W. V. V. B. Ramalingam
| Wunnava Venkata Varaha Buchi Ramalingam | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
1 November 1884 Berhampur, Orissa, India |
| Died | 7 April 1962 (aged 78) |
| Occupation | Mathematics Professor/Freedom Fighter |
| Spouse(s) | W Mahalakshmi(Pillamma) |
| Children |
Late Komalam wife of Late Pothapragada Lakshmi Narasimha Rao Late Dr W.G. Rama Rao wife Late Dr. Tara Ramarao Late Subhadra(Sobha)wife of Late Dr.Bommireddipalli Venkata Rao
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Wunnava Venkata Varaha Buchi Ramalingam Thousands of people in India had sacrificed their lives for the country and went into oblivion without seeking power or perks. One such person was Pandit Ramalingam of Berhampur in the Ganjam district of the erstwhile Madras Presidency. The town and district are now part of the state of Orissa. He came from a Zamindar family.
Early life
He was born into a Telugu-speaking family, devout Brahmin residing in Berhampur. After his education at the prestigious Presidency College of Madras, Ramalingam joined Khallikote College as Mathematics Lecturer and rose up to Vice-Principal of the College. During his teaching career, he established a new style of student counselling and used to give feedback to their guardians or parents at their homes. This has endeared him as one of the best teachers of the town. Many of his students remembered him fondly and gratefully for moulding their characters in their early lives. His student such as VV Giri (Former President of India), B. Jaganath Das (Supreme Court Judge & Chairman II pay commission), and Chief Justice Lingaraj Panigrahi (Chief Justice of Orissa High Court) had great reverence for their guru Pandit Ramalingam. (VV Giri has dedicated a couple of pages to Pandit Ramalingam in his autobiography)
Struggle for Indian Independence
In 1920, Wunnava Ramalingam resigned from his teaching career and plunged into the National Movement initiated by Gandhiji. His luxurious life over-night turned into Khadi Dhoti and Chappals to wear. His son-in-law, Pothapragada Narasimha Rao, who was then a young student left his studies and followed his mentor dutifully throughout the independence movement. Those were the days when the community was very conservative. Hence when Ramalingam dined with some Englishmen (members of Simon Commission) who were Christians, along with his friends (Muslims and Harijans), he was excommunicated from the community. He then took an oath not to dine in anybody’s house except his own, which he practiced until his death. Besides participating actively in the National Movement, Ramalingam also had an active role in The Trade Union Movement. He was elected President of the Bengal Nagpur Railway Labour Union. Ramalingam was elected Chairman of the Berhampur Municipality in 1927 and during his tenure he had personally supervised the health, sanitation, roads & education. Berhampur was adjudged as the best Municipality in the erstwhile Madras Presidency, to which Ganjam District was attached then.
In 1930, Ramalingam mustered a large complement of volunteers and led them to Naupada (now in Srikakulam District) to launch Salt Satyagraha. One of the young volunteers was none other than the veteran Gautu Lachanna. Consequently Pandit Ramalingam was arrested by Austin, Sub-collector of Srikakulam Division on the night of April 19, 1930 and was imprisoned at the Vellore Jail for two years. His jail-mates included Rajagopalachari (Former Governor General of India), Pattabhi Seetharamayya (former President of Indian National Congress). While in jail Ramalingam learnt to read, write & speak Tamil and Urdu from his mates and taught them Telugu.
On his return to Berhampur he had organised the Civil Disobedience Movement for which he was jailed on February 5, 1932. He participated in the Quit India movement. He was arrested on August 9, 1942 when he was addressing a public meeting at the Congress Bhawan near Barracks Ground in Berhampur. Pandit Ramalingam was imprisoned for three months at Berhampur Central
After Independence, Wunnava Ramalingam was offered a seat by the Congress Party in 1952 and again in 1957 to contest the Lok Sabha elections but he withdrew his candidature in 1952 in favour of Ayyagari Subba Rao, advocate and in 1957 in favour of VV Giri, both of whom made fervent appeal to Ramalingam to give a chance to them.
Pandit Ramalingam had resigned from the Railway Trade Union movement in 1961. He spent his last days in Cuttack with his family. A few months before he died in 1962 at the age of 78, Ramalingam had personally donated his vast Library to the Utkal University when Pranakrushna Parija was the Vice Chancellor of the University. His wife Smt. Pillamma, who also participated in the national struggle by organising Mahila Prat Samities, raised his family by high moral values preached and practiced by Pandit Ramalingam. On this Jubilee year his family pays homage to Pandit Ramalingam and Smt. Pillamma.
Education
- B.A. at Presidency College, Madras &
- B. Ed at Rajamundry
Personal life
- 1904 Joined Khallicote College, Berhampur.
- 1918 Joined National Movement.
- 1924 Organising Secretary of Congress at Kakinada Swadeshi Movement. Hence was sent to Jail.
- Elected Chairman of Municipality (1924–1940).
- 1926 Vice president of Nagpur Railway Union.
- 1927 Dined with the members of the Simon Commission and thus excommunicated.
- 1927 Started a mobile bank. After two years opened Co-Operative Bank.
- 1928 Led the famous B.N. Railway Strike.
- 1930 Led the volunteers to Naupada to launch the Salt Satyagraha. Jailed for two years at Vellore Jail.
- 1931 R.I. (Rigorous Imprisonment) for one year.
- 1930 Formation of Provinces. Advisor to Government of Orissa on co-operation & Local self-government.
- 1942 Quit India Movement. Jailed for three months.
- 1944 Shastipurti celebration. The City presented him with 60,000 Silver rupees. He donated Rs 30,000 to Khallicote College to set Scholarships for a student’s excellence in mathematics & and one for students of Telugu & Oriya in alternated years.
- Rs 30,000 to Bhasabhi Vardini Samajam. He was the founder member of the Smajam, a rallying point for social, cultural and political activities.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to W V V B Ramalingam. |
- 1930 June, Bullet talks about Ramlingam Contribution
- History of Ganjam,
- Ganjam district Home page
- Salt Satyagraha in the Coastal Andhra, The Books can be read online by Scrolling down
- Giri Recall's his former teacher, in a book V. V. Giri By G. S. Bhargava
Biography titled "He let Gandhi into his Life" by Janaki Sastry, UK, recently released