When Kakinada hosted All-India Congress Committee

Kakinada: The four-day All-India Congress Committee meeting held here from December 26, 1923, highlights the significance attached to the Congress leaders of the region.

Hundreds of national Congress leaders had attended the AICC meeting with the exception of Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi, who was lodged in Yerawada prison in Pune.

Even 70 years after the country becoming independent, memories of the AICC meeting are still green in the memory of the people of East and West Godavari districts.

At the height of a wave of nationalism sweeping across the country, Kakinada hogged the limelight hosting the unique event. It is not an easy task to host such a major event in those days.

The Maharajah of Pithapuram provided 120-acre venue for the event christened Gandhipuram. A huge tent accommodating over 12,000 was erected, certainly not an easy task in those days. Further, 150 cottages were built to provide accommodation to participants. Besides, 36 cottages were set up to accommodate national leaders.

The scale and grandeur with which the meeting was organised made it unique in the country. Impressed by the success, the then AICC president Moulana Mohammad Ali went on record time and again lauding the hospitality the Congress leaders received during the Kakinada meeting.

Resolutions adopted at the Kakinada meeting of the AICC formed the bedrock for country to become independent. For the duration of the meeting, people of East and West Godavari district became overwhelmed with joy.

While Moulana Mohammed Ali presided, participant leaders include Motilal Nehru, Moulana Abul Kalam Azad, Vijayaraghavacharya, Kasturba Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Dr Ansari,Vallabhbhai Patel,Sardar Mangal Singh.

They stoked the feelings of nationalism with their speeches. Though Mahatma Gandhi was not physically present, his personality influenced the course of deliberations at the AICC meeting.

Even now, people fondly call the venue as Gandhi Nagar Park.Keeping his personal tragedy to himself, Maharshi Bulusu Samba Murthy, who had lost his only son, single handedly made all arrangements for the event.

Several prominent leaders of the region, Konda Venkatappaiah, Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao, Tanguturi Prakasam, Raja Kotagiri Venkata Krishna Bahadur, P Venkata Chalapati, Chavali Ramasomayajulu,Undavalli Lakshminarayana,Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Duvvuri Subbamma, Gadicharla Harisarvottama Rao, Bikkina Venkata Ratnam, Mosalikanti Tirumala Rao and others pooled efforts in making the event unique in the country.

Several freedom fighters treaded the path shown by the eminent Congress leaders, who had taken part in the Kakinada AICC meeting, brought laurels to Godavari districts.