Academics, activists remember Dr Chiranjeevi on his first death anniversary

Hyderabad: Rich tributes were paid by the speakers at a function organized by Telangana Council of Historical Research (TCHR) to commemorate the death anniversary of Dr Chiraranjeevi Kolluri.
Speakers recalled his role as an activist who played a pivotal role in the 1969 phase of Telangana movement and in the recent phase which led to Telangana de-merge and gain statehood. Dr.Chiranjeevi is credited with forging unity of dalits under the banner of BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) when it was headed by Kanshiram. Speakers also recalled his role in the Naxal movement and the imprint he left on it. Despite being a medical doctor he took keen interest in political, economic and social issues and articulated them with force.
His interest in history and historical events was also recalled by the speakers. He vehemently opposed the notion of 17th September (1948) as a day of liberation and urged all concerned to desist from celebrating the day. He substantiated his view citing evidence gathered from the accounts of Laiq Ali, the Prime Minister of the Nizam VII and K.M.Munshi, Agent-General of India to Hyderabad state and archival sources.
A book titled Telangana armed struggle—A misnomer which is an expanded version of the research paper which he presented at a history seminar was released on the occasion. Speaking about the book T.Vivek, secretary Telangana Council of Historical Research, said that the book contains facts and information that remained unknown to many readers as well as academics.
The author debunked the appellation ‘Armed struggle’ by the peasants’ of Telangana and concluded that it was a misnomer. In the process of exploring various facets of the ‘struggle’ the author exposed the hidden agenda of the political parties and its players.
TCHR is an eclectic group of academics, civil servants, history enthusiasts and civil society activists. Its objective is to explore the past and find its relevance for the present and future. TCHR believes in the axiom that history is a continuum – the past flows into the present and future.