Sri Nanduri Bapiraju garu was born on 5-10-1908 in a 6000 Niyogi Brahmin family of Srivatsa Gothram at Pulletikurru village, Rajole Taluq then, now Ambajipet Mandal, East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh. It was Vijaya Dasami according to the Telugu calendar. His parents were Sri Nanduri Ramachandrudu garu and Smt. Venkata Ramanamma. He had an Elder brother N.V.Suryanarayana Murthy, who had practiced as an advocate at Peddapuram, East Godavari District. He had two younger sisters Bapayamma and Sundari. Bapayamma was married to Sri Chintaluri Krishnam Raju, a land lord residing at Rajahmundry. Sundari was married to Sri Peddada Venkata Rao who served as Amin in Kurupam Estate and after retirement settled down at Vijayawada. Sri Bapiraju married Rajeswari the eldest daughter of Sri Ayyagari Venkata Ratnam garu, land lord of Pulletikurru. Bapiraju’s father as well as mother were propertied and were reputed to be well-to-do, pious and orthodox .Though Bapiraju’s great grand father Ramachandrudu garu was a reputed pleader commanding lucrative practice at Rajahmundry and his grand father Kamaraju garu was a B.A., his father Ramachandrudu garu could not pursue his studies beyond matriculation for reasons of health and responsibilities of the family as his father passed away prematurely and his shifting to Pulletikurru from Rajahmundry to manage his lands and his wife’s in Pulletikurru and other villages in the central delta which is also called as Konaseema. Hence Ramachandrudu wanted that both his sons should pursue their studies as they like without in any way associating them with agriculture. Both his sons were accordingly pursuing their studies.
Those were the days when the struggle for India’s Freedom from British rule under the able and dynamic leadership of Mahatma Gandhi was spreading like wild fire to every nuke and corner of India. Sri Kala Venkata Rao, who later became a Revenue Minister and a resident of Mukkamala which is one mile from Pulletikurru lead the freedom struggle in Konaseema in particular and East Godavari District in general.
In 1930 Sri Bapiraju after writing the B.L. Examination of the Madras University on the first day learnt from wall posters that Sri Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao Pantulu garu of Amrutanjanam fame and who was conferred the title “Desoddharaka” by the people and Sri Tanguturi Prakasam garu who later became Chief Minister of Andhra and who was conferred the title “Andhra Kesari” by the people and who were Andhra Leaders of the freedom movement in Madras, were arrested. Then he decided to abstain from writing the B.L. examinations any further and plunged into the freedom movement forthwith. In the summer of 1930 itself he signed the Satyagraha pledge and participated in the Satyagraha movement of that year. He started a Khadi shop with the joint family funds in his village Pulletikurru in a room on the first floor of his ancestral house which is called as Kaddar Kottu ever since even though it ceased to be so subsequently. Sri Bapiraju used to go to Isakapudi village which is 6 or 7 miles from his village with a farm servant carrying a bag of cotton slivers on his head every week or ten days to distribute to women spinners there and collect the yarn spun by them on his next trip after paying the wages to them. His eldest brother Sri N.V.Suryanarayana Murthy used to get the yarn woven into cloth by the weavers of his village and run the shop. In this context it is pertinent to mention that Pulletikurru which was notorious for the murder of Prabhala Family of that village became famous instead for the sarees woven by the weavers of Pulletikurru known as “Pulletikurru Cheeralu”.
The civil disobedience movement was started in 1932 after the failure of the second Round Table Conference held in London. Sri Bapiraju was made the second dictator of the district congress at the instance of Sri Kala Venkata Rao, consequent upon the arrest of the first dictator Sri Bulusu Samba Murthy.
On 26.1.1932 Sri Bapiraju disobeyed in front of the court of the sub-ordinate judge, Amalapuram the prohibitory orders issued uuder section 144 of Cr.P.C. Then he was severely lathi charged. He laid flat on his back on the road so that the police would not be able to push him into the by-lanes which were not prohibited by the above order. He was surrounded by 8 or 10 policemen and was beaten with lathis on his fore-arms and legs down the knees. Only one policeman beat him severely on his right forearm almost fracturing it while others beat him mildly. A huge crowd witnessed the lathi Charge inflicted on Sri Bapiraju, cursing the Government, some of whom with tears in their eyes. A CID constable advised Sri Bapiraju whispering into his ears to tell the police loudly that he would leave the place so that they might stop the lathi charge and leave him. But Sri Bapiraju paid a deaf year to the said advice and decided to stayput as a true Satyagrahi unmindful of the severe lathi charge causing him great pain and suffering and the danger of his right forearm being broken any moment.
