Potti Sreeramulu, was an Indian revolutionary. A devout follower of
Mahatma Gandhi, he worked for much of his life for humanitarian causes,
including support for the "Dalit community. Commenting on Sreeramulu's
dedication and fasting ability, Gandhi once said "If only I have eleven more
followers like Sriramulu I will win freedom [from British rule] in a year."
Sreeramulu is revered as Amarajeevi in the Andhra region for his self-sacrifice
for the Andhra cause. He became famous for undertaking a hunger strike in
support of the formation of an Indian state for the Telugu-speaking population
of Madras Presidency; he lost his life in the process. His death sparked public
rioting, and Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared the intent to
form Andhra State three days following. Early life
Sreeramulu was born to Guravayya and Mahalakshmamma in 1901 at Padamatapalli
in Pedacherlopalli Mandal of Prakasam district once which was a part of
Nellore district.Later their family was shifted to Madras as famine conditions
prevailed in this region. but later lived in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. He
completed his High school in Madras and joined the Victoria Jubilee Technical
Institute in Bombay to study Sanitary Engineering. After his college
education, Sreeramulu joined the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, Bombay. In
1928, Sreeramulu lost both his wife and his new born child. Two years later, he
resigned from his job and joined Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram to get
involved in service to mankind and the struggle for Indian independence.
Independence Movement and Dalit upliftment
Sreeramulu took part in the Indian Independence Movement and was imprisoned
for participating in the 1930 Salt Satyagraha. Between 1941-1942, he
participated in the individual satyagraha and the Quit India movement
and was imprisoned on three occasions. He was involved in the village
reconstruction programmes at Rajkot in Gujarat and Komaravolu in Krishna
district, Andhra Pradesh. He joined the Gandhi ashram established by Yerneni
Subrahmanyam in Komaravolu. Between 1943 and 1944 he worked for the
widespread adoption of charkha textile-spinning in Nellore district. He
was known for taking food provided by all households, regardless of caste or
creed. He undertook three fasts during 1946-1948 in support of Dalit rights to
enter holy places, such as the temples of Nellore. He fasted in support of
Dalit entry rights to the Venugopalaswamy temple in Moolapeta,
Nellore, which were successfully gained. He again fasted to get favourable orders
on Dalit upliftment passed by the Madras government.
As a result, the government instructed District Collectors to attend to
measures of Dalit upliftment at least one day per week. During the last stages
of his life, Sreeramulu stayed in Nellore and worked for Dalit upliftment,
walking the city with slogan placards calling for Dalit upliftment barefoot
and with no umbrella against the sun. Some locals thought him insane, and he
was chastised by the upper castes and his own for his support of the Dalit
cause. Statehood for Andhra
In an effort to protect the interests of the Telugu people in Madras Presidency,
and to preserve the culture of Andhra people, he attempted to force the
government to listen to public demands for the separation of the Andhra region
from the Madras Presidency, based on linguistic lines and with Madras as its
capital. He went on a lengthy fast, stopping when Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru promised to support creation of Andhra State. Despite this concession,
little progress was made on the issue, largely due to the Telugu people's
insistence on retention of Madras as their future capital. The JVP committee,
headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Pattabhi Sitaramayya, would not
accept that proposal. With the Andhra State still not granted,
Sreeramulu resumed his hunger strike, at the Madras house of Maharshi Bulusu
Sambamurti on 19 October 1952, despite the entreaties of supporters who stated
that retention of Madras was a futile cause. Despite the Andhra Congress
committee's disavowal of the fast, this action captured the public attention.
Despite strikes and demonstrations by the Andhra people, the government made
no clear statement regarding the formation of the new state, and
Sreeramulu died during the night of 15 December 1952. Only one person before
him in modern Indian history, Jatin Das, actually fasted to death; all the others
either gave up or were arrested and force fed or hospitalised.
In his death procession, people shouted slogans praising his sacrifice, with
thousands more joining as the procession reached Mount Road,Madras. The
procession broke into a riot and accompanying destruction of public
property. As the news spread, disorder broke out in Vizianagaram,
Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Bhimavaram, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Guntur, Tenali,
Ongole and Nellore. Seven people were killed in police firing in Anakapalle
and Vijayawada. The popular agitation continued for three to four days
disrupting normal life in Madras and Andhra regions. On 19 December, Prime
Minister Nehru announced that a separate Andhra state would be formed.
Aftermath On 1 October 1953, the Telugu speaking
Andhra State was established with Kurnool as its capital from Madras
Presidency. Legacy
The house where Potti Sreeramulu died is 126 Royapettah High Road, Mylapore,
Chennai; it has been preserved as a monument of importance by the state
government of Andhra State. References
= Citations = = Bibliography =
Guha, Ramachandra, India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest
Democracy, Pan Macmillan, ISBN 978-0-330-54020-9
Murthy, Chippada Suryanarayana, Andhra martyr amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu,
International Telugu Institute External links
A write-up on the political scenario in Andhra Pradesh in 2004
The battle for Andhra. The Hindu. 30 March 2003.
The Martyr of Telugu Statehood. The Hindu, 11 November 2002
Appeal to Potti Sriramulu Sriramulu's Condition Grave December 10,
1952. The Hindu, 10 December 2002 Stamps of Potti Sriramulu at
CollectingIndianStamps.com