Veteran Communist leader Mallu Swarajyam dies at 91

HYDERABAD: Veteran Communist leader Mallu Swarajyam, a key leader of the armed struggle against the Razakars during the Nizam’s rule, died of respiratory problems at a private hospital on Saturday. She was 91.

She is survived by two sons and a daughter.

Her body will be placed at MB Bhavan, the state CPM office, at RTC Crossroads here for her admirers to pay tribute. The body will be taken to Nalgonda where her family and party leaders would hand over the mortal remains to the government hospital for research.

Mallu Lakshmi, daughter-in-law of Swarajyam, said the senior communist party leader was admitted in a hospital on March 12 due to a lung infection.

Swarajyam was born in a semi-feudal family at Karvirala Kothagudem of Thungathurthy mandal of Suryapet district in 1931. She was named Swarajyam by her parents who participated in satyagrahas during the freedom struggle.  She was inspired by her brother Bheemreddy Narasimha Reddy.

Swarajyam was attracted to Communism at the age of 10 after reading the book ‘Mother’ authored by Maxim Gorky. She motivated people by singing revolutionary songs during the armed struggle against the zamindars and Razakars during the Nizam’s rule between 1945 and 1948. The Nizam government announced a reward of Rs 10,000 on Swarajyam's head.

The veteran leader also led an armed dalam of the Communist party. Her husband Mallu Venkata Narsimha Reddy was a CPM politburo member and Nalgonda district secretary.

Swarajyam had organised the Andhra Maha Sabha in mobilising thousands of people to protest against the bonded labour system in the Nizam's rule. She distributed paddy and other crops cultivated from her hundreds of acres of land to poor people.

Swarajyam played street dramas and folk songs to create awareness among people and women in protest against anti-people policies strictly implemented during the Nizam’s rule.

She was elected MLA from Thungathurthy in 1978 and 1983 on behalf of the CPM, the party said.