At this juncture it is pertinent to state that Sri Bapiraju was afraid of even a pin prick as was evident from the way he was not allowing any doctor to give him any injection in the course of his treatment for any disease or otherwise. That such a person allowed himself to be lathi charged mutely speaks volumes of Sri Bapiraju’s patriotism, his commitment and discipline in fighting for the freedom of his country under the charismatic leadership of Mahatma Gandhi who, it was said, wanted the Satyagrahi to suffer the lathi charge without any resistance or invoking outside help or fleeing or appealing to the police to stop.
By the grace of God, as it were, Sri R.V.Ramarao, who, knew Sri Bapiraju and who was practicing as an Advocate at Amalapuram and who subsequently shifted his practice to Hyderabad and became the Public Prosecutor for the State of A.P in the A.P. High Court, happened to witness the brutal lathi charge of Sri Bapiraju, and with tears in his eyes appealed vehemently to the police to stop the lathi charge. Since Sri Bapiraju was not resisting the lathi charge either by word or deed, the circle inspector of police, for short CI, was moved and felt that Sri Bapiraju was lathi charged enough justifying the stopping of the lathi charge. Hence, in deference to the appeal of Sri R.V. Ramarao, Advocate who happened to be also the son-in-law of Sri K.V.Reddynaidu, a prominent member of the Justice party which joined hands with the British Government in its fight against the Congress Party, the C.I. ordered the police constables to stop the lathi charge of Sri Bapiraju at once.
After the lathi charge was so stopped Sri R.V.Ramarao and Sri B.N.Sastry advocate lifted Sri Bapiraju bodily from the ground and carried him to a house near by from where Sri Bapiraju was taken to Dr. Basavaiah’s house for first aid. After first aid Sri Duvvuri Venkateswarlu garu who was the father-in-law of Sri Kala Venkatarao garu, took Sri Bapiraju in a horse cart to Pulletikurru. After a week or 10 days later Sri Bapiraju was arrested at his house in Pulletikurru by Sri Mustafa Ali Khan, Dy. S.P., Rajahmundry and taken to Amalapuram for prosecution before the Magistrate Sri Grubb, who convicted Sri Bapiraju and sentenced him to 18 months R.I. and a fine of Rs.700 giving him ‘B’ class in the jail as a prisoner. The fine was paid and Sri Bapiraju was kept in Rajahmundry Central Jail for a week and shifted to Cental Jail at Cuddalore, now in the State of Tamilnadu.
Sarvasri Kala Venakata Rao, Vadrevu Jagga Raju, Arumilli Venkata Ratnam and his brother Subba rao, Dr. B.Subrahamanyam all from East Godavari District, Adharapurapu Seshagiri Rao of Ponnur, Guntur District, Mattapara Iyer of Mattapara, near Dindigul, M R Subbaraman, Madurai now in Tamilnadu, Dr M Guru Raju , Gudivada , Krishna District were the jail mates of Sri Bapiraju at Cuddalore among others. Sri Mustafa Ali Khan, Dy.S.P., Rajahmundry was very cruel to the Satyagrahis. He used to get them beaten severely by the police. But when Bapiraju was an under trial prisoner in the sub jail of Amalapuram Dy. S.P. used to visit his cell and converse with him and treat him well giving all the facilities in the sub jail. When Sri Bapiraju asked him why he was so cruel and whether he had no love for India, he answered that unless Hindu Muslim unity was established he would not love India.
