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GREATER ANDHRA MOVEMENT (4) by Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, tr: IMS.

GREATER ANDHRA MOVEMENT (4) - Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao¨

Arguments pro and con: Trips to Delhi

In the months of January and February [1956], there were intense arguments and counter arguments for and against Greater Andhra and Telangana. There were numerous trips to Delhi. Numerous telegrams were sent. Several times it was expected that the decision from Delhi would be delivered on a particular day and several times disappointments also ensued. Both the contending parties gave out a series of declarations stating Delhi circles were favourable to them alone. An uncertain situation arose causing much disgust to many. All the while Greater Andhra conferences were being held in districts and villages. Resolutions aplenty were being sent to Delhi. It was suspected that a misunderstanding was created in the minds of a few elder leaders in Delhi, especially Maulana Azad, that the popular opinion was not in favour of Greater Andhra. In order to allay such misunderstandings a monstrous public meeting was held in the Vivekavardhani Grounds in Gowliguda, in which several thousands of people participated [in support of Greater Andhra]. The meeting was a resounding success. Pandit Vinayaka Rao, Srinivasa Rao Akhlekar, Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, Gurumurthy, Konda Lakshman [Bapuji], Kotthuri Sitaiah, P. Pulla Reddy, Pandit Narendraji, M.S. Rajalingam, Ahmad Ali Khan, et al spoke in support of Greater Andhra. The same day the communist leaders had taken out a big procession, in which more than two thousand people participated, on the roads of Hyderabad City raising slogans in support of Greater Andhra in all the corners of the city and demanding that Greater Andhra be formed immediately. Sri Ravi Narayana Reddy, Devulapalli Venkateswara Rao, Baddam Yella Reddy, Raj Bahadur Gour, Makhdoom Mohiuddin, V.D. Deshpande et al led the procession. This meeting and the procession had demonstrated that Hyderabad City was in favour of Greater Andhra.

In Parliament

The Parliament session had taken place in January 1956. The problem of states reorganization had come up for discussion in this session. On a comprehensive examination of the debates in the Parliament it was clear that a majority of parliamentarians supported Greater Andhra. However, the speech of Acharya Gogineni Ranganayakulu caused some surprise when he had expressed his opinion in Rajya Sabha that Telangana could remain separate for a few years. Also it was felt that one or two elder leaders in Delhi had come to the view that there was not much insistence on the formation of Greater Andhra in the Andhra region in those days. When this sort of news became known, all political parties in the Andhra region reacted vehemently by sending thousands of telegrams to Delhi in support of Greater Andhra. In the last week of January [1956] Sri S.K. Patil had come to Hyderabad, stayed for 2 days in the Ritz Hotel and gave out three or four statements. These statements were mutually contradictory and created great discontent among the Hyderabad and Andhra political circles. One of the statements of Sri S.K. Patil was to the extent that Greater Andhra should be formed with the acceptance of all parties and circles in Andhra and Telangana. Commenting upon that statement Dr. Channa Reddy had declared that nothing short of a separate Telangana state was acceptable to him [their group].

Deadlock

In the month of January 1956 the All India Congress Working Committee had made a declaration of its decision upon the problem of Bombay. The Congress Working Committee had decided that [in the place of the then Bombay Province] three [new] States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Bombay were to be carved out. As per this decision, the City of Bombay will not belong to either Maharashtra or Gujarat but would remain a separate State and all other Maharasthrian areas except Bombay would form a Samyukta Maharashtra (United Maharashtra). Vidarbha was also to be merged in Maharashtra. Sri Brijlala Biyani, et al who till then pleaded for a separate Vidarbha State had also supported the Working Committee decision. Once the Working Committee had decided that Vidarbha cannot be kept separate but had to be joined in Maharashtra, it also created a profound belief in the political circles that [on the same analogy] there was no room for a separate Telangana State and Greater Andhra State would certainly be established. However, the decision of the CWC on the City of Bombay led to excessive acts of violence and vandalism in the City of Bombay dealing a serious blow to law and order. Those violent deeds had created a sensation in the entire country even. Further violence erupted in Orissa and Bihar States too. As such a meeting of the Chief Ministers and other top Congress leaders was held to discuss about such state of affairs and also decide other related issues. The top leaders of Congress were anguished about the violence and conflicts regarding the [state] boundary and other problems. In that context the top leaders of the Congress began to think that formation of small states was not desirable but big states are needed and that too bilingual or multilingual states are desirable. In the last week of January 1956 a Chief Ministers meeting took place at Delhi and the Chief Ministers of Bengal and Bihar, Sri B.C. Roy and Srikrishna Sinha who met on that occasion declared that they were agreeable to the merger of Bengal and Bihar into one state. The Congress Working Committee expressed its approval of this statement. This created suspicions as to whether the linguistic states movement would itself receive a setback. However, there was intense resistance to the proposal (of the Chief Ministers) for the merger of Bengal and Bihar from the people of the respective states. However, in that context, important leaders in the country began to give out statements in support of bilingual states. Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, Chief Minister of Hyderabad, indicated that Andhra and Karnataka could be merged to form one [such bilingual] state. Whereas Sri Bezwada Gopala Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra, suggested that Andhra and Maharashtra together could form into one state. Sri Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao expressed his opinion that perhaps the joining together of Andhra and Orissa into one state would be a better option. Channa Reddy talked in favour of merging Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka into one state. Sri Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy advised caution in this matter remarking that nothing could be said immediately on this problem [or proposal for creation of big bilingual or multilingual states] since it required serious and careful consideration. But Sri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy gave out an unequivocal declaration that formation of Greater Andhra was the first necessity and other matters could be looked into later. Greater Andhra protagonists did not approve of the proposal to create bilingual states and asserted that states have to be formed on linguistic basis. Sri Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao made a lengthy statement in this regard declaring that linguistic provinces have to be carved out on [uni-] linguistic basis. A nice editorial appeared in this regard in the Golkonda Patrika in which the formation of states on linguistic basis was supported and the demand for unilingual provinces was asserted.

A Happy Ending

In the month of January [1956] some important figures in the Central Government had arrived in Hyderabad city. Dr. Kailas Nath Katju, Minister of Defense, Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri, Minister for Railways, Dr. Syed Mahmood, a minister in Ministry of External Affairs were prominent among such who came to Hyderabad. All these were met by the delegates of Greater Andhra Mahasabha, Sri Ahmad Ali Khan, Kotthuri Sitaiah, Pulla Reddy, Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, Erram Satyanarayana, Pandit Narendraji, Sardarullah Khan, Dharanidhar Sanghi, Abid Ali Khan, et al on behalf of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha and the need for immediate formation of Greater Andhra was apprised to them. Sri [Burgula] Ramakrishna Rao led the Greater Andhra movement whereas Sri K.V. Ranga Reddy was the leader of the separate Telangana movement. In the second week of February [1956], the All India Congress national sessions were held at Amritsar. Delegates from both groups [Greater Andhra and separate Telangana] went to participate in this session. In consonance with the decision of the top leaders of Congress, the idea that big states have to be formed in the country began to gradually gain strength in Congress circles. So the Hyderabad leaders were called to Delhi and the need for creation of bigger states was explained to them. It was considered proper to merge Telangana with Andhra region with due safeguards. It was also decided that people of Telangana would be given safeguards in regard to public employment and the plans for development of education and public health and also a regional council would be created to protect such safeguards. Important among such safeguards were also incorporated in the [to-be-enacted] bill in the Parliament. None were opposed to safeguards at any time. Greater Andhra protagonists had from the beginning opined that Greater Andhra should be formed with sufficient safeguards to Telangana. Also, the need for such safeguards to Telangana had been asserted in the report submitted to the Fazal Ali Commission on behalf of Greater Andhra Mahasabha. However, before and even after the publication of the Report of the Fazal Ali Commission, Sri Channa Reddy had stated that the matter of safeguards was not that important nor was there that need for such safeguards. Finally this matter ended in a happy note. Andhra leaders had declared that they were ready to give a ‘blank cheque’ to Telangana in this regard. So it was only remaining for the declaration of Greater Andhra to be made. That declaration was finally made the symbol of the noble Indian culture and the beloved leader not only of the people of India but of the entire world, our Premier Sri Jawaharlal Nehru, while presiding over the annual celebrations of Bharat Sevak Samaj at Nizamabad town in the first week of March 1956. That declaration was welcomed and totally supported by all circles in Hyderabad as well as Andhra states. The elderly leader, Sri Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy had appealed to all the people of the Hyderabad State to obey the decision of the Government of India so declared by Sri Nehru. In this way, the artificial gulf that existed for one hundred and fifty years dividing the Telugu people was closed and Greater Andhra arrived.

