The years 1921-31 constitute a most glorious and heroic chapter in the history of freedom struggle in Andhra. They were the years when, under the inspiring leadership of eminent persons like Konda Venkatappayya, Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya, Bulusu Sambamurthi, Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu, Dr. B. Pattabhisitharamayya and Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao, the people of Andhra made splendid response to the call of Mahatmaji to participate in the struggle for the liberation of the country through the adoption of the technique of non-violent, non-co-operation and civil disobedience. The Andhras rose to the occasion with singular zeal and enthusiasm and through their self-sacrifice made a substantial contribution to the prosecution of the struggle during this period of eleven years.
In the struggle as carried on in Andhra there were several episodes which attracted the attention of the whole country. Among them was the story of Chirala where thousands of people left their ancestral homes and lived for eleven months in voluntary exile in their newly-founded colony of Ramnagar in protest against the policy of the Government constituting their town into a municipality. It was in this connection that Duggirala Gopala-krishnayya displayed his genius for organisation and leadership. Another episode of a similar character was the forest Satyagraha of the people of Palnad. A much more heroic episode was the no-tax compaign undertaken by the. ryots of Pedanandipadu under the leadership of an ordinary peasant Parvataneni Virayya Chaudhari. It was a campaign which in the words attributed to Lord Willingdon shook the British Empire in India to its very roots.
These episodes were followed by the more dramatic rebellion of Alluri Sitarama Raju who made the inaccessible Rampa Agency the scene of his activities. For nearly two years he succeeded with only a handful of followers in resisting the British authorities and eluding the police and the military forces sent against him. It was only by a stroke of good-luck that the authorities succeeded in capturing him and shooting him dead. His career reminds us of the deeds of Shivaji in the early part of his life.
Mahatma Gandhi was the architect of India's freedom. His guide-lines were meticulously followed by the Andhras and under him the freedom struggle became a mass movement. It threw up many a common man of integrity and capacity for infinite sacrifice, like Parvataneni Virayya Choudhari and Kannuganti Hanumanthu. Circumscribed though, there were many Andhra patriots like Konda Venkatappayya, Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya, Dr. B. Pattabhisitharamayya, Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu and a host of others who blazed luminous trails facilitating other enthusiasts to march forward undauntedly towards the goal of freedom. Most of the stalwarts of this period find a mention in this volume.
The other fact noticeable is that the freedom struggle in Andhra is studded with episodes which at times wrung admiration from the people and leaders of the whole country. Episodes like Chirala bring into bold relief Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya's wonderful organising capacity.
There was no suffragette movement as such in India, as in England. Nevertheless, Andhra women too, unhesitatingly, marched abreast with men to face troubles and tribulations.
Even innocent activities of some of the Andhra leaders were looked on with suspicion by the Government. To cite one such instance, Dr. B. Pattabhisitharamayya published a translation of an article in Janmabhumi, "we print above a clipping from The Boston American of April 25th, 1921, entitled 'The Truth about India worries British Government'," and added a note that, "The Boston American is one of a group of daily newspapers owned and conducted by Mr. Hearst, the most popular organ in that country with a total circulation of over 12 millions.
Mr. Hearst deserves heartfelt thanks of all patriotic Indians for the fearless and trenchant criticism of British rule in India and it behoves us that we should thank Mr. Hearst, openly and candidly, through the medium of our organ, for his disinterested stand on the question and we do so most heartily. Ed. J." The Government took this matter seriously and asked the Public Prosecutor of Krishna to file a charge-sheet against Dr. B. Pattabhisitharamayya.
On another occasion when Dr. B. Pattabhisitharamayya delivered his speech at Masulipatam, wherein he detailed the successive stages in the programme of noncорегаtion, a copy of his speech was sent to the Advocate-General for opinion. "Reading the speech as a whole, I do not think it comes within the criminal law", remarked the Advocate-General.
As non-co-operation spread in the districts of Andhra its impact on the people set in a chain of prosecutions. "The lightning (haste) with which the new series of prosecutions is being rushed on, has, however, had had an equally severe repercussion on public feeling in the Andhradesha. In Guntur Mr. Shield had the cheek to order the arrest of Sriyutha Venkatappayya, the revered President of the Andhra Provincial Committee, Barrister, and two leading merchants of the place Messrs Maddi Venkata Subbayya and Basavayya. They have been charged under section 107, but have refused 'to show cause.' The courts have been paralysed and the very collectorate has threat-ened to join the melee. The people have maintained the utmost orderliness, and Mr. Shield who had hoped to make example of Guntur, rather a warning of it to the country, has only succeeded in making it real good example of non-co-operation, to the world", reports Janmabhumi.
I take this opportunity to mention here that the late Dr. B. Pattabhisitharamayya had planned the writing of his autobiography and had discussed with me about his project. Fates destined otherwise. Material for writing or re-writing such monographs abounds in these volumes. Here I thank Dr. N. Venkataramanayya and Mr. A. Jagannadham for the great pains they have taken in gathering a large mass of material.
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