I want to bring out this tale, with modest
intention of helping people challenge their boundaries and status quo.
Those
were the tumultuous sixties, the second half of the decade in particular
stretching into the seventies. A period when young rebels and revolutionaries
among the students in the universities and colleges in many developed
capitalist and underdeveloped countries of the world were building images of
`revolution’. Some conjured up images of revolution as emerging from the
mountains and the countryside. There was that `rage’ that manifested itself in
various `movements’. The Soweto student revolt against the apartheid in South
Africa, the May Student upsurge in France, the emerging Black Panthers movement
in the US, and above all the Vietnamese people’s struggle against US
imperialism and at home the peasant uprisings in Naxalbari and Srikakulam were
important political events of those times. Those were times when the
revolutionary icon, Che Guevara exerted profound influence on the young radical
minds. As Tariq Ali wrote in one of his articles, `Where has the Rage Gone’, “A
storm swept the world in 1968. It started in Vietnam then blew across Asia,
crossing the sea and mountains to Europe and beyond… if the Vietnamese were
defeating the world’s most powerful state, surely we too can defeat our own
rulers…. That was the dominant mood of the more radical of the 60s
generation.”
That
was the rage of the sixties that created extraordinary personalities like
George Reddy whose life is a remarkable tale of inspiration but is now buried
in the old newspaper racks of libraries.
In
the film “Pratitbandi”, made by Satyajit Ray, the protagonist - an
educated unemployed youth, goes to an interview where he is asked by the
interviewers as to what he thought was the significant event of the decade to
which he answers, “The Vietnam war”. The interviewers ask him if he was a
communist and the protagonist leaves the place angrily. That was a reflection
of the times. George grew up to be an extraordinary personality in this milieu
who in turn made a mark of his own in the growth of the movement in that
period. It is about forty years now since we lost him. This is a tribute to a
personality who made an indelible impact.
In
an interesting treatise on the influence of individuals in history, Sidney Hook
defines the hero in history as,
“The
individual to whom we can justifiably attribute preponderant influence in
determining an issue or event whose consequences would have been profoundly
different if he had not acted as he did.”
Sidney
Hook makes a distinction between eventful-man and event making man. The latter,
according to him,
“Finds
a fork in the historical road, but he also helps, so to speak, to create it. He
increases the odds of success for the alternative he chooses by virtue of the
extraordinary qualities he brings to bear to realize it.”
George
can be construed as both, given the kind of influence George’s ideas had on the
campuses. George Reddy was an activist student leader who took the initiative
to inculcate Progressive ideas among the Osmania University students, arouse
their social conscience and boldly led them against the reactionary forces. His
combination of excellence in academia and brilliance in thought, simplicity in
life, affection towards his friends and exemplary daringness attracted many
idealists and they rallied around him.
George
holds a gold medal in physics. He also studied history, literature, philosophy,
and international affairs extensively. He is also a trained Boxer. His
associates remember him frequently quoting a poem by Bahadur Shah Zafar, which
reflects the kind of ideological motivation George possessed.
“When
many a head will tumble down beneath your ruthless sword,
those
who watch will lose their cool and dread the fatal stroke,
but
we will stand undeterred despite the threat you hold,
others
might crouch and cringe before your menacing pose,
blow
us if you like to shreds, we will be firm and bold.”
George
once organized a debate on the topic, 'Armed Revolution in India' in his
college, during which he made quiet significant remarks. He raised the issue of
violence, questioned the colonial mindset of accepting white man’s supremacy even
after the end of colonial rule. He quoted the lines of Malcolm X,
“You
will get freedom by letting your enemy know that you will be able to do
anything to get your freedom, then you will get it. It is the only way you get
it… They will call you an extremist or a subversive or seditious or a red or
radical. But when you stay radical long enough and get enough people to be like
you, you will get your freedom”.
Looking
back, the very subject of debate he organized was pertinent in the context of
the political situation obtaining then, that is the post-Naxalbari, Srikakulam
armed peasant upsurges. The then political backdrop had Marxists Ideological
views gaining currency aided as they were by the various developments in the
world. George Reddy represented these views on campus.
As
Karl Max said,
“Men
make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do
not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances
directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all
the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living.”
Marxist
by ideology, a communist revolutionary by politics, George went beyond the
contours of student activism and placed himself in the cause of the oppressed
and revolution.
During
summer vacations, ‘Go to villages’ campaigns were organized by George and his
friends, and students were mobilized to visit, prepare notes on the
socio-economic conditions in rural areas. As a practice, the students were made
to stay with the most oppressed and downtrodden sections. Though many were
familiar with and part of the rural setting, prior to these study and analyses,
they never looked at the conditions from a different perspective. For all those
students looking forward to a career on a professional front, the encounters
with the travails of rural people and their struggles in these campaigns was a
sort of ‘coming of age’ experience.
He
later founded Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU) which aims at
building student movements,
To
free India from the hands of Imperialism, Feudalism and their servitors.
For
a pro-people, scientific and progressive education system.
