Manthena Venkata Raju

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Manthena Venkata Raju (1904-1968) was an Indian politician and social worker from Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh. He participated in the non-violent resistance against the British rule in India.

[edit] Freedom fighter

At the age of 17, he walked out of the National College and gave up education to participate in the Indian independence movement. This was the year 1921. Since that year, he participated in several campaigns and Satyagraha movements till the year India achieved its independence. He was jailed on several occasions during his participation in the struggle. He occupied several important positions in the Andhra Congress party during this period. He served as Sceretary and President of the [Guntur] District Congress and was the General Secretary of the Andhra Congress Party.

Among the notable leaders of Andhra Pradesh, Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, Alapati Venkataramayya and Venigalla Satyanarayana were all introduced to politics by Manthena Venkata Raju.

In 1938, Sri Manthena Venkata Raju conducted the All India Workshop for Politics in the village of Manthenavaripalem and helped educate several leaders in the importance of politics and governance. Several leaders with Socialist-Communist lenience, within the Congress, also participated in the Workshop.

[edit] Social worker

Sri Manthena Venkata Raju participated in several Social causes. In 1934, he participated in a campaign to allow Harijans into temples. He helped dig many wells to provide drinking water to several villages and also encouraged people from all castes to inter mix socially.

He conducted widow marriages in the village of Karlapalem and also conducted several inter-caste marriages during his lifetime.

[edit] Political leader

He entered the State Assembly, from Bapatla constituency, Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, in the year 1946, and was a member till the year 1962, barring a gap of two years. During his tenure in the State Assembly, he assumed a very important role in the State Politics. During those times, Chief Ministers like, Sri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, Sri Gopal Reddy and Sri Sanjeevayya, were among those who sought the blessings of Sri Manthena Venkata Raju.

He always professed the principal of retirement from active politics after a certain age, like in any other salaried job; in accordance with this principle, he retired from Politics at the age of 58 years, in the year 1962. He believed in strong principles and was among those who lived by example.

Even without having the strength of riches or the caste equation working to his advantage, Sri Manthena Venkata Raju, established his presence in the political arena of the State of Andhra Pradesh through his disinterest in positions and his commitment to social work.