Sundru Venkaiah, a forgotten  pre-Independence Dalit leader and wartime adviser

Sundru Venkaiah, a forgotten pre-Independence Dalit leader and wartime adviser

Andhra Pradesh By Duggaraju Srinivasa Rao November 14, 2022 Read the article

British education in 19th century Andhra Pradesh started a movement for social reform, including the abolition of untouchability.

[{"selector":"#anim-173935e9-6bea-47c6-a5bd-3003a8ea35f8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-95a6c8a5-385c-434a-88af-e7a49a441e4c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 39.64542%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9c71c7d5-685a-43f5-9cf3-996117955779","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-40ebca28-54a4-45c9-8b4a-64e604b6a6d5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 143.68856%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-086e45e9-ba70-4026-8a12-0f2d6465786c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-18.091493816367073%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article

One of the leaders, who was much ahead of Gandhi and Ambedkar, who deserves more recognition is Sundru Venkaiah.

[{"selector":"#anim-4bfbe811-cf9e-4617-acc9-57b035e7a691","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b9c59412-6f46-4389-b979-8bc2f8004a64","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 39.64542%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e09d5ad-2d5d-4c5b-bcf1-0031e74c5c13","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-904df4cd-8072-49e2-8c88-32e654151be0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 143.68856%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6e135ac5-dbf3-4401-8185-a8d9a2e4f8c6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-61.226128367123245%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article

Venkaiah, a primary school teacher and follower of Ramanujacharya, was agitated by discrimination that he witnessed in villages.

[{"selector":"#anim-c4bcd11d-5d22-40d4-a517-ed275f375f99","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aab21250-a433-4380-b4fe-bf907df16347","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 39.64542%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-619eb2d3-bd3c-45d9-9219-222fe3320036","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4dd25766-9848-4df0-b1e3-74dd8bceb779","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 143.68856%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f926aaac-59fd-4a58-a54f-94d48b9a258b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-37.15277766400351%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article

He joined hands with atheist movement builder Goparaju Ramachandra Rao to take education to Dalit colonies.

[{"selector":"#anim-e811d1ed-5305-42e3-b8f6-570ead9b8e42","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7648b1ab-c914-4d7a-b395-17858b8fa588","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 35.51887%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-370d6478-886e-4b51-8d76-a54ef52cc855","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-22491799-3a9e-4469-b2fb-8d2c0aa04892","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 152.28759%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-07c5b1fd-7de2-4291-9e7f-8e7013d6318d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-54.59499514938783%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article

He organised and presided over the first ‘Adi Andhra Maha Sammelanam’ in Vijayawada in November in 1917.

[{"selector":"#anim-1c5a08b9-9911-424a-9d50-bff48d1967b0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-499066a8-37cb-456b-b3c1-fac8cf7e70d4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 39.64542%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-78699d13-db8e-4653-b0b4-396ff5dae666","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5dedd565-a205-4c3f-865d-e66dbaafadce","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 143.68856%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d7001dfa-06f8-4bb9-96b1-30790361427a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-78.04275506888825%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article

Venkaiah joined Vemula Kurmayya, his relative who was already part of the Dalit emancipation movement.

[{"selector":"#anim-3fa119b4-647e-4605-ab81-2ecc2ef338b3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d9cdffee-26bf-42af-877c-69001f671ae8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 35.51887%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1a8fc668-ff20-4e66-8738-97001c8b0d79","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b327d293-df00-4796-9923-da75b6ccacbf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 152.28759%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-be1b68ba-2223-4331-8b5f-9f9500c86e60","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-121.03449%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2608b1c2-4245-417c-bc4e-a9d48a455489","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6b1b7fb7-001c-4f51-a38b-35784b80a58d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b51598ac-d524-4fd0-874f-82b648ae1bda [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-32.57739363009333%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article

He also joined Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao Pantulu’s ‘Harijanodharana’ movement, which included Vunnava Lakshminarayana and Ramjee of Machilipatnam.

[{"selector":"#anim-dc96e08b-ca5b-48de-b784-03f1a32ac377","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51325a46-e755-4b2f-8e16-35ea3f53185a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 43.77197%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-443a8b16-221c-4209-ae61-9a0168c01a06","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04f63751-45c6-469f-99f9-6dcd1a5dec7e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 134.78536%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25c1ad10-c2f9-4bb2-b3aa-8ac06fa4595b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-112.42425%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8fdf8c85-c61c-407d-a24a-f0b1fbe8c991","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5221172e-7b47-44bf-88cf-907e45772cb8","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ebb26ea5-73c2-4506-9992-06891e31ccd5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-44.665930678640784%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article

In 1917, for the first Harijan conference, Venkaiah was taken in a procession to the venue in a horse-drawn cart with leaders from forward communities walking in front.

[{"selector":"#anim-7a9938e8-5fb1-4d7b-b72b-bd8aee038dab","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d6478fd6-e290-4ecd-a17b-9a237ad10d8e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 44.45973%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-96a4f1e4-278f-4fee-ac55-e635a916c4ef","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a251526e-4cf6-437e-a2a1-4e00d85cba5b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 138.19448%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b191038b-0d0f-4d89-8c00-3696a8accfb1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-15.406249790086465%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7bebf8f0-9b62-4d10-b397-9b2af5a32133","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.46125%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b0364bc9-a09f-451e-a356-1bb9ebbac58b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bfa55980-3539-4f81-afe9-d8620f38e16d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article

Venkaiah was appointed as a district magistrate and then as a member of the Legislative Council of Madras Presidency.

[{"selector":"#anim-3a28ef21-2156-44f2-af37-9c3b86ba9b54","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-babb70df-03f6-47de-b006-23f94599b4d6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 36.20663%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c1b21f20-d652-4b5f-a794-e772346e795a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-654e6237-ec48-4a71-9c6c-087fbcea342b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 153.96829%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article

He was also a wartime adviser to the government during the Second World War.

[{"selector":"#anim-b46677e1-4fca-4bc4-b0e2-5700479c9115","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b800f64e-d3e7-4b2d-af68-7c2aca999d56","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 32.63029%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-45a4b26e-f258-470d-8491-b777e730a173","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3067f163-1925-40cf-aa5e-a819f998a60d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 174.69133%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2e148512-0ef2-401c-ba2a-e25cb377b24f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-56.909408343147064%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Andhra Pradesh Read the article