People's Democracy

Veteran Journalist Comrade V R Bommareddy Passes Away

M Venugopala Rao

VETERAN journalist, former editor of Prajasakti and former member of the Andhra Pradesh state committee of the CPI(M), Comrade V R Bommareddy passed away in Vijayawada on October 13, 2006. Comrade Bommareddy Venkateswara Rao was 90 years old. He is survived by wife, a son and two daughters. Born at Telaprolu in Gannavaram of Krishna district in 1917, Comrade Bommareddy joined Prajasakti in 1945. After the daily was banned, he, on the direction of the Communist Party joined Janavani in Madras which was brought out under the editorship of Tapi Dharmarao. After the ban on Communist Party was lifted, Comrade Bommareddy joined Prajasakti which was brought out as a weekly. In its place when the Party started Visalandhra, he joined it and worked there for 12 years. Later, after the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Comrade Bommareddy joined Janasakti and later took up the responsibility of running Prajasakti on the direction of the Party. Till 1997, Comrade Bomareddy worked in Communist newspapers for almost 52 years, without taking any remuneration. He successfully discharged the responsibility of running Janata, Janasakti and Prajasakti when the leadership of the Party was subjected to repression by the rulers. He used to say that he had the satisfaction of working with several veterans who continued their fight through the communist media. 

Comrade Bommareddy was one of the founders of Journalists’ Union in Andhra Pradesh. He was elected as vice president of AP Union of Working Journalists for two terms and worked as president of the Vijayawada Press Club also. Having very high regard and affection for Comrade P Sundarayya, Comrade Bommareddy donated Rs 1.5 lakh to Sundarayya Vignana Kendram for organising Sundarayya memorial lecture every year. Comrade Bommareddy had authored and translated more than 50 books. Comrade Bomareddy was the first recipient of the Narla best journalist award, constituted in the name of eminent Telugu journalist, Late Narla Venkateswara Rao in 1999. Several organisations and eminent people felicitated Comrade Bommareddy. He was felicitated in January 2000 by the then prime minister P V Narasimhara Rao in a programme organised by the AP Press Academy and later by the present chief minister, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, among others. Comrade Bommareddy visited the erstwhile Soviet Union, America and Nepal. He conducted more than one hundred progressive marriages, including that of B V Raghavulu and S Punyavathi.

RICH TRIBUTES PAID

Several political leaders, leaders of mass organisations, journalists and others condoled the death of Comrade Bommareddy and paid rich tributes to him. Sitaram Yechury, member of the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M), said Comrade Bommareddy’s contribution in moulding the communist newspapers was invaluable. The life of Comrade Bommareddy, who committed himself to the Marxist principles till the end, was an ideal to be emulated by all and his death was a great loss to the Party, he said. V Srinivasa Rao, member of the central secretariat of the CPI(M), said Comrade Bommareddy used to encourage the younger generation by constantly giving valuable suggestions and contributed immensely for the development of Prajasakti and its book house. The state chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, in a condolence message, said Comrade Bommareddy was known as a writer committed to ideals, values and standards, and for his simplicity and not being an enemy to anyone. The services he rendered in the field of Telugu journalism were unforgettable and would continue to give inspiration for the development of the print media and the young journalists, he said. The staff of Prajasakti condoled the death of their former editor Comrade Bommareddy and paid rich tributes to him at a meeting organised at the newspaper’s headquarters in Hyderabad. The present editor S Vinay Kumar, general manager V Krishnaiah, and editor of Prajasakti Book House Telakapalli Ravi recollected the services rendered by the veteran.

A condolence meeting was held at the residence of Comrade Bommareddy in Vijayawada on October 14 which was presided over by the chairman of Prajasakti Sahiti Samstha, V Krishnaiah. Paying rich tributes to Comrade Bommareddy, state secretary and member of the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M), B V Raghavulu, recollected the important role played by the veteran in organising Sundarayya memorial lectures and in publishing the writings of Comrade P Sundarayya. V Hanumantha Rao, veteran journalist and colleague of Comrade Bommareddy, said the staff working in communist newspapers should learn from the life of Comrade Bommareddy as to how they should be. S Vinay Kumar, Telakapalli Ravi, state secretariat members of the CPI(M), Y Venkateswara and Ch Narasinga Rao, Congress MLA V Radhakrishna, secretary of the Krishna district committee of the CPI(M), V Umamaheswara Rao, Congress president of Vijayawada P Sominaidu, assistant editor of Prajasakti S Venkatrao and others paid tributes to Comrade Bommareddy. Leaders of different political parties and mass organisations and people from different walks of life visited the house of Comrade Bommareddy and paid him tributes. Later, Comrade Bommareddy’s body was taken out in a procession to Swargapuri where his funeral took place.