Chakali Ailamma

The Telangana revolt against the Nizam, was sparked off by a very frail looking, poor lady belonging to a lower community. Chityala Ailamma or Chakali Ailamma as she is better known took on the might of the Nizam, the Doras, armed with just a rokali(pestle) and courage. She was born in 1919 in Krishnapuram, a small village in Warangal dt, belonging to the Rajaka community, which accounts for her name too, Chakali is Telugu for washerman.

For a long time, the rural parts of Hyderabad State, were divided into what was called as Samsthanams, essentially pieces of feudal territories, under the oppresive rule of the Reddy, Velama doras in Telangana, the Deshmukhs in other regions, who ran a brutal and often oppressive rule. They owned most of the land, and collected the taxes from the poor peasantry, and keeping them in perpetual bonded labor( called as Vetti Chakiri).  These landlords were the masters of their own land, and had a good bonding with the Nizam and his nobles. The Nizam on the other hand, hardly had any control over these lands, and let the Doras run it as per their own free whims, it was pretty much a quid pro quo arrangement.

Ailamma was initially a member of the Andhra Mahasabha, before she joined the Communists later. It was the time the Razakars in tandem with the Doras, were unleashing a wave of terror in the countryside. Burning villages, massacring Hindus en masse, molesting Hindu women, forbidding them to read or write in Telugu. It was apparent that only an armed revolt could resist the Razakar atrocities, and the peasants aided by Communists, Andhra Mahasabha began a guerilla warfare against the Nizam and his Patel-Patwari stooges. Ailamma’s house itself was a meeting point for many revolutionaries.

“This land is mine, I have raised the crops, who is the Dora to grab”

In order to make ends meet, Ailamma, had taken 4 acres of land on Koulu( lease) from the Maktedar of Mallampalli, Uttamaraju Kondalrao, for farming. The Palakurthi Patel Seshagiri Rao tried forcing Ailamma to work on his lands, she however put her foot down. He complained to Visnoor Deshmukh Rapaka Ramachandra Reddy, that she was involved with communist activities, and got her arrested. However the court ruled against the Deshmukh.

The Deshmukh in collaboration with the Patel, made a document claiming Ailamma’s four acres of land in his name, and sent his goons to take the harvested crop from her land. However the Andhra Mahasabha activists like Bheemreddy Narsimha Reddy, Arutla Ramchandra Reddy, Chakilam Yadagiri harvested the crop, and carried it to Ailamma’s home themselves.

The Deshmukh along with the Razakars, burnt down Ailamma’s home, grabbed all the food grains, her modest belongings. Her daughter Soma Narsamma, was brutally assaulted by the Razakars, while her sons were beaten up along with her husband Chityala Narasayya. The atrocities only hardened Ailamma’s resolve to take on the Razakars and the Dora.

“What more can the Dora and his stooges do to me” she said, and picking up a rokali( pestle) she thrashed the Razakars badly. Walking on foot to the Dora’s home, she openly dared him to grab her land. Soon the Communists attacked the Dora, and distributed the land to the peasants. Her fight against the Nizam and his stooges, inspired many such lower caste peasants to rise in revolt.

Sadly after independence, Ailamma did not receive any benefits, she was not recognized as a freedom fighter, nor did she receive the pension meant for activists like her. She had to suffer poverty in her final years, and passed away on September 10, 1985 in Palakurthy.