Puchalapalli Sundarayya

Puchalapalli Sundarayya
Sundarayya (left) with Romanian President Nicolae Ceauşescu (centre) in 1969.
General Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist)
In office 1964–1978
Succeeded by	E.M.S. Namboodiripad
Member of Legislative Assembly
In office 1962–1967
Succeeded by	V.Seetha Ramayya
Constituency	Gannavaram
Member of Legislative Assembly
In office 1978–1983
Preceded by	T.S.Anand Babu
Succeeded by	M.Ratna Bose
Constituency	Gannavaram
Personal details
Born	Puchalapalli Sundararami Reddy (1913-05-01)1 May 1913 Nellore, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died	19 May 1985(1985-05-19) (aged 72)
Nationality	Indian
Political party	Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Spouse(s)	Lela

Puchalapalli Sundarayya (Born Sundararami Reddy on 1 May 1913 – 19 May 1985) was a founding member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a leader of the peasant revolt in the former Hyderabad State of India, called the Telangana Rebellion. He is popularly known as Comrade PS. Fired by Communist ideals and egalitarian values he changed his name from Sundararami Reddy, to drop his caste suffix. He was so dedicated to the upliftment of the poor that he and his spouse chose not to have children, for the purpose of social service. He directly participated in Telangana armed struggle against the imperialism of the Nizam of Hyderabad.

Sundarayya was born on 1 May 1913 in Alaganipadu (in the present Vidavalur Mandal of Kovur Constituency) in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, India. He was the child of a feudal family and, when Sundarayya was six, his father died. He completed primary education and entered a college where he studied at entry level until he left in 1930, at the age of 17, to join Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement. He was arrested and spent time in a Borstal school in Rajahmundry where he became acquainted with various communists. When released, he organized agricultural workers in his village to protest against bonded labour.

He was mentored by Amir Hyder Khan, who prompted him to become a member of the Communist Party of India, which was condemned and banned by the British government during the Second World War. During this period many prominent communist leaders, like Dinkar Mehta, Sajjad Zaheer, E.M.S. Namboodiripad and Soli Batliwