Leaders from different walks of life and from across the political spectrum lauded Jaipal Reddy as a man of principles.
Published Sep 30, 2022 | 7:10 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 30, 2022 | 7:37 PM
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Supreme Court Justice R Subhash Reddy, and a host of political leaders cutting across party lines attended the unveiling of a statue of Jaipal Reddy in his village on Friday, 30 September, 2022. (Supplied)
Friends and admirers of the late Jaipal Reddy, one of India’s most outstanding parliamentarians, gathered on Friday, 30 September, at his native village of Madugul in Rangareddy district to honour him with the unveiling of a statue.
Unwavering in his principles, uncompromising on his integrity, and committed to his ideology — a firm belief in a secular and egalitarian society — Jaipal Reddy was the kind of politician “we badly need today to put secular and democratic India, which is under threat, back on the rails”, as CPI(M) Secretary General Sitaram Yechury put it.
Describing Reddy as his “friend, philosopher, and guide”, Yechury said that he missed him badly at a time “a conscientious effort has to be made to reverse the trend that was trying to demolish the four pillars of the Indian Republic — economy, social justice, secular democracy, and Centre-state relations”.
Yechury was among the dozens of leaders who gathered to honour Jaipal Reddy.
And it is testimony to the respect he commanded that those present came from all walks of life and from across the political spectrum: From Supreme Court Justice R Subhash Reddy and Telangana Legislative Council chairman G Sukhender Reddy, to CPI MP Aziz Pasha, BJP MP T Achari, TRS MPs Manda Jagannadham and Pothuganti Ramulu, and from the Congress, MP Mallu Ravi and TPCC president Revanth Reddy.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury speaks ata a function organised for the unveiling of a statue of Jaipal Reddy in his village on Friday, 30 September, 2022. (Supplied)
Jaipal Reddy, whose political life began as a student leader at Osmania University, lived true to his principles. He was a Congress MLA in 1975 when he quit the party after Indira Gandhi proclaimed the Emergency in 1975.
In 1980, he contested against her from the Medak parliamentary constituency. Though he lost amidst a Congress sweep in Andhra Pradesh, he showed he was fearless and had arrived in national politics.
“He was a democrat in the real sense — not in form, but in content,” Justice J Chelameswar, retired judge of the Supreme Court, said during a recent talk on “Celebrating Democracy” organised by the S Jaipal Reddy Memorial Foundation.
After the Janata Party split, Jaipal Reddy joined the Janata Dal. He was known for his oratorical skills and served as a spokesperson for the VP Singh-led National Front, the Janata Dal, which led the 1996-98 United Front government, and later the Congress, which he rejoined.
His skills also made him a great parliamentarian. A five-term Lok Sabha MP, he also had two stints in the Rajya Sabha. He was Information and Broadcasting Minister in the IK Gujral-led United Front government.
In 1999, he joined the Congress again. And from 2004 to 2014, he was given charge of various ministries, including Information and Broadcasting, and Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Understanding the sentiment of the people in favour of a separate Telangana state, Jaipal Reddy, who belonged to the region, began supporting the demand. As a minister in the UPA government, he played a key role in the formation of the new state.
Stricken by polio at a young age, Jaipal Reddy had to use crutches, but did not let this affect him.
“What everybody will recall about the man is that his disability… never stopped him from attending any meetings, even if those were held on the second or third floor of buildings which did not have lifts,” his former Cabinet colleague MM Pallam Raju wrote in a tribute in Mint after his death.
In his tribute on Friday, Yechury, referring to the “forces that are demolishing the secular and democratic fabric of the country”, said: “At this juncture, I am reminded of Jaipal Reddy’s unshakable faith in his ideology, which sought to usher in a secular and egalitarian society. Unless we follow that ideology and continue our struggle, we would not be able to make much progress in reaching the goal.”
Former Supreme Court Judge Subhash Reddy said Jaipal Reddy had set an example in practising politics for the service of society. Endowed with vast knowledge about several issues and with a clear perspective on what was good for society, his suggestions were invaluable to everyone.
“He was a man of commitment with outstanding abilities and, most importantly, he was a man of integrity,” he said.
The sculptor of Jaipal Reddy’s statue, Pottelu Srinivasa Rao, was also honoured on the occasion.
