Veteran Revolutionary Communist Leader, CPI (ML) New Democracy AP State Committee Member Com. Challapalli Srinivasa Rao is No More

Comrade Challapalli Srinivasa Rao, a veteran communist revolutionary leader and a leader of peasant movement, breathed his last at 12.00 noon in Dintimeraka village, Koduru area of Krishna district today, August 26th. He is a member of our Andhra Pradesh state committee. He is 94 years old. CPI(ML) New Democracy pays revolutionary homage to Comrade Challapalli Srinivasa Rao. We extend our deepest condolences to his bereaved family members.

Comrade Srinivasa Rao hails from Anantavaram village of Tenali Taluk of Guntur district. He was born to parents Challapalli Venkatasubbaiah and Chenchamma. His father was a nationalist and progressive individual. He was an active participant in the national movement. Srinivasa Rao was influenced by these ideas in his early childhood. His family moved to Diviseema in 1937 as his father bought some land in Dintimeraka and took to farming to support the family.

Sanaka Buchikotayya, Modumudi Srihari and Gogineni Tatayya laid the foundations for the communist movement in the Diviseema area in the year 1934. Kotisuryaprakash Rao, elder brother of Srinivasa Rao’s was active in the movement and Srinivasa Rao used to accompany him in these activities. He participated in the historic All India Kisan Sabha held in Vijayawada in 1944. Srinivasa Rao was accorded party membership after the event. The peasants launched an agitation against the levies in April 1947 under the leadership of the then communist party. The police resorted to raids on the villages and arrests to curb the agitation. Srinivasa Rao was also arrested along 11 others and was detained at the Vellore Central Prison. He was again arrested and sent to Bellary jail during May-Jun 1949. He was operating secretly and was active in the local squads during the days of Great Telangana Armed struggle when the party was experiencing severe repression between 1948-50. He was detained in the brutal detention camps organized by that notorious officer Palaniyappan. Srinivasa Rao played an active role in the struggle against Challapalli Zamindar under the leadership of Chandra Rajeswara Rao.

Subsequently, he chose to be with the then CPI(M) breaking up with the CPI when the latter adopted the parliamentary path and the line of class collaboration. Subsequently, he played an active role in the inner struggle waged by Comrades DV Rao, TN Reddy, CP Reddy and Kolla Venkayya within CPI(M) as it too abandoned the path of revolution. He chose to be with the revolutionaries. Inspired by the struggles of Naxalbari and Srikakulam, he organised and led numerous struggles in the Diviseema area. He always maintained close relations with the people in the villages and was always concerned about their wellbeing. He worked with utmost discipline and dedication to implement the decisions of the party. As the differences within the revolutionaries arose regarding the path of revolution, Srinivasa Rao rejected the line of annihilation of class enemies. He firmly believed in the path of Protracted Peoples War. He rallied with comrades DV Rao and TN. He was one of the accused in the Hyderabad Conspiracy case along with Comrade DV Rao, TN and others and went through the trial in the court.

He was an active member of the UCCRI (ML) party formed under the leadership of Comrades DV Rao and TN. As his approach always was to be with the masses consistently, people adored him. He took an active part in the relief operations when a severe cyclonic storm devastated Diviseema in 1977. He mobilized people and personally supervised the relief operations in the area. He used to lead people and effectively rebuff the attacks of the feudal forces and their henchmen on the struggles of the masses. The organization underwent a split in 1980 when differences cropped up on the issues of ideology and politics. He chose to be the UCCRI(ML-y TN) and became a member of its state committee. He organized and mobilized people in various struggles led by the party. He always voiced the issues of people and conducted military training sessions to resist the attacks of enemies of the people. He spent long years and operated in secret to carry out the revolutionary activities of the organization.

Comrade Srinivasa Rao earnestly wanted to see the revolutionaries united. He was upset with the splits. He had high hopes on CPI(ML)-Janashakti which was formed the seven revolutionary organizations. He was saddened when it split in 1995. He went with the organization led by Com. Rajanna during the split. The organization underwent further splits with differences arising on ideological and political issues. He could not continue with that organization and formed a separate organization along with his comrades. He continued with activities of organizing people. Advanced age affected his mobility and he had to grapple with ailments.

It was in 2017 that Comrade Srinivasa Rao and his comrades held discussions with our party, CPI(ML) – New Democracy and decided to merge with our organisation. He continued to be a member of the state committee of our party since the merger. A divisional committee was formed in the Diviseema area and is carrying out activities. Comrade Srinivasa Rao was confined to home and was being treated for illnesses due to advanced age. His was a long journey which has seen many crests and troughs in the movement. Yet he stood firm with his convictions and revolutionary ideals. He dedicated his long life to the revolutionary struggle of the oppressed masses of the country to establish an egalitarian society.

Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy salutes the revolutionary legacy of Com. Challapalli Srinivasa Rao. He remained a communist revolutionary throughout his life. His entire

life and energies were devoted for the revolutionary cause of Indian people. He lived for it and died working for it. He combined this commitment to revolutionary principles with self-sacrificing role in the revolutionary movement. CPI(ML)-New Democracy pledges to continue the struggle for New Democratic Revolution through to the end. That will be our homage to Com. Challapalli who contributed so much to the revolutionary movement.

CPI(ML)-New Democracy

August 27, 2020