The “Amarajeevi” of Andhra Pradesh

The “Amarajeevi” of Andhra Pradesh

Born: 16 March 1901
Died: 15 December 1952

Shri Potti Sreeramulu was born on 16th March 1901, to Guravayya and Mahalakshmamma at Padamatapalli (Nellore district). As the famine conditions subverted the region their family was shifted to Madras. After completing his high school in Madras he later joined The Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute, Bombay to study engineering. Sreeramulu joined the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, Bombay after completing his education. In, 1931 he resigned and joined Shri Mahatma Gandhi in Sabarmati Ashram to serve in the struggle for Independence.

Sreeramulu was imprisoned in 1930, for being a part of The Independence Movement (Salt Satyagraha). During 1941 and 1942, he also participated in the Individual Satyagraha and The Quit India Movement and was incarcerated three times. He involved himself in the village reconstruction programs in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. Mentioning Sreeramulu’s dedication and fasting ability, Gandhi Ji once said, “I will win freedom from British rule in a year if only I have eleven more followers like Sreeramulu”.

In an effort to preserve the culture of the Andhra people, and protecting their interests Sreeramullu pressurize the government to listen to the public demands, which were for the separation of the Andhra region from the Madras Presidency. Admired as Amarajeevi (“Immortal Being”) in the Andhra region for the self-sacrifice for the people of Andhra Sreeramulu became famous for committing a 56 days hunger strike in 1952, in support of having a separate state for Andhra Pradesh; and died in the process. His death sparked the public and the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared the target to form Andhra State as the newly liberated nation, three days after the demise of Sreeramulu. He contributed his life towards the emergence of an individual Telugu-speaking state from the Madras presidency (now Tamil Nadu). On 1 October 1953, his struggles led to the development of a separate state called “Andhra Pradesh”.

Later in 1956, another Telugu-speaking district of Hyderabad, called Telangana was combined with Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad became its capital city. The pride of Andhra was sustained by the courageous deeds of great Potti Sreeramulu.

The house where Shri Sreeramulu took his last breath has been conserved as a monument of importance & pride by the state government of Andhra Pradesh.

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