People's Democracy

FIRST DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Rich Tributes Paid to Comrade M V Narasimha Reddy

M Venugopala Rao

Yechury addressing the memorial meeting in Hyderabad on December 5

LEADERS of different Left parties paid rich tributes to Comrade Mallu Venkata Narasimha Reddy, former member of the central committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and hero of the historic Telangana armed struggle of the peasants at a meeting organised by the CPI(M) to commemorate his first death anniversary on December 5 at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram in Hyderabad.

Leaders garlanded the portrait of Comrade Narasimha Reddy and the meeting observed silence for one minute as a gesture of respect to the departed leader. Speaking on the occasion, Sitaram Yechury, member of the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) and MP, said the life of Comrade Narasimha Reddy, popularly known as Comrade VN, was that of a communist soldier. There was a lot to learn from the life of Comrade VN and it was a source of inspiration, said Yechury. Recollecting that Comrade VN and himself became members of the central committee of the Party in 1984, Yechury explained how they worked on several issues together. He recollected the role played by Comrade VN in the Telangana armed struggle, in leading the armed squads, acting in consonance with the changing tactics of the Party the changing situation till the withdrawal of that struggle after five years. Sitaram Yechury pointed out that he did not know of the kind of efforts made by Comrades P Sundarayya and M Basavapunnaiah to resettle the revolutionaries of that struggle, including those who were sentenced to death, on such a large scale in the history of any other country. Comrade VN personally involved in that effort, he said.

In the general elections to the state legislative assembly held after that struggle, the Communist Party emerged as a big force in the background of the general impression that it would form the government. Sitaram explained that Comrade VN played a very important role in such a glorious movement in Andhra Pradesh and noted that his death was a big loss to the Party, as well as the country’s politics. In a situation of drifting, with a firm commitment to Marxism, Comrade VN forged ahead, correcting the mistakes. When discipline was violated in the organisation of the Party in Nalgonda district, Comrade VN played a crucial role to strengthen the Party, Sitaram said.

None of us had thought that we would support the Congress party to form the government, Sitaram said. In the wake of the growing danger of communalism to the integrity of the country and to keep the communal forces out of power, the CPI(M) had supported the Congress to from the government at the centre, he explained and asserted that it was necessary to avert such a danger to protect our movement. On this issue, crucial discussions had taken place in the Party. In the discussion on the common minimum programme of the United Progressive Alliance led by the Congress party, Comrade VN played a crucial role and later, when he was undergoing treatment in a hospital, he told Sitaram that apart from barking, biting was necessary to force the government to stick to implementation of the CMP. Because of such pressure from the Left parties that the government was brought round on the issue of disinvestment in BHEL, Sitaram said and pointed out that the experience of Comrade VN was very useful. Some people were arguing that the CMP was worked out to facilitate formation of the UPA government and that its implementation was not necessary. For implementation of some economic policies, which were not there in the CMP, imperialism and some forces in the country were pressurising the government, Sitaram said. He said the CPI(M) has been bringing pressure on the government to implement the policies in the CMP and pointed out that we should act carefully and cautiously.

Referring to the ideological discussion with Comrade VN, Sitaram recollected that none of his speaches was made without stressing the importance of fighting against imperialism and that he had never drifted from such an important line.

Sitaram said he had never seen Comrade VN in angry mood. Though big ideological discussions had taken place, he used to be soft and used to hear what all others said. Comrade VN used to encourage youngsters and give confidence to them. He used to explain how mistakes were committed and how they were rectified and also used to tell that the right things done were not being told and that it should be discussed, Sitaram recollected. Comrade VN dedicated his life for the ideology and its aim he believed in, Sitaram said and pointed out that the real tribute to him was to work with dedication to strengthen the movement and take it forward.

