Vavilala Gopalakrishnaya
Encyclopedia
Vavilala Gopala Krishna (Telugu
: వావిలాల గోపాలక్రిష్ణ) (1908 – April 29, 2003) was a legislator in the 1950s and 1960s and religiously followed the Gandhian philosophy. A contemporary of Tanguturi Prakasam
, first chief minister of Andhra state
, and opposition stalwart Tenneti Vishwanatham, Vavilala was compared to prime ministers Gulzarilal Nanda
and Lal Bahadur Shastri
for his simplicity, clean character, and selfless service. He was a bachelor.
family, he started his career as a journalist, but soon got actively involved in the freedom struggle. After Independence, he was elected to the assembly of the Madras Presidency
in 1952, the Andhra State
assembly in 1955, and the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
in 1962 and 1967 from Sattenapalli. On all four occasions, he was elected as an independent with the support of the undivided Communist Party of India. He was also associated with the cooperative movement and the library movement in Andhra Pradesh.
In his long political life, Vavilala participated in almost all major agitations in the state, including the Vishalandhra movement for the formation of Andhra Pradesh in the mid-1950s, the Nandigonda project agitation in Guntur, and farmers' agitations. He also participated in the anti-arrack agitation and the movement for total prohibition in the state in the 1990s. Vavilala was chairman of a state-level implementation committee for total prohibition before the ban on Indian-made foreign liquor was relaxed in 1997. He was also chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Official Language Commission
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
: వావిలాల గోపాలక్రిష్ణ) (1908 – April 29, 2003) was a legislator in the 1950s and 1960s and religiously followed the Gandhian philosophy. A contemporary of Tanguturi Prakasam
Tanguturi Prakasam
Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu was an Indian politician and Freedom Fighter and the first Chief Minister of the Indian province Andhra state...
, first chief minister of Andhra state
Andhra State
Andhra State was a state in India created on October 1, 1953 from the Telugu-speaking northern districts of Madras Presidency. On November 1, 1956 it was merged with the Telangana region of Hyderabad State to form the united Telugu-speaking state of Andhra Pradesh.- Madras Manade movement :In 1953,...
, and opposition stalwart Tenneti Vishwanatham, Vavilala was compared to prime ministers Gulzarilal Nanda
Gulzarilal Nanda
Gulzarilal Nanda was an Indian politician and an economist with specialization in labour problems. He was the interim Prime Minister of India twice for thirteen days each: the first time after the death of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, and the second time after the death of Prime...
and Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Srivastava Shastri was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.-Early life:...
for his simplicity, clean character, and selfless service. He was a bachelor.
Biography
Born in 1908 in an orthodox brahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
family, he started his career as a journalist, but soon got actively involved in the freedom struggle. After Independence, he was elected to the assembly of the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
in 1952, the Andhra State
Andhra State
Andhra State was a state in India created on October 1, 1953 from the Telugu-speaking northern districts of Madras Presidency. On November 1, 1956 it was merged with the Telangana region of Hyderabad State to form the united Telugu-speaking state of Andhra Pradesh.- Madras Manade movement :In 1953,...
assembly in 1955, and the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
Vidhan Sabha
The Vidhan Sabha or the Legislative Assembly is the lower house or the sole house of the provincial legislature in the different states of India. The same name is also used for the lower house of the legislatures for two of the union territories, Delhi and Pondicherry...
in 1962 and 1967 from Sattenapalli. On all four occasions, he was elected as an independent with the support of the undivided Communist Party of India. He was also associated with the cooperative movement and the library movement in Andhra Pradesh.
In his long political life, Vavilala participated in almost all major agitations in the state, including the Vishalandhra movement for the formation of Andhra Pradesh in the mid-1950s, the Nandigonda project agitation in Guntur, and farmers' agitations. He also participated in the anti-arrack agitation and the movement for total prohibition in the state in the 1990s. Vavilala was chairman of a state-level implementation committee for total prohibition before the ban on Indian-made foreign liquor was relaxed in 1997. He was also chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Official Language Commission