Brother Anil Kumar, an evangelist and self-proclaimed God-sent prophet is YS Sharmila's husband and late YSR's son-in-law.
Published Feb 11, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 11, 2024 | 9:03 AM
Brother Anil Kumar, an evangelist and also the son-in-law of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy. (South First)
Evangelists and Christians constitute around 1.5 percent of the population, according to the 2011 census, in Andhra Pradesh. Despite the seemingly small numbers, their impact on the political landscape is undeniable. The exponential growth of the evangelical population has translated into significant political participation, evident in the last two elections.
At the forefront of this surge is “Brother” Anil Kumar. Despite belonging to a high-profile family, he maintains a low political and media profile, purportedly steering the evangelical population towards increased political engagement.
As the late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s son-in-law, Anil Kumar’s emergence as an evangelist has sparked discussions across Andhra Pradesh, especially during his statewide tour delivering a “special” message.
While YS Sharmila — Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister — along with her husband Anil Kumar have rallied for Jagan’s victory for a decade, she has now shifted allegiance to the Congress, the party that her father led to victory in the 2004 and 2009 Andhra Assembly elections.
In her inaugural speech as Andhra Pradesh Congress chief, she remarked, “How can he (Jagan) call himself a Christian when he is acting on behalf of the BJP and is not condemning the attacks on Christians in Manipur?”
“Brother” Anil Kumar recently addressed a gathering of 50-100 pastors in Eluru on 7 February. He said, “God always chooses the weak to defeat the strong. He will send someone to earth to bring about the Kingdom of God.”
Both Sharmila’s and Anil Kumar’s comments underscore the Christian vote and the duo’s efforts to garner support — this time for the Congress. The question remains: Can evangelists continue to wield such influence? Past records suggest they might.
Prof V Venkat Rao, Head of the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Andhra University, told South First, “When YSR came to power in united Andhra Pradesh, the community members close to him, given his Christian background, naturally had the freedom to promote Christianity.”
“However, the climate of evangelists and electoral influence only became apparent after his demise when his family’s quest for power began,” he added.
After YSR’s death on 2 September, 2009, his son YS Jagan aspired to become the chief minister and later parted ways with the Congress. A new movement of evangelism emerged with his son-in-law, “Brother” Anil Kumar, at its forefront.
Although the 2011 census in Andhra Pradesh reports 1.5 percent, the actual percentage of Christians in the population may be higher. “The number on the ground may be higher, as converted Christians often continue to follow decades-old traditions and may not necessarily feel the need to officially change their religion,” a Roman Catholic social activist from Visakhapatnam told South First.
Most Christians are observed to originate from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes backgrounds. The conversion to Christianity can be best understood for two reasons — one is a reaction against the deeply entrenched stifling hierarchy within the Hindu social order, explained Prof Rao.
He added, “The other reason is poverty, where social services provided by Christian missionaries have significantly benefited many Dalits and tribals who later turned to Christianity.”
Anil Kumar was born into an orthodox Brahmin family, to Morusupalli Ramana Rao and Aruna, in Hyderabad. Despite originating from a traditional Hindu family, Anil embraced Christianity.
In a testimony video uploaded on his social media platforms, he mentioned that his introduction to Christianity occurred through YS Sharmila. Following his marriage to her in 1995, he converted to Christianity.
Brother Anil Kumar, with late YSR and his family members in a prayer. (Supplied)
He further shared that in his search for Jesus, he had a supernatural encounter with Jesus himself one day. Quoting Jeremiah chapter 1, he claimed that Jesus told him, “I have called you the prophet of the nation; you are created by me, and I knew you even before you were in your mother’s womb.”
Following that moment, Anil gradually began preaching, initially addressing small crowds and later thousands. Within a year of Sakshi television launched by YSR family in 2009, he became a televangelist, transitioning from Sakshi to other channels, where he is seen delivering speeches and sermons.
Interestingly, as Anil Kumar rose to prominence in the Christian faith, there was a decline in the influence of another self-styled evangelist, KA Paul.
KA Paul, the founder of Global Peace Initiative and a Christian missionary, has alleged multiple times that the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy asked him for $5 million for his political campaign before the 2004 Assembly elections. After the denial of funding, YSR allegedly discriminated against him and supported his son-in-law, who was also his former student.