A most brilliant chapter

The period 1946 to 1956 was a most brilliant phase in the political history of Hyderabad State. An anti-democratic Medieval despotic monarchy was in power in Hyderabad State before 1946. For the overthrow of such Government and establishment of democratic rule popular movements were actively striving long before 1946. Ever since 1946 the Congress movement here [at Hyderabad] had began to intensively work for the ideal of responsible government. The Police Action took place in 1948. Later the movement for division of Hyderabad State ensued. Elections were held in 1953 and responsible government was established. The movement for division of Hyderabad State then got strengthened more and more. Greater Andhra, United Maharashtra and United Karnataka movements have begun, intensified and successfully concluded in 1956. Thus in the one decade from 1946 to 1956 a most brilliant history, which did not happen in centuries before, had been constructed. This is an unparalleled chapter in the entire history of Andhra country.

[Note: The Andhra State Assembly and the Hyderabad State Assembly had decided, on the day of Durmukhi Ugadi {Telugu New Year’s Day of the traditional year Durmukhi}, to name the new state comprising of Andhra and Telangana as ANDHRA PRADESH.] [END]

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¨ Continued from Law animated World, 30 November 2010 issue; emphases in bold ours. - IMS.

GREATER ANDHRA MOVEMENT (3) by Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, tr: IMS.

GREATER ANDHRA MOVEMENT (3) - Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao¨

Two groups clearly emerge

[Thenceforth] two groups – one supporting Greater Andhra and the other [separate] Telangana – had clearly emerged in the Hyderabad political field and began to work [in their respective spheres]. Only in the Congress and Praja Socialist Parties such opposing groups emerged but there were no differences in the Communist Party. All of them [communists] spoke in one voice. The final decision in this respect was to be made by the Government of India. As such both the Greater Andhra and [separate] Telangana groups have started activities like submitting memoranda, appeals etc. to the Government of India to take a decision favourable to their respective stands. The Greater Andhra movement was becoming more organized. In the month of October [1955] the Greater Andhra activists in Telangana had met under the chair of Sri Bommakanti Satyanarayana Rao in the Greater Andhra Mahasabha office and took a decision to work [more actively] for the achievement of Greater Andhra. On 3 November 1955 the Greater Andhra activists met under the presidency of Sri Mir Ahmad Ali Khan and passed a resolution that Greater Andhra was immediately required. For this a delegation to go to Delhi, meet the leaders there and apprise them of the immediate need to form Greater Andhra was appointed. Sri Mir Ahmad Ali Khan, Bommakanti Satyanarayana Rao, Paga Pulla Reddy, Kotturi Sitaiah, B.V. Gurumurthy, V.B. Raju, et al were in this delegation. They went to Delhi in the first week of November [1955], stayed there for a few days, met Sri Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Vice-President, Sri Govinda Vallabh Pant, Home Minister, Sri Thebar, Congress President, et al and apprised them of the need to immediately form Greater Andhra. On behalf of the Telangana communists, a deputation under the leadership of Sri Ravi Narayana Reddy also went to Delhi, met the veteran leaders there and explained to them the need to immediately form Greater Andhra. Andhra communist leaders Sri Pucchalapalli Sundaraiah and Sri Chandra Rajeshwara Rao also went to Delhi and worked in favour of achieving Greater Andhra immediately.

Two prominent incidents

In the month of November [1955] the All India Congress Working Committee meeting was held. But two important developments which occurred prior to this meeting are to be explained here. The first was the meeting of the Chief Ministers of States held in New Delhi on 22 October 1955. Before Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, the Chief Minister of Hyderabad, started for attending this meeting, the leaders of both the [Greater Andhra and separate Telangana] groups met him and requested him to apprise the central leadership about their respective opinions. On the day of Dusserah festival (Vijaya Dasami) on 17 October 1955 the activists of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha on behalf of that Mahasabha met Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao and urged him to place their opinions before the central leadership. Sri Ramakrishna Rao had informed that he would apprise the Central Government of the opinions of all parties and about the local conditions. Within a few days after his return to Hyderabad after participating in the Chief Ministers meeting, Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao made a detailed statement on 28 October [1955] declaring the need for the immediate formation of Greater Andhra. Therein he explained that if Telangana were to be kept separate for five years several troubles would arise and in these five years the dispute of separate Telangana and Greater Andhra will be daily erupting and it may even become an issue in the elections and hence it was better that Greater Andhra should be formed immediately. He had nicely explained the need for the immediate formation of Greater Andhra in this statement. The Greater Andhra Mahasabha had translated this statement [of Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao] into Telugu and published it, which became a strong support for the Greater Andhra movement. After participating in the same Chief Ministers meeting Sri Bezwada Gopala Reddy, the Andhra Chief Minister, had stopped over for a few hours in Hyderabad on his return journey when the Greater Andhra Mahasabha activists met him on behalf of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha. Speaking to them, Sri Bezawada Gopala Reddy revealed that in the Chief Ministers meeting, the Chief Ministers of both Andhra and Hyderabad States had pleaded for the immediate formation of Greater Andhra and especially Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, Chief Minister of Hyderabad, had very efficiently placed the arguments for Greater Andhra in his speech. The second event was the meeting of the State Congress Presidents that was held in Delhi in the second week of November 1955. Prior to this meeting, on 31 October 1955 the Telangana Congress delegates meeting was held [at Hyderabad]. In this meeting, a majority of the delegates (50 delegates on 1-11-55) had supported the recommendation of the [Fazal Ali] Commission i.e. keeping Telangana separate for five years whereas [only] a minority (17 delegates), among whom Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was also there, supported the immediate formation of Greater Andhra. [However,] the Hyderabad Pradesh Congress President Sri J.V. Narsinga Rao, who participated in the State Congress Presidents meeting, demanded separate Telangana for all times to come. Later on his return from Delhi, Sri Narsinga Rao explained that separate Telangana forever was his personal opinion. Sri Channa Reddy also made a similar statement. And Sri K.V. Ranga Reddy led the movement for separate Telangana. Thus the [separate] Telangana movement gained momentum. In this background, the All India Congress Working Committee meeting was held in New Delhi, and on 9 November 1955 the Congress Working Committee (CWC) advised the Telangana people that formation of Greater Andhra would be appropriate. It needs to be also noted that around the same time the All India Communist Party as well as the All India Praja Socialist Party had passed resolutions demanding immediate formation of Greater Andhra.

Negotiations

In the first week of November 1955 the Chief Minister, Sri Bezawada Gopala Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister, Sri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, Planning Minister Sri Kala Venkata Rao of Andhra state and Sri Alluri Satyanarayana Raju, President of Andhra State Congress, had come to Hyderabad and conducted negotiations with both the groups. The day they came here at about 3 P.M. in the afternoon the Hyderabad Congress leaders Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, Sri Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy, Sri Channa Reddy, Sri J.V. Narasinga Rao met them and after prolonged discussions it was decided that they should again meet, this time in Kurnool, on 23 November 1955 to continue the discussions. In this meeting Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao strongly supported [the formation of] Greater Andhra. However, since thereafter the separate Telangana leaders did not like to go to Kurnool, that next meeting was not held.