At this juncture it is pertinent to mention about what Sri Bapiraju narrated about the arrest of Dr. B. Subrahmanyam at Rajahmundry, a jail mate of Sri Bapiraju in Cuddalore as stated above, by Mustafa Ali Khan Dy. S.P. of Rajahmundry, on the false pretext of his holding an illegal meeting in his friend’s house while in fact he was resting there after his mid day meal and who did not spare the Dr. being beaten severely by the police on the public road while taking him to the police station. In spite of Mahatma Gandhiji’s general instructions to satyagrahis that they should not enter defence when prosecuted, Dr. B. Subrahmanyam pleaded not guilty to the offences charged against him when Sri Balakrishna Iyer, the Magistrate, who was elevated as Judge of Madras High Court after independence, asked him whether he was pleading guilty or not to the charges of the prosecution against him?. Consequently a trial was conducted against the Dr. and was acquitted by Sri Balakrishna Iyer writing a famous judgment passing strictures against the prosecution quoting Tennyson’s lines in a poem that “if the source of the river was poisoned, the entire river was poisoned”.
The active participation of Sri Bapiraju in the freedom movement resulting in brutal lathi charge, arrest, his prosecution, conviction and sentence to pay a fine of Rs. 700 and also undergo 18 months rigorous imprisonment upset the kith and kin of Sri Bapiraju in general and his parents in particular. In fact his mother who worshiped Lord Suryanarayana Murthy also vowed that if Sri Bapiraju returned safe after the release from jail he should listen to them not to actively resume his participation in the freedom movement risking lathi charge, arrest, prosecution etc and cause agony to his parents and that if her prayer was fulfilled she would name as Venkata Suryanarayana Murthy, if a son was born to Sri Bapiraju offering Paramannam prepared out of a Kuncham of Milk as prasadam.
Sri Bapiraju was given a month as remission out of 18 months RI for his good behaviour in the Cuddalore jail. Accordingly he was released after 17 months RI. In deference to the wishes and strong feelings of his parents in particular Sri Bapiraju has decided to withdraw from the active participation in the freedom struggle to ensure a life of peace and comfort which his parents lost due to his lathi charge, arrest and sentence.
On 9.3.1935 Sri Bapiraju was blessed with a son at Madras and was named as Venkata Suryanarayana Murthy at the naming ceremony held at Pulletikurru offering prasadam of Paramannam of one Kuncham of Milk to Lord Suryanarayana Murthy as vowed by his mother.
After obtaining the B.L. degree from Madras University, Sri Bapiraju did one year apprentice ship under Sri P. Satyanarayana Rao a leading advocate of Madras High Court. Since Sri Bapiraju was convicted and sentenced for his participation in the freedom movement it was incumbent upon him to tender an apology to the court for such participation before he was enrolled. But Sri Bapiraju was not willing to tender an apology when his enrollment was moved by Sri P Satyanarayana Rao before the first court. But Sri P Satyanarayana Rao, who later became a Judge of the Madras High Court, acting bona fide in the interest of Sri Bapiraju, and ignoring Sri Bapiraju, who did not want to get enrolled by tendering an apology mentioned to the court that Sri Bapiraju was tendering an apology resulting in his enrollment. But, Sri Bapi Raju took to heart the way he was enrolled and cried like a child creating a scene in the Madra High Court wailing that no apology was necessary stricto senso as his participation in the movement for the freedom of his country was no crime, particularly after he was prosecuted, convicted, sentenced, and released after paying the fine and undergoing the imprisonment.
Sri Bapiraju practised law upholding professional ethics in letter and spirit. He never canvassed and solicited work either by meeting the advocates practicing in the lower courts or entertained touts with a view to get cases. Nonetheless those who knew his principles, efficiency, and high integrity patronized him professionally by sending cases from their offices in the lower courts preferably to him. The names of a few intimate and leading gentlemen advocates among others who supported Sri Bapiraju professionally are: Sri Kuchimanchi Venkata Ratnam garu of Amalapuram, Sri V.N.Sarma garu, Sri Madduri Sivaramakrishnaiah garu and his son Sri Madduri Nagabhushana Rao garu of Rajahmundry; Sri Chitrapu Sitaramaiah garu of Eluru, and Sri Uppalapati Subrahmanyam garu of Ongole.
