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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Doyen of Telangana Armed Struggle

S.Ramu

A dynamic leader, B.N. Reddy was a terror for Razaakars

— PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

End of an era: Virasam leader P. Varavara Rao paying homage to veteran Communist leader Bheemireddy Narsimha Reddy who passed away at his residence in Hyderabad on Friday.

NALGONDA: Though born into a feudal family, Bheemireddy Narasimha Reddy (B.N. Reddy) had rebelled against the same feudal set up and liberated lakhs of acres of land from the clutches of the landlords.

He always sided with the poor and fought for the emancipation of the downtrodden from suppression and exploitation.

“What gives ultimate satisfaction to any leader is the selfless services he renders for the hapless poor and the courage of convictions that he exhibits in reaching his goal,” the stalwart leader told a group of young historians, who made a documentary on his life a couple of years ago.

“We lost the backbone of the Telangana Peasants’ Armed Struggle. He was very much influenced by another top class communist leader Puchhalapalli Sundaraiah. B.N.Reddy killed hundreds of Razaakars on his own during the movement,” one of the members of the team Surya Kumar told The Hindu on Friday.

Detailed documentary

Thanks to the keen interest shown by B.N.Reddy’s son Prabhakar Reddy, the team made the detailed documentary on the colossal contribution of the stalwart leader.

“He was a very dynamic leader and he used to tell many of his revolutionary activities. We lost a wonderful warrior,” the secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Nandhyala Narasimha Reddy said.

The party leaders mourned his death at the party district headquarters. Since he was expelled from the party under controversial circumstances, the CPI (M) didn’t take up any public activity to mark his demise.

Basis for PWG

“To be frank, B.N. Reddy provided the basis for the People’s War Group’s activities. He was the first man to plan attacks on police stations to procure arms for the poor,” Mr. Surya Kumar observed adding that he sensed the need to organise village level committees to protect the land taken away from the despotic landlords.

Daredevilry

“He is known for his dare devilish activities. He eliminated five personnel of the Nizam’s army at Ravipahad single-handedly,” another lecturer recalled.

Notwithstanding the army’s attempt to capture him, he toured many places to oversee the distribution of land among poor.

He raised many problems confronted by common man in the Parliament and Assembly.

Drawing parallels between B. N. Reddy and other leaders of the Armed Struggle era, Mr. Surya Kumar said: “B. N. Reddy had never tried to register the activities he spearheaded during the Armed Struggle. Actually he was not interested in doing so, whereas other leaders found some time to document their experiences.”

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