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