Sri Bapiraju had lucrative practice and was a leader of the Civil Bar in the A.P. High court. Sri Bapiraju studied the cases thoroughly both on fact and law and assisted the court ably with a view to convince the court about the justice of his clients’ cases, sparing no pains to persuade the court, if necessary for that purpose. He was also engaged as Senior Counsel by many an advocate in important civil cases raising complicated questions of fact as well as law like Sarvasri R.V.Subba Rao, M.Jagannatha Rao who later became a judge of the AP High Court, Chief Justice of Kerala and Delhi High Courts respectively, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and retired as the Chairman of the Law Commission of India, P.L.N.Sarma who later became a judge of the AP High court, and Late S.Hanumaiah who was also a junior of Sri Bapiraju before he started his practice independently.
Sri N.V.Suryanarayana Murthy, the eldest son of Sri Bapiraju, who is also an Advocate and was his junior till Sri Bapiraju’s retirement as herein after mentioned, heard with utmost joy and legitimate pride what Sri A.V. Krishna Rao Advocate, who later became a judge of the AP High Court, said in some context to Sri G. Chandrasekhara Sastry Advocate, who later became a judge of the AP High Court, that Sri Bapiraju was a gentleman to the tip of his fingers. Then Sri Chandrasekhara Sastry humorously retorted saying that he did not agree with Sri AV Krishna Rao that Sri Bapiraju was a gentleman because in his esteemed opinion Sri Bapiraju was more than a gentleman and not merely a gentleman.
Sri P. Basireddy J who practiced as a reputed Criminal Lawyer prior to his elevation as a judge, was posted with Second Appeals for hearing which were Civil Cases. Sri Bapiraju happened to appear for the appellant in the first case or so.Then Sri Basireddy J requested Sri Bapiraju to enlighten him about the law regarding the second appellate jurisdiction under Sec. 100 CPC of the High Court observing that having practiced on the criminal side he was unacquainted with the same and that he was confident that he would come to grips with that branch of the law with the adroit and objective assistance of Sri Bapiraju.
In one important case Sri N.V. Suryanarayana Murthy had to seek permission to move a lunch motion for stay in the vacation court presided over by Sri Chandrasekhara Sastry J. The permission should be asked only in open court but Sri Chandrasekhara Sastry J was presiding over a division bench which did not break before lunch. So it became absolutely necessary for Sri Murthy to seek permission from Sri Sastry J in his chamber during the lunch time. The case related to the shifting of the Primary Health Center of the Chintalapudi Panchayat Samithi, West Godavari District, from Dharmajigudem where it was located in the first instance to Lingapalem, pursuant to its resolution which was set aside by the Govt. initially and later approved by reviewing the earlier order of the Govt. The writ petition was filed for quashing the later order of the Govt. challenging its validity and pending the above writ petition stay of the impugned order was sought. The villagers of Lingapalem were trying to shift the Primary Health Center to their village before any order of stay was granted by the High Court and the villagers of Dharmajigudem were resisting the shifting urging that they approached the High Court for stay. Hence there was real urgency to obtain stay, in the absence of which the shifting was likely to lead to a riot between the two villages which the District Collector was doing his best to prevent.
Sri Sasry J was pleased to permit Sri Murthy to meet him in his chamber for permission to move a lunch motion on the ground of urgency. When Sri Murthy was about to explain to the learned judge about the urgency for the grant of permission to move a lunch motion, Sri Sastry J granted the permission forthwith observing that it was not necessary for him to hear about the existence of urgency as he was prepared to believe prima facie the statement of Sri Murthy that there was an urgency justifying the grant of permission by him by virtue of Sri Murthy being the son of Sri Bapiraju would not seek permission to move a lunch motion on the ground of urgency, if it did not exist as a fact. Sri Murthy was overwhelmed with joy with tears rolling down his eyes for the esteem in which his father Sri Bapiraju was held by Sri Sastry J by implicitly trusting not only the integrity of Sri Bapiraju but also his upbringing of Sri Murthy to be like him. That case finally went up to the Supreme Court and is reported in AIR 1966 SC 828 declining to exercise its discretion to interfere with the order of review of the Govt of AP approving the resolution of the Panchayat Samithi to shift the Primary Health Center from Dharmajigudem to Lingapalem.
