Sri V.D.R.Manohar, M.A.

Retd. Chief Executive Officer (Z.P.)

Tenali.

We can draw similarities between the renowned sage Patanjali and Sri Rosayya a renowned academician. He tried to remove the impurity of speech by grammar as all of us know. Whether he had touched the other two, the yoga and the Ayurveda, we have to go into the details of his life.

When the literacy rate is at 10% of the population and when the laws of Manu are at prominence, this lower middle class, rather poor agriculturist became a graduate which was prestigeous to his class. The percentage of that cadre would be about 0.01% at that time. To become a post graduate was nothing shorter than a wonder in those days. Taking up the task of teaching is a daring adventure. Therefore he is not ordinary but extra-ordinary.

For all this he is indebted to the epoch making Head Master of the then George Coronation Board High School, Thurumella, Sri Pokkunuri Dakshinamurthy, who brought 100% passes in S.S.L.C. for several years. Sri Rosayya is the pet student of that illustrious Head master. For being bright among his colleagues he was patronised by Sri Dakshina Murthy in both sunny and gloomy days of his childhood. In those days they had to undergo an arduous schedule. Teachers used to train and trim, scold and abuse rather than to impart and encourage. The circumstances, opportunities and the surroundings are such. Sri Rosayya is not an exception to it. All these traits have not left him altogether in his later days.

His mother Mahalakshmamma and father Kotaiah (well known as Morthota Kotaiah) toiled till their end for the family of two sons and two daughters. Suraiah is his elder brother. Venkatasubbamma and Varalakshmamma are his sisters. None of them is alive nor their families reside at Yalavarru village now. His sister's son Sri Sambasivarao is now at Pyaparru, a village nearby and feel is proud of his maternal uncle though not educated as well.

Sri Rosayya's college career went along with the support of his friends and well wishers. He is a scholar and an authority in his field of which no other person dare to question. Merit and mastery over both Telugu and English languages made him dearer to Jayapur Maharaja and Siddhantam Dora. Their relationship lasts longer and they lend their helping hand in his troubles with his father -in-law. He married a widow Smt. Samrajyamma which is again a daring step in those days, detracting the near and dear. The couple gave birth to one daughter, Chandra Leela and five sons, Chinnaya Suri, Devaraja Sudhimani, Ramaraja Bhushanudu, Appaji and Nannechoda Deva Varma.

He worked at Bhimavaram and A.C. College Guntur, J.K.C. College, Guntur, Siddhartha Academy, Vijayawada and an institution of Smt Oruganti Sridevi, apart from his own Chinnaya school in various capacities. His stay at A.C. College is memorable. He taught English prose, poetry, drama, novel and what not. He is an admirer of Milton and his teaching of 'Paradise Lost' has no match. Only a man with Biblical background can do justice to Milton as one of his students puts it. He maintained a big library of his own at home which consists of nearly 3000 books of matter and magnitude. He begins in English and ends in Telugu and vice versa in his classes. He had a reputation of not completing the syllabus in time. He drags on the class, from politics to philosophy, from ethics to Mathematics and from discipline to citizenship. He is not a tutor. He dislikes giving lessons privately. He is considered to be a police in and outside the college campus.

He had strong likes and dislikes. Being the lover of the language he likes the British and their manners and mannerisms. He even cultivated some of them. In Telugu he had a fascination towards Chinnaiah Suri, Panuganti, Tripuraneni and Tummala among others. He was sympathetic towards poor, but behaves like a 'Benevolent Despot', towards them. To 'Be good-Do good' is Yoga, he practiced and preached it all the while.

His anti establishment views made him nearer to Swathanthra Party for some time, though he was not active in politics at any time. Perhaps Rajaji and Minoo Masani might have drawn his attention during that license-permit Raj. He was neither a Marxist nor a Socialist as most of the youth of his time tend to lean towards any one of them. He seldom discusses Economics or Economic policies. He is nearer to M.N. Roy and his thinking. He is a humanist as many knew. He is not an ardent follower of any political thought or any political party.

He believes that thought, word and deed must be in harmony. Any change in one of them in any person tampers his temper. Once he attended the convention of the then 'Swathantra Party' at Guntur. Stallwarts like Rajaji, Masani, Singh Dev, Rangaji were on the dais. When Rajaji was addressing, Sri Rossayya was called on to translate his speech into Telugu.

A sound mind in a sound body is his belief and he used to propagate that maxim. He always seems to be grim but enjoys humor with laughter. He is a legend and a dare devil fighter all the while. He stood head high over his contemporaries. He deserves a fitting and lasting memorial.