M N Roy in Andhra

M.N Roy ( Manavendranath Roy) first visited Madras( now Chennai) during 1938. He met Mr E V Ramasami Naikar, Dravida Khazam leader. Mr Gudavalli Ramabrahmam editor Prajamitra Telugu fortnightly published articles and matter about Roy and his programs. During Press meet Mr Khasa Subbarao, editor of Indian Express made some ugly indecent remarks about Allen Roy. Then Roy reacted and said such commentators deserve cudgeling. The press reacted and boycotted the press meet. Mr Narla Venkateswararao was also there. Later M N Roy visited Nellore at the invitation of Vennelakanti Raghavaiah, the chairman of district board. M N Roy addressed south Indian agricultural labor conference. Afterwords Roy fell ill . A word was sent to Mr M V Sastry at Kakinada. He came and took Roy to Kakinada a coastal town in Andhra. Ellen also joined Roy. Then M N Roy and Ellen proceeded to Visakhapatnam where he was welcomed by few people like P H Gupta, Abburi Varadarajeswararao, Attaluri Narasimharao and others. M N Roy was hosted by Mr P H Gupta who was in insurance business. Roy couple stayed in Maharanipet at Gupta`s house where they recouped from sickness. Mr Abburi Ramakrishnara, librarian in Andhra University introduced M N Roy to the Vice chancellor of Andhra University Mr Kattamanchi Ramalingareddi ( C R Reddi) who invited Roy and even offered professorship in the university.Later mr C R Reddi wrote brilliant introduction to Roy`s Letters from Jail. Rachakonda Viswanatha sastry and few others met M N Roy and invited him to their college to address the meeting. The principal of the college reacted at this news and commented : what is the content of Roy`s speech? Is he going to teach how to make bombs? Rachakonda reported the matter to Roy and naturally Roy commented on principal`s attitue in the public meeting held at beach shore. Students started reading Roy`s Independent India and other writings . During 1940s M N Roy along with other radicals founded Radical democratic party. Mr Abburi Ramakrishna rao was made the first organiser of the state for the party in Andhra. Several stalwarts joined the Radical democratic party and some of them are: Tata Devakinandan from Vijayanagaram, Mr Pemmaraju Venkatarao from Nellimarla who organized labor in jute mills. Mr Palagummi Padmaraju writer contributed stories and books about Radical movement. Mr Tripuraneni Gopichand was made the state party secretary. Mr Narahari Guttikonda was in charge of labor front. Dr Pavuluri Krishna Choudary from Ponnur was incharge of student wing who conducted hand written magazine M N Roy was taken to Tanuku in West Godavari where Mr K P S Raju conducted huge procession with bullock carts. M N Roy toured Tenali, Vijayawada, Guntur, and few sorrounding villages. Several teachers, poets, writers were inspiried by the thoughts and writings of M N Roy. Tenali has become hub of Radical democratic party. Mr Avula Gopalakrishna Murthy, Mr G V Krishna rao, Mr Koganti Radhakrishna Murthy, Mr Sivalingaiah, Mr Jampala Syam sundar rao, Mr Kosaraju Sambasivarao were actively involved. Mr Koganti Subrahmanyam, Mr Kolli Sivaramireddi, Mr Alapati Ravindranath, Mr Achyutaramaiah, Mr Meka Chakrapani, Mr Subbarao, advocate were involved in various activities. Mr D V Narasaraju writer and cine artist played important role in the movement. Mr Guttikonda Narahari was the state secretary for some years who also organised labor unions and camps. Mr Bhattiprolu Hanumantharao, lecturer Mr Yelavarthi Rosaiah, Mr Kalluri Basaveswararao, Mr Jasti Jagannadham Mr Ravipudi Venkatadri, Mr N V Brahmam organised several study camps at different places. Some of them participated in all India study camps at Kolkata, Dehra Dun and other places. Few leaders from India visited Andhra, gave lectures and inspired workers, organisers . Some of them are: G D Parekh, V M Tarkunde, K K Sinha, etc. Few journals were started in Andhra and some pamphlets and books were published. Several books and articles of M N Roy and other leaders were translated into Telugu. M N Roy visited couple of times to Andhra which gave inspiration to many people. During the first general elections Radical democratic party contested in Andhra but lost completely. Mr Bandaru Vandanam, Mr Koganti Radhakrishna murthy, Mr Ravipudi Venkatadri, and few others contested and lost. Mr Malladi Ramamurthi joined the movement and worked relentlessly. He canvassed for the party during first elections. He attended all India camps. In one of the visites a meeting between M N Roy and Tripuraneni Ramaswamy, Chalam was arranged at Tenali. It did not yeild any result. During second world war the writings of M N Roy and radical democratic party leaders were not published in Telugu dailies and journals. Only few magazines like Prajamitra of Gudavalli Ramabrahmam, Mulukola of Bandi Butchaiah published. Hence radicals started their own journals like Radical, Radical democrary, Jyothi, etc But several study camps were held in nooks and corners where persons like Ravipudi Venkatadri, N V Brahmam, G V Krishna rao, Bhattiprolu Hanumantharao, Koganti Radhakrishnamurthi, Malladi Ramamurthi, Avula Gopalakrishnamurthi , kalluri Basaveswararao, Ch Rajareddi, Abburi Ramakrishnarao, participated. There were student wings in colleges and schools of radical democratic party. by Innaiah Narisetti