Foreword to Tamil Version of “India Mortgaged”
Kovai Eswaran
This is a fabulous book that
splendidly illustrates the tragic
history of slave nation that nailed
on the cross. “India Mortgaged”, a
statement made by Comrade
Tarimela Nagi Reddy in the court
defending the programme of
communist revolutionaries, was
first published in English and
Telugu in 1979 and then in Hindi. It
was reprinted three times in English
and Telugu. Now it is being
published in Tamil, which meets the
long awaited expectation of the
activists who work for social
change.
The author, a noble Marxist
philosopher, had digested the
profound ideology of Marxism-
Leninism and Mao’s thought. He,
being an incomparable revolu-
tionary, tenaciously applied
Marxism -Leninism and Mao’s
thought to the concrete situations
prevailed throughout the national
and ethnic landscapes of Indian
subcontinent until his last breath.
From 1939, from his college days,
when he became a member of the
Communist Party – the vanguard
of the proletariat – till he stopped
his thinking and embraced death
in Osmania Hospital with severely
damaged health due to rigorous
underground life, the great leader
dedicated his life for the victory of
new Democratic Revolution. He was
arrested nine times in his political
career and spent many years in Jail
and in underground.
From the struggle against the
British colonial rule, to Telangana
peasant armed uprising, to
Naxalbari peasant struggle and
Srikakulam Girijan struggle, he
stood on the side of revolting
people and fought against rig ht
and left deviations that arose within
July - 2018
the communist movement. When
the communist Party of India was
afflicted by lethal disease called
Kruschevite modern revisionism,
he admired the revolutionary path
of Communist Party of China led
by Comrade Mao Tse Tung and
waged intense struggle in the party.
The Communist Party of India
(Marxist) – the newly originated
party as a result of split of CPI –
exposed itself as neo-revisionist as
it rejected the essence of “The
Great Debate”, Comrade TN
waged an intense struggle against
its leadership and isolated them in
the Palakollu Plenum of Party by
gaining the support of the majority
of the party cadre to the
revolutionary politics. When the
comrades were expelled from
CPI(M), they formed APCR to
which Com.TN was elected as
convener. Following the formation
of the AICCCR, the Andhra
revolutionaries decided to join it
and formed into APCCCR.
The CPI (ML) which formed out
of AICCCR took up the left
adventurist line – line of
annihilation which is contrary to
Marxsim -Leninism and Mao’s
Thought as well as rich experiences
of Telangana, Tebhaga, Terai and
Srikakulam peasant movements. It
caused a great harm and set back
to the revolutionary movement.
The right opportunists and left
extremists
slandered
and
disgraced Com. TN. He faced them
with political élan and strived hard
to build and strengthen the
revolutionary party by raising the
new democratic revolution and its
core, the armed revolutionary
politics. Though he was to face
vicious slanders, he did not criticize
personally those who had taken up
left adventurism and right
opportunism. For strengthening
the revolutionary movement, such
abusive approach would not help;
instead the ideological and political
struggle alone could achieve unity.
Com.TN raised the debate to a
higher political plane. He passed
away at this critical juncture and it
is a great loss to the Indian
revolutionary movement.
I had an opportunity to meet
Com.TN in Hyderabad city of AP
when I was running “Manidhan”
magazine as its editor. I met him
along with Comrade Devulapalli
Venkateshwara Rao. At that time, I
was able to talk with Com.TN for an
hour. During our conversation, I
was astonished by his masterly
knowledge in Marxist philosophy. I
was humbled on seeing this great
leader’s simplicity and affectionate
embrace. Those memories are still
deeply ingrained in my heart
unforgettably.
Comrade Vindhai Vendhan has
requested me to translate this book
into Tamil. Sudheer Reddy, the joint
Secretery of TNM Trust, too
insisted on this. I doubted that
whether I could translate this book
on my own due to my poor health. I
told them that I would translate with
the help of a few other comrades.
At last I had to complete it on my
own.
I am not well versed in English. I
have developed my knowledge of
English gradually through the
guidance of top leadership on
translating articles and books as
and when required by the
movement. I am even afraid that
whether my imperfect learning is
sufficient to translate this book.
Really, it was harder than climbing
Mount Everest. While translating,
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