Sri Murthy happened to make a courtesy call on Sri K. Jayachandra Reddy J of the Supreme Court in his chamber. Then Sri Reddy J said that when he was a judge of the AP High Court, Sri Bapiraju cited a rare decision arising under the TP Act and that when a similar question was being heard by him sitting with a senior judge of the Supreme Court he mentioned to the senior judge about the case cited by Sri Bapiraju before him in the AP High Court, specifically mentioning to his senior colleague the name of Sri Bapiraju as a very experienced senior lawyer practising on the civil side in the AP High Court, Hyderabad.
Sri Bapiraju was known for his religious and philosophical bent of mind. Sri Bapiraju in his search for a Guru to whet his appetite for spiritual awakening met several sages of repute and finally found Sri Sri Sri Punugupati China Subba Rao garu to be the ideal Guru for him and with unflinching faith in Him Sri Bapiraju practiced what He preached. Sri Bapiraju also insisted the members of his family to follow what He preached and benefit by it. Sri Bapiraju alone was visiting his Guru wherever He was staying with His permission. Between 1967 and 1970, for about two and half years his Guru stayed in the house of Sri Bapiraju at Hyderabad. Sri Bapiraju entrusted the sacred duty of rendering any service needed and required by his Guru to his eldest son Sri N.V. Suryanarayana Murthy, who also became His devotee and served Him to the best of his ability.
Sri Bapiraju wrote Srirama Koti on books printed for that purpose and deposited the 100 books each containing 1 Lac names of Srirama in the Temple of Srirama at Bhadrachalam. He named the house built by him as Srirama Bhavanam. As desired by Sri Bapiraju, his third son Sri Venkata Ratnam named his son as Srirama Bapiraju, but not as Bapiraju only. Sri Bapiraju decided to retire from 1-1-1982 when he was commanding a good volume of work and was in demand professionally as a seasoned and senior civil lawyer. In December 1981 Sri R.V. Subbarao advocate engaged Sri Bapiraju as Senior Advocate to argue an important civil appeal before the division bench of Messrs. Raghuvir and Jeevan Reddi JJ. After the conclusion of the arguments, Sri Bapiraju stated that it was the last case for him to argue since he decided to retire from the profession from 1-1-1982. The learned judges were taken by surprise as no advocate, much less of Bapiraju’s stature would think of retirement from the profession, as ordinarily lawyers practice as long as they are fit and get cases to argue. Both the judges, who knew Sri Bapiraju very well and respected him, bid him a farewell wishing him long life and best of health. Sri Raghuvir J retired as Chief Justice of Assam High Court. Sri Jeevan Reddi J became the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Judge of the Supreme Court and after retirement became the Chairman of the Law Commission of India.
After independence, the Sate and the Central Govts introduced respectively several schemes for the benefit of freedom fighters like assignment of Govt. land, Pension, free railway passes, so on and so forth. Some of Sri Bapiraju’s compatriots applied and availed those benefits partially or fully. They wanted Sri Bapiraju to do the same as he was as much eligible, if not more, as themselves to receive those benefits. Sri Bapiraju did not agree with them as he felt that those schemes were intended for the benefit of freedom fighters who suffered loss of property, money etc. as freedom fighters and unable to fend themselves to make their both ends meet. Sri Bapiraju felt that he did not suffer any loss of property, or money etc as a freedom fighter. He also felt that as he was well to do it would be an abuse of those schemes on his part to avail them. He also felt that if he applied and got those benefits he would be guilty of a conduct which militates against and undermines the glorious spirit, undaunted determination, and the courage of conviction that the British should quit India with which he plunged into the freedom movement and suffered lathi charge, fine, and imprisonment. Hence he did not apply to any Govt. and did not defraud the same by obtaining any benefit as a freedom fighter.
He also did not covet and try for any office or post in the Govt. exploiting his weight and influence as a freedom fighter though as an Advocate he could have made hay when the sun was shining and God Willing risen very high, professionally, politically, officially or otherwise in his life like others. He was eligible to apply for Tamra Patra which was conferred on freedom fighters in their honor. But he did not like to apply and receive Tamra Patra from the Govt. headed by a Congress Party which forsook and threw to the winds the values of the congress of which he was part when he fought for freedom of his country.
