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Editorial Board Pratap Vyamktrao Naikwade Iresh Swami Rajendra Shendge ASP College Devrukh,Ratnagiri,MS India Ex - VC. Solapur University, Solapur Director, B.C.U.D. Solapur University, Solapur R. R. Patil N.S. Dhaygude Head Geology Department Solapur Ex. Prin. Dayanand College, Solapur R. R. Yalikar University,Solapur Director Managment Institute, Solapur Narendra Kadu Rama Bhosale Jt. Director Higher Education, Pune Umesh Rajderkar Prin. and Jt. Director Higher Education, Head Humanities & Social Science Panvel K. M. Bhandarkar YCMOU,Nashik Praful Patel College of Education, Gondia Salve R. N. S. R. Pandya Department of Sociology, Shivaji Sonal Singh Head Education Dept. Mumbai University, University,Kolhapur Vikram University, Ujjain Mumbai

Govind P. Shinde G. P. Patankar Alka Darshan Shrivastava Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Distance S. D. M. Degree College, Honavar, Karnataka Shaskiya Snatkottar Mahavidyalaya, Dhar Education Center, Navi Mumbai Maj. S. Bakhtiar Choudhary Rahul Shriram Sudke Chakane Sanjay Dnyaneshwar Director,Hyderabad AP India. Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore Arts, Science & Commerce College, Indapur, Pune S.Parvathi Devi S.KANNAN Ph.D.-University of Allahabad Annamalai University,TN Awadhesh Kumar Shirotriya Secretary,Play India Play,Meerut(U.P.) Sonal Singh, Satish Kumar Kalhotra Vikram University, Ujjain Maulana Azad National Urdu University

Address:-Ashok Yakkaldevi 258/34, Raviwar Peth, Solapur - 413 005 Maharashtra, India Cell : 9595 359 435, Ph No: 02172372010 Email: [email protected] Website: www.isrj.org Indian Streams Research Journal ISSN 2230-7850 Impact Factor : 3.1560(UIF) Volume-4 | Issue-12 | Jan-2015 Available online at www.isrj.org

SALT SATYAGRAHA IN ANDHRA PRADESH WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO WEST GODAVARI DISTRICT - A HISTORICAL STUDY

R. BALAJI

Assistant Professor, Department of History, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu.

Abstract:-Gandhi announced for an anti-British Protest called Salt Satyagraha Movement in 1930 as the Salt Law of the British in India, was so exploitative and suppressive. Giving heed to the call of Gandhi, people all over India were dragged into fold of politics and they broke the Salt Law. The Salt Satyagraha was very intensive and well organized in West Godavari District. To quell the Salt Satyagraha, the Government of Andhrapradesh resorted to suppression and repression until the signing of Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931. This monograph explores all the details regarding this Salt Satyagraha Movement in West Godavari District.

Keywords: Salt satyagraha, Gandhi – Irwin pact, Simon Commission, Complete Independence

INTRODUCTION

In 1928, when Simon Commission visited India, Indian National Congress demanded dominion status. It was refused by the commission. The congress then met at Lahore in December 1929, and proposed to launch a civil resistance called Civil Disobedience Movement to attain “Complete Independence”.1 In support of the movement, there started countrywide protests of different kinds including Salt Satyagraha, boycott, khaddar propaganda and temperance agitations. The people of West Godavari district also organized protests in support of the Civil Disobedience Movement. The clarion call of Gandhiji for Civil Disobedience Movement through Salt Satyagraha had caused inense tremors of patriotism in Andhra Pradesh2. Among the veterans who took part in the movement were Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao, Tanuguturi Prakasam, Gade Rangaiah Naidu, V. L. Sastri and Durgabai Deshmukh. In this process, a small village in West Godavari District, Dendulur, stood out prominently, though the event was violent, which was not the code of Gandhiji.3 About 150 persons attacked the town’s railway station and set it ablaze. They raised patriotic slogans.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.To study the techniques and strategies adopted for the successful conduct of the salt satyagraha movement in West Godavari District. 2.To analyse the nature of lead-led relationship during the salt satyagraha and 3.To examine the suppressive and exploitative measures of the government of the Andhra Pradesh.