B V Raghavulu, member of the Polit Bureau and state secretary of the CPI(M), who presided over the meeting, said that the Party was thinking of publishing a book with an assessment of the life of Comrade VN, collecting his reminiscences from those who were close to him and those who knew him. Raghavulu recollected that they used to wonder how the people were mobilised and united on such a large scale during the Telangana armed struggle, how they had faced severe repression and how the people had protected the leaders. At that time, lack of strength and influence in Hyderabad was considered a serious weakness of the movement, he said. Such weakness used to be there in the Nalgonda district, as a result of which several leaders of the Party in towns were murdered. To overcome such weakness Comrade VN had made special efforts to strenthen the Party in towns and its impact was felt and murders of the leaders of the Party had come down, Raghavulu explained. Comrade VN used to examine strategic issues closely and work out strategic plan with long-term purpose. Raghavulu said a lot was learnt from Comrade VN and it was useful to the movement. Though several books were brought out on the Telangana armed struggle, there was no book with comprehensive information explaining the background in which the movement had emerged, how it had grown and how the struggle had been conducted, he said. Nor was there any exhibition relating to that struggle. Some of the people who had not opposed the Nizam and those who had nothing to do with the Telangana armed struggle were trying to project it as a struggle between the Hindus and Muslims and celebrate it, Raghavulu said. He said all the Communist parties should make efforts to make the reminiscences of that struggle ever-lasting and the CPI(M) was also thinking of taking up such a task. The Party would announce its decisions shortly to take up permanent programmes to commemorate leaders like Comrade VN, Raghavulu said.

Dr K Narayana, state secretary of the CPI, said Comrade VN was a complete personality and a leader with organisational capabilities and firm views without any compromise. He used to explain anything in a stright forward and receivable manner. Those who could not digest the growth of the Communist movement to its present stage were carrying on mischievous propaganda that politics were spoiled and that there were no values, equating the Communist parties with bourgeois parties, Narayana criticised. He pointed out that there were opportunities to improve politics with a commitment and that there were good objective conditions for the Left parties to strengthen and take forward the Communist movement to emerge as an alternative to the bourgeois parties. B N Reddy, senior leader of MCPI and brother-in-law of Comrade VN, recollected the experiences of their struggles, trials and tribulations in the Telangana armed struggle. When Comrade VN had come into the movement at that point of time when training was being given to armed squads, BN said he had not thought that Comrade VN could stand firmly in the movement with a sense of dedication. But Comrade VN had grown as a top leader in the history, he said. He had paid special attention to land reforms and distribution of land. BN said Comrade VN was a very competent leader, a thinker and was far ahead in discipline. Comrade VN was a more important leader in protecting the movement and organisation of the Party in Nalgonda district, BN said and added that he was impressed very much with his life.

K Kotaiah, a senior leader of the CPI(ML), pointed out that Comrade VN always acted with class character and class consciousness with a firm grip on organisation. Unmindful of the requirements of his family, Comrade VN totally dedicated himself for building the Party and protecting it and the leaders and cadres under any circumstances, he said. Parsa Satyanarayana, veteran leader of the CPI(M), recollected that Comrade VN used to maintain revolutionary vigilance always, whether it was during the days of the armed struggle or period of peace. When separate Telangana movement was at its peak when K Brahmananda Reddy was the chief minister and when nobody could raise his voice openly for united state in Hyderabad, the CPI(M) and those who wanted united state, organised a meeting at Khammam followed by a procession. The separatists all of a sudden had attacked the procession but they were chased away successfully, Parsa explained. When the next meeting was being held at Suryapet in Nalgonda district, separatists had come there arming themselves and carrying bombs in handbags. With the kind of revolutionalry vigilance maintained by Comrade VN, the volunteers standing around the meeting had noticed and caught those separatists. Revolutionary vigilance was one of the aspects learnt from the life of Comrade VN, Parsa said.

Mallu Swarajyam, heroine of the Telangana armed struggle and former member of the central committee of the CPI(M), recollected how Comrade VN, her husband, had moulded his life with class consciousness of the working class and how he used to bring pressure on members of his family to mould themselves like that. With the kind of excellent inspiration given by Comrade VN, Swarajyam said she had moulded her life in the right direction. She was unable to withstand his iron discipline. As husband, Comrade VN never used to tell her what she should do and as a result of that she had been able to discharge her responsibilities at the Party’s state centre, Swarajyam said. Comrade VN worked in all fields and had a lot of understanding on the issues of women, she said. Sitaram Yechury released a cassette on the life of Comrade VN prepared by Praja Natya Mandali. Y Venkateswara Rao, state secretariat member of the CPI(M), welcomed at the outset.