However, when Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh, who was a celebrity in her own right and who happened to know intimately Sri Bapiraju as a selfless freedom fighter and an honest, able and reputed lawyer, being herself a fellow freedom fighter and an advocate besides being a family friend by virtue of Dr Durgabai Deshmukh’s family and Sri Bapiraju’s family residing in the same colony in Madras as well as Hyderabad, requested Sri Bapiraju to be an honorary life trustee of Andhra Mahila Sabha which she founded at Madras and later opened a branch at Hyderabad and of which she was founder President for life and her husband Dr C.D. Deshmukh who was also a celebrity in his own right, was also a life trustee among others, Sri Bapiraju, having felt very much honoured readily agreed to the request and consequently he was appointed as a Life Trustee of the Andhra Mahila Sabha. After the demise of Dr Durgabai Deshmukh, Sr Bapiraju resigned as life Trustee for reasons of his age and health.
Sri Bapiraju was very generous, helping, and hospitable by nature and habit. He shifted in 1954 from Madras to Guntur consequent upon the formation of the High Court of the State of Andhra and in 1956 from Guntur to Hyderabad consequent upon the formation of the High Court of the State of Andhra Pradesh. His close relations wanted their children to study in Madras, Guntur, or Hyderabad in schools or colleges as the case may be staying in Sri Bapiraju’s house which without demur and gladly Sri Bapiraju obliged them enabling some of his and his wife’s nephews to pursue their studies staying in his house. Sri Bapiraju was also hospitable to those who came to his house in Madras, Guntur and Hyderabad on professional work or in search of work or for working in some offices or visiting in connection with some work or other in those cities to stay with him and eat without minding their duration of stay. Whoever was present at the time of lunch and dinner used to have lunch or dinner or both as the case may be responding to Sri Bapiraju’s invitation or yielding to his vigorous persuasion in that behalf of any reluctant guest. He always goaded his wife or cook who was serving lunch or dinner to serve more and more to the guest ignoring his supplication to stop saying he could not eat anymore.
Smt. Rajeswari, wife of Sri Bapiraju, who was reputed for her good health, piety, orthodoxy and indefatigable energy, used to run the household including cooking food deliciously and tastily for her large family and the guests all by herself or with the help of a cook whenever available.
Sri Bapiraju and his wife Smt. Rajeswari had 6 sons and a daughter. Sri N.V. Suryanarayana Murthy is the first son. He obtained his B.A. and B. L Degrees from Madras University and was enrolled as an Advocate on 25-8-1958 in AP High court. He is now practising as a designated senior advocate of AP High Court. Sri N. Achyutaram is the second son. He obtained his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from Madras University and retired as Dy. General Mager from Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited, Rasayani in Maharashtra State. Sri N. Venkata Ratnam is the third son who obtained his Masters Degree from Osmania University and retired as the Principal of AVS Junior College, Pulletikurru which was established by AVS Society of which he is the Secretary since its inception. Sri N. Bapanna is the fourth son who obtained his Masters Degree in Statistics from Osmania University and has worked in the IT sector in India and Abroad before retiring from Satyam Computer Services Limited, Hyderabad. Sri N. Ramachandra Murthy is the fifth son who obtained his Masters Degree in Mathematics from Osmania University and has worked in the IT field in India and Abroad and is now presently settled in U.S.A working in the IT field. Sri N.Kamaraju who is the 6th son obtained his B.Sc Degree from Andhra University and the LLB degree from Osmania University. He was enrolled as an Advocate on 23-6-1977 in AP High Court. He is now practicing as an Advocate commanding work in all Civil and Criminal Courts particularly District Courts in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and other Districts in Andhra, Telangana , and Rayalaseema regions of AP. Smt. Desirazu Kalpakam is the only daughter. Her husband Sri Desirazu Sitaramarao obtained his B. E degree in Electrical Engineering from Mysore University and served as Consulting Engineer in various companies in India and Abroad. Sri Sitaramarao is the grand son of Sri Desirazu Sitarama Rao garu, the Dewan of Mysore Maharaja.All the 6 sons and the only daughter and their families are doing well.
Sri Bapiraju expired on 22-7-1995 and his wife Rajeswari expired on 6-11-2005.
