Dr. MARRI CHENNA REDDY - the PROPOUNDER of TELANGANA STATE - a HISTORICAL STUDY
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Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Dr. MARRI CHENNA REDDY - THE PROPOUNDER OF TELANGANA STATE - A HISTORICAL STUDY Jakkula Koteswara Rao Research Scholar Department of History Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500007, Telangana. Abstract In this article researcher presented the autobioghraphy of Dr.M.Chenna Reddy and the role in separate Telangana state movement 1969. The researcher collected information from unpublished and published data. Almost all respondents treated Dr.M.Chenna Reddy a leader par excellence in Telangana. Key words: In the early stages of life, Political profile of the Dr.Marri Chenna Reddy, Tenure as Member of Parliament, Role in the first Telangana movement, Tenure as Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Tenure as Chief Minister, The 1969 agitation for separate Telangana state 1.0. Introduction The aim of the present study is to repeatedly attempt to stop the Philippines against the Telangana leaders who led the 1969 Telangana movement. It is a putative notion that Telangana leaders have launched a movement to settle scores with Andhra rivals and for their political rehabilitation. It mocks the truth and mocks the absurdity. Before Dr. Marri Chennareddy joined the Telangana agitation in 1969, students and youth only demanded that the Mulkey rules be extended and protections enforced. Calling for a separate state, Dr.Marri Chenna Reddy set out to awaken the people of Telangana to their potential and motivate them to play a dominant role in the Andhra Pradesh political system. “I am indebted to the people and the only way I could redeem my debt to the masses is to be born again in order to serve them” - Dr. Marri Channa Reddy 1.1. Dr. Marri Chenna Reddy Dr. Mary Channa Reddy born on January 13 1919 was an active Indian politician in many states. 1 He was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 1978 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1990. He served as Governor of Uttar Pradesh (1974-1977), Governor of Punjab (1982-1983), Governor of Rajasthan. Governor of Tamil Nadu from February 1992 to May 1993 and from 1993 until his death. He is the leader of the Indian National Congress party. Volume X Issue VI JUNE 2021 Page No : 659 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Reddy was one of the leaders who led the Telangana movement in Andhra Pradesh in the late 1960s. He also has the distinction of being one of the youngest; He became a minister of Andhra Pradesh at the age of 30 years. 1. In the early stages of life Dr.Marri Chenna Reddy was born on 13 January 1919 in Siripuram village (now Marpalli zone) in Atraf-e-Balda, Hyderabad to Mari Lakshmareddy and Buchamma had his schooling in Hyderabad, staying away from his parents from the tender age of five. He was a very bright child and showed great promise. From an early age Channa Reddy nurtured a strong ambition to become a medical doctor so that it would make him ultimately economically independent to persue his political work. He graduated with MBBS in 1941. He is the founder of Andhra Yuva Samithi and Students Congress. He has been associated with many students, youth, social, educational, literary and cultural institutions. He edited a weekly for about two years and also contributed articles to popular dailies and magazines. Even from his student days Channa Reddy was involved with people and their welfare and problems. His intense political awareness was apparent right from that time. 2. Political profile of the Dr.Marri Chenna Reddy He took an active part in the political struggle in the former state of Hyderabad and became the General Secretary of the Andhra Mahasabha in 1942 (ancestor of the State Congress). In 1946 he became a member of the State Congress Standing Committee and became the General Secretary of the Hyderabad City Congress. He was one of the founders and the ideological K.M.P. General Secretary of the Group. For many years he served as the General Secretary of the Andhra Provincial Congress Committee and a member of the PCC Working Committee for 30 years. 3. Tenure as Member of Parliament In 1950, Reddy was nominated for Provisional Parliament and appointed Congress Parliamentary Party Whip. Elected to the Hyderabad Legislative Assembly in the first general election and served as Minister of Agriculture and Food, Planning and Rehabilitation in the State of Hyderabad from 1952–1956. In 1953, he hosted the Indian delegation to the World Conference of Agronomists in Rome under the auspices of the FAO. He opposed the amalgamation of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh and was one of the four signatories to the Gentleman Agreement, after which the state of Andhra Pradesh was formed. Re-elected to Volume X Issue VI JUNE 2021 Page No : 660 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Vikarabad constituency between 1957-62 he was a member of the Public Accounts Committee, twice Chairman of the Estimates