Anti-arrack fighter Dubagunta Rosamma dies of organ failure

Nellore: The crusader of anti-arrack movement in Andhra Pradesh, Dubagunta Rosamma, 93, of Dubagunta village in Kaligiri mandal of SPSR Nellore district passed away on Sunday. She has been suffering from kidney related problems and undergoing dialysis for the last three years.

Rosamma was born as the third child to Jakkampudi Pichhaiah and Subbamma in 1923. After the demise of Picchaiah, Subbbamma began living with her two sons and Rosamma in Dubagunta, about three decades ago.

Rosamma spearheaded the movement for a complete prohibition in 1992-1993. The outcry of hapless women against sale of arrack which was ruining their families turned into a statewide stir after Rosamma led the campaign in her village in 1991.

Inspired by an inspirational story ‘Seethamma kadha" (the story of Seethamma) taught as part of adult literacy programme in the night school in her village, the women of Dubagunta, led by Rosamma, destroyed the pots having toddy, after giving assurance to the families depending on the trade, in July, 1991.

Unmindful of the police action, the women also ransacked the arrack shop in the village the same day. Motivated by the incident, women in several parts of Nellore district followed suit and attacked the arrack shops.

The spirt of the stir spread like wildfire to the entire state after noted freedom fighter late Vavilala Gopalakrishnaiah and activists of Jana Vignana Vedika under the leadership of Dr Vijayakumar, who passed away recently, extended their support to Rosamma. TD leaders, including late N.T. Rama Rao, took part in the campaign then.

Rosamma shot to fame in the country so much that the name of her village Dubagunta has become her surname. After coming to power in 1995, Mr Rama Rao introduced prohibition as promised to Rosamma during the agitation.

Cutting across party lines, leaders of various political parties paid rich tributes to her. Former legislators Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy and Vonteru Venugopal Reddy, MLC