Andhra Pradesh Minister for HRD and IT, Nara Lokesh, called for a societal shift towards gender equality. Speaking to students at a state-level seminar on ‘Moral Values’ in Vijayawada, he revealed that he and his wife, Brahmani, used to share household chores equally while they were living in the United States. Lokesh stated, “This is a change I strongly wish to see in every home in our society.”
Minister Lokesh stressed that respect for women must begin at home, recalling how his mother, Bhuvaneswari, taught him to respect everyone regardless of caste, religion, or region. He strongly criticized the use of derogatory phrases in society, such as asking someone, “Are you wearing bangles?”, and called for a “full stop” to this demeaning attitude. He also mentioned that he has discussed with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister the need to eliminate scenes and dialogues in films and web series that disrespect women.
As the Education Minister, Lokesh noticed that school textbooks exclusively depicted women doing household chores. He explained that they immediately had those pictures changed, and new photos now show a 50-50 ratio of men also participating in housework. He stressed that this change must extend from books to mindsets. To inspire the students, he also shared his political journey, mentioning that his 2019 defeat in Mangalagiri only disappointed him for a day, and that loss ultimately fueled his determination for his subsequent victory by a margin of 91,000 votes in 2024.
