PREFACE

This study e n t i t l e d "The Final Phase of t h e

Andhra Movement (1947-56) - A C r i t i c a l Study" embodies
the r e s u l t s of my research wrk carried o u t in t h e
Department of History, S r i Venkateswara University,
Tirupati, during 1988-1991. My e a r l i e r study e n t i t l e d
I1Potti Sriramulu (1901-1952) and t h e Formation of t h e
Andhra StateH which earned me a f i r s t c l a s s M.Phil
Degree, impelled me t o examine f u r t h e r t h e subject
critically. The outcome is the present dissertation.

The redrawing of t h e map of India on l i n g u i s t i c

basis was an important event in t h e h i s t o r y of Modern
India. Andhra is the f i r s t s t a t e in India 'to be formed
on the b a s i s of language. The Andhra Movement which
s t a r t e d a s e a r l y a s 1913 had four d i s t i n c t phases of
which the m s t important was t h e f i n a l one from
1947-1956 - the subject of t h e present research study,
Different views and comments have been expressed on t h e
Andhra Movement. Some scholars hold t h e view t h a t t h e
movemont was a concealed demand f o r more employment
opportunities f o r t h e locals, The only s e r i o u s study
on t h e Andhra Movement i s K.V. Narayana Rao's "The
Emergence of Andhra Pradesh" (Bombay, 1973). The
present study is an attempt t o present a comprehensive
a n a l y s i s of t h e f i n a l phase. I t is b a s i c a l l y , a study
in a t t i t u d e s - a t t i t u d e s of t h e important p a r t i e s , t h a t
mattered on the i s s u e of the formation of t h e s e p a r a t e
Andhra S t a t e .

The d i s s e r t a t i o n c o n s i s t s of e i g h t chapters. The

f i r & p a r t of t h e introductory chapter provides general
information on Andhra Pradesh - t h e Circar, Rayalaseema
and Telangana regions - and t h e impact of the national
movement on Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana
regions. The second p a r t d e s c r i b e s t h e Andhra Movement -
i t s o r i g i n , various s t a g e s of t h e movement, viz.,
(a) 1913-1920, (b) 1920-1936, ( c ) 1936-1947 and
(d) 1947-1956. The second chapter d e a l s w i t h t h e
a t t i t u d e of Jawaharlal Nehru and t h e Government of I n d i a
towards t h e formation of a s e p a r a t e Andhra Province.
The t h i r d chapter attempts t o i n t e r p r e t the a t t i t u d e of
C. Rajagopalachari and the Government of Madras towards
t h e i s s u e of a separate Andhra S t a t e and h i s influence
on Nehru is a l s o examined. The fourth chapter describes
t h e a t t i t u d e of t h e Rayalaseema and C i r c a r leaders
towards t h e issue. They had t h e wrong impression t h a t
i f a separate Andhra S t a t e was formed, t h e Rayalaseema
d i s t r i c t s would be domiriated by the Circar d i s t r i c t s .
The people of Nellore and t h e domiciled Tamils of
Rayalaseema were unwilling t o lose t h e i r contact w i t h
Madras City, A l l these matters a r e discussed in t h i s
chapter.

The f i f t h chapter examines t h e use of the Gandhian

technique of 'Satyagraha' by P o t t i Sriramulu, t o win t h e
h e a r t s o f t h e opponents t o reach t h e goal. After the
death of P o t t i Sriramulu on 15 December, t h e Government
of India declared t h e i r intention t o form an Andhra
State. Could n o t P o t t i Sriramulu's l i f e have been saved
had t h e announcement of Jawaharlal Nehru been made some
days e a r l i e r ? If sb, what made him delay h i s decision?
What was t h e r e a l force t h a t made him take an immediate
decision? Are f a s t s and satyagrahas j u s t i f i e d a s methods
of p o l i t i c a l a g i t a t i o n ? These a r e t h e important questions
r a i s e d and answered c r i t i c a l l y in t h i s chapter.

The s i x t h chapter describes t h e Anahra claim of

Madras City. The o r i g i n o f Madras C i t y and t h e Telugu
claim over it a s a f a c t o r in t h e Andhra hbvement and
t h e s i g n i f i c a n t r o l e of Prakasam in t h e f i n a l phase of
t h e Movement is a l s o examined. The seventh chapter
explains t h e circumstances leading t o t h e merger of
Telangana i n t o Andhra S t a t e and t h e formation of Andhra
Pradesh on 1 November 1956.

