Innaiah Narisetti

Innaiah Narisetti was a writer and humanist. Born October 31, 1937, at Patha Reddi Palem village in Chebrolu Panchayat, Tenali Taluq, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India. He had primary schooling in Roman Catholic school at the village, and Chebrolu. Secondary education: Surya Devara Narasaiah High School, Chebrolu. Completed in 1952.Telugu Medium College education: Andhra Christian College, Guntur 1953-58 University education: Andhra University, Waltair 1958-60 with Philosophy main. Prof Kotta Satchidananda Murthy was the professor and Head of the department. Osmania University, M.A Philosophy 1964.

Ph. D thesis submitted in 1969. Topic: The Philosophical consequences of Modern Science with special reference to Determinism. The degree was awarded in 1982 after going through three examining boards and the High Court ordered the university to follow rules and decide the case. The guide Dr V.Madhusudan Reddi as a devotee of Aurobindo approved the thesis but rejected in viva voce, which is rare. He got strictures for that dual role. He had to resign for that double tongue behaviour and later rejoined .Majority of the examiners approved the thesis and hence the degree was awarded.

Started as journalist in Prajavani, a telugu weekly from Guntur 1954-58. Translated several articles of M N Roy and published in it. He contributed articles in the weekly Vahini, from Vijayawada 1959-62. For some brief period contributed articles under the pen name Sulapani and jointly written with Radha Rani (pen name of Mr Siddabattuni Ramakrishna, classmate in college) Worked as personal assistant of Professor N.G.Ranga , the political leader 1959-61.

During college days came closer with Avula Gopalakrishna Murthy, the humanist leader in Andhra. Mr. Yelavarthi Rosaiah, (lecturer in A.C.College) taught him humanism during college days. Associated with Professor Alam Khundmiri in Philosophy department of Osmania University; B.A.V.Sharma professor in Political science who edited Secularism book; He is acquainted with several political, social leaders in Andhra. Contributed articles in Radical Humanist weekly in Telugu, Sameeksha monthly Telugu, Telugu Vidyarthi educational monthly, Radical Humanist English weekly and monthly, Indian Rationalist monthly in English, The Secularist bimonthly, He worked with A.B.Shah in Indian secular movement from 1967 onwards. He worked in Radical Humanist movement, Rationalist movement. Translated the works of M.N.Roy, A.B.Shah, Shib Narayan Ray, Agehananda Bharati, V.R.Narla, Pingle Jagan Mohan Reddi ( retired chief justice of High Court Andhra Pradesh), Paul Kurtz into Telugu and published. Written books in Telugu and English. He published extensively books on Andhra Pradesh Politics, parties. Toured in India, Europe, and USA and worked in Secular Humanist movements. Contributed articles in Encyclopedia unbelief (edited by Gorden Stein and later by Tom Flynn). He had written in WHO IS WHO IN HELL edited by Warren Allen Smith. Articles: in American Atheist, Washline, American Rationalist, Free Inquiry, Freedom first.

Telugu articles in: Andhra Prabha daily, Andhra Patrika daily, Andhra Jyothi daily, Vaartha daily, Udayam daily, Eenadu daily, Golkonda patrika daily, Andhra Janata daily. Acuainted with Carl Sagan, Thomas Szasz , Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Paul Kurtz, Fred Edwords, V.M.Tarkunde, Abraham Solomon ( founder of Secular movement in India), Prem nath Bazaz ( writer on Gita), Sib Narayan Ray ( biographer of M N Roy) , Taslima Nasrin ( famous Bengali rebel, A.B.Shah founder of Secularist movement in Indis; V.K.Sinha editor of The Secularist from Bombay; Rekha Saraswat, managing editor of Radical Humanist monthly; Ibn Warrak, ( writer of Why I am not a Muslim) Narla Venkateswararao ( editor of Andhra Prabha, Andhra Jyothi dailies), Gora Sastri ( editor of Telugu Swatantra and Andhra Bhoomi daily), D.Anjaneyulu ( writer), B.S.R.Krishna ( writer), K.Satchidananda Murthy, ( philosophy professor) Sanjiv Dev ( artist), C.Lakshmanna ( professor in sociology), Avula Sambasivarao, ( chief justice of Andhra Pradesh High court), M.V.Ramamuthy ( humanist), Indumati Parekh ( humanist). Worked as the general secretary of Indian Radical Humanist association; Indian rationalist association, vice president; president of Andhra pradesh radical humanist association; coordinator of federation of atheist rationalist humanist association; chairman of Indian chapter of Center for Inquiry. He conducted secular marriages and officiated the weddings of Dr N.Gopi, the vice Chancellor of Potti Sriramulu Telugu University; Mr Tammareddi Bharadaja, producer –director of telugu movies; Innaiah participated in study camps of radical humanist movement. Published the compilation of M.N.Roy's humanist thought ( brought out by Prometheus Books, USA). Translated the work of Ibn Warrak's WHY I AM NOT A MUSLIM. He did research on EVELYN TRENT, the first wife of M N Roy and founder of Indian communist party at Tashkent. He did research on Child abuse by religions and published several articles on the theme in English and Telugu. He had written extensively, articles in Misimi, a monthly in Telugu published by Mr Alapati Ravindranath.

Personal data: He is married to Venigalla Komala. She retired from Ambedkar open University, Hyderabad. His son Narisetti Raju is editor of , [http://www.livemint.com/ MINT] , financial daily from Delhi and Bombay; Raju was editor of Wall Street Journal Europe and managing editor of Wall Street Journal in New York. His daughter in law is Kim who is a journalist and his two grand daughters are Leila and ZolaHis daughter is child psychiatrist in USA. His grandson Rohit is talented school student. His another grandson is Rahul.

His wife Komala translated M.N Roy's Memoirs of Cat, and contributed articles on feminism, Taslima Nasrin. His daughter Dr Naveena is child psychiatrist, practices in USA. His son Raju Narisetti worked in Wall Street Journal as managing editor in USA, Editor in WSJ Europe and editor in India for a prestigious economic daily, Mint from Delhi. His grandson Rohit is talented student who contributed power point presentation on Charles Darwin. His father Narisetti Rajaiah died in 1959, who was village leader and follower of N.G.Ranga. His brother N.Vijayaraja kumar was follower of N G |Ranga, Charan Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose;contributed several articles and published books on Bose, Agricultural problems, and translated works of Ranga, Charan Singh into Telugu. He was campaigner to N.G.Ranga in politics and anti communist .Worked in Krishikar Lok Party, Swatantra party and janata party. He was orator in Telugu.

Innaiah Narisetti's books are catalogued in Library of Congress and available in national libraries in USA and world. He translated the famous work of Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion and Sam Harris “A letter to Christian Nation” into Telugu (2007)

References

* [http://www.loc.gov/cgi-bin/zgate?ACTION=INIT&FORM_HOST_PORT=/prod/www/data/z3950/locils2.html,z3950.loc.gov,7090]
* [http://innaiahn.tripod.com/]

{February 2007}