Greater Andhra movement gets intensified

When the situation was so, the Greater Andhra movement began to gradually gain strength. The Greater Andhra Mahasabha published several books and pamphlets in Telugu and Urdu, conducted meetings and conferences and also through other programmes of propaganda began to strengthen the Greater Andhra movement in conformity with the advice of the All India Congress Working Committee. Among those who conducted such meetings in the districts to support the Greater Andhra movement a special mention needs to be made of Sri Bommakanti Satyanarayana Rao, P. Pulla Reddy, Kotturi Sitaiah, Mir Ahmad Ali Khan, V.B. Raju, Pandit Narendraji, KONDA LAKSHMAN, Erram Satyanarayana et al. Sri Janardhan Rao Desai also helped the Greater Andhra movement. The communist leaders too had conducted several meetings and conferences in the districts and lent strength to the Greater Andhra movement. In some places all-party meetings were held to support Greater Andhra. In these all-party meetings, Sri Chundi Jagannadham, KODATI, KOMARAGIRI and KALOJI [Narayanatrayam - the Narayana trinity] had enthusiastically participated and worked. Sri Vavilala Gopalakrishnaiah too had participated in some meetings. Women also came in great numbers to participate in the Greater Andhra movement. Among such women, a mention needs to be made of Ms. Ellapragada Sita Kumari, Suryadevara Rajyalakshmi Devi, Vijayalakshmi and Rajamani Devi. More than 200 Greater Andhra conferences were held in Telangana. [Several] village panchayats, municipalities, Congress associations, trade unions had expressed their support for Greater Andhra to the Central Government. Among the students both groups had intensified. Due to temporary passions in some places even violence occurred. People from various walks of life passed resolutions for Greater Andhra and sent them to the Central Government. On 12 November 1955 two important meetings were held. One was at Pratapgirji Kothi and the other at Charminar. These two meetings were held by the minority sections of the Maharashtrian, Karnataka, Gujarati, Marwari and Muslim delegates and eminent persons and resolutions in support of Greater Andhra were passed in these two meetings and sent to the Central Government. On 22 November 1955 the Hyderabad Advocates meeting under the presidency of Sri G. Venkatachalam declared that the formation of Greater Andhra alone was their will and wish. On 24 November 1955 a Telangana delegates meeting, in which about 500 delegates from the districts participated, was held at Charminar under the presidency of Sri Ravi Narayana Reddy and it was inaugurated by Sri KALOJI NARAYANA RAO. The meeting declared for the immediate formation of Greater Andhra. Apart from this, several professional and business associations sent hundreds of telegrams to the Central Government in support of Greater Andhra. The Greater Andhra Mahasabha had worked very actively and very carefully in organizing this movement.

In such a background, the Hyderabad Assembly met on 22 November 1955. In this meeting the Chief Minister Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao had moved a resolution for the merger of Andhra and Telangana. Proposing this resolution, Sri Ramakrishna Rao made a comprehensive speech explaining as to why Greater Andhra was necessary. There were in all 175 members in the Hyderabad Legislative Assembly among whom 147 participated in the debate. Among them 103 members wanted immediate formation of Greater Andhra whereas only 28 favoured separate Telangana. While the debate was going on in this manner in the Assembly Sri Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy went [hurried] to Delhi and got some direction [from the Congress central leadership, presumably] due to which voting was not held in the Assembly [on this resolution] but the Assembly was adjourned to meet again on 4 December 1955. But the details regarding the opinions expressed by the members were submitted to the Central Government. Also the gist of the Chief Minister’s speech [on the floor of the Assembly] on 23 November 1955 was published in Telugu by the Greater Andhra Mahasabha. Apart from that some more pamphlets were also published. The President of India, Babu Rajendra Prasad, while inaugurating the Tirupati University Senate, had blessed the formation of Greater Andhra. The blessings of great personalities – highly learned persons, great philosophers and persons capable of showing the path of nobility to the entire world, had been conferred on this [Greater Andhra] movement. Sri Vinoba Bhave also approved of Greater Andhra. [Several] economists declared that Telangana could not be self-sufficient and the welfare of the people lay in the formation of Greater Andhra. Sri Thebar [Congress President] advised in favour of Greater Andhra. Incorporating all these blessings and advices of such elderly personalities a pamphlet was published on behalf of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha. The books and pamphlets published by the Greater Andhra Mahasabha were distributed to the people in thousands of numbers. Newspapers like ‘Andhra Janata’, ‘Telugu Desam’, ‘Daily News’ (English), ‘Siasat’ and ‘Payam’ (Urdu), ‘Visalandhra’, ‘Andhra Prabha’, ‘Andhra Patrika’ had supported Greater Andhra.

Grave conditions

(to be

These four to five months the situation in Telangana was quite serious. The gravity of the conditions was more intense in the months of November, December [1955] and January [1956]. In the second week of December, Prime Minister Nehru had come to Hyderabad on his way to lay the foundation stone for the Nagarjuna Sagar and stayed here for one day. On 9 December 1955 inaugurating the Urdu Hall, Hyderabad, Sri Jawaharlal Nehru informed the audience that he personally was against the division of Hyderabad State from the beginning but all the same since all political parties demanded and the Fazal Ali Commission also recommended it, the division of Hyderabad had become inevitable. Hence, Prime Minister Nehru informed the people that, whatever be his own personal opinion, he was committed to the division of Hyderabad State. The same day evening talking in the meeting of the Congress workers held at Shah Manzil, he apprised them that the Congress Working Committee had advised him that it was not proper to keep Telangana separate for six years and so some final decision has to be taken without getting entangled in the six years quarrel. The next day while laying the foundation stone for the Nagarjuna Sagar Project, Nehru had commented that the Krishna River waters were like an indivisible love knot between the Telugu peoples of both the regions. The next morning speaking in a political conference at Guntur and addressing the Andhra people there, Nehru said: “I know all of you desire Greater Andhra, which is quite appropriate [and feasible].” All these speeches make it clear that Prime Minister Nehru [certainly] was not opposed to Greater Andhra. This Guntur Political Conference was presided over by Sri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra state and an unanimous resolution demanding immediate formation of Greater Andhra was passed in this conference. Sri Paga Pulla Reddy, Secretary of Greater Andhra Mahasabha, was one of the persons from Hyderabad who went [all the way] to Guntur and supported this resolution. Well known Andhra leader, an intellectual who had been the President of the All India Congress, and the then Madhya Pradesh State Governor, Dr. Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramaiah had arrived at Hyderabad in December 1955 to deliver the convocation address at the Osmania University. On that occasion a grand meeting was conducted under the auspices of the Andhra Saraswatha Parishad in the premises of the Andhra Saraswatha Parishad office at Hyderabad. Speaking in that meeting, Dr. Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramaiah had so remarked: “Very soon the difference of ‘we’ and ‘you’ would vanish and by the second week of January we can become ‘we all’.” This was taken to have been the first ever unequivocal declaration about the certainty of Greater Andhra formation. (to be continued) [Published in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 30 November 2010 issue]

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¨ Continued from Law animated World, 15 November 2010 issue; emphases in bold ours. - IMS.

GREATER ANDHRA MOVEMENT (2) by Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, tr: IMS.

GREATER ANDHRA MOVEMENT (2) - Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao¨

Movement for Linguistic States - Top Congress leaders get infuriated

Because of the formation of the Andhra State, the movement demanding other linguistic states had got strengthened. Kannadigas and Maharashtrians had also begun to agitate for separate linguistic states for themselves. Consequently, the Government of India had to take steps for reorganization of states. [In such a situation] when Sri Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao had, in the All India Congress Standing Committee meeting that took place at Bangalore, for the first time made the proposal for Greater Andhra the top leaders of Congress got furious. At that time Babu Purushotham Das Tandon was the President of the Congress. However, Sri Nijalingappa and Sri Ramananda Tirth et al were favouring the stand of Sri Kaleshwara Rao at Bangalore. Later, at the All India Congress meeting at Nanal Nagar, Hyderabad, Swami Ramananda Tirth, the chairman of the reception committee, had in his presidential address welcoming the delegates, reiterated the need for establishment of linguistic states. Karnataka leaders like Sri Nijalingappa and Maratha leaders like Gadgil and Hare were from the beginning supporting the theory of linguistic states and working for the formation of United Karnataka and United Maharashtra. In the meeting at Nanal Nagar, Sri Mosalikanti Tirumala Rao and Sri Kala Venkata Rao spoke in support of linguistic provinces. It is noteworthy that Sri Kala Venkata Rao had spoken in Telugu in the meeting at Nanal Nagar asserting the need for formation of Andhra province. This movement for linguistic states began to pick up momentum at an all India level also. A meeting of the All India Linguistic States’ votaries had taken place at Akola town in 1952, in which people from all parties had participated. From Hyderabad Mir Ahmed Ali Khan had gone and participated in that meeting. A resolution for the trifurcation of Hyderabad State and formation of United Karnataka, United Maharashtra and Greater Andhra was passed in that meeting. Dr. Lanka Sundaram was chairing this Linguistic Provinces Congress. However, Dr. Lanka Sundaram’s expressed opinion that Bombay, Hyderabad and some other cities have to be declared Union Territories, did not find favour with none of the votaries of linguistic states. That was why this Linguistic Provinces Congress had not attracted the people sufficiently. But, all the same, the movement for linguistic states did develop into a people’s movement.

