COMRADE KORATALA SATYANARAYANA

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) deeply mourns the demise of its central committee member and veteran communist, Comrade Koratala Satyanarayana. He died this morning after battling against cancer for the last six months. He was 83 years old.

A freedom fighter, Comrade Koratala Satyanarayana was one of the most experienced leaders of the Party in Andhra Pradesh who had worked with the first generation of communist leaders in the state. He was one of the key builders of the Party in Guntur district. He steadfastly upheld the revolutionary tenets of Marxism-Leninism and played an important role when both the revisionist and the Left adventurist deviations had deeply divided the communist movement in Andhra Pradesh.  

Comrade Satyanarayana was elected as the secretary of the Andhra Pradesh state committee of the Party in 1991. He served in this capacity till 1997. He was elected to the central committee in 1982. He was a member of the Polit Bureau between 2002 and 2005.

Koratala represented the Repalle constituency in the Andhra Pradesh assembly for two terms in 1962 and 1978. He made an immense contribution in building the agricultural workers union and the Kisan Sabha in Andhra Pradesh.

He was jailed for three years and spent four and a half years underground.

In his death, the Communist movement in Andhra Pradesh has lost a towering leader. The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) dips the Red flag in memory of this communist leader.  The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife Sitaratnam and two sons and a daughter.

(PB Statement, July 1, 2006)

LIFE SKETCH

Popularly known as Comrade Koratala through out the whole state, Koratala Satyanarayana passed away on July 1, 2006 at 8:21 a m at his residence in Old MLA Quarters, Hyderabad. Despite being on the bed for months together battling cancer, he keenly followed the day to day political developments in the state. In fact, he was very eager to attend the recent central committee meetings held in Hyderabad but the state leadership of the Party prevailed upon him to not exert himself.

Comrade Koratala Satyanarayana was one of the experienced leaders of the Party in Andhra Pradesh who had worked with the first generation builders of the communist movement in the state. Although born into a feudal family, he stood by the working people and consistently fought for their upliftment. He was one of the key builders of the movement in Guntur district.

Born into the family of Buchaiah and Sheshamma in Pyaparru village of Amartaluru mandal in Guntur district on September 24, 1923, Koratala Satyanarayana had a brother and three sisters. His fighting ability was apparent when he went to Turimella high school in 1938-39 itself. A statewide agitation was going on in high schools against the detention system in exams and Koratala was the one who launched it in his school. Despite waging the struggle for 11 days, there was no outcome as the school headmaster was adamant. Koratala went and met Makineni Basavapunnaiah who was a student leader in Guntur. That was the beginning of his turn towards communism. His cousin sister and brother-in-law Paturi Subbaiah were active in the freedom movement.

With the headmaster bowing to the demand, the strike in the school concluded successfully. Koratala was part of the joint committee of students and teachers formed on students' issues. He was also associated with the bringing out of the school magazine. The drill master of the school was a Leftist and was brother-in-law of Comrade Moturu Hanumantha Rao, who used to keep visiting him. Koratala came in touch with Comrade MH during his visits to the school.

The headmaster of the school expired suddenly, leaving behind his family in despair. Koratala led the students in collecting Rs 5000 from the villagers for the family. With the coming of a new headmaster began the problem of detention system again. Koratala's full involvement in the struggle led to his failure in SSLC exam. With this he shifted his study to Repalle where he became much more active in student union activities, becoming the joint secretary of the student's union. His contacts with communists grew here. He met Comrade L B Gangadhara Rao.

In 1942, Koratala joined A C College in Guntur which was a centre of active student movement. He became the secretary of Students Action Committee and fully immersed himself in student movement. The Quit India movement, police firing in Guntur leading to death of several students, militant agitations etc marked this period. Comrade MB was the secretary of Andhra area student movement and Koratala used to meet him often during agitations. The ban on Communist Party had just been lifted. Koratala left studies when he was in 10+2 and became fully involved in the movement, particularly in building student and trade union units. He became a member of the Party in September 1942. He was elected to the district committee of the students union for the first time in 1943. He worked as city secretary of the student union till 1944. With his parents angry that he was working in the movement, they stopped sending money to him. Comrade MH then arranged for an allowance to Koratala. He was relieved from student movement in 1945. He came back to Repalle as a Party wholetimer in 1945-46. He married his niece, Sitaratnam, in 1945.

The period from 1946 to 1948 witnessed intense agitations through out the state and the district. In Repalle, a big agitation was organised in 15 villages on the issue of increasing wages for agricultural labour. Struggles were conducted on issues concerning various sections of the working people and Koratala was actively involved in these struggles. He was elected to the Taluka committee in 1946 and later to the district committee of the Party in 1947. Despite an arrest warrant being issued against him, Koratala addressed an eight thousand strong public meeting of agricultural labourers. With information provided by Congressmen, the police arrested Koratala in April 1949. They sent him to Bellary jail first and then shifted him to Cuddalore detention camp. Koratala used to recall later that it was more a political school in Cuddalore than a jail with Comrade A K Gopalan, MH and others regularly taking political classes for them. Koratala was part of the struggle waged by prisoners in the camp.

In the first general elections held in 1952, Koratala contested as Party candidate from Tenali Lok Sabha constituency. He lost with a slender margin of 1100 votes. "The Congress rulers had so terrorised people then that many who sympathised with us did not dare to visit us after our release from jail in 1951", said Koratala recollecting those days. The Congress government in the name of providing land for irrigation began to forcibly take back the land occupied the poor as part of the struggles led by Party. The Party launched a big agitation, Banjaru Satygraha, against this move of the government and Koratala led it in Repalle region which saw participation of nearly 80,000 poor peasants. This struggle forced the government to stop its land grab.

Koratala contested for the state assembly election from Repalle constituency continuously from 1962 to 1978 and won twice in 1962 and 1978. He effectively raised the issues of land reforms, revenue, irrigation and handloom sector in the House. His criticism on various issues was very informed as well as sharp. His understanding and grip over rural economy was unquestionable. He led a team for survey, basing on which the Party adopted a resolution ‘On Certain Agrarian Issues’. Though not a regular writer, Comrade Koratala used to contribute to newspapers depending on the need of the hour.

In 1967 Koratala was first elected to the state committee of the Party and in 1978 to the state secretariat. He was a member of Party central committee since 1985 till his last breath. He was Party state secretary between 1991 and 1997. He served as Polit Bureau member of the Party between 2002 and 2005. He visited China and Bulgaria as part of the Party central committee team which toured for 25 days.