Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya

Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya (Telugu: దుగ్గిరాల గోపాలకృష్ణయ్య), (2 June 1889 – 10 June 1928) was an Indian freedom fighter and member of the Indian National Congress from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Known by his title of Andhra Ratna (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర రత్న, translates to "Jewel of Andhra" or "Gem of Andhra." Sri Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya , Gopalakrishnayya was the first Andhra leader to become secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Sri Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya, was a very captivating poet, speaker, songwriter, philosopher, singer and an extraordinary revolutionary with a philosophy of non-violence. Sri Nadimpalli Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Rao worked in tandem with Sri Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya. For his exemplary work and sacrifices for freedom movement in Andhra, he was fondly conferred the name 'Andhra Ratna' (Jewel of state Andhra Pradesh state) Gopalakrishnayya was born in Penuganchiprolu in the Nandigama taluk of Krishna District in 1889 in a Brahmin family. His father, Kodandaramaswamy, was a school teacher but came from a family of landlords from Guntur and his mother Sitamma died soon after giving birth to him, her only child. Gopalkrishnayya's father remarried but died when he was still young and he was raised by his uncle and grandmother. He did his schooling from the Bapatla Municipal High School and worked for a year at the Bapatla taluk office after completing his matriculation. In 1911 he chose go to the University of Edinburgh along with his childhood friend Sri Nadimpalli Narasimha Rao (Barrister of Guntur) where he lived for six years and earned a postgraduate degree in economics. When he returned to Guntur in 1917, he served for some time in the Government College at Rajahmundry and the National College at Machilipatnam, AP. He was, however, not satisfied with the kind of education that was imparted there. Moreover, after attending the Calcutta Congress session in 1920, he was attracted to principles of 'non-co-operation' and 'Satyagraha', and resolved to dedicate his life to the achievement of Swaraj (native rule).