HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced that the Women's University in Koti would be named after Chakali Ailamma, who played a key role in the armed struggle in Telangana. He said the decision was taken in recognition of Ailamma's role in defending the rights of the poor and landless.
Speaking at an event held at Ravindra Bharathi on Tuesday to mark the death anniversary of Chakali Ailamma, Revanth Reddy said, “Ailamma's spirit will live on in Telangana and we are taking steps to ensure that her legacy is enshrined for future generations.”
Revanth Reddy announced the appointment of Chakali Shwetha, Ailamma's granddaughter, as a member of the Telangana Women's Commission. “We want Ailamma's family members to be active partners in the government,” Revanth Reddy added, underlining the administration's commitment to involve descendants of historical figures in the government.
Reflecting on Ailamma’s legacy, the Chief Minister praised her tireless fight for land redistribution, particularly her efforts to transfer thousands of acres from the control of landlords to the poor.
“Indira Gandhi introduced land reforms inspired by Chakali Ailamma,” Revanth said, underlining the historical importance of land rights movements in India.
He noted how Indira Gandhi's land reforms were inspired by Ailamma's actions, particularly her belief that “land is the self-esteem of the poor,” a principle that led Gandhi to distribute hundreds of thousands of acres to the underprivileged.
The Chief Minister slammed the controversial Dharani land records portal, alleging that it had been misused by the previous BRS rulers to grab the lands of the poor. “Under the pretext of Dharani, there were conspiracies to grab the lands of the poor. But the Congress-led people’s government, which came to power in the spirit of Ailamma, will ensure that the lands of the poor are protected,” he said.
Ailamma, whose surname was Chityala, is better known by the prefix Chakali as she hailed from the Rajaka community.