PREPARATION FOR THE SALT SATYAGRAHA

The Andhra Provincial Working Committee (about 15 members) met at Town Hall in Eluru and took an epoch-making decision of electing Konda Venkatappayya the dictator of the Salt Satyagraha on 12th March 1930. Further, this decision hinted that a new sense of patriotism had rooted among the members of the Andhra Provincial Working Committee because they seemed to give weightage to seniority as the criterion to avoid unnecessary

R. BALAJI ,“SALT SATYAGRAHA IN ANDHRA PRADESH WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO WEST GODAVARI DISTRICT - A HISTORICAL STUDY” Indian Streams Research Journal | Volume 4 | Issue 12 | Jan 2015 | Online & Print

1 . Salt Satyagraha In Andhra Pradesh With Special Reference To West Godavari District - A Historical Study squabbles and to keep unity and integrity in the party.4 There were others like Bulusu Sambamurthy and Dr. Pattabhi who could compete with Venkatappayya but the point that he was the senior most Congress man, besides a close confidant of Gandhi, added much strength to be elected unanimously as dictator. Perhaps Venkatappayya was aware of this, but he regarded the dictatorship more as a challenging post and so modestly said: “In meetings we accept garlands for making speeches. Hence, it is not wise to withdraw to bear the crown of thorns now.”5 The local leaders tried to impress the audience that salt was the basic ingredient of every man’s life, particularly in daily consumption and so everyone, even if he was poor, could not live without it. Yet the Government, as Dr. Pattabhi said, unnecessarily and high handedly levied tax on it at a high rate and collected 7 crores of rupees from masses and thus put them to task.6 Next Konda Venkatappayya, taking cue from Dr. Pattabhi, added that since the situation was becoming panicky, everybody should be prepared to revolt to liberate the country from the Biritish yoke. The local leaders of the West Godavari District Congress assembled at Gandhi National School, Eluru, with Kodali Anjeneyulu in the chair as the President and then all resolved to open Salt Satyagraha from 31st March, the Telugu New Year’s day.7 Dandu Narayana Raju, a member of the AICC, was chosen as the dictator. Seeing their activity and growing tempo, Konda Venkatappayya from Guntur came to bless D. Narayana Raju and others on 31st March. When a meeting was convened at Town Hall under the presidentship of Viyyanna Pantulu, the Andhra dictator inspired an audience of 2,000 narrating vividly some features of Gandhi’s Dandi march that was going on in the west coast of India. Since the march was spectacular, the Government, to nullify Gandhi’s mission, sent its officers to Dandi and get mud spread on the areas where Gandhi was likely to pick salt.8 But the Government’s action, as he felt, was quite preposterous because the whole country had already woken up from slumber and its intellectual quickening was going at so fast rate that none could stop, and if any one tried, it was just like preventing “the surging waves of the sea with little broomstick.”

