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Bhattam Sreerama Murthy and Satyavathi

Caught between nationalistic fervour and social reforms, the veteran politician married Satyavathi during his graduation days and their marriage was a trendsetter those days. “It was an inter-caste marriage and most importantly, it was a reform marriage,” says Mr. Sreerama Murthy.

Reminiscing those days, he says, “A Brahmin boy marrying a non-Brahmin girl in the 1940s was an unthinkable episode. I met her during my college election days and proposed to her. Our ideas synced, we decided to marry. I quit my studies and joined as sub-editor in Jai Bharat, a newspaper run by Madduri Annapoornaiah, to support my family. Madduri who was a social reformer and an ardent follower of Subhas Chandra Bose, encouraged me for the reform marriage. There was no temple ritual or traditional set up in our marriage. Even the traditional mangalsutra was not exchanged. We just exchanged two flower garlands to symbolise while Madduri read a pledge to solemnise our marriage. In the evening, I organised a get-together and the entire wedding expenditure cost me Rs.15.Our marriage has no legal or religious sanction and despite that we have been life partners for the last 60 years. To me a successful marriage is built on trust and understanding.”

A socialist by heart, Mr. Sreerama Murthy had a distinguished political career spanning over six decades. His political career started with the college union movement in 1945. He was elected as MLA under the aegis of the Socialist Party that was launched by Ram Manohar Lohia from his native town of Vizianagaram in 1957. He retained the seat till 1967. “The party merged with the Congress in 1959 and thereafter I had been a Congress man,” he says.

He informs that his political ethics revolve round the principles of simplicity, high thinking and service towards the nation. After 1967, he moved to Visakhapatnam and was elected as MLA from the Parvada constituency. He retained the seat from 1972 to 1983. During this period, he served as minister of various departments like education, technical education, endowments, cultural affairs and social welfare.

From 1984 to 1989, Mr. Sreerama Murthy was a Member of Parliament from Visakhapatnam. During his distinguished political career, he had the opportunity to work closely with a number of political luminaries like Jai Prakash Narain, Ram Manohar Lohia and a couple of chief ministers of AP like Kasu Brahmananda Reddy and P.V. Narasimha Rao.

Both JP and Lohia played an influencing role in shaping him. He quit active politics in 1990 and thereafter set on a spiritual journey.

An ardent devotee of Satya Sai Baba, he gives all credit to Baba for his spiritual transformation.

Blessed with a son Vidyasagar and two daughters Karuna and Lalitha, Mr. Sreerama Murthy today spends his day by musing over his past in association with his wife, children and grand children.

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