imagined that my story will become part of a curriculum for the degree students,” holding his tears back, Shareef told ‘TOI.’
State govt has decided to introduce seven skill courses in the present UG curriculum of single major stream pattern and two social development courses in the third and fourth semesters from the academic year 2024-25.
Principal secretary higher education, Dr Pola Bhaskar said that the course has been introduced on social emotional balance based on the UNESCO-MGIEP SEEK and SEL courses which helps in developing emotional intelligence and resilience, interpersonal skills, and holistic systems.