Launching of the Salt Satyagraha : Manufacturing the Salt

Govindacharyulu, the editor of a reactionary Telugu weekly Satyagrahi, provoked much more that the Mahatma left Sabarmati some 19 years ago so as to reach his destination, Dandi, that at the time of his speaking the Mahatma had covered nearly half of his distance, that a week’s time was still left, and that it was left to everyone to watch whether he would reach the goal and violate the salt laws on the fixed day of April 6th or might end his career as a tame prisoner in the hands of the Government.9 In case he failed due to any reason, he said, one should not be discouraged but emulate him and make every district turned into a theatre of war and see that his work should not remain incomplete. Besides, his articles in Satyagrahi incited everyone to give up loyalty to the Government, lest he should become a traitor. On 31st March 1930 in West Godavari under D. Narayana Raju and A. Govindacharyulu, a party left Eluru to Matlapalem and planned to violate salt laws there.10 But the batch, that marched from Eluru, was split later into two smaller groups, one under the guidance of D. Narayana Raju and the other under A. Govindacharyulu. Every volunteer who took a badge on his chest and a bag on his shoulder looked quite distinguishing as if he was on some sacred mission and heading for a pilgrimage centre. The way from Eluru to Palgudem stretched to 2 miles and the road was completely packed with pedestrians on this side and that. However, by evening at 7 the parties reached Krovili, where the local people with table in hand, sounding classical music, received them and arranged food and shelter in a choultry.11 A public meeting was also arranged wherein A. Govindacharyulu in usual temerity addressed the audience who donated altogether Rs.116. Next day early in the morning, after reading a few slokas from Bhagavad Gita and doing regular rituals, again the two batches continued their journey to Gundukolunu which they reached by the evening and there a meeting was also held and Rs.116 was raised.12 From there again they next came to Bhimdole at 11 p.m. without caring for darkness in night, and next day on 2nd April they reached Ungatur. By this time A. Govindacharyulu, because of his feeble constitution, was a bit tired but yet his tenacity was such that he continued to walk and occasionally was lifted on the shoulders by two Satyagrahis, Mangalampalli Chandrasekhar and Bhogaraju. Perraraju. However, about 1,000 underwent a number of travails passing through village after village like Yandgandi, Garagaparru, Gollakoduru and reached Bhimvaram on April 3rd, a very important town, next to Eluru in West Godavari where the two batches were subdivided into three, as the third was entrusted to do active propagation of their aims and objectives among the masses.13 Thus, the first batch was led by D. Narayana Raju, the second by A. Govindacharyulu, and the third by K. Satyanarayana Murthy. The first batch thus went through places like Moggalu, Arvilli, Attili, Relangi, Tanuku, Penugonda and Podur, the second through Lankalem, Koderu, Almur, and Palakollu, and the third through Pedapadu before finally arriving at their common destination, Matlapalem on April 11th. Matlapalem was a sea-coast centre where the beautiful Godavari river merged with the sea. At this scenic confluence the freedom fighters at last assembled and erected a sibirum called Vasistashram where they lost no time,

Indian Streams Research Journal | Volume 4 | Issue 12 | Jan 2015 2 . Salt Satyagraha In Andhra Pradesh With Special Reference To West Godavari District - A Historical Study and brisk preparations for violation of salt laws were begun on the day of arrival from 2 pm in the afternoon. A. Govindacharyulu began giving instructions actively to all Satyagrahis how to collect salt water and break salt laws.14 To their surprise they found that a village munsiff, who was expected to be non-interfering, supplied food-stuffs to the Satyagrahis and helped them in getting their requirements. Somehow when the salt water was brought and boiled, Konda Venkatappayya thrilled the ‘audience narrating his experiences how salt was prepared at Guntur two days earlier. As he spoke, the Police and the Salt Department officials, who believed that salt could not be prepared from rather the hard water of Matlapalem beach, found to their utter surprise by evening in about one and half hours salt crystals getting formed in the pots, altogether 6 tolas while the Satyagrahis felt thrilled.15 But D. Narayana Raju the dictator warned, as a true leader, the spectators not to rush but keep distance from burning the pots, lest confusion should follow. As the audience followed his words and kept themselves away, he along with 10 volunteers went to the fire place and collected the white powder, the outcome of their intensive labour all these days and an index of violation of Salt Act. Boag, the then Divisional Magistrate, Salt Inspector, Sub-Inspector, a CID, and a short-hand reporter, all about five were also present there but they were stunned to see this spectacle.16 But among the audience none was more ecstatic than A. Govindacharyulu, since it was he who took pains to rouse the masses with his silver tongued speeches and instigative articles in his journal Satyagrahi. As a result the masses, as he wished, became ‘traitors’ to the Government. Dirusumarri also came into picture Volunteers like Tallapragada Prakasarayudu, Narayana Murthy, Alluri Rama Raju Preferred to go there and collect salt crystal.17 Seeing that Dirusumarri became more popular than Matlapalem, the Salt Inspectors went there and spoiled the whole area with mud so that Satyagrahis could not pick salt. So D. Narayana Raju’s group decided to retaliate by making a raid on the nearby Government salt factory at Naidupalem. But the police stopped them on the way and did not allow to reach. Bhimavaram, a town in interiors too, joined and struck a mark as Satyagrahis like Kasipatnampu Kondayya, Tallapragada, Narasimha Sarma, Kasipatnampu Seshasai and Putchalapalli Sundarayya brought salt water from coast and broke salt laws at Kopallivari Choultry.

