On the 82nd birth anniversary of late Jaipal Reddy, political leaders recollected how he shaped young minds and the state of Telangana itself.
Published Jan 16, 2024 | 6:28 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 17, 2024 | 5:55 PM
A statue of Jaipal Reddy. (Deepika Pasham/South First)
On the 82nd birth anniversary of the late Union Minister Sudini Jaipal Reddy from Telangana, his family, friends, and political acquaintances gathered to celebrate his enduring legacy on Tuesday, 16 January. He passed away on 28 July 2019.
Reflecting on the life of this grounded parliamentarian, they honoured how he not only excelled as an orator but also seamlessly blended eloquence with thorough research. Throughout his service, he remained untouched by any questioning of his work.
During the recent Assembly elections in Telangana, current Chief Minister Revanth Reddy frequently invoked the name of Jaipal Reddy and highlighted his ethical standards as a politician.
The Spoorthi Sthal at PVNR Marg, which was unveiled in Hyderabad today, stands as a dedicated homage to Jaipal Reddy by the S Jaipal Reddy Memorial Foundation.
Please join in dedication of “Spoorthi sthal” a memorial built to honour an indelible legacy and a lifetime spent in service of the people.
82nd birth anniversary of
Shri S. Jaipal Reddy at PVNR marg, Necklace road, Hyderabad. #SpoorthiSthal pic.twitter.com/o1zfxEkmkb— Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) January 15, 2024
Jaipal Reddy, an alumnus of Osmania University in Hyderabad, earned his Master’s in English Literature and a Bachelor’s in Journalism. A beacon of leadership during student elections at Osmania University, he served as the president of the Osmania University Students’ Union.
A polio survivor, he was always looked at as a fearless ideologist who never let his disability stop him.
Reddy joined the Congress in the 1970s, eventually becoming the president of the Andhra Pradesh Youth Congress and later, the general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee.
Despite his staunch allegiance to the Congress, Reddy resigned from the party during the Indira Gandhi-imposed Emergency in 1975. Political leaders recall Reddy’s principled stand against Indira Gandhi, rejecting a position offered to him in solidarity with protesting students.
In 1980, Reddy contested against Indira Gandhi in the Medak Lok Sabha constituency from the Janata Party, later winning as a parliamentarian from the Mahbubnagar constituency in 1984.
Jaipal Reddy was subsequently elected to the Lok Sabha four times, and in 1998, he won the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award. He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha for two terms, 1990-1996 and 1997-1998, and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from 1991-1992.
In 1999, he returned to the Indian National Congress after 21 years and worked for the grand old party till his death in 2019.
Described as an encyclopedia and visionary, Jaipal Reddy’s knowledge was renowned. AICC Telangana in-charge Deepa Dasmunsi shares, “Jaipal Reddy was our family friend. He was also known as an encyclopedia. The words he used had to be searched for in the dictionary. He had a great vision for Telangana and he would have been the happiest person to see democratic rule in the state.”
Political leaders acknowledge Reddy’s efforts for the separation of Telangana, praising his initiative in personally meeting with late Sushma Swaraj to explain the implementation of the Bill for creating India’s youngest state.
Eminent personalities, including former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, Congress leader G Vivekanand, Kodandaram, young MLAs Chittem Parnika Reddy and Mamidala Yashaswini Reddy, MRPS leader Manda Krishna Madiga, and others, joined Jaipal Reddy’s family in paying tribute.
Telangana Minister for Excise and Culture Jupally Krishna Rao, Minister for Revenue, Housing, Information & Public Relations Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, and other Congress leaders were also present.
NVS Reddy, Managing Director of Hyderabad Metro Rail, also paid tribute. He told South First, “The knowledge that Jaipal Reddy possessed is commendable. In India, the introduction of the metro rail is his effort, specifically the Hyderabad metro rail. I had to make a presentation for the metro rail for which I went to meet Jaipal Reddy (then Union Minister for Urban Development). He told me, ‘NVS, we are politicians and it is your responsibility to convince us how important this is for the people and list its advantages’. I was successful in my presentation and so, today’s metro is his efficient work.”
Ex-BJP MLA Sriram talked about their history of studying together at Osmania University although they worked for different student wings, “I became the vice-president of the engineering college in Osmania University back in the day after one of Jaipal Reddy’s motivating speeches about student politics ethics. Though we belonged to different political student wings, we did not face any differences.”
CPM senior leader B Venkata Raghavulu, said to South First, “Jaipal Reddy is a skilled man and had been one of my dearest friends. The knowledge he shared was always an important subject and attracted everyone’s attention. He has changed the lives of youth politicians.”
Former Member of Parliament Ravula Chandra Sekhar Reddy recalled, “When the schedule used to come out and Jaipal Reddy was listed as speaking in the Parliament, the Rajya Sabha members would sit in the gallery and listen to him. He remains an inspiration to the youth in politics.”
Former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, however, has not acknowledged the contributions of the senior leader, previously claiming the victory for a separate Telangana as his alone.
Owing to his contributions to Telangana State, some suggest that the Mahbubnagar lift irrigation project should be named after Jaipal Reddy.
