Kakani Venkata Ratnam was a former cabinet minister in

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Life

He was born in Akunuru,

Krishna district Krishna district is district in the coastal Andhra Region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is the coastal district of Andhra Pradesh. Machilipatnam is the most populated city in the di ...

of Andhra Pradesh,, where he was educated up to primary level. He learned Sanskrit and Hindi languages from a tutor at a neighbouring village, Kunderu. He was attracted to the then freedom struggle movement started by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

. As a student youth leader he mobilised youth to join the movement along with others including Pidikiti Madhava Rao, Rebala Buchi Ramaiah Shresty, Kalapala Surya Prakash Rao and Peta Brahmaiah. They organised a meeting at Vijayawada in 1923 which was addressed by Gandhi and later the place was named Gandhi Nagar municipal grounds. He worked in support of the Khadi movement too. Gandhi also visited Akunuru and spent the night he spent at Vuyyuru. Ratnam accompanied Gandhi in his tour programme which stretched up to Mudunuru. Gradually, he became a popular Congress leader and chairman of the Krishna district Congress committee for a long duration. He was elected for legislative assembly and won three times as Member of legislative assembly in 1962, 1967 and 1972. He died of a heart attack on 25 December 1972 at the height of the

Jai Andhra Jai Andhra movement is a 1972 political movement in support for the creation of Andhra state in the light of injustices felt by the people of the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema Regions. This was after the HC and SC upheld the Mulki rules in exist ...

movement. His sudden death subsided the Jai Andhra movement.Lucien D. Benichou, ''From Autocracy to Integration: Political Developments in Hyderabad State, 1938-1948'' (Orient Longman, 2000), p. 282. There is a statue commemorating Ratnam in the Benz circle of

Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...

. There is also a library in his name in Vijayawada on Bandar Road and a marriage function hall in Hanuman Junction. His also has statues in

Vizag , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museum, ...

and the

Tanuku Tanuku is a town in West Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Tanuku mandal in Narasapuram revenue division. Tanuku is the fourth largest city in the West Godavari district after Bhimavaram, ...

Andhra Sugar factory. His death was on the same day as India's ex-president C. Rajagaoplachary's. His death ceremony was performed with state rituals attended by the then prime minister and other national leaders.

References

Telugu politicians 1972 deaths Year of birth missing People from Krishna district Indian National Congress politicians from Andhra Pradesh {{AndhraPradesh-INC-politician-stub