Against
Dual Education Policy, for compulsory closure of elitist schools and colleges.
All
Education through state owned institutions.
Against
Commercialization, Privatization and Communalization of Education.
Oppose
Communalization of History and for a materialistic study of World History and
Indian History.
For
raising the education budget to a minimum of 10% and for it's proper
utilization.
Free
education for all and linkage of education with jobs.
Stop
repression of democratic student movement. Stop attacks on rights of common
people especially student masses.
Struggle
against gender oppression and exploitation of women.
Against
caste oppression and division. Support to reservation for weaker sections as
democratic demand.
For
communal amity and for rights to all nationalities. Fight against Majority
Communalism and Fundamentalism.
Against
language oppression and for right to education in mother tongue.
Against
superstitions, rituals, revivalism and against cultural degradation. Against
aping of Imperialistic culture and for development of a progressive society.
Two
months before his death, that is sometime in February, 1972 he was attacked by
goons near his house. He resisted and fought back but was injured. People asked
him to take precautions and not to move alone. But he would say, that death
would not get him so early.
He
was an adventurer alright, but as Che said of himself that he was “of a
different kind of those who risk their skins to prove their truths”.
It
was April of 1972, the Osmania Engineering College election campaign was in
full swing. Presidential candidate, Mr Yadagiri, whom George supported, was
canvassing. Opposite candidate Lakhan Singh from Dhoolpet (this area is known to
fawn Goondas who do Bootlegging business), supported by the communal
organization, was camping in the hostel behind the Engineering college with
goondas. George was sitting outside Daya seth’s canteen with his friends.
Ramachander Reddy was the Joint Secretary candidate of George’s panel and
he lived in that hostel. Ramachander came and told George that he was afraid of
campaigning with Lakhan and group around and he wanted George to come with him.
George got up without a second thought, and accompanied Ramachander. All of a
sudden, Lakhan group (30 Members) jumped onto George with long knives and
butchered him. George fell to the ground.
He
was killed by goons who were no match to him in courage or character, in
intellect or integrity.
There
was immediate and widespread outrage on the news of this killing. The entire
family and his large body of friends, well-wishers and sympathizers were in a
state of shock. His body had been shifted to the Osmania Hospital mortuary.
There was a mass of students from the campus flanked by a fairly large police
force. Students from all parts of the city came to get a glimpse of the
body and there were long lines building up. The mood was tense. One student
snatched the name plate from the chest of an ACP, and another sent a police
officer’s cap flying. The anger stemmed from the fact that the police and the
Osmania University administration had been informed much earlier that outsiders
were roaming freely on campus, and had taken no measures to stop the killing.
On
15th April, the next day, some two thousand mourners had gathered near George’s
residence. Politicians from the ruling party as well as the Left Parties came
to pay their respects and expressed outrage and condemnation. Such was his
charisma that the burial procession was a sea of humanity and thousands
accompanied the cortege to the cemetery, where he was finally laid to rest.
Some were silently grieving, some tearful, many too angry and unable to speak,
all with a sense of disbelief at what had occurred. It was total silence
in a surcharged atmosphere when his body was brought out in a coffin. All of a
sudden, the arrested emotions inside everyone found a vent in the slogan,
“George
Reddy Amar Hai”.
He
was only 25 then.
George
was killed in front of Andhra Pradesh Special Police guard stationed 24/7 in
the engineering college hostel. These policemen did not apprehend any of the
killers on the spot. They identified the killers later, yet the Additional
session judge ignored their testimony. These policemen were not even charged
departmentally for negligence.
George
was transformed into a powerful symbol of the democratic, progressive and
radical student protest in the state. Many students, youth activists and
others, who went on to play key leadership roles proudly acknowledge the
influence George Reddy had on them.
Pradeep
Borugula, a science college graduate and an associate of George Reddy
“Even
before my first formal meeting with George sometime in June 1971, I had heard
of him as a fighter with a group of his own. In those days, the CPI-affiliated
Marxist Educational Society used to organize lectures on topical issues and I
remember to have attended two such meetings in YMCA where the CPI ideologue
Mohit Sen was the speaker. It was here I saw a short statured fair looking
person raising questions and debating the issues. That was George whom I did
not know as George then. After my formal meet up with George, interactions
became frequent and the canteen adjacent to the Astronomy department in Science
College became some kind of a regular `adda’ where we would sit to listen to
George discuss on a variety of subjects. Those who were frequenting this adda
included opponents of Marxism and Socialism holding in their hands books like
`Atlas Shrugged’, Fountain Head by Ayn Rand. It was in this rendezvous debates
around issues of ideology and philosophy, science and revolution used to take place.
George had a clear Marxist world out-look and in order to spread and inculcate
socialist ideas and ideals, he formed study circles. I was a part of one such
study circle studying Lenin’s classic, `Imperialism, the highest stage of
capitalism”.
Mr.
Conda Venkatramana, former Osmania University student
"He
was our leader, he inspired us to fight against unjust and stand against all
odds. I remember his words "Jeena Hai tho marna seeko, Khadam khadam par
ladna seeko (Learn to die if you wish to live, learn to fight at every step).