Greater Andhra movement gains great strength

It was under such conditions that the Greater Andhra movement had spread in the city of Hyderabad. The Executive Committee meeting of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha (Great-Meeting, literally) was held at Hyderabad on 13 and 14 September 1953, in the bungalow of Sri Kalva Suryanarayana, a man of great wealth, at Hyderabad. Veterans like Sri Bulusu Sambamurthy had participated in this meeting. Eminent persons from Andhra and Telangana joined in the Executive Committee and the Standing Committee of this Greater Andhra Mahasabha. The representatives from all sections of Telangana had taken membership in this Mahasabha.

Sri J.V. Narasinga Rao and Sri Narotham Reddy had agreed to be members and participated in the meetings of this Mahasabha. However, the communists were denied membership in this Greater Andhra Mahasabha. But they [the communists] had separately, through their Andhra Mahasabha and other associations, lent strength to the Greater Andhra movement. Thus Greater Andhra movement worked in two streams. The meeting of Greater Andhra Mahasabha conducted at Surya Mahal had created a new enthusiasm among the people in Hyderabad and Secunderabad [twin cities] and generated many activists. It is worth noticing that traders of Osmanganj as also the members of Hyderabad and Secunderabad Municipal Corporations had voluntarily worked in this movement. In this context a special mention needs to be made about three persons in Hyderabad. The first of them is Sri Mir Ahmad Ali Khan; second, Sri Kothuri Seetaiah, and the third Sri P. Pulla Reddy. Sri Paga Pulla Reddy had worked as the Secretary of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha. These three persons had, with great perseverance and till the end, worked day and night for the success of the Greater Andhra movement. Thereafter the Standing Committee meeting of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha was held on 14 November 1953 at the Vaisya Students Hostel in Lingampalli, Hyderabad in all pomp and glory. Delegates from all areas in Andhra and Telangana regions had come to participate in this meeting. A Reception Committee with Sri Kothuri Sitaiah as the President, Sri Kalva Suryanarayana, Nukala Narotham Reddy, Dharanidhar Sanghi, Lakshmichand Chalani, D.D. Italia, Belide Jagadeeshwaraiah, Shantabai, Dr. Rangachari, Sardarullah Khan and B. Kishanlal as Vice Presidents, Sri N. Bhojraj as the General Secretary, Sri Komaragiri Narayana Rao, B. Rami Reddy and Sumitra Devi as secretaries, and Sri Erram Satyanarayana as Treasurer conducted the meeting. Presiding over the Mahasabha meeting, Sri Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao had read out a comprehensive lecture on the need for Greater Andhra. Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao had participated and completely cooperated in this meeting. People from all parties in Telangana had participated in this meeting. Ministers of Andhra Government – Sri Kadapa Koti Reddy, Pattabhi Rama Rao and Tenneti Viswanadham – had also participated and given exciting speeches in this meeting. The women of Hyderabad had fully cooperated in the meeting. However, none of the Ministers of Hyderabad Government participated. On the whole, the meetings were conducted quite gloriously and made Hyderabad as a complete Andhra city. Sri Gadiyaram Ramakrishna Sarma had written for and read out in this meeting some very nice welcome poems. Thereafter too Sri Sarma had written very nice poems on two or three occasions supporting the Greater Andhra movement and those poems were published in the Golkonda Patrika. Eminent Andhra Poets of Telangana had supported the Greater Andhra ideal. Sri Dasarathi [Krishnamacharya] wrote a poem saying the three crore Telugu people have to be tied up in one knot and titled his poetic work as ‘Mahandhrodayam’ (Rise of Great Andhra). Sri Bellamkonda Chandramouli Sastry had written some beautiful poems exhorting the need for formation of Greater Andhra.

States Reorganization Commission

In pursuance of the promise made by him some months earlier, Indian Prime Minister Nehru had on 22 December 1953 had announced in Parliament the decision to constitute a States Reorganization Commission with Mr. Fazal Ali as the President, and Sri Hridaynath Kunjru and Phanikkar as members. The Government of India had appointed this high level commission to conduct a comprehensive enquiry into the issue of states reorganization in our country and submit its report in this regard by 30 June 1955. The Commission was directed to keep in view, along with the importance of the linguistic issue, the unity and integrity of the nation, defence and the economic situations while enquiring into the problem of states reorganization.

At first there was no opposition

In the beginning, there was no strong resistance at all to the Greater Andhra movement. At that time only two opinions were strongly prevalent in Hyderabad State. One of those was that Hyderabad State should not be divided but the status quo should be continued. Only certain special circles and persons had supported this opinion. None of the political parties in the Hyderabad State had supported this argument and hence this argument had no support or strength of the masses. The second argument was that Hyderabad State should be divided and United Karnataka, United Maharashtra and Greater Andhra States should be forged. All political parties in the State had supported this argument and as such it received full support of the people. At that time, the Separate Telangana argument had not yet arisen. So it would be interesting to note that several among the persons who later supported Separate Telangana argument were initially supporters of the Greater Andhra movement. On the occasion of the festival of Sankranthi on 14 January 1954 a tea party was given on behalf of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha in the premises of the Andhra Saraswatha Parishad Office [at Boggulkunta, Hyderabad] in which [almost] all the eminent Andhra leaders of Hyderabad along with the Andhra Pitamaha (Madapati Hanumantha Rao) had participated. A few eminent Muslims had also attended this tea party. Nawab Najar Yar Jang Bahadur, Retired High Court Judge, Mr. Habibur Rahman, Retired Secretary of Commerce and Industries and Mr. Abid Ali Khan, Editor of Siasat Urdu daily, had participated in this tea party and expressed their approval of the Greater Andhra movement. These three Muslim personalities had, to the end, supported the Greater Andhra movement. And several prominent non-Andhra persons had also participated in this tea-party. Further Sri Munagala Raja, who worked as associate of Sri Komarraju Lakshmana Rao, had participated not only in this tea party but also in the earlier meetings of Greater Andhra Mahasabha too. Sri S.N. Reddy, a retired Andhra Police officer who adorned several prominent posts in Hyderabad Police Department, had also supported Greater Andhra and had participated in a few meetings of the city branch of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha. Later he gave a representation in support of Greater Andhra before the Fazal Ali Commission too. In the beginning of 1954 a Hyderabad City branch of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha was formed with Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao as President and Bhojraj as Secretary and several other eminent persons as members, and even ward committees of the same were formed and the work of the movement was being attended to. The office of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha was established at Nijam Shahi Road, Hyderabad. Sri [Paga] Pulla Reddy, Secretary of the Mahasabha, had borne the burden of office administration, and Sri Kotthur Sitaiah and Mir Ahmad Ali Khan lent strength as bulwarks to the Secretary. Sri Dharanidhar Sanghi, Bacchu Gurumurthy, N.R. Venkatesham, Dr. Rangachari, Narasimhachari, Erram Satyanarayana, Ellapragada Sita Kumari, Ms Rajyalakshmi Devi, Editor of Telugu Desam, Ms Vijayalakshmi Devi, et al came forward and worked in the movement with great enthusiasm. On 14 & 15 June 1954, under the auspices of the Telangana Greater Andhra Mahasabha, a Greater Andhra Conference was held in the Exhibition Grounds, Hyderabad, under the presidency of the great poet Sri Sri (Srirangam Srinivasa Rao), in which bulk of the participants were non-Congressites. More than a thousand delegates from Andhra and Telangana regions had participated in this conference. At the inaugural session of this Conference Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao [Andhra Pitamaha] had bestowed his blessings [to the movement]. Sri Chandra Rajeshwara Rao, the Andhra communist leader, had camped in Hyderabad for a few days to support and aid the Telangana communist leaders in successfully holding and conducting this Conference. In later days also Sri Rajeshwara Rao had rendered commendable service for the spread of Greater Andhra movement in Telangana.

