Andhra Pradesh

Tarimela Nagi Reddy's statue unveiled

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, OCT. 17. He was an icon of the communist ideology and a founder of revolutionary communism in the country. A son of the soil of drought-prone Anantapur district, he spent a major part of his 59-year life in the fight for the rights of the poor. Tarimela Nagi Reddy needs no introduction.

The Tarimela Nagi Reddy Memorial Committee has been making efforts to install a statue of the legendary communist for long. But its efforts have borne fruit now with an idol of TN, as he was popularly known, unveiled by the Naxalbari (farmers' armed struggle) leader, Kanu Sanyal, near the Tower Clock here today.

Glowing tributes

"Tarimela Nagi Reddy was an invaluable diamond found in Anantapur district. He was synonymous for friendship, freedom and revolution,'' was the tribute of revolutionary poet Sri Sri during his lifetime. "Comrade Nagi Reddy was a great revolutionary leader of the country who had played a key role in uniting the revolutionaries,'' were the words of honour from Kanu Sanyal at the demise of TN.

Born in an agricultural family on February 11, 1917, his qualities of a rebel for equality in society were noticed in his school days itself. When he was studying Intermediate in Loyola College at Madras he was at loggerheads with professors and the college management for his nationalist attitude.

He was fined by the Loyola management several times on the charges of attending Jawaharlal Nehru's public meetings, for participating in an election campaign between Ramaswamy Mudaliyar and Satyamurthy and for hailing Mohammed Bin Tughlaq in an essay-writing test.

Stalwarts' inspiration

During his four-year study at Benaras Hindu University, he was inspired by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, Jayaprakash Narayan, Achyut Patvardhan, among others.

His tryst with communism and Marxism began from here. He also read much about the Russian revolution and the leadership of Stalin there and started believing that Marxism could be adopted in India too.

TN was jailed for a year in 1940 for writing a book "War and its impact on economy'' (World War II).

After release from the Tiruchirapalli jail he was again arrested under the Indian Defence Act in 1941. In 1946, he was detained under the Prakasam ordinance and was released in 1947. His book "India Mortgaged'' is popular even today.

Arrested

He was arrested before the first general elections in 1951 after he came out of exile life of four years. He was also arrested in 1962 and 1969 under the Indian Defence Act and Preventive Detention Act. In 1972, he was again held under the PD Act during the separate Andhra movement. He again went into hiding to escape arrest when the emergency was declared in June 1975. He died on July 28, 1976, while in exile.

In his political life, he was first elected legislator in 1952 by defeating Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.

He was a Member of Parliament from 1957 to 1962 and was elected an MLA again in 1962 and 1967.

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