Political Entry and Pathway
Koratala Satyanarayana was one of the experienced leaders of the Party in Andhra Pradesh who had worked with the first generation builders of the communist movement in the state.
His quest for justice was apparent in his childhood when he went to Turimella high school in 1938–39. A statewide agitation was going on in high schools against the detention system in exams and Koratala was the one who launched it in his school. Despite waging the struggle for 11 days, there was no outcome as the school headmaster was adamant. Koratala went and met Makineni Basavapunnaiah, a communist leader who was a student leader in Guntur. That was the beginning of his turn towards communism. His cousin and brother-in-law Paturi Subbaiah were active in the freedom movement.
With the headmaster bowing to the demand after the intervention of Makineni Basavapunnaiah, the strike in the school concluded successfully. Koratala was part of the joint committee of students and teachers formed on students' issues. He was also associated with the bringing out of the school magazine. The drill master of the school was a Leftist and was brother-in-law of Comrade Moturu Hanumantha Rao, who used to keep visiting him. Koratala came in touch with Comrade Moturu Hanumantha Rao during his visits to the school.
The headmaster of the school expired suddenly, leaving behind his family in despair. Koratala led the students in collecting Rs. 5000 from the villagers for the family. With the coming of a new headmaster began the problem of detention system again. Koratala then failed the school-leaving exit exam. With this he shifted his study to Repalle where he became much more active in student union activities, becoming the joint secretary of the student's union. His contacts with communists grew here. He met Comrade L B Gangadhara Rao.
In 1942, Koratala joined A C College in Guntur which was a centre of active student movement. He became the secretary of Students Action Committee and fully immersed himself in student movement. The Quit India movement, police firing in Guntur leading to death of several students, militant agitations etc. marked this period. Comrade Makineni Basavapunnaiah was the secretary of Andhra area student movement and Koratala used to meet him often during agitations. The ban on Communist Party of India had just been lifted. Koratala left studies when he was in 10+2 and became fully involved in the movement, particularly in building student and trade union units. He became a member of the Communist Party of India in September 1942. He was elected to the district committee of the students union for the first time in 1943. He worked as Guntur city secretary of the student union till 1944. With his family angry that he was working in the movement, they stopped sending money to him. Comrade Moturu Hanumantha Rao then arranged for an allowance to Koratala. He was relieved from student movement in 1945. He came back to Repalle as a Party wholetimer in 1945-46. He married his niece, Suseela, in 1945.
The period from 1946 to 1948 witnessed intense agitations throughout the state and the district. In Repalle, a big agitation was organised in 15 villages on the issue of increasing wages for agricultural labour. Struggles were conducted on issues concerning various sections of the working people and Koratala was actively involved in these struggles. He was elected to the Taluka committee in 1946 and later to the district committee of the Party in 1947. Despite an arrest warrant being issued against him, Koratala addressed an eight thousand strong public meeting of agricultural labourers. With information provided by the workers of Indian National Congress, police arrested Koratala in April 1949. They sent him to Bellary jail first and then shifted him to Cuddalore detention camp.
As a result of the Sino-Soviet split in the international communist movement, the Communist Party of India had faced a split in 1964 and the splinter group named itself as the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Comrade Koratala took the side of the CPI(M) during the split.
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