A VERY IMPORTANT WEEK

The last week of May 1954 [was/is] a very important week in the history of Hyderabad. That week the Fazal Ali Commission had visited Hyderabad for collection of opinions from the people of Hyderabad. In this context a special mention needs to be made about an important development. About six weeks before the arrival of this Commission, as per the decision of the Hyderabad Pradesh Congress Executive Committee, the meetings of delegates from Andhra, Maharashtra and Karnataka were held separately. These meetings were intended to decide as to what recommendations have to be conveyed to the Fazal Ali Commission regarding the future of the State. Maharashtrians and Kannadigas had resolved in support of United Maharashtra and United Karnataka. But differences arose among the Telangana delegates. Dr. Channa Reddy had raised the argument that Telangana should remain separate and led a powerful group in its support. In this meeting [of Congress delegates from Telangana] Thirty three [33] delegates supported separate Telangana whereas thirteen [13] supported Greater Andhra. Among the total 100 delegates remaining 54 delegates abstained. On the whole it was resolved that there were two opinions among the Telangana delegates and both the opinions were to be conveyed to the Fazal Ali Commission. As per the Congress rules and regulations, there was only one Pradesh Congress for the entire Hyderabad State and there was no provision for such separate delegates’ meetings of the three regions. For the first time, regarding [the crucial] issue of division of the State and subsequent tasks, such separate meetings of delegates has taken place even though there was no [such enabling] provision in the Rules. And some people [strongly] felt that it was not a proper course, and Sri Pulla Reddy had accordingly raised an objection in that meeting also. Be that as it may, two definite factions had cropped up in the Hyderabad Pradesh Congress. One was the Greater Andhra faction and the other Telangana faction. The impact of these factions was to make itself felt at every subsequent step.

Collection of Opinions

With the arrival of the Fazal Ali Commission political uproar [kolahalam - కోలాహలం] started in the Hyderabad political field. The three main political parties in Hyderabad State – the Pradesh Congress, Communist and Socialist Parties had asserted that Hyderabad should be split up. Whereas the Communist and Socialist Parties [unanimously] clarified that they stand for the formation of Greater Andhra, one faction of the Hyderabad Pradesh Congress opted for Greater Andhra while another faction wanted separate Telangana. It does not seem that any opinion on behalf of the Hyderabad State Ministry was conveyed. However, a few ministers had conveyed their personal opinions to the Commission. A majority of the legislators had supported Greater Andhra only. Cultural associations like Andhra Saraswatha Parishad and Telangana Writers Association had supported Greater Andhra. Andhra Mahasabha presided by Sri Baddam Yella Reddy had supported Greater Andhra only. The Municipal Corporations of Hyderabad and Secunderabad had conveyed opinions favoring Greater Andhra. The Greater Andhra Mahasabha had quite actively worked in this regard. A memorandum [in support of Greater Andhra] was submitted by a delegation of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha which met the Commission. Further, the City branch of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha had also deposed in favour of Greater Andhra before the Commission. There were eminent persons like Sri Mandumula Narsing Rao, Nawab Mehdi Nawaj Jung Bahadur, Pandit Vinayak Rao Gopal Rao Ekbote, Pandit Narendraji, Colonel Waghray, who conveyed their opinions against the division of Hyderabad itself. However, after the submission of the Fazal Ali Commission Report, when the division of the Hyderabad State became inevitable, all these persons had asserted that Greater Andhra should be formed and not separate Telangana. Telangana Congress delegates numbered one hundred [100]. Out of these, about 50 persons had signed a petition in favour of Greater Andhra which was submitted to the Commission. For the collection of these signatures, among the persons who toured the districts amidst difficulties, a mention needs to be made of Sri Bommakanti Satyanarayana Rao, P. Pulla Reddy, V.B. Raju, Kotturi Sitaiah and Ahmad Ali Khan. The Commission had toured in Warangal, Karimnagar and Nalgonda districts too. Several representations were submitted to the Commission during these tours. On examination of these representations it became clear that popular opinion was in favour of Greater Andhra movement. Thereafter two supplemental representations with statistical data were also submitted to the Commission on behalf of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha. [However,] it does not appear that Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, the Chief Minister of Hyderabad, had submitted any written representation [or note] to the Commission in this regard. However, it was learnt through reliable circles that he was in favour of Greater Andhra only. Not only that, It was known from circles close to him that Sri Ramakrishna Rao had even earlier conveyed to Sri Prakasham Pantulu that he was in favour of formation of Greater Andhra. Thereafter the Commission toured Andhra districts too. All political parties and all sections in Andhra State had favoured Greater Andhra. The Andhra State Ministry under the leadership of Sri Prakasma Pantulu, a veteran freedom fighter who distinguished himself in the national war and a great sacrificing personality, had declared for the formation of Greater Andhra. Sri Tenneti Viswanadham, then a member of the Cabinet, had done commendable work for Greater Andhra. And Sri Sanjiva Reddy was from the beginning like a natural bulwark for Greater Andhra. The perseverance and work efficiency of Sri Sanjiva Reddy had greatly contributed to the attainment of Greater Andhra. On 10 September 1954, Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, Chief Minister of Hyderabad State, talking to press reporters in Madras, had asserted that if United Karnataka and United Maharashtra were to be formed, then Greater Andhra must also be formed. This has come out as a clear-cut expression of his mind on this issue which was till then not so expressly revealed. However, [it has to be borne in mind that] his agreement to Greater Andhra had been revealed [earlier] on the very day when he [Burgula Ramakrishna Rao] proposed the resolution in the Hyderabad State Congress meeting held at Nizamabad [soon after the Police Action for splitting up Hyderabad State and merging the three regions with their respective linguistic provinces].

Even earlier to the Police Action, in the Hyderabad State Congress meeting held under the chair of Swami Ramanand Tirth at Musheerabad, proposing the resolution for establishment of responsible government in Hyderabad Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao had asserted that “Hyderabad is an artificially created State.” This statement also points to his acceptance of the Greater Andhra ideal. After the Commission’s tour in Hyderabad State there arose two clearly different groups in Hyderabad Congress. The Pradesh Congress had gone into the control of Separate Telangana faction. Some persons though were protagonists of Greater Andhra earlier had unexpectedly become separate Telangana supporters. The year 1954 ran and ended in this manner. [It can be said that in this year] the Greater Andhra movement had gained further strength. On behalf of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha a goodwill delegation under the leadership of the Mayor of Hyderabad had started from Hyderabad on 7 August 1954 and toured Kurnool, Guntur and Vijayawada. Prominent activists of the Greater Andhra movement were there in this delegation. Grand welcome was given to them in the above three towns and it is noteworthy that in such welcome ceremonies people from all parties had participated.

The then Andhra State Finance Minister Sri Tenneti Viswanadham had come to Hyderabad 3-4 times in this year (1954), met the activists [of Greater Andhra movement] here, encouraged them and did a nice work to create a cordial goodwill atmosphere. In the beginning of the year 1955, the then President of Andhra Congress Sri Bezwada Gopala Reddy and Sri Kala Venkata Rao had visited Hyderabad, and encouraged the Greater Andhra movement by their speeches at the Greater Andhra Mahasabha meeting as well as the Congress Office in Gandhi Bhavan. Thereafter elections were conducted in Andhra and the people from here [Telangana] went there and worked [for propaganda] in those elections and cultivated mutual friendly relations. Later a new ministry was installed in Andhra State. The new Chief Minister of Andhra, Sri Bezwada Gopala Reddy, had come to Hyderabad in April 1955, and spoke at the meeting of the Greater Andhra Mahasabha encouraging the Greater Andhra movement.

