Bulusu Jaganadha Sastry


Bulusu Jaganadha Sastry or B. J. Sastry was a prominent electrical engineer and philanthropist from Yanam before Independence of French India.

Birth

He was born around c.1912 to Bouloussou Soubramaniom Sastroulou and Souryapracasamma as their eldest son. He belongs to Bouloussou family of Yanam and his father being a prominent politician during French colonial rule in Yanam in the early 20th century. He was named after his paternal grandfather Zagannadha Sastroulou. His maternal uncle was Kala Venkata Rao, a freedom fighter, and former minister of Madras state and Andhra Pradesh. B. J. Sastry is influenced by Indian nationalism due to his uncle and Bengali Renaissance due his stay at Bengal for many decades. So, he didn't retake his French nationality when such an option was given after 1962 Independence of French India. He was a polyglot and could speak around 8 languages.

Education

Owing to political disturbances in French Yanam in early 20th century, he had his primary and secondary education at nearby Amalapuram town in Konaseema region with the support of his uncle Kala Venkata Rao. Later, he pursued his Bachelors in Electrical Engineering at The National Council of Education, Bengal, now known as Jadavpur University. During that time he obtained accommodation at Nalam choultry on recommendation of his father Soubramanion Sastroulou. That choultry established by Nalam Krishna Rao at Calcutta.

Marriage

He married Annapurna, daughter of a Mangipudi Zamindar at Peddapuram during circa 1942 at Muramalla within the Veereswaraswamy temple. It was a 5-day marriage as per Hindu tradition. However, the couple had no children.

Career

It so happened that he lost his degree. So, instead for asking for a duplicate degree, he had obtained an equivalent degree, i.e. Associate member on December 29 1950 at Institution of Engineers. He was among one the earliest life members of the Indian Science Congress Association . ISCA is a premier scientific organisation of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. He worked at Damodar Valley Corporation, where he was an Assistant Engineer at that corporation's C.E.S. division, Maithon P.O., Dhanbad in 1962 and later at Indian Railways. During that time, in the memory of his wife, he denoted around 50,000 rupees to Jadavpur University as Annapurna Prize, which was meant to be scholarship to poor students.

Death

He died at Yanam on March 1 1985 at Government General Hospital. His wife predeceased him in 1960s.