CHIRALA – PERALA MOVEMENT was led by the pride of Andhra Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya

Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya (2 June 1889 – 10 June 1928) was an Indian freedom fighter and member of the Indian National Congress from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Known by his title of Andhra Ratna, Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya was the first Andhra leader to become secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Gopalakrishnayya, was a very captivating poet, speaker, songwriter, philosopher, singer and an extraordinary revolutionary with a philosophy of non-violence. Sri Nadimpalli Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Rao worked in tandem with Sri Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya. For his exemplary work and sacrifices for freedom movement in Andhra, he was fondly conferred the name 'Andhra Ratna' (Jewel of state Andhra Pradesh state)

The Government had merged contiguous villages of Chirala and Perala to convert the two into a municipality in 1919 for augmenting tax collections, from Rs 4,000 a year to Rs 40,000. Over 17,000 residents, already groaning under heavy tax burden, vehemently opposed it. But the Justice Party Government, headed by the Rajah of Panagal, resolved to have its way at any cost.

All the elected councilors resigned and joined the agitation. The Government doggedly carried on the administration with a paid chairman. The residents were jailed for refusing to pay the taxes. One of the imprisoned residents was considered to be the first woman in the country to be imprisoned on political grounds.

Taking up their cause, Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya, ‘a stalwart known for his courage, scholarship and love of independence’, devised a novel strategy. He successfully persuaded the people to move out of Chirala-Perala and settle down in Ramanagar, a sprawling camp he had set up on the outskirts. People willingly obliged. It made national news as it was unheard of. Duggirala and his 'Rama Dandu' a team of highly disciplined cadres sustained the fight of the people.

The selfless leader also created a mock Assembly representing people of all castes with an arbitration court. Gopalakrishnayya journeyed to Berhampore in 1921 to collect funds for the movement. He was arrested for addressing a meeting defying prohibitory orders and was jailed for a year at Trichinopoly. In the absence of a tall leader like Gopalakrishnayya, the movement started flagging. Unable to continue the agitation and face repression, people returned to their homes in the municipality at the end of eleven months.

Though the movement failed, the qualities of courage and fearlessness it engendered stood them in good stead in the subsequent stages of the freedom struggle.Gopalakrishnayya, who had lived with poverty and ill-health, died in 1928 at the age of 39. He was known as Andhra Ratna.