Prophecy by Sri Gopala Reddy

The Fazal Ali Commission Report was due to be delivered in June 1955 but three months delay took place in finally delivering it. A few weeks before the submission of the Report, stopping at Hyderabad on his way to Kurnool from Delhi, Sri Bezawada Gopala Reddy inaugurating the Nizam College Telugu Samiti had made a political prophesy that Hyderabad State would be divided but the issue of Greater Andhra might be left to the decision of the Telangana legislators themselves. This had created some sensation and anxiety in the political circles. However, it fortified the idea that on the whole Hyderabad State would be certainly divided up.

A STRANGE VERDICT

Finally, the much-awaited Fazal Ali Commission Report was [delivered and] published on 10 October 1955. It was clearly stated in that Report that the Telugu people desire Greater Andhra, that Greater Andhra was their [cherished] destination and no sort of obstacles should be placed in the way of reaching that destination. [However,] just as [in some strange cases] the judges after hearing all the arguments and when pronouncing the verdict give all the opinions in favour of their judgment in one manner but finally deliver the decree in an entirely adverse manner, this Commission had also stated all the arguments in favour of Greater Andhra but ultimately gave the decree stalling the formation of Greater Andhra State for a period of five years and conditioned that even later it was to be formed only if the newly elected [truncated Hyderabad i.e. Telangana] Assembly in 1961 by two-thirds majority opted for it. After the Commission Report was made public, various political parties and persons had expressed their respective opinions. While the separate Telangana circles rejoiced, the Greater Andhra circles expressed their disappointment. Greater Andhra protagonists like Sri Pulla Reddy, Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, et al expressed their discontent and demanded the immediate formation of Greater Andhra. Sri M.S. Rajalingam had suggested that the decision to form Greater Andhra should be immediately taken but its implementation could be stalled for six years (see Golkonda Patrika, dated 14 October 1955). Sri Valluri Basava Raju had made another suggestion that instead of fixing a limit of six years a provision should be made to form Greater Andhra as and when the Telangana legislators favour it (see Andhra Janata, dated 12 October 1955). [However,] those opposed to the division of the Hyderabad State had commented that if at all the division of Hyderabad State was unavoidable, then formation of Greater Andhra was more desirable than separate Telangana. Thus the ranks of those supporting Greater Andhra had increased. The people supporting Greater Andhra in this manner included Mandumula Narsinga Rao, Pandit Vinayak Rao, Pandit Narendraji, Gopala Rao Ekbote, Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung, et al. But the most peculiar and strange development was that Padmabhushan Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao Pantulu – who was from the inception a solid supporter of the Greater Andhra movement, was the chariot-driver (rathasarathi) of Andhra movement in Telangana, was adorned with the title of Andhra Pitamaha [Grandfather of Andhra] and was well known as synonym for Andhra-ism in Hyderabad – had declared that he was agreeable to Telangana remaining separate for a period of five years. This new path shown thus by the Pantulu was then followed by some more persons who were earlier Greater Andhra protagonists, and consequently, the number of supporters of Greater Andhra in the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation got reduced. (to be continued)

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Published in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 31 October 2010 (Part 1) and 15 November 2010 (Part 2) issues.

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¨ Continued from Law animated World, 31 October 2010 issue; emphases in bold ours. - IMS.

GREATER ANDHRA MOVEMENT (1) by Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, tr: IMS.

GREATER ANDHRA MOVEMENT - Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao¨

Historic Declaration - Andhra people elated

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The occasion of Sri Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, declaring, on 5 March 1956 in a huge public meeting at Nizamabad attended by about two lakhs people, the decision of the Government of India to form Greater Andhra is a historic and most brilliant event in the history of Andhra country. This declaration by the Indian Premier which affords an opportunity for all the Telugu people to once again, after a lapse of two hundred years, to become politically of one family has made the Andhra people quite happy. That this declaration should be made in Nizamabad also seems to be somewhat apt. Because it is in this Nizamabad several years before the ‘Police Action’ in the fourth Andhra Mahasabha that the Andhra movement (Andhrodyamam) was converted into a political movement. And then after the Police Action it was in the Hyderabad State Congress Conference held at Nizamabad that a resolution demanding the trifurcation of the Hyderabad State and the merger of the Andhra, Maharashtra, Karnataka territories of the State with the respective neighboring linguistic states was passed. Again in the same Nizamabad in the year 1956 this declaration for formation of Greater Andhra has taken place.

With the spread of English imperialism the establishment of provinces in India has occurred to cater to the needs and uses of the alien rulers without any relevance to the needs of the people here. Consequently, Andhras who were united under the Qutubshahi rule, as also for some period under the Nizamshahi rule, had become split into [parts in] Madras and Hyderabad States. About one hundred fifty years after such split, the desire to reunite has first manifested itself the year 1900 A.D. The British Andhra, late Sri Komarraju Venkata Lakshmana Rao, came to Hyderabad and founded the Srikrishnadevaraya Andhrabhasha Nilayam in the year 1900 and the Vijnanchandrika Granthamandali in the year 1904 and has brought nearer the Telugus in both the regions in scholarly [or educational] pursuits. This scholastic [or educational] movement gradually spread through exhibition of plays (dramas), Avadhanas (versatility demos), newspapers and journals, tours of scholars, etc., cultural movements, got strengthened and within a few years of the Police Action had established Greater Andhra culturally [That’s why Sri Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy, a Telangana leader, had, on the occasion of the inaugural ceremony of the Telugu Bhasha Samiti branch in July 1955, asserted that Visalandhra (Greater Andhra) had (already) been formed culturally. It is but natural, an innate phenomenon, that cultural greater Andhra should have evolved before political greater Andhra].

Two-decade old concept

It can be said that Greater Andhra is also, politically, a movement conceptualized two decades ago. About twenty years back, there was [serious] apprehension in the Hyderabad Government of those days that the Andhrodyamam (Andhra movement) in Hyderabad could develop into a greater Andhra movement. Nawab Ali Yavar Jung Bahadur, the then Home Secretary to the Hyderabad Government, had in 1936 expressed this doubt to Sri Madapati Hanumanta Rao, then President of the Andhra Mahasabha. And then Comrade Putchalapalli Sundaraih had, by writing the book “People’s State in Greater Andhra” in 1946, had confirmed the above apprehension to be well-grounded. The cultural movement in Hyderabad had laid the foundations for greater Andhra. The monthly journal ‘Shobha’ (splendour), started in 1947, edited by Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao and published from Warangal, ran with the orientation towards greater Andhra.

TWO STREAMS

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In this (20^th) century, Andhra movement has developed in two streams. First of these is the Andhra Statehood movement in the Madras Province. In our country the linguistic states movement has been carried out as supplemental to the Indian national movement. Even prior to independence the Indian National Congress supported the [proposal and demand for] linguistic states and organized its Provincial Congress Committees on linguistic basis. Before the advent of independence to India, the Andhra movement in the Madras Province was a statehood movement limited to the Andhra area of that province. The second stream is that of the Andhra movement (Andhrodyamam) in the Hyderabad State. The goal of this movement up to the Police Action was the establishment of a responsible government in Hyderabad. But after India got independence and the native states became integral parts of Independent India, there were some clear, natural developments in the outlooks of the Andhra movements in both these provinces. These developments had again given rise to a movement for a united province for all the Andhras. And likewise the United Maharashtra and United Karnataka movements also took shape. Consequently, after the merger of the Mysore and Hyderabad States in the Independent Indian Union, the Greater Andhra (Visalandhra) Mahasabha (Great Congress) was founded on 26 November 1949. This Mahasabha later met on 13 & 14 February 1950 and declared the formation of Greater Andhra as its ideal. On 2 October 1953 the division of Madras Province and the establishment of the Andhra State comprising of the Telugu speaking areas of that province occurred. This was the first step for the formation of a Greater Andhra State. The idea of the need for a separate Andhra State and separation from Madras Province first of all originated in the year 1912. The root cause for this idea was the absence of sufficient opportunities for the all-round development of Andhras in Madras Province due to the presence of [the author hints - domination of] Tamilians. Late Sri Konda Venkatappaiah Pantulu, late Sri [Kashinathuni] Nageswara Rao Pantulu, late Sri Nyapati Subba Rao Pantulu, late Sri Kattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy, and Sri Prakasam Pantulu, Sri Bulusu Sambamurthy, Sri Pattabhi Sitaramaiah Pantulu et al started and led the movement for a separate Andhra State. At first the argument for linguistic provinces had generated some uproar among the Congress circles. However, Sri Pattabhi Sitaramaiah wrote an enlightening book in English on the need for linguistic provinces in which he supported the doctrine of linguistic provinces with good reasons. The Andhra Congress leaders prevailed over the All India Congress to accept this linguistic states formula and achieved a separate Congress Committee for the Andhra region in the Madras Province. Later the Andhra movement gradually grew stronger and after independence the Andhra State was formed. There was no difference of opinion [worth the name] in the Andhra country regarding the movement for a separate Andhra State. All political parties had supported this movement. Professor Sri [Sarvepalli] Radhakrishnan had presided over the 20^th Andhra Mahasabha conducted in Madras. Thereafter he even went to England and negotiated about the demand of establishment of an Andhra State with the Secretary-of-States there. Sri Radhakrishnan had complete sympathy toward the Andhra movement from the beginning and as and when required, he did render the requisite help to the movement.

