Arutla Kamala Devi

Arutla Kamala Devi was born in 1921 at Manthapuri, in Bhongir taluk of Nalgonda district.¹ She worked in the Telangana struggle of 1946–48 and later sat in the state assembly for fifteen years.¹ The only source used here is a short entry in the Who’s Who of Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh, published by the state government in 1980.¹

Early life and work, to 1944

The Who’s Who names her husband as Ramachandra Reddy.¹ Its entry on Arutla Ramachandra Reddy gives the same family name and the same taluk.² She passed the matriculation examination.¹ While still a student she took part in the work of the Arya Samaj.¹

From 1942 to 1944 she was general secretary of the Hyderabad Women’s Association.¹ She was also a member of the Andhra Mahasabha in Nalgonda district.¹

The Telangana struggle, 1946–1948

The Who’s Who calls her a communist.¹ It says she worked underground during what it calls the communists’ “anti-feudal struggle” in Telangana, from 1946 to 1948.¹ She organised women for armed guerrilla fighting against the Razakars (the armed volunteers of the Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen).¹ In these years the Razakars looted her house.¹

In the assemblies, 1952–1967

She was a member of the Hyderabad Legislative Assembly from 1952 until 31 October 1956.¹ She was a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1957 to 1967.¹

Footnotes

1. Sarojini Regani (ed.), Who’s Who of Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh, Vol. II (1980), p. 484 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴

2. Regani (ed.), Who’s Who, Vol. II (1980), p. 551, the entry on Arutla Ramachandra Reddy (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