When OU was a red bastion

As the famed Osmania University is gearing up to celebrate its glorious hundred years of functioning, its alumnus and illustrious leader of the Communist Party of India Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy recalls his campus days
New Dehi: It was 1965. Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy had just completed his graduation from Sri Venkateswara University and was not sure where to continue his further studies. It was C Raghavachari who motivated him to join the Law College of Osmania University and he obliged him instantly. Thus began not just his association with the OU campus but also his journey in politics that later moulded him into a leading Communist leader.

Sudhakar Reddy recalls his association with Osmania University fondly. He says, “I was asked to contest the university elections as soon as I joined OU in 1965. Com Raghavachari, who was doing LLM in the same university, suggested that I contest for the general secretary post on behalf of AISF which I did.”Reddy adds, “I was mistaken to be an Andhrite because I was from Sri Venkateswara University though I belong to Mahbubnagar. Yet, I did not reveal this to anyone. There were threats from some quarters for my withdrawal from the contest.

Youth Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy was the president of University Students Union (OUSU) which was a powerful body then. I did not tell him too that I belonged to Mahbubnagar.”“After I won the elections, he confronted me at the bus stop one day to ask why I did not reveal it to him too. Was it because of the 30 Rayalaseema votes that you wanted to corner? he asked. No. I smiled and walked away,” he recalls. Sudhakar Reddy still remembers the atmosphere in the university as intellectual. “No doubt there was this element of Goondagardi on the campus. They used to threaten us on several issues. Distribution of pamphlets during election campaign was one such issue.

One candidate was threatened and pushed down the staircase of the Arts College. I had to seek the support of our party comrades and was given the assistance by the RTC union which deputed 10 guys to stand guard against attacks at the bus stop where I distributed the pamphlets.” Campus then was the same as now with the hostels witnessing overstaying students and illegal boarders. “There were occasions when inspections were held by wardens and students being caught without even proper references,” he says.

“Jaipal was the main leader while Sridhar Reddy, Pullanna and others were there in the Congress then. Narayandas was RSS representative in the campus along with other ABVP leaders like K Keshava Rao, who is now with the TRS as its secretary general. Varavara Rao was not yet a leftist but known as a budding poet and was in ‘A’ hostel. We used to go to his room to hear him read his new works. Rayapati Sambasiva Rao was the president of the New Science College and we supported him to contest the elections.” Sudhakar Reddy says he was much impressed with the imposing structure of the library building on the hillock which had rows and rows of books, magazines and other study material in all languages. He adds that student life was quite busy what with seminars and meetings of student organisations on various subjects.

“I remember Ram Manohar Lohia addressing a big rally in Arts College. Those were the days when the Communist movement was getting split and the Naxalite movement was just beginning. Kishore of the latter became the president of Gandhi Medical College. We used to have serious debates with them,” recalls the veteran communist. There was much that he learnt from the campus, he says. “Being an Osmanian, I learnt 10 times more than what I learnt in the classroom. My outlook had become much wider, broader and I certainly gained from my stay on the campus. Com Aziz Pasha and Sadanand were student leaders of other colleges then but later joined the OU campus.

We used to organise study circles etc at YMCA Hall at Narayanguda and Young Men’s Club at Sultan Bazaar. Com Rohit Sen was a popular speaker in our meetings.” Recalling the Telangana agitation period, he says, “We faced threats and goondagardi. A gang even prepared a noose in the campus to hang Sadanand, our AISF city president if he dared to step into the campus. Of course, he did, but could not address any meeting.”Suravaram, who is now the general secretary of the Communist Party of India wishes OU gets back to its liberal debates and intellectualism to prepare the students for the challenges of the troubled times.

By W Chandrakanth