From my childhood, I wanted to fast on Sivarathri day. During my school years, I used to make big "early morning" announcements that I would fast along with my parents. I usually start off well in the morning, ready to say "YES" to typical Sivarathi question "Are you fasting today?" Somehow thoughts of food, hunger would finally overwhelm me and meekly would go in for "fast-break" @3:00PM. This used to happen almost every year. It was always an insurmountable target all my life.
Couple of years back, I tried again - with some peer pressure (friend visiting me from India). I took up this personal maha-yagna called "Upavasam" on SivaRathri.
For SivaRathri Day, I was on my ritualistic annual SivaRathri Journey - "Upavasam". Late in the evening, somehow I started thinking about Amarajeevi Potti Sreeramulu. If I can barely make it thru' a day, how could have he made it thru' 58 days and eventually die for the cause of a separate state for Telugu people.
What I accomplished yesterday was 1/58th ( 2%) of Amarajeevi's penance for my own personal cause - one day package deal with Lord Siva for betterment of my personal life. Imagine the cause in Amarajeevi's mind, his physical state thru' 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, 28 days, .. Imagine every second on the 57th day, where he is fighting an internal battle and calming down "hunger outcries" within himself by a dream called "Andhra Pradesh" for Telugu People.
I googled on "fast undo death" and all you get results like "began fast undo death", "continues into 3rd day", "relay hunger strike" (innovative version wherein no one dies eventually). The only hero is Amarajeevi to successfully not make it to 58th day for the cause of "Telugu People".
Excerpt from an article on Potti Sreeramulu's life and his last days …
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Born to Potti Guravayya and Mahalakshmamma in Madras on March 16, 1901, Sriramulu had his education in Madras. His ancestors, who belonged to Guntur district, had migrated to Madras in search of greener pastures. He did his diploma in sanitary engineering from the Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute in Bombay. He worked in the G.I.P. Railway in Madras and Bombay for four years for a salary of Rs.250 a month.
In 1928, his wife gave birth to a child and died. Within a few days, the baby also died, leaving him grief-stricken. The subsequent death of his mother made him lose interest in worldly pursuits and paved the way for his entry into and active involvement in the non-violent movements led by Gandhiji.
On August 15, 1951, Swamy Seetharam launched a fast-unto-death for achieving the demand for a separate Andhra state. The Central Government did not take notice of the agitation. The fast continued for 35 days. Sensing danger, Acharya Vinobha Bhave apprised Nehru of the situation. The two leaders met Seetharam and made him give up the fast, promising to get statehood for Andhra. Nehru, however, did not keep his promise.
Potti Sriramulu decided to undertake a fast-unto-death. He began the fast in the house of Bulusu Sambamurthy in Madras city on October 19, 1952. Several people thought that this would be another fast that would be given up after some days. After 20 days his health deteriorated.
Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu used to visit the hunger-strike camp daily and inquire about his health. The Gandhian, Yerneni Subrahmanyam, used to shed tears secretly seeing his plight. Though Sriramulu became physically weak, he was mentally strong and declined to give up his fast.
On the 56th day, he passed into a coma and a couple of days later, he developed breathing problems. On December 15, 1952, Sriramulu breathed his last, after 58 days of fasting. On the intimation of Yerneni Subrahmanyam, the legendary singer, Ghantasala, and freedom-fighter and singer, Moparru Dasu, rushed to the place. They composed and rendered a song in honour of the immortal leader.
The body was taken in a procession. When the procession reached Mount Road, thousands of people joined and raised slogans hailing Sriramulu. Later, they went into a frenzy and resorted to destruction of public property. The news spread like wildfire and created an uproar among the people in far off places like Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Eluru, Guntur, Tenali, Ongole and Nellore.
Seven people were killed in police firing in Anakapalle and Vijayawada. The popular agitation continued for three to four days disrupting normal life in Madras and Andhra regions. On December 19, 1952, Nehru, agreed to grant statehood to Andhras
The State of Andhra was formed on October 1, 1953, with Kurnool as its capital. On November 1, 1956, Andhra Pradesh was formed with Hyderabad as its capital.
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The difference between then and now is our political leaders first think about "What is in it for me ?". Instead Amarajeevi made an unprecedented down payment - his life, at a prime age of 51. As you might know, Amarajeevi relocated to Sabarmathi Ashram and worked with Gandhi in the freedom struggle. Amarajeevi took an approach wherein he would make an upfront sacrifice - "his life", to get national attention. Great leaders like Pandit Nehru started seriously thinking about AP and announced state for Telugu people within 4 days of his death ( state was formed formally on Oct 1, 1953 with Kurnool as capital ). Eventually we got our state on November 1st, 1956.
I checked on google, Amarajeevi is one of the very few (IRA leader Bobby Sands, Cuban revolutionary, etc.) in the history of mankind who died fasting for a cause. We should all feel proud to live in a state called "Andhra Pradesh" and I personally started remembering his great sacrifice on Maha ShivaRathri every year
We have taken pains to name districts, stadiums, airports after leader's maternal uncles, speakers, state ministers. He gave us a state for Telugus and in return we didn't do anything to commemorate him correctly. Naming Nellore district after Amarajeevi is a good first step.
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