Com. Malla Reddy, a senior party leader from A.P. and a legend of Telangana Armed Struggle, died on 4th August, 2002. He was bedridden with paralysis for the last two decades. His death has left a void in the revolutionary movement.

Com. Reddy, who hailed from a middle class peasant family, was born in 1926 in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh. He dedicated his life to the revolutionary cause.

In 1947 he joined the Telangana Armed Struggle. In Nalgonda district, he formed a peasants’ organization and organized many struggles. When there was a split in the party in 1964, he inspired activists towards the revolutionary party. When the entire party leadership got arrested in Madras, he put tremendous efforts to consolidate the cadres to organize and continue the movement. ’Rytu Coolie Sangham’ was started by Com. Malla Reddy in 1977.

He was affected by paralytic stroke in 1982 and it led to physical handicap. Even then he did not stop attending meetings and conferences to give his message to the people. He also attended the Founding Conference of the AIKMS and addressed the gathering in December 2000 at Rajamundry.

Com. Malla Reddy got elected as village sarpanch for Vulnoor village of Nalgonda district in 1954. In 1964, he was elected as a district committee member of CPI(M) and the leader of Rytu Coolie Sangam. In 1973, he was elected to the State Committee of APRCP in its conference. In 1980, once again, he got elected as a state committee member of the party.

When there was a split in the Communist Party in 1964 he was in CPI(M). in 1968, he joined the communist revolutionaries. When there was a split in CPI(ML) in 1984, he was with ‘Vimochana’ (ML) party. In 1999, the majority of the Nalgonda district committee of CPI(ML) Janashakti joined CPI(ML) New Democracy, among whom Com. Malla Reddy was one. His contributions to the revolutionary movement, that had started with the Telangana armed struggle continued till the end of his life. Fighting against revisionism, upholding the revolutionary line along with the struggle, the mass leader Com. Malla Reddy was a committed revolutionary.

Com. Reddy faced govt. repression all along in his revolutionary struggles. After the Telangana armed struggle, the then Congress Govt. jailed him for one year booking two murder cases against him. Again, in 1964, the Govt. arrested him under P.D. Act and put him in jail for 16 months. Com. Malla Reddy led his underground life during the time of 1969-73, when the state govt. declared Rs. 5 thousand reward for information on his hideouts. In 1973, he got arrested with the renegades’ information, under illegal hiding of arms case. When he was on bail, in 1975, the police arrested him without booking any case, tortured him and shifted him to various police camps, without presenting before the court. The police kept his arrest a secret by confining him illegally in the police camps. He was keptin jail for 22 months during the time of Emergency. All these cases and punishments could not stop Com. Malla Reddy from revolutionary activism. Com. Reddy’s revolutionary life is an inspiration to all comrades and people who are for revolution.