Konda Laxman Bapuji (27 September 1915 – 21 September 2012) was an Indian freedom fighter who participated in the

Telangana Rebellion The Telangana Rebellion popularly known as Telangana Sayuda Poratam (Telugu : తెలంగాణ సాయుధ పోరాటం) of 1946–51 was a communist-led insurrection of peasants against the princely state of Hyderabad in the r ...

and Telangana activist. He fought for the statehood of Telangana all his life.

Early life

Bapuji was born in Wankidi village,

Komaram Bheem district Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, officially known as Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district, is a district in the Indian state of Telangana. The town of Asifabad is its district headquarters. It is named after Gond tribal leader Komaram Bheem. It wa ...

(erstwhile

Adilabad district Adilabad district is a district located in the northern region of Telangana, India. It is known as the gateway district to South and Central India. The town of Adilabad is its headquarters. The district shares boundaries with Asifabad, Nirm ...

Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state located in the south-central Deccan region of India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and t ...

(now in Telangana) in a

Padmashali Padmasali (also spelt as Padmashali, Padmasale) is a Hindu caste residing in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Their traditional occupation is weaving. Etymology The term ''Padm ...

community.

Career

Bapuji met

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- ...

in 1941 and inspired by him, he participated in the

Quit India movement The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in ...

in 1942. He also waged battle against the Nizam and the Razaakars during the Telangana armed struggle in 1947-48.

Telangana Movement (1952 - 1969)

He participated in the 1952 Non-mulki agitation. He was the first minister in Congress government to resign from his post for Telangana cause on 29 March 1969, and then participated to give impetus to the

1969 Telangana Agitation 1969 Telangana Agitation was a political movement for the statehood for Telangana region. The first person to raise the issue of Telangana happened in 1968 during October or November timeframe. A hunger strike was being carried on by a person nam ...

Political life

He was first elected as MLA from Asifabad constituency in Adilabad district in 1952. In 1957, Asifabad became a reserved constituency, so he shifted to Nalgonda district which had large number of Padmashali population. He won from Chinna Kondur (later renamed as Bhongir) constituency in 1957 and served as deputy speaker from 1957 to 1960 and as minister from 1960 to 1962. He unsuccessfully contested as MLA from Munugodu constituency in 1962 but later on served as MLA and minister (1967–69) for two terms from Bhongir assembly constituency (1967–72, 1972–78). Because of his capabilities, straightforward nature and the clean image he was frontrunner for the CM post on two occasions. It was a well-known fact that due to caste equation and internal politics within the Congress he missed the bus. Unhappy with the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s opposition to the Mandal commission recommendations, he resigned from the primary membership of the Congress in 1987.

Telangana Movement (2008 - 2012)

He was a member of

Telangana Sadhana Samithi Telangana Sadhana Samithi, a political party in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, working for statehood for the Telangana region. History TSS was formed in 2001 when A. Narendra, an MP from the Medak constituency, broke away from Bharatiya Jana ...

. He announced, "We solemnly declare statehood for Telangana on November 2, 2008." Unlike most leaders from Telangana region, Konda Lakshman Bapuji had the courage to sacrifice and remained out of power for four decades to achieve Telangana statehood. He was instrumental in forming Akhila Bharat padmashali sangam at Hyderabad.

Honour

In 2014, the horticulture university in Hyderabad was named,

Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University (SKLTSHU) is a state agricultural university located at Budwel, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, focusing on horticulture research and education. It was established in 2014 by the Government ...

, by the

Government of Telangana The Government of Telangana also known as Telangana Government, is the governing authority of the state of Telangana in India. It consists of an executive, a judiciary and a legislative. The state government is headed by the Governor of Telan ...

in his honour. His birthday is celebrated officially by the Government of Telangana.

Death

He died on 21 September 2012 at his residence, Jala Dhrushyam, in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

Personal life

He was married to Shankuntala Devi and has two sons and a daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bapuji, Konda Lakshman Telangana Rebellion 1915 births 2012 deaths Telangana politicians Deputy Speakers of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly People from Komaram Bheem district