N. G. Ranga

N. G. Ranga
N. G. Ranga on postage stamp - 2001
Member of the Indian Parliament for Madras (Rajya Sabha)
In office 1952–1957
Member of the Indian Parliament for Tenali (Lok Sabha)
In office 1957–1962
Member of Parliament for Chittoor (Lok Sabha)
In office 1962–1967
Member of the Indian Parliament for Srikakulam (Lok Sabha)
In office 1967–1971
Member of the Indian Parliament for Andhra Pradesh (Rajya Sabha)
In office 1977–1980
Member of Parliament for Guntur (Lok Sabha)
In office 1980–1984
Member of Parliament for Guntur (Lok Sabha)
In office 1984–1989
Member of the Indian Parliament for Guntur (Lok Sabha)
In office 1989–1991
Personal details
Born	(1900-11-07)7 November 1900 Nidubrolu, Guntur district, Madras Presidency, British India (now Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died	9 June 1995(1995-06-09) (aged 94)
Nationality	Indian
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)	Bharathi Devi
Children	No
Alma mater	Oxford University
Occupation	Social, political activist

Gogineni Ranga Nayukulu, also known as N. G. Ranga (7 November 1900 – 9 June 1995),^[1] was an Indian freedom fighter, classical liberal, parliamentarian and farmer leader. He is founding president of Swatantra Party. He was an exponent of the peasant philosophy, and considered the father of the Indian Peasant Movement.^[2] He has been honoured with Padma Vibhushan by president of India for his contributions to Peasant Movement. Acharya N.G.Ranga served in the Indian Parliament for six decades from 1930 to 1991.

Early life[]

Ranga was born in Nidubrolu village in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh.^[3][4] He went to school in his native village, and graduated from the Andhra-Christian College, Guntur. He received a B.Litt. in Economics from the University of Oxford in 1926.^[4] On his return to India, he took up teaching as Professor of Economics at Pachaiyappa's College, Madras (Chennai).^[4][5]

In Oxford, he came across the works of HG Wells, Sydney Webb, Bertrand Russell, and John Stuart Mill. Initially attracted to guild socialism in Europe, the progress of the USSR would turn him into a Marxist. Later in the 1930s, the Stalinist oppression of peasants and forced collectivization drove Ranga away from the Marxist fold.^[4]

Ranga met Mahatma Gandhi in Madras and was so impressed that he jumped with heart and soul in the non-violent battle of Civil Disobedience Movement in 1929. It was in 1930 that the academic economist N G Ranga became part of the mainstream politics with his entry in the central assembly. He went on to oppose the Simon Commission report and participated in the first Round Table Conference.^[6]

Based on methodology of the British Labour's Party’s political school, he went on to establish similar schools in Andhra to turn peasants into politically-conscious citizens. Andhra Farmers’ School, first among the others, was opened in 1934 at his native place Nidubrolu.^[3]

Freedom movement[]

Ranga joined the freedom movement inspired by Gandhi's clarion call in 1930. He led the ryot agitation in 1933. He wrote a book, Bapu Blesses regarding his discussions with Gandhi.^[7]

In the course of Indian freedom struggle, he led the historical Ryot Agitation of Andhra in 1933. His pro-peasantry advocacy was visible in his support to the farmers’ agitation against the zamindari oppression at Venkatagiri. He successfully managed to convince Gandhi to lend support to the movement, despite opposition from other members of the Congress. Gradually the peasant movement intensified and spread across the rest of India. All these radical developments on the peasant front culminated in the formation of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in April 1936 with Sahajanda Saraswati elected as its first President and N. G. Ranga as a General Secretary. The Kisan Manifesto, which was released in August 1936, demanded abolition of the zamindari system and cancellation of rural debts.^[3]

He continuously organized farmers of the region and besides associating himself along with his wife Bharathi Devi to the Individual Satyagraha (1940) and Quit India Movement (1942), he played a decisive role in connecting so many peasants with national liberation movement.^[8]

He was elected as a member Constituent Assembly in 1946 and became the member in Provisional Parliament of India (continuing until after the first elections under the new constitution in 1952)^[9]

Contributions to literature[]

He wrote a book, Bapu Blesses regarding his discussions with Gandhi. Even Ranga’s academic publications were mostly concerned with the condition of peasants and labourers in the countryside. Known as the Rythu Ranga and Coolie Ranga, he fought against both the colonial and socialist Indian state to ensure dignity for farmers.^{[citation needed]}

He wrote many other books like Credo of World Peasantry, Economic Organization of Indian Villages and Indian Adult Education Movement which are illustrative of a brilliant erudite ability and diverse interests.^[7]

Publications[]

He published 65 books in English,^[7] including^[9]

• Credo of World Peasants
• Agony and Solace - 2 volumes
• Distinguished Acquaintances - 2 volumes (1976)
• Colonial and Coloured Peoples' Freedom Front (1957)
• Fight for Freedom (Autobiography 1967)
• Gandhian Plan
• History of Kisan Movement
• Revolutionary Peasant (1954)
• Bapu Blesses (containing the discussions and talks with Mahatma Gandhi) (1969)
• Quintessence of Non-alignment Movement (1983)
• India in the U.N. Rangass participation (1983)
• Protection of the self-employed Peasants and Tribes (1984)