Spread of the Salt Satyagraha: Government’s Suppression

For about 10 days they baffled the Government officials, police, and salt inspectors, since they did not know as to what steps should be taken either to stop boiling of salt water or collecting of salt crystals in there three places.18 At this juncture, incidentally to their rescue on April 21st the District Collector received specific instructions from the Presidency headquarters at Madras that severe action could be taken, if necessary firing, against Satyagrahis for the sake of maintenance of law and order. The repressive hand of the police fell on D. Narayana Raju and A. Govindacharyulu. Of these two, the Government officials had particular grudge over the latter for his seditious articles published from time to time in his journal Satyagrahi.19 The District Collector too was vexed and said at one time that if and when A. Govindacharyulu opened his mouth, never a single word used to come out without “the most venomous abuse of the Government.” But as regards D. Narayana Raju, it seemed, he was less prejudicial and said that he was vitriolic only in public speeches. After sending these two top leaders of the district to jail, the Government arrested others like Sagi Subbaraju, and Mangipudi Purushottam Sarma on April 23rd and sent them to Narasapur jail, hoping that the movement might take a turn and would soon be weakened.20 On the other hand, public reaction rose to a higher pitch. On May 11th the acting ditactor K. Anjeneyulu made a mass rally for the arrest of D. Narayana Raju and A. Govindacharyulu by singing national songs and carrying national flags. It was in a sense a vast concourse of multifarious classes of West Godavari district at the vacant Municipal site near the second reservoir tank. M. Bapineedu and others like G. Ramachandra Rao, H. Rama Rao, K. Satyanarayana, and Dr. H. V. Jogayya Sarma not only broke salt laws by boiling salt water between 2.30 and 6 pm, but showed their ire by burning symbolically the effigy of Salt Act together with foreign clothes. On 10th May they rounded off volunteers like B. Viyyanna, V. Suri Sastry, M. Bapineedu, and Purushottama Sarma, on 14th Alluri Rama Raju of Dirusumarri, on May 22nd of K. Appalaraju of Bhimode, K. Satchidandaraju of Gundugolanu, and E. Subramanyam at Matsyapuram; on 24th K. Anjeneyulu, the acting dictator of the District Congress Committee, N. Veerayya, Ch. Venkata Reddy, V. Krishnamurthy, Dr. H. V. Jogayya Sarma, Vice-Chairman of Eluru Municipality and Dr. M. Rangayya; on July 21st four women, namely, Donaraju Lakshmamma, Dasari Krishnavenamma, Dasari Lakshmibayamma and Muddinchi Venkatamma. But these arrests did not dampen the movement.21 On 21st at Yenamadurulu taluk when some of the Satyagrahis returned by boat from Kalingapatnam with contraband salt in bags, the police waited in ambush having submerged themselves in water, and no sooner did the boat arrive, the Circle Inspector gave a signal, and the two policemen, who were under the water, nabbed on the Satyagrahis like thieves and seized the salt bags as if they contained gold. This rising from water was compared by A. Govindacharyulu in his journal Satyagrahi to whales that often jumped into the boats or like dacoits that did all