LIBERATION MOVEMENT

After the advent of independence to India, the Hyderabad People’s liberation movement picked up fresh strength. With the refusal of the Nizam of Hyderabad to accede to Indian Union a new chapter had begun in the Hyderabad People’s Liberation Movement. Due to the inhuman atrocities perpetrated by the Razakars in 1947, people of Hyderabad State in thousands of numbers had to flee and took temporary refuge in the neighboring States. The Hyderabad Andhras went to Vijayawada and Kurnool regions. This exodus reveals the mindset of political unity between the two regions.[1] In July 1947 a meeting of the temporarily migrated political activists was held at the residence of Sri Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao and the Hyderabad People’s Freedom Struggle Action Committee was formed. A branch of this committee was formed at Kurnool also. Speaking on behalf of this Action Committee Swami Ramanand Tirth exhorted that the people of Hyderabad must be liberated from the fascist rule and a responsible government should be established there. In the same month, the Andhra Congress Committee of Madras Province had established a Hyderabad People’s Aid Committee with Sri Kaleshwara Rao as the President.

POLICE ACTION

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A secret meeting of the All India Congress Standing Committee was held on 26 April 1948 in Bombay chaired by Babu Rajendra Prasad. Sri Kaleshwara Rao was the chief among the persons who argued for a police action on Hyderabad State in this secret meeting. On that occasion the Andhra leaders requested Babu Rajendra Prasad for an Andhra State but then he convinced them that if a separate State for Andhras was immediately given thereafter, it will compel such arrangements for the Maharashtrians and Kannadigas also and hence it was better to wait and decide all these questions together and once for all. Anyway the Police Action on Hyderabad State did take place from 13 to 17 September 1948 and the people of the State were liberated. Later in November 1948 Sri Kaleshwara Rao came to Hyderabad and consulted with the Swamiji and other local Congress leaders. It was decided on that occasion that the Hyderabad State should be divided and efforts should be made to forge a Greater Andhra, United Karnataka and United Maharashtra States. In April 1949 when Sri Kaleshwara Rao visited Hyderabad again, the Maharashtrian leaders at Hyderabad accepted and declared that Hyderabad was a Telugu city and it is the capital of Telugu land. In a tea party given on that occasion by Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao also all [leaders attending] had accepted that Hyderabad was the capital city for the entire Andhra country. This idea of Hyderabad being the capital city for entire Andhra was somehow brought to the notice of Sardar Patel whereupon he wrote a letter to Sri Kaleshwara Rao cautioning him not to launch any agitation about the division of Hyderabad State at that juncture. Thereafter in May 1949, talking with the Hyderabad Congress leaders on the occasion of the All India Congress Committee meeting held at Dehra Dun, Sardar Patel had told them that the time for agitating for the dissolution of the Hyderabad State had not yet arrived but in about five years such climate could be created. In this way, appropriate atmosphere for the Hyderabad dissolution movement was created. It was also recognized that Hyderabad was the capital for the entire Andhra country. Sri Kaleshwara Rao was the first among the Madras Congress leaders who thus recognized [the importance of Hyderabad]. He was from the beginning of the opinion that Andhras will not be able to get Madras. It is notable that the Andhra Congress Members of the Assembly who met at Madras in January 1950 decided that Madras could be the temporary capital but Hyderabad would be the permanent capital of the Andhras. Just one day prior to the emergence of Andhra State i.e. on 30 September 1953 also the Andhra Congress Committee had met and decided that Kurnool will be the temporary capital but Hyderabad will be the permanent capital for Andhra. On the other hand, the Communist Party was from the beginning i.e. from 1947 onwards declaring its aim that the Hyderabad State had to be dissolved and the Andhra region in the Madras Province and the Telangana region have to be merged to form a Greater Andhra with Hyderabad as the capital city and was also trying [its best] to spread such agitation among the common people.

The Artificial State and People’s Desire

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Due to the expansion of their dominions by the English, an artificial State containing Andhra, Maharashtra and Karnataka regions had emerged under the Asaf Jahi rule. The people were crushed under the medieval despotic rule. And so the people desired that in the democratic atmosphere created after the Police Action the Hyderabad State should be dissolved and the Andhra, Maharashtra and Karnataka regions of it be merged with the respective linguistic regions in the neighboring provinces to create a Greater Andhra, United Maharashtra and United Karnataka. After the Police Action, this desire had reflected itself in the resolutions of all the political parties of Hyderabad. Cultural organizations too supported such ideas. Taking place after the Police Action, the February 1949 meeting of the Andhra Saraswata Parishad had not only supported the formation of linguistic states but in reality that meeting was conducted as a Greater Andhra literary meet. Later Parishad meetings also took place in similar manner. The Andhra Saraswata Parishad meetings which took place at Alampuram with the blessings of Professor [Sarvepalli] Radhakrishnan were indeed entire Andhra literary meets. Andhra Saraswata Parishad and other literary institutions had completely supported the Greater Andhra movement. Immediately after the Police Action a [Andhra or Hyderabad?] State Congress meeting was held at Ghanapuram under the presidency of late Sardar Jamalapuram Keshava Rao wherein a resolution demanding formation of Greater Andhra was passed, and this resolution was editorially supported by the Golkonda Patrika, then the only Telugu daily in Telangana. Perhaps it was the first time that politically and in a public meeting such a resolution was declared. Afterwards, in March 1950, in the Hyderabad State Congress meeting under the presidency of Sri Digambar Rao Bindu it was resolved that Hyderabad State be trifurcated and the Andhra, Maharashtra and Karnataka regions in it be merged in the respective linguistic states neighboring it. This resolution was proposed by Sri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao and supported by Sri K.V. Ranga Reddy and M. Channa Reddy too. Later, in the Visalandhra Mahasabha Standing Committee meeting held on 12 & 13 February 1950 at Warangal under the presidency of Sri Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao the resolution for formation of Greater Andhra was passed. Andhra Kesari Sri Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu too had participated in this meeting. On scrutinizing the list of this Vislandhra Mahasabha Standing Committee members one would find representatives of all political parties and of all sections and cultural institutions also in it. Not only the Congress but also other political parties, especially the Communist and Socialist parties had lent great strength to the Visalandhra movement.

A short wait

The Visalandhra movement, which began thus, took some time to enter the Hyderabad city and spread all over the Telugu land. On the occasion of the first ever Andhra Progress fests (Andhrabhyudayotsavalu) conducted in the Osmania University Sri Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao had come to Hyderabad and tried to begin the Visalandhra Mahasabha there with the advice of Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao pantulu. For this purpose a meeting was conducted in the Andhra Provincial Congress Office at Sultan Bazar in this context. Sri Pallerla Hanumantha Rao, the then Vice President of Andhra provincial congress, had presided over the meeting. Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao Pantulu, Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao, P. Pulla Reddy, Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, Pulijala Hanumantha Rao, M.S. Rajalingam et al had participated in it and it was opined that a short wait was necessary before starting the movement in future.