• Tribes of Nilgiris, Self-Employment Sector (1959)
• Aerial-eye View of USSR and Yugoslavia (1956) - published by the Parliament

He also published 15 books in Telugu including

• Smrities of Bharati Devi (1973)
• Modern Political Institutions - 2 volumes (1933)
• Harijans Nayak (1934)

Political career[]

In 1951, in a closely contested election of President of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee Ranga defeated by Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. Due to Idealogical defferencess Ranga along with Tanguturi Prakasam resigned from Congress Party and organised Hyderabad State Praja Party which was further split into Krishikar Lok Party (KLP) for peasants under leadership of Ranga as the president. KLP contested the 1951 Lok Sabha elections, winning one seat. KLP also contested 1952 Madras Legislative Assembly election and won 15 seats.^[10] In 1955 Andhra State Legislative Assembly election Congress, Praja party and KLP formed an alliance and KLP won 22 seats. After the election on the request of Nehru he merged KLP in Congress Party .He elected in 1957 Genaral election from Tenali Lok sabha as a congress candidate.^[9]

Swatantra Party[]

Ranga’s differences with Nehru were visible from the beginning. As part of the Kumarappa Committee on land reforms, he didn’t support land ceiling measures. Ranga was also opposed to the whole socialist apparatus of the Five-Year Plans and Planning Commission. He refused to join Nehru’s cabinet when offered the ministerial berth. In response to Nehru’s advocacy of cooperative farming, Ranga mobilized lakhs of peasants in Machilipatnam to oppose the abolition of property rights by the state. The 1959 Nagpur Resolution of INC came as the final straw. The socialists in Congress proposed cooperative farming in the emulation of Mao’s collectivization drive. The threat to property rights in an increasingly socialist India galvanized a disparate set of anti-Congress leaders to come together and form the Swatantra Party. N G Ranga has become the first party president.^[3]

As a Swatantrite parliamentarian, Ranga’s advocacy of liberty was most visible during the debates over the proposed 17th amendment in 1964. The amendment would empower state governments to acquire land of ordinary farmers without paying any compensation. Ranga’s rousing speech in Parliament against the bill led to its defeat. N G Ranga’s concern for farmers’ welfare was recognized by none other than Pandit Nehru, “As long as Rangaji is in Parliament, the Indian peasants could sleep without any worry.” On the question of his opposition to Nehru, Ranga had clarified that – “it was for the freedom of the peasants and in defense of dharma. I’ve visualized the resulting implications of his anti-farmer policies. Knowing fully well that opposing Pandit Nehru can be politically dangerous to me, I performed my duty in defense of my convictions.^[3]

Later years[]

The dissident parties, the Congress (O), Jan Sangh and the Samyukta Socialist Party formed an alliance with Swatantra Party called the National Democratic Front and fought against the Indian National Congress led by Indira Gandhi in the 1971 Indian general elections. After facing a massive defeat of his Swatantra party in 1971 elections N G Ranga rejoined in Indian National Congress and supported Smt.Indira Gandhi, for his aim of peasants upliftment.^[3]

He worked as a Member of congress working commitee (CWC 1975-85), and Dy. Leader of Congress Parlamentary Party (1980 - 1991)^[4]

Death[]

Prof.Ranga has never been after power, In deed he avoided getting into embraces even though it was offered to him on several occasions.His principal concern is always the happines of whole society and not one's own advantage. He died on 9 June 1995.^[11]

Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao condoled the death of Prof. Ranga. He said that in the passing away of Prof Ranga, the country had lost an outstanding Parliamentarian and a champion of public causes and of the rural peasantry^[12].The Andhra Pradesh government declared a 3-day state mourning.^[12]

Honours[]

• Agricultural University of Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad (presently in Telangana) was named in his honour and memory as Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University but later it is shifted to Guntur Lam campus from 8 August 2014.^[13][14]
• His name found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as a Parliamentarian with fifty years of service.^[12] He was elected to Rajya Sabha from Madras State in 1952 and Andhra Pradesh in 1977. And he represented Tenali, Chittoor, Srikakulam, Guntur constituencies in Lok Sabha at various times from 1957 to 1991.^[6][4]
• Indian parliamentarians feliciated him on completion of 50 years of his Parliamentary career and on completion of 60 years of his first speech in Central Legislative Assembly on 11th July 1930^[6]
• Recipient of Nehru Award for Literacy Campaign, Rajaji Ratna Award and Kushak Ratna Award^[9]
• The statue of Prof.N.G.Ranga, at Gate No. 4 of Parliament House was unveiled by the Vice-President of India, Shri Krishan Kant on 27 July 1998.The statue was. donated by the Government of Andhra Pradesh^[2]
• The N.G. Ranga Farmer Award for Diversified Agriculture was instituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 2001.^[15]
• He has been honored with the titles of Padma Vibhushan in 1991 by president of India for his contributions to public service.^[16]
• A commemorative postage stamp was released by Government of India in 2001.^[17]

References[]

External links[]

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