Pattabhiseetaramayya Bhogaraju

Pattabhiseetaramayya Bhogaraju was born on November 24th, 1880 in Gundugolusu village of Godavari district of Andhra in a poor Brahmin family. His father was Subrahmanyam and mother was Gangamma. He had a difficult and impoverished childhood due to his father’s premature death. However, with determination and hard work, he finished his Intermediate (12th standard) with A grade (first class) and graduated from Madras Christian College and Madras Medical School. He got married when he was in school to Rajeswari, daughter of Venkataratnam Ganjam, a well known lawyer.

In 1906, he started his medical practice in Bandaru and became very popular and rich within a short time. He established Jatiya kalasala (National College) in Bandaru in collaboration with Hanumantarao Kopalle and Krishnarao Mutnuri.

In 1913, first Andhra Mahasabha (Andhra great meeting) was held and a resolution was passed to carve out an Andhra state from the Madras province of British India as part of creation of states on the linguistic nationalities. That year, Dr. Bhogaraju published a book entitled, "For and Against Andhra Province." In 1916, he plunged into "home rule" movement by retiring from his lucrative medical practice. In 1917, during the All Indian National Congress meeting, he convinced the Congress party members to establish a special Andhra State Congress Committee, which was formed in 1918. He spoke in support of Mahatma Gandhi's Non-cooperation resolution in Nagpur. He also participated and motivated many to participate in Bordoli satyagraha (civil disobedience) and salt satyagraha movements. In 1929, he became Congress working committee member. He went to jail in 1930 for participating in Salt satyagraha movement. In Jail, he wrote "khaddaru utpatti - daani avakaasalu." He studied the constitutions of twenty countries and wrote "Consttitutions of the World." He wrote "History of Congress" part 1 in 1936 and part 2 in 1947. This book was translated into Telugu by Anjaneyulu Kodali.

He founded Krishna Cooperative Central Bank and started a journal "Cooperation" in 1915 and Andhra Bank in 1923 as its director. He also founded Bharat Lakshmi Bank in 1929, and Hindustan Ideal Insurance Company and Andhra Insurance Comapny in 1925.

He presided over the 5th meeting of Indian kingdoms and principalities in Karachi in 1936. He also presided over the meeting of Indian kingdoms and principalities again in 1938 in Navpari. A new monthly journal, States People, was started under his editorship in 1938. He was elected as president of the Congress Party in 1948. He served as a member of the Indian Parliament from 1946 through 1952 and as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh from 1952 through 1957. He started an English weekly, Janma Bhoomi, in 1919 and it was shut down when he was jailed in 1930.

His writings include jaatiya vidya, gaandhi siddhaantam, saamyavaadam, bhaashaprayukta raashtra vibhajana, khaddaru, hindu samishti kutmbasamskriti, congresuku enduku votucheyaali, feathers and stones, aravai samvatsaraala congresu, and Hindu Home Rediscovered. He retired to settle in Hyderabad in 1957 from his active social life and died in 1959. He was one of the greatest Indian leaders, who worked hard for the all-round development of Andhra Nation.