“No doctor has a solution for AIDS, but there is a supernatural doctor, and all you have to do is believe in him.”
— Brother Anil Kumar, December 2008, in the “Grand Christmas meeting” at Secunderabad Parade Grounds.
Brother Anil Kumar, an evangelist and self-proclaimed God-sent prophet, fervently addresses attendees and performs “miracles” during his crusade meetings.
His gatherings, first initiated at Christmas 2008, now involves touring across the state and hosting large congregations every year. Addressing the masses in English with a Telugu translator — for reasons yet unknown — he accentuates references to Jesus accompanied by vibrant music.
Beyond his role as an evangelist, he is also a singer who has released multiple religious albums. Anil Kumar’s song Jesus My Hero was launched on 30 August, 2008, at Shilparamam Function Hall by his father-in-law, the then-sitting chief minister.
During the audio launch, YSR praised Anil’s impassioned preaching, acknowledging his success in guiding people to embrace God.
In November 2008, amid the Christmas celebrations in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, Anil Kumar delivered his sermon with references to the Bible during his three-day crusade meeting. When it began to rain during prayers, Anil Kumar, with a commanding tone, ordered the rain to stop, proclaiming, “In the name of Jesus, I ask to stop the rain” and the rain stopped, earning applause from the attendees.
In subsequent meetings, Anil brought notable guests to his sermons, including chief minister YSR, and as many as 1 lakh Christians attended the religious prayers in 2008 at Secunderabad Parade Grounds.
Following this, Brother Anil Kumar continued his journey as an evangelist and founded an organisation called Anil World Evangelism. He expanded his crusades from the Rayalaseema region to the hilly areas in Visakhapatnam, even participating in crusade meetings abroad.
He asserted claims of performing “miracles” by curing long-term diseases with holy water and praying for the afflicted, drawing considerable attention in the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh.
During his trip to Ongole for the Christmas celebrations in 2008, a woman suffering from breast cancer for two years claimed to be cured after attending Anil Kumar’s prayers. She was then able to raise her hands, which she couldn’t lift for two years.
Anil Kumar’s “miracles” extended beyond halting rains and curing diseases, to conditions like speech and vision disorders.
When asked about people believing in the healing abilities of preachers, Prof Venkat Rao stated that many individuals on the ground are not aware of the reality and tend to believe in such claims, especially those with a lower level of education.
He remarked, “This is the same in other religions as well. Take Hinduism, where some seers are seen performing ‘magic tricks’, such as taking ‘Lingas’ out of the throat.”
He opined that the influence of evangelists and pastors grew by the time of bifurcation in 2014, with many people from an educational background joining preaching as a means of survival. This increase could be attributed to the rise in the number of colleges offering courses for pastors, facilitated by information through internet access.
According to him, the footprint of evangelists expanded, especially in parts of Guntur, Ongole, Godavari, and other adjoining districts, where caste inequalities were high and people were inclined to choose Christianity.
When asked about the electoral impact of evangelists, Prof Rao explained that the primary role of an evangelist is to preach and coordinate with pastors for funds and influence. Pastors, having better connectivity, hold sway among the people. Thus, evangelists, involved in funding and coordination, assess which government would best cooperate with them, similar to other religions, he said.
Notably, figures like Anil Kumar, YS Sharmila, and YS Vijayamma (YSR’s wife), who campaigned for YS Jagan during the day, also participated in Anil Kumar’s crusade meetings in the evenings, drawing thousands of Christian practitioners for prayer meetings.
On several occasions, both the Opposition TDP and evangelist KA Paul alleged that the religious meetings resembled political gatherings.
Prof Rao opined that in Guntur, Ongole, Godavari, and other adjoining districts where evangelists have a footprint, there has been political participation favouring the YSRCP in the last two elections.
“While any party seen as close to the BJP is viewed with skepticism by minorities, especially Christians in Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan’s alignment with the BJP may not sit well with pastors. However, for the 2024 elections, it remains to be seen how they will vote,” Prof Rao said.
He also highlighted that there is limited time for YS Sharmila and her husband Anil Kumar, now aligned with the Congress, to turn the Christian vote bank in their favour. Nevertheless, Christians are unlikely to swing towards the TDP, as they traditionally favoured the Congress, with the regional arch-rival being the TDP, he added.