It is these words that led me fight for justice in incidents such as Ramiza Bee
and many others. I was arrested in March, 1978 along with many other student
leaders during the incident where Ramiza Bee, a poor Muslim lady from Kurnool
District of Andhra Pradesh who was taken to the police station and raped by an
inspector and two constables. Her husband was beaten brutally. There was a
communal riot as the inspector who raped was a Hindu. I was also detained and
beaten by the police for protesting against them at the Osmania University.
George Reddy was my inspiration and he awakened the leader in me.”
Mr.
Koora Rajanna Alias Anandji, the founder secretary of Communist Party of India
(Marxist–Leninist) Janashakti (an organization which is the second most
dominant group after CPI-Maoist and settled on a strategy of guerrilla warfare)
one of the top Naxal leaders in the country who is also an engineer from
Osmania University said,
“George
Reddy is my leader and inspiration and it was George who introduced me to
PDSU.”
Asvini
Kumar,Alumnus (1973, Page on B. Physics, University College of Science, Osmania
University, Hyderabad)
“On
a regular basis George used to give us books to encourage us to read and expand
our knowledge and deepen our perspective. I noticed that they were stamped
“Socialist Youth Forum-SYF”. I asked him one day about this and he told me that
Raghunath Reddy (Then central cabinet minister for labour, encouraged and
funded him to start a library under his aegis. Thanks to his efforts, many of
us got to read a number of books.
George
also took part in fund raising campaign by SYF called East Bengal Fund to
support the Mukti Bahini liberation forces in what is now Bangladesh.
He
used to pro-actively put forward many topics for discussion – the war in
Vientnam, The Palestine Problem, events in the Dominican Republic, Gautemala
(United Fruit Co), 1968 French student revolt, Black Panthers of America, The
Naxalbari, Sirkakulam and Telangana Movements, bourgeois culture and the need
for de classification, foco theory and guerilla warfare, people’s liberation
movements in Africa, were some of the constant themes.
Che
Guevara, Regis Debray, Cohn Bendit, Sartre, George Habash – these were some of
the names we used to constantly talk about. By what he carried around I judged
that he had some favorite books, the chief among them being those by Ernesto
Che Guevara (Guerilla Warfare, On revolution, Selected writings, Venceremos,
Bolivian Diary).
I
also saw him seriously poring through the tomes of Friedrich Hegel (Science of
Logic), Sigmund Freud (Complete Psychological Works) and Karl Marx (The
Collected Works). Three other large sized volumes were those by James Joll (The
Anarchists), Micheal Bakunin’s Selected Writings and Alex Haley’s The
Autobiography of Malcolm X. His light reading consisted of books like Regis
Debray’s Revolution in the Revolution?, Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the
Earth, and Naom Chomsky’s At war with Asia."
Some
of his professors, peers, colleagues, and friends were of the opinion that had
he continued his research in Theoretical Physics, he would surely have gone on
to win a Noble Prize. But he chose instead, another, truly arduous path,
stemming from his convictions and sustained by something akin to ‘missionary
zeal’.
George's
sacrifice reminds of the lines, famous historian, Eduardo Galeano wrote on
death of Che Guevara in 1967.
“He
placed himself in the path of death without asking for permission or excuses:
he went to meet in …”
His
vision and credo stemmed from Karl Marx’s historic words “From each according
to his ability, to each according to his need”and he sincerely believed that he
should exert every ounce of energy, every sinew and muscle, till his last
breath to work towards realizing this dream. He was a revolutionary in the
making and was preparing himself to play a key role in the liberation struggle
of the Indian peasantry and downtrodden classes. He was never tired of quoting
one of his favorite passages from Che’s writings:
“Whenever
death may surprise us, let it be welcome if our battle cry has reached even one
receptive ear and another hand reaches out to take up our arms.”
Had
George lived on, how would he have responded to the unprecedented historical
events like Collapse of Soviet Union, Global Terrorism, Middle East Crisis,
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Globalization etc. that unfolded in past 4
decades? Would his participation have led to a different outcome for India?
The
life of George, so perfectly confirmed by his death, is both an accusation and
a call for action. Whatever opinion/assessment one may have of George, his
profound influence and imprint on the history of revolutionary democratic
movement among the students cannot be erased. I am reminded of many of those
who laid down their lives. The inspiration of George’s sacrifice has been a
running thread.
It
is now time to commemorate George by making him and his story a part of our
consciousness, so that we can evolve to be a better class of citizens.
Hence,
the post.
Ah!
That’s a Sunday well spent.
courtesy : Blog maintained by karl Reddy, brother of George
Reddy george.reddy.amar.rahe
SOURCES:
1.
Trend Setters | Reddy
Society | Reddys Community | reddys information| reddys history
2. George Reddy - A tribute
to an inspiration
3. George Reddy.. -
Discussions - Andhrafriends.com
4. Keeping the Dream Alive:
In Memory of George Reddy
5. George Reddy
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