Madhusudana Rao Dasu

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Father: Sreeramulu Dasu
Spouse: Manikyamba Desiraju

Children :-

  • Manikyamba Patibanda
  • Kamalamma Rayapati
  • Sreeramulu Dasu
  • Vasudeva Rao Dasu
  • Meenakshamma Mynampati
  • Kamalamma
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    Madhusudana Rao BA.B.L.D.B.14.6.1878 at Alluru. D.D: 12/4/1948 Place: Vijayawada (I) M.D 28.8.1896 Place: Mysore Spouse Manikyamba DB Jan1885 at Mysore D/o Desiraju Seetharama Rao and Rajyalakshmi. Father was S.E and Palace controller at Mysore. She died on 12.6.1900 at Tumkur. (II) MD: 19.3.1903 at Tumkur. Spouse: Saradamba DB Jan 1892 @ Gauri bidnoor D/o D.Seetharama Rao. She died on 12.9.1916 @ Bezwada. (III) M.D.: 18/19.11.1916 Place: Dwaraka tirumala.Spouse: Saradamba (Vijayalakshmi) DB 28.1.1905 at Bhimadolu D/o Vadlapatla Srinivasa Rao and Seshamma. Died at Hyderabad.

    Madhusudana Rao (1878-1948)

    LIFE OF MADHUSUANA RAO He was born on14th June 1878 in Alluru vilage of Krishna district , Andhra Pradesh as the sixth son of sri Dasu Sreeramulu and Janikamma. He had his early schooling at Eluru in the local Church Mission High School. Later he continued his education In the Anglovernacular High school later known as Hindu High school in Triplicane , Madras. He graduated from the Madras Presidency College. In 1902 he graduated from Madras Law College and proceeded to complete apprenticeship with his father at Eluru. He practised law with his father for sometime and went to Vijayawada in 1903 to practise Law. He was a member of the Vijayawada Muncipal Council twice during the period of 1911 and 1922. He was Chairman Delegate of Vijayawada Muncipality in 1912 and 1913. He served the people with dedication and gained their confidence and love. He took the issue of supplying free Water meters for the residents with the government successfully whereafter he was popularly known as “Water Chairman”. In 1920 he attended the Indian National Congress sessions at Nagpur and following the guideles of Mahatma Gandhi he was involved in the independence movement. He was active in that throughout the year 1921. In the following year he fell sick and in 1924 he had paralysis. Thereafter he was confined to stay home. His first spouse was Mrs Manikyamba eldest daughter of Mr Desiraju Sitarama rao who was the Palace Controller for Mysore Maharajah. However on her demise in 1900, he married her sister Mrs.Saradamba in1903 and through this marriage they had two sons Vasudeva rao and Sreeramulu(II) and two daughters Manikyamba and Kamalamba. She too died in 1916. His third marriage took place in 1916 with Mrs. Vijayalakshmi daughter of Mr.Vadlapatla Srinivasa rao of Elur. They were blessed with a daughter Ms Meenakshamma.After a successful and wonderful career as lawyer and public servant he passed away peacefully at his residence in Vijayawada on April 16th 1948


    Copy of the article published on 17th December 2010, in the English daily newspaper The Hindu

    A jewel of Bezawada
    by
    DASU KESAVA RAO (II)
    Tribute : An architect of people's victory, Dasu Madhusudhana Rao's legend was sadly omitted from the recent INC celebrations.

    In remembrance Dasu Madhusudhana Rao's work left a lasting impression. I ndian National Congress, the Grand Old Party (GOP) of India, has just completed 125 years and marked the event with countrywide celebrations where the services and sacrifices of party stalwarts were recalled with gratitude.

    One of the many glaring omissions at the Vijayawada celebrations, attended by Konijeti Rosaiah, then Chief Minister, was the name of Dasu Madhusudhana Rao who was chairman of the Bezawada (its earlier name) municipal council about 100 years ago.

    A leading lawyer of the times, he responded to the call of Gandhi to join the nationalist movement. He was twice nominated as chairman of the municipal council between 1911 and 1922 by the British Government. He had the courage not only to defy the Government, but to have his way as the nominated Chairman. This endeared him to the people, whose interests he had steadfastly guarded.

    Youngest son of the literary legend Dasu Sreeramulu Panthulu, Madhusudhana Rao was born in Allur agraharam near Kaikalur on June 14, 1878, and had his education in Eluru and later in Madras. Madhusudhana Rao, who began his legal practice in Vijayawada in 1903, soon became a leading light of the bar.

    The government had nominated him as chairman of the municipal council in 1911 while other members were elected. It was around this time that protected water supply was launched in the town. The government decided that water meters should be fixed for all connections at the cost of the house-holders. An ardent champion of the people's interests, he argued that what they needed was water and not the meter. They could be charged for consumption, but not for the meter. He refused to implement the order, despite heavy pressure from Government and even hints of dismissal. The government revised its order with cosmetic changes, but Madhusudhana Rao did not rest until it was revoked.

    He became an architect of ‘people's victory'. His popularity soared sky high and earned him the nickname ‘Water Chairman'. A self-effacing man, he scotched attempts by the councillors to name the street where he lived as ‘Dasu Madhusudhana Rao veedhi' by not even allowing the resolution to be tabled. But the grateful citizens themselves decided to name it as ‘ Water chairman veedhi'. The street near Besant in Governorpet bears the name till date. This is in stark contrast to the present-day trend of arbitrarily putting up statues of leaders in every street-corner. Governorpet has a street bearing the name of D.T. Rao, Barrister-at-Law and grandson of Dasu Sriramulu, and another ‘Dasuvari veedhi'.

    The town became a municipality in April 1888. Rao Bahadur Singaraju Lingaraju was the first nominated Chairman. The town then had a population of less than 10,000.

    Madhusudhana Rao attended the Nagpur session of the Congress in 1920 to join the non-cooperation movement. The next session of the Congress party was held in Vijayawada on March 31and April 1, 1921. Guest houses or star hotels were not available those days and the leaders, however big, used to be accommodated in the residences of the local leaders. The Vijayawada session was significant for adoption of the flag designed by Pingali Venkaiah.

    Madhusudhana Rao had the rare privilege of playing host to Motilal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru for three days at his Governorpet residence while Gandhi, Kasturba and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel stayed at the residence of Golla Narayana Rao in One Town area.

    The Congress celebrations were an appropriate occasion to remember the forgotten heros.