Dukkipati Nageswara Rao

Dukkipati Nageswara Rao was an Indian independence movement activist from Krishna District.^[1]

Rao was sent to prison many times. He also met Mahatma Gandhi in his home town Peyyeru about 15 miles from his village Nandamuru during the Quit India Movement in 1942. The Government of Andhra Pradesh posthumously gave him 2 acres of land and a Tamra Patra (Certificate) which was given in accordance with the struggle that he fought for the freedom against the British. Apart from serving in several prisons in Andhra Pradesh he also had the privilege of meeting Late Sarvepalli Radhakrishna during the independence struggle. He was also in many noteworthy prisons like Bellary Jail,Tiruchirapalli Jail,and Vellore prisons during the freedom struggle.

References

1. ^ B. Seshagiri Rao. History Of Freedom Movement In Guntoor District 1921-47. Prasanna Publications. http://www.archive.org/stream/historyoffreedom020146mbp/historyoffreedom020146mbp_djvu.txt. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 

Dukkipati Nageswara Rao joined the freedom movement inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s clarion call in 1930. He closely followed N G Ranga who led the ryot agitation in 1933. He was a strong freedom fighter and a close supporter of NG Ranga. He was with late N G Ranga when he held historic discussions with Gandhiji on the demand for a rythu-coolie state. N.G Ranga who was a dear friend of Dukkipati Nageswara Rao served the Indian Parliament for six decades from 1930 to 1991.

Dukkipati Nageswara Rao participated in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 and underwent imprisonment. He took an active part in the Quit India Movement in 1942 and was jailed along with the Mahatma. In response to the call given by Gandhiji to serve the villagers, who constitute 70 per cent of the population, he enrolled in the Gandhi Ashram set up by Yerneni Subrahmanyam near Komaravolu village in Krishna district and spread the Gandhian philosophy.

Exhaustion is a by-product of over committed schedules and never-ending responsibilities. In an effort to accomplish all that is expected, we often try to move faster and cram in more by multitasking. But in the process, we end up emotionally and physically fatigued. It also claimed the life of Dukkipati Nageswara Rao who held his breath through his last. He had a stroke and died in 1960.

Non-Cooperation Movement: Non Cooperation Movement attained its greatest strength in the Andhra delta region, with outstanding leaders like Konda Venkatapayya, A Kaleswara Rao, T Prakasam and Pattabhi Sitaramayya among others. Dukkipati Nageswara rao was among all the other people and activists who participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement in the Coastal Districts. Among the highlights of the Andhra upsurge, as part of the freedom movement, people of the Palnadu area of Guntur district launched a non-cooperation movement to resent the attitude of the then government, in preventing them from grazing their cattle in the adjacent fields. The area was in the grip of severe drought in 1921, for a long time.The incidents that took place at Pedanandipadu in Bapatla taluk of Guntur district during the no-tax campaign as part of freedom struggle, rocked the British empire. Parvataneni Veeraiah Choudhary, a veteran freedom fighter, led a non-tax campaign. While the officials were not collecting the land revenue, people were directed not to pay taxes. Harris, a revenue board member, sent by the government, reported that the situation was out of control and might lead to a revolt as people were told not to resume duties and pay taxes. However, the movement was discontinued on the advice of Gandhiji, who wrote to Venkatappaiah to call off the campaign.

Simon Go Back:The Simon Commission, which toured India in 1927, had a taste of the will of the people when it visited Vijayawada and Ongole. At Vijayawada, the municipality had passed a resolution asking Simon and company to go back, as part of the nation-wide boycott of the Commission, which was sent to India to review the reforms initiated by Montague and Chelmsford. An envelope was passed on to Simon. As he opened it, he found a paper in it with the slogan 'Simon Go Back'.

Civil Disobedience Movement:The clarion call of Gandhiji for Civil Disobedience movement through Salt satyagraha had caused intense tremors of patriotism in Andhra Pradesh. Dukkipati Nageswara Rao was no stranger to it. He also participated actively for the civil disobedient movement in coastal districts Andhra Pradesh. Among the veterans who took part in the movement were Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao, Tanuguturi Prakasam, Gade Rangaiah Naidu, V.L. Sastri and Durgabai Deshmukh.

“I am in receipt of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s letter of July 8th. My honest opinion is that Civil Disobedience Movement is a little pre-mature. The Congress should first concede openheartedly and with handshake to Muslim League the theoretical Pakistan, and thereafter all parties unitedly make demand of Quit India. If the British refuse, start total disobedience...”[4] On August 8, 1942 the Quit India Resolution was passed at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). In a speech at Gowalia Tank, Bombay, Gandhi told Indians to follow non-violent civil disobedience. He told the masses to act as an independent nation. His call found support among a large number of Indians.