Indian Streams Research Journal | Volume 4 | Issue 12 | Jan 2015 3 . Salt Satyagraha In Andhra Pradesh With Special Reference To West Godavari District - A Historical Study nuisance like tearing the clothes and scatching bodies. As a result many freedom fighters wondered whether the police were meant to maintain law and order or to ferret out the peaceful civil resistors thereby abusing their position and showing their demoniacal nature.22 When Mahatma Gandhi was arrested, Suri Sastry with his fellow students organized on May 6th a peaceful hartal closing the gates of offices like Taluk Board, Municipal office, Town Club and private firms like Mothey’s Jute Mill. As the number of his followers increased day by day and his speeches were found rather incriminating, on May 10th at 7.30 a.m. the police arrested and took him away in car. At that moment like an experienced Satyagrahi, instead of becoming emotional, he asked his followers to be calm and do activities within the limits of Satyagraha and non-violence. Pepped by his speech, P. Sundariah, a teenaged student, also gave up his studies and joined the sibirum at Bhimvaram dropping just a letter to his parents of his good intentions. Though he was too young, less than 18 years, he was arrested and sent to Borstal school. Then four women, namely, Damaraju Lakshmamma, Dasari Krishnavenamma, Dasari Lakshmibyamma, and Mudinchi Venkatamma were taken into custody. Of the four, Mudinchi Venkatamma, aged 37, showed much bravery going to the jail with her two year old child in arms. Even pregnant women also did not lag behind but courted imprisonment.23 Of them Dasari Narayanamma was 6 months pregnant at the time of arrest and gave birth to a child in jail. But in the case of Swarajyalakshmi, she not only went to jail with a recently born child but all her family members, husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law and niece. Altogether about eight were jailed, thereby setting a record that in a family the maximum number of members suffered imprisonment. But while she was looked after by her relatives after coming out from jail, in the case of Dasari Narayanamma, no one paid attention or took care. Her own father, who was Tehsildar, shirked to take her back to his house because he was a Government servant. Once he tried to take her secretly, but he lost his job.

CONCLUSION

The government’s policy of repression did not deter the salt satyagraha movement in the Andhra Pradesh. It was going on. In the meantime, the First Round Table Conference was held in London between November 16, 1930 and January. 19, 1931. The Congress did not participate in the first conference. The absence of the Congress was felt as the absence of Mother India. Hence government of England wanted to persuade the Congress to participate in it. Efforts in that direction led to the famous Gandhi-Irwin Pact which was signed on 5th, March 1931. The Salt Satyagraha was called off at the conclusion of the Pact. The West Godavari District witnessed silence as elsewhere in India.

END NOTES

1.S.R.Bakshi, Simon Commission and Indian Nationalism, New Delhi: Gitanjali Publications, 1977, p. 13. 2.Ibid., p. 15. 3.Forthrightly Report, Madras: Government of Madras 1930-31, P-11. 4.Ibid., 5.Home Department Government orders, 1930-1931, p. 14. 6.Ibid., 7.S.R. Bakshi, Gandhi and Salt Satyagraha, New Delhi: Gitanjali Publications, 1981, p. 22. 8.Ibid., 9.B.S.Baliga, Studies in Madras Administration. Vol. I, Madras: Government of Madras, 1960, p. 33. 10.R.Anjaneyulu, Studies in Modern Audhra History, Visakhapatnam: By the Author, 2008, p. 115. 11.Ibid., p. 116. 12.Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, An Autobiography or The story of My Experiments with Truth, Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House, 1966, p.51. 13. Ibid., 14.Nagabhushana Sarma, Modali Telugu Sahityam - Gandhiji Prabhavam, First Telugu Sahityam-Gandhi’s Power, (Telugu), Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh state Congress Committee, 1970, p. 63. 15.Ibid.,p.65. 16.Karyampudi,Negendrudu, Andhra Ratna R. Duggirala Gopala Krishnayya, Jivitha Caritramu, Life History of Andhra Ratna R. Duggirala Gopala Krishnayya, (Telugu), Chirala: Bahuttama Publicatinas, 1976. P. 44. 17.Ibid., 45. 18.Penta Sivun Naidu, Prescribed Telugu Literature and National Movement in Andhra, 1920-1947, New Delhi: Reliance Publishing House, 2002, P.76. 19.Ibid., 20.T. Prakasam, Naa jeevitha yatra (My life’s Journey), Telugu. Machili patham:

Indian Streams Research Journal | Volume 4 | Issue 12 | Jan 2015 4 . Salt Satyagraha In Andhra Pradesh With Special Reference To West Godavari District - A Historical Study

Telugu samithi Publications, 1972. P.33. 21.S.A. Rahman, The Beautiful India-Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi: JBA Publications, 2005. p.168. 22.P.R. Rao, History of Modern Andhra, New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd, 1978, P.80. 23.V. Venkateswarlu, Andhra Kesari Sri Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu Gari Jeevitamu,( T.Prakasam’s Biography in Telugu),Madras: New Era Publications, 1981, P.33.

R. BALAJI Assistant Professor, Department of History, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu.

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