Always committed to people’s welfare

Kunja Bojji

Bhadrachalam: He is a true Communist who is fully committed to the party ideology and people's welfare. Kunja Bojji is an epitome of simplicity. He was born at Adavi Venkannagudem village in Ramavaram panchayat of Vararamachandrapuram mandal nine decades ago. His parents Jogaiah and Lakshmi had eight children and he is the youngest of them. His father used to run the family by cultivating podu. He did not go to school as he hails from a poor family. He married Lalamma in 1948. The couple have six sons and three daughters.

Speaking to The Hans India about his entry into politics and his involvement in people's movements, the nonagenarian said ``Legendary Communist leader Puchallapalli Sundarayya is a source of inspiration to me.’’ He worked as a courier in Telangana People’s Armed Struggle. He awakened tribal people against bonded labour and exploitation by extensively touring Bhadrachalam agency area.

Bojji took the Communist Party membership in 1952. He actively took part in various struggles organised by the Communist Party for people’s cause. He worked with popular Communist leaders TVR Chandram, Bandaru Chandar Rao and BS Ramaiah who spearheaded agitations seeking hike in wages for bamboo workers and tendu leaf collectors.

He also actively participated in the people's movement seeking effective implementation of 1/70 Act and issue of land pattas for tribal farmers. His entry into politics is not on a winning note. In 1970, he contested for the Ramavaram panchayat sarpanch post and lost the election by a margin of one vote. He entered the election fray again in 1981. He unsuccessfully contested for Vararamachandrapuram Panchayat Samithi president post as a CPM candidate in 1981.

The party fielded Bojji as its candidate for Bhadrachalam Assembly constituency in 1985 though he does not have strong economic background. He was selected as a party candidate in place of Murla Yerraiah Reddy who was elected as Bhadrachalam MLA twice, in recognition of his commitment to people’s cause. Local CPM leaders introduced Bojji to Telugu Desam Party founder NT Rama Rao during his visit to Kothagudem at the instance of Puchallapalli Sundarayya. He was elected as Bhadrachalam MLA in 1985, 1989 and 1994 as a CPM candidate. The Communist Party contested the elections in alliance with the TDP.

Bojji who created a record by getting elected as an MLA of Bhadrachalam thrice, said ``My first salary as an MLA was Rs 2,000 per month. Out of the total, I used to donate Rs 1,000 for the party fund and Rs 200 to the district unit. I maintained the family with the remaining Rs 800.’’ Despite being a three-time MLA, he earned a little. As a true people’s representative, he highlighted their problems in the Assembly of the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh. ``When the state government allotted house sites for the MLAs, I refused to take it honouring the party stand.

The CPM which is committed to the cause of the poor, is against accepting house sites by the party functionaries and people’s representatives,’’ he said. The former MLA accompanied former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi when he visited Rekhapalli village in Vararamachandrapuram mandal in April 1985. He explained the problems of Konda Reddys to him and sought implementation of schemes for their economic uplift.

Bojji escaped from the jaws of death when People’s War Group Naxalites ambushed him at Jeediguppa in Vararamachandrapuram mandal on November 5, 1985. He along with CPM leaders Battula Bhishma Rao and Bandaru Chandar Rao visited the village in a jeep to oversee implementation of development schemes. The PWG Naxalites who gunned down Bhishma Rao and Chandar Rao, left Bojji after assaulting him. The killing of the two top leaders of Bhadrachalam division in the PWG attack, pained him a lot.

Though former Telugu Desam leader Tummala Nageswara Rao brought pressure on Bojji to join the TDP, he did not yield as he was committed to the Communist ideology. The veteran Communist leader is now leading a peaceful life at Adavi Venkannagudem. Speaking on tribal welfare, he said ``The interests of tribals need to be better safeguarded as they are still subjected to exploitation. There is a need to promote socio-economic awareness among tribals to bring them into the mainstream.’’

By PV Satyanarayana