The compilation of the 'Who's Who of Freedom Struggle in Andhrá Pradesh' is an arduous task and I am happy to see that the committee appointed to prepare it has been able to bring out the Directory in three volumes of which this volume is the first. I understand, that these three volumes contain altogether the biographical sketches of 15,000 freedom fighters of Andhra Pradesh.
As one, who was deeply involved in the freedom movement, it is difficult not to be stirred by emotion while scanning through the pages of this book.
As I pen these lines, the whole panorama of the freedom movement in the erstwhile State of Hyderabad flits past before my eyes. Several friends and colleagues who stood by us shoulder to shoulder during the freedom struggle and braved the reactionary forces in the erstwhile Nizam's State are no longer there. Among those who are still there, many, like true Karmayogis, after having achieved their goal, are spending the evening of their life in constructive activities like social work and Sarvodaya. without hankering for the fruits of power.
Thus the earlier generation of the freedom fighters have left us a sacred trust in the form of preserving our hard-won independence and democratic way of life.
There is a general impression that during the rebellion of 1857, the British were able to prevent the embers of the rebellion spreading to the whole of Southern India, on account of the cooperation extended to them by the Nizam of Hyderabad and his Diwan Sir Salarjung. While the assumption is correct, a close examination of the then contemporary situation in the Hyderabad State reveals that the people were considerably agitated and that they lead an attack against the British Residency. Rebellions in certain regions of the State like Aurangabad, Bhir, Bhalki and in the Rampa area of Khammam continued to exist long after the 1857 rebellion was over.
I have great pleasure in writing this preface to the Ist volume of the Directory of 'Who's Who of Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh'.
The struggle of India for freedom is unique in the history of the world. The honour of achieving independence through non-violence discarding the cult of the bullet goes to India alone and to Indians who accepted the Gandhian ideals of Truth and Non-Violence.
The Gandhian era is a glorious epoch in the history of India. It saw so many constructive forces operating on the political and social fronts in moulding the destiny of India that was to come. It was also a period when Indian history became a part of world history marking the emergence of Asian nationalism. The Indian Independence was a prelude to the other countries of Asia, likewise suffering from Western colonialism to become independent.
It is a rare privilege to be born in such an eventful period and also to be an eye-witness to the various historical events that had taken place in our country.
I was fortunate to have born and lived during such an epoch-making era and also for having participated in the Freedom Struggle and contributed in my own humble way in shaping the destinies of our country.
This volume is the first in the series of the three volumes of 'Who's Who of Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh' that are being brought out by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Government of A. P.
These volumes are primarily brought out as a token of homage to such of those valiant sons and daughters of Andhra Pradesh who setting aside mundane considerations like security and comfort, had unhesitatingly come forward to participate in the freedom struggle.
The idea of writing the 'Who's Who of Freedom Struggle of the various States in the Indian Union was first mooted by late Prof. Humayun Kabir in 1960 in a letter to the Chief Ministers of the various States, while he was the Union Minister for Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs. Prof. Kabir explained his motive for initiating the scheme in the following words:-
"Important personalities will of course find place in History, but there are thousands of workers who have faced suffering, privation and even death who cannot be even mentioned in such an account. I therefore, feel that as a supplement to this History, we should bring out a 'Who's Who' of all persons who took part in the Movements for Independence. My idea is that as far as possible every person who participated in the national struggle and about whom we have some reference, should be included in this publication, but none need be given more than about half a page. In some cases, a person may have only two or three lines, but even then he would be remembered".
Thus the scheme is essentially a Roll-Call of Honour of all those patriotic sons and daughters of India who had fought for their country's independence.
Originally, the idea was to include the names of those persons who had participated in the anti-British Movements right from the year 1818 i.e. from the decline of the Maratha power upto 1947, the year of India becoming independent from the British yoke. It was also decided that the names of only such persons who had participated in political movements or revolts against the British should be included in the Directory of 'Who's Who of Freedom Struggle'. However, the idea to include even the names of personalities who through their literary, social or educational activities had contributed towards the national awakening among the people was subsequently adopted.
Since the Directory was basically a Who's Who of Freedom Struggle' the Government of India at a later date sent a directive that even the names of people who had participated in national movements subsequent to 1947, like the Hyderabad Freedom Struggle leading to the Police Action (September 1948) and the Goa Liberation Movement of 1955 be also included.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh on receiving the above communication of the Union Government, constituted this office for collecting and compiling a Directory of 'Who's Who of Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh' vide G. O. Ms. No. 2990/ Edn. dated 19-9-1960-Later, a Sub-Committee was constituted drawing its members out of the main State and Executive Committees for the Compilation of the History of the Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh that were earlier constituted in 1957. Late J. V. Narsing Rao, the then Minister, for Irrigation and Power and later the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh was the Chairman of the Sub-Committee till his demise on 3rd September 1972, while late Krishnacharya Joshi, a former M. P. and a freedom fighter was the Honorary Research Officer from the inception of the scheme till his death in October 1966, when I, as a Member of the Executive Committee, took over the charge of this office.
Hindu (886)
Agriculture (85)
Ancient (1015)
Archaeology (613)
Architecture (533)
Art & Culture (859)
Biography (596)
Buddhist (544)
Cookery (159)
Emperor & Queen (494)
Islam (234)
Jainism (273)
Literary (869)
Mahatma Gandhi (380)
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