The concluding chapter sums up t h e r e s u l t s of t h e

study. A t t h i s point, c e r t a i n i s s u e s such a s language
vs. economic f a c t o r s and language vs. c a s t e a r e
discussed with relevance t o t h e separate Andhra S t a t e ,
The leadership of t h e Andhra Movement came from t h e
educated Brahmin c a s t e of t h e Coastal d i s t r i c t s . The
misunderstandings came from t h e Ceded D i s t r i c t s t h a t t h e
Andhra Movement was a B r a h d n movement. Language was
t h e main i s s u e f o r t h e Andhra demand - t h e r e were a l s o
economic, p o l i t i c a l and a d m i n i s t r a t i v e f a c t o r s ,

Andhra Praaesh is the f i r s t s t a t e in India, which

was carved o u t l i n g u i s t i c a l l y a f t e r a long a g i t a t i o n
and s a c r i f i c e o f t h e g r e a t l e a d e r s . T h i s paved t h e
way f o r t h e formation o f o t h e r s t a t e s on l i n g u i s t i c
basis.

The d i s s e r t a t i o n is based on primary s o u r c e s such

a s unpublished documents, p r i v a t e c o l l e c t i o n s , govern-
ment r e c o r d s , p a h p h l e t s , books and newspapers. The
secondary s o u r c e s c o n s u l t e d a r e p u b l i s h e d books on t h e
s u b j e c t , r e p o r t s , d e b a t e s , g a z e t t e e r s , etc.

Some o f t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s i n t h e Movement who ere

a l i v e now and o t h e r s who were w i t n e s s e s t o t h e f i n a l
phase o f t h e Movement from 1947-56 were a l s o interviewed
and t h e i r s t a t e m e n t s were v e r i f i e d with t h e a v a i l a b l e
o r i g i n a l sources.

I deem it a g r e a t p r i v i l e g e t o e x p r e s s my profound
r e s p e c t and deep s e n s e of g r a t i t u d e t o my Research
S u p e r v i s o r , P r o f e s s o r S. Gopalakrishnan. I am h i g h l y

indebted t o him f o r s u g g e s t i n g t h e t o p i c and f a r h i s a b l e

and i n s p i r i n g guidance throughout t h e p e r i o d of my study.

I wish t o e x p r e s s my deep s e n s e o f g r a t i t u d e t o
P r o f e s s o r 8. Rajendra Prasad, t h e p r e s e n t Head of t h e
Department o f H i s t o r y and P r o f e s s o r V. Kameswara Rao,
former Head of t h e Department of H i s t o r y , f o r e v i n c i n g
keen i n t e r e s t i n my completing t h i s work. My thanks
a r e a l s o due t o a l l my t e a c h e r s i n t h e Department of
History.

The c o l l e c t i o n of m a t e r i a l f o r t h i s study took m e

t o many p l a c e s i n c l u d i n g Rajahmundry, Vetapalem,
Hyderabad, Madras and New Delhi. I am t h a n k f u l t o t h e

Commissioners of t h e A.P. S t a t e Archives, Hyderabad and

of t h e Tamil Nadu Archives, Madras, t h e L i b r a r i a n ,
Madras U n i v e r s i t y Library, f o r g r a n t i n g me permission t o
c o n s u l t t h e primary sources; and t o t h e L i b r a r i a n s ,
Regional Library, Vetapalem and Gautami Library,
Rajahmundry, t h e L i b r a r i a n and s t a f f of t h e S.V.
U n i v e r s i t y , T i r u p a t i f o r h e l p i n g me t o l o c a t e t h e
r e l e v a n t source m a t e r i a l . I am g r a t e f u l t o t h e S e c r e t a r y ,

P o t t i Sriramulu Memorial S o c i e t y , Madras f o r p l a c i n g a t

my d i s p o s a l t h e v a l u a b l e p r i v a t e papers of t h e Amarajeevi.

My thanks are due t o S r i T. Gopinath f o r h i s

a s s i s t a n c e i n g e t t i n g t h e Telugu m a t e r i a l t r a n s l a t e d
i n t o English.

I am i n d e b t e d t o P r o f e s s o r Ravinder Kumar,

,
D i r e c t o r , Nehru Memorial Museum and L i b r a r y (NMML)
New D e l h i , f o r my f r u i t f u l s t a y t h e r e .

A t t h e personal level, I t h a n k my p a r e n t s , my

u n c l e and aunt f o r a l l t h e encouragement t h e y h a d

e x t e n d e d t o m e d u r i n g t h e p e r i o d of t h i s study.

F i n a l l y , I wish to t h a n k S r i G. S i r i Babu f o r

h i s n e a t t y p i n g of t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n i n r e c o r d t i m e .

TIRUPAT I
DATE l g - 4 .- /"-1z