People's Democracy

Birth Centenary of

Comrade P Sundarayya

THE 23rd state conference of the CPI(M) AP state committee has resolved to organise the birth centenary celebrations of Comrade Puchhalapalli Sundarayya, the builder of the communist movement in south India and the beloved leader of the toiling masses, for the coming one year from May 1, 2012 to May 1, 2013.

A resolution in this regard was passed by the conference on February 3, amidst loud applause of the delegates. The resolution states that the holding of Comrade Sundarayya’s birth centenary is crucial to take the message of Socialism in today’s capitalist world that is caught up in unprecedented crisis. It calls for conducting of various programmes during this period in a way that would remind of his great and venerable life and deeds that are highly inspiring. They would include meetings, conferences, seminars, publications, literary and art related programmes etc. It also gave a call to involve every person who admires Comrade Sundarayya in these programmes.

Comrade Sundarayya was born on May 1, 1913, into a landlord family in Alagaanipadu village in Nellore district. He dedicated his entire life for the cause of the building up of movements of the toiling masses and the preservation of the spirit of the Marxist theory. He had undergone imprisonment in early age itself because of his staunch belief in the need for the social reform and the dedication to the struggle for India’s Independence. He was attracted to the communist movement under the influence of Amir Hyder Khan. Sundarayya had laid the foundations for the communist movement in the south India in the 1930s. And he was the first leader to build the first ever ‘agricultural labour union’ in the country. Touring the states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamilnadu in disguise, he moulded many a leader and the cadres of the Party. He set up a great example by giving up the whole of his property to the movement and living a simple, principled and frugal life. His spotless life in itself is an encyclopaedia in terms of mingling with the people, leading the struggles, elaborate theoretical studies, observing the social dynamics and organising the movement. It is no wonder that many a great leader of the communist party in south India have joined the Party through the influence of Comrade Sundarayya. Thus he trained many generations of the cadres and leaders in the Party. He was a member of the first ‘Andhra communist committee’ formed in the year 1934. And he played a crucial role in leading the heroic Telangana armed struggle. He was one amongst the first Central Committee members of the united party. He functioned as the first general secretary of the CPI(M).