Democratic Atmosphere - Sowing the seeds

In such circumstances, General Elections were conducted in Hyderabad State. For the first time ever a government responsible to an elected Assembly was formed. Communists had withdrawn their Telangana [armed] struggle and entered into the Assembly. So in this democratic climate the votaries of Visalandhra movement opined that the time for the spread of the Greater Andhra movement has arrived. With this opinion, under the inspiration of Sri Mir Ahmad Ali Khan, on 13 August 1953 three persons – Mir Ahmad Ali Khan, Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao and Nandagiri Venkat Rao – met in the Osmania University Graduates (Association) Office and decided to start a Greater Andhra movement in Hdyerabad City and to that end decided to consult with Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao and Sri Suravaram Pratapa Reddy. These consultations took place on 20 August 1953 in the Osmania University Graduates (Association) Office situated at Exhibition Grounds. Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao, Ahmad Ali Khan, Suravaram Pratap Reddy, Nandagiri Venkat Rao, Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, Pallerla Hanumantha Rao, Sardarullah Khan, Bhoj Raj had participated in these consultations. Finally, under the signatures of the eight participants of that consultative meet, it was decided to call for a bigger meeting on 14 September 1953 at 5 p.m. in the evening in the same Graduates [Association] Office. And more than 100 delegates from the city and the districts were invited to participate in that meeting. The notice of the meeting was written in English by Sri Suravaram Pratap Reddy. This historic notice, written by Sri Pratap Reddy with his own hand, is still in the custody of this author [Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao].

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In the 14 September 1953 meet, Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao, Pallerla Hanumantha Rao, Bhoj Raj, Bojjam Narsimhulu (later turned separate Telanganite), Kommavarapu Subba Rao, Adiraju Virabhadra Rao, S. Shyam Rao, Kamatam Venkat Reddy, Mir Ahmad Ali Khan, Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, Sardarullah Khan, Maduri Shankaralingam, Ranjit Singh, Bhadra Dev, Nukala Narotham Reddy, et al participated. Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao presided over this meeting. In this way the Greater Andhra movement and its ideas began to gradually spread in the Hyderabad City and districts.

As things were so, the utmost self-sacrifice of Sri Potti Sriramulu in Madras for achieving the Andhra State and later the declaration by the Union Government of the formation of a separate Andhra State happened. In this context, an executive committee meeting of the Andhra State Congress Committee had taken place in April 1953 at Vijayawada. This meeting is quite important. At that time Sri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was the President of the Andhra State Congress Committee. Sri Kaleshwara Rao had written to Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao pantulu that it would be good if some representatives from Telangana could come to Vijayawada on this occasion. Consulting with his confidants Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao asked Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao and Ahmad Ali Khan to go to Vijayawada for the purpose. Before going to Vijayawada, these three met Sri Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy. Sri Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy had expressed his opinion that sooner or later Greater Andhra would inevitably emerge and encouraged saying he was amenable to the three who met him – Madapati Hanumantha Rao, Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao and Ahmad Ali Khan – working for that cause. These two [DR and AA Khan] were given a grand welcome in Vijayawada. These two had consulted with Andhra Congress leaders like Sri Sanjeeva Reddy, Kaleshwara Rao, et al. The Andhra leaders had expressed their complete agreement with the Greater Andhra movement and also opined that the said Greater Andhra movement should be carried out from Telangana region only. A public meeting was held at Vijayawada that day in which these two had spoken on this issue.

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Thereafter the Municipal Corporations of Hyderabad and Secunderabad passed resolutions for the dissolution of the Hyderabad State and the formation of Greater Andhra with Hyderabad as the capital city. On 2 June 1959 a General Body meeting of the Hyderabad Pradesh Congress was conducted under the chair of Sri Ramananda Tirth. In that general body meeting, a resolution desiring the establishment of Greater Andhra, United Karnataka and United Maharashtra States was passed. These events had lent powerful support to the spread of the Greater Andhra movement in the cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and in other Telangana districts. The Communist Party had given out a declaration supporting Greater Andhra. In the Andhra Mahasabha Executive Committee meeting held under the chair of Sri Baddam Yella Reddy on 14, 15 August 1953 at Himayatnagar in the office of the Telangana Ryots (Peasant) Association, a resolution demanding formation of Greater Andhra was passed. A few months afterwards this Andhra Mahasabha (general) meeting was conducted at Pratap Girji Kothi wherein it was resolved that Greater Andhra should be formed expeditiously. On 24 August 1953 at the Reddy Students Hostel, Hyderabad, a meeting under the chair of Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao was conducted to support the Greater Andhra movement. Devulapalli Ramanuja Rao, V.B. Raju, Gurumurthy, Venkatesham, Vasudeva Naik, Ahmad Ali Khan, Dr. Rangachari participating in it spoke for the expeditious establishment of Greater Andhra. On 2 October 1953 the Andhra State was established. In this context a meeting of the Andhra Pradesh Congress was conducted at Kurnool wherein a resolution demanding establishment of Greater Andhra with Hyderabad as the capital was passed. This is quite notable. From Hyderabad, about 200 activists of the Greater Andhra movement had gone to Kurnool on that occasion to participate in the Andhra State emergence celebrations. In the evening of 1 October 1953 a meeting of the Telangana representatives was held at Kurnool. Andhra leaders like Sri Anantasayanam Ayyangar, Sri Bezwada Gopala Reddy, Sri Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao, et al also participated in it and after comprehensive discussions the Telangana representatives decided to work for the formation of Greater Andhra.

INCOMPLETE ANDHRA STATE

The Andhra State formed on 2 October 1953 was incomplete. The efforts to make Madras city as the common capital [for Andhras and Tamilians] failed. Kurnool was chosen to be the capital city. Well, if Madras City could have been accepted as the capital at that time, perhaps serious obstructions would have come in the way of Hyderabad becoming the capital city of Greater Andhra and perhaps hearty sympathy [and support] for a Greater Andhra bereft of Hyderabad City as its capital could not have been found from Telangana! So, it seems there is Nature’s work in not allowing Madras as the capital city. Sri Prakasham Pantulu, the Chief Minister of Andhra State, had repeatedly declared that the Andhra State so formed was incomplete and Kurnool was but a temporary capital. But however incomplete it might have been, the formation of the first Andhra State was a cause for rejoicing for all the Hyderabad Andhras. With this Andhra State as the first step, they (Hyderabad Telugus) began their efforts for the achievement of Greater Andhra. On 2 October 1953 a felicitation meeting to greet the formation of Andhra State took place in the Sri Krishnadevaraya Andhrabhasha Nilayam at Hyderabad. Sri Madapati Hanumantha Rao and Sri Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy, speaking at the meet, desired the formation of Greater Andhra. Shortly afterwards, inaugurating the Andhra Natyakala Parishad meetings at Bandar (Machilipatnam), Sri Channa Reddy had also supported Greater Andhra. On 2 October 1953 the Communist Party had also held a public meeting at Hyderabad to felicitate Andhra State emergence and demanded the establishment of Greater Andhra. In this way, the Greater Andhra movement had gained strength in the Telugu country as a people’s movement. (to be continued)

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¨ Born Desaipet, Warangal, 25 August 1917, and Died: 8 June 1993. An eminent Telugu writer, votary of Telugu unity, a founder member and for long time President, Andhra Saraswata Parishad; was also MP (RS) once. Translation, with some editing, of the section by the same title in his written “National Movements in Telangana” (తెలంగాణలో జాతీయోద్యమాలు); Courtesy: Andhra Saraswata Parishad, Hyderabad. Contrary to the false, Goebbelsian propaganda by the separatists that Visalandhra or emergence of Andhra Pradesh is due to the schemes and machinations of Andhra ‘colonialists’ and 1 November is a ‘Betrayal Day’, the Greater Andhra (Visalandhra literally means ‘large’ or ‘larger’ Andhra but I prefer to use ‘Greater’) movement was basically a Telangana people’s movement and the Telangana people overwhelmingly supported and rejoiced in the formation of united Andhra Pradesh, which fiery fact this article confirms. Shortcomings in translation regretted; emphases in bold ours. - IMS.

[1] Ignorant or ungrateful separatists propagate the falsehood that such migrants from Telangana were maltreated in Seemandhra which is a pure concoction or, at the most, blowing out of proportion any stray individual misdeeds which cannot be ruled out in the course of any movement as such. On the contrary, several such temporarily migrant freedom fighters interviewed by this editor had spoken highly of the affection and cordiality with which they were received and treated in Seemandhra. - IMS.