Committee and Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Regional (Telangana) Development Committee in the State Legislative Assembly. He was re-elected from Tandoor constituency in 1962 and was the Minister for Planning and Panchayati Raj and later for Finance, Commercial Taxes and Industries. In 1967, he returned to the Legislature and became Minister of Finance, Education and Commercial Taxes. He resigned from the State Ministry on appointments as Minister of Steel, Mines and Metals in the Union Cabinet (1967–68). He was later elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1967. As Minister of Steel and Mines, he introduced several reforms to improve production and reduce the distribution of steel and coal. He resigned from the Union Cabinet in April 1968 at the invitation of the British Government in the UK to discuss the steel industry and other issues. 4. Role in the first Telangana movement Reddy was actively involved in many public movements and played an important role in the split of the Congress political party. He played an active role in the movement for a separate Telangana state. To politicize the movement, Chenna Reddy became the president of the then popular Telangana movement Telangana Praja Samithi. The separatist party won 11 Lok Sabha seats (out of 14). As the head of the special Telangana movement he made special efforts in solving problems. He is credited with inventing the Six Point Formula in 1971. When the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections were held in 1972, it was included in the Congress manifesto as the ‘New Agreement for Telangana’. 5. Tenure as Governor of Uttar Pradesh In 1974, Reddy accepted the office of Governor of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the country, at the personal request of Indira Gandhi, stating that Reddy needed help to become the Governor of his home state of Uttar Pradesh. However, it is widely seen as a reward for ending the special Telangana movement. As Chancellor of the State Universities, he initiated the practice of awarding honorary degrees to eminent scholars and eminent scientists from other parts of the country, especially from the South. 2 He also ruled when the President came to power within 55 days of taking office. He took the advice of prominent leaders like Nirmal Chandra Chaturvedi, Sibi Gupta and Ali Zaheer to clean up the state administration. Volume X Issue VI JUNE 2021 Page No : 661 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 6. Tenure as Chief Minister Twice as a Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Reddy has successfully brought the Congress party to power on two occasions, Pradesh Congress Committee Chairman. He is the Governor of Uttar Pradesh (under Presidential rule in the mid-1970s), Rajasthan, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. In fact, when he was the governor there, he was the one who eradicated the peace process and terrorism in Punjab. 1.2. The 1969 agitation for separate Telangana state In the years after the formation of Andhra Pradesh state, people of Telangana expressed dis satisfaction over how the agreements and guarantees were implemented. Discontent intensified in January, when the guarantees that had been agreed on were supposed to lapse. All the Andhra employees who migrated to capital city in 1956 will be considered ' local in 1969 after 12 years of residence per mulki rules. The locals wanted them to go back to Andhra. Student agitation for the continuation of the agreement for Telanganites began at Paloncha in Khammam district and spread to other parts of the region. One section of students (which appeared dominant) wanted a separate state of Telangana whiles the other wanted implementation of safe-guards. On 19 January, all party accord was reached to ensure the proper implementation of Telangana safeguards. The Accords main points were 1. All non-Telangana employees holding posts reserved for Telangana locals will be transferred immediately 2. Telangana surpluses will be used for Telangana development 3. Appeal to Telangana students to call off agitation. On January 19, protests turned violent when a crowd of about 1000 agitators tried to set fire to a Sub-Inspector's residence. This resulted in police firing in which 17 people were injured. Meanwhile certain Andhra employees challenged the transfer orders promised by the all-party accord to the Telangana State by filing a petition in the AP high court. On January 29, Army was called in by the government to maintain law and order as the Agitation quickly turned violent. In February, Mulki rules (local jobs for local people), as promised in Gentlemen's agreement, were declared by high court as void but this judgement was stayed by divisional bench of high court. Quoting statistics of development in Telangana area over the last 12 years, the chief minister maintained that the state of the Andhra Pradesh was “irreversible” and made an Volume X Issue VI JUNE 2021 Page No : 662 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 appeal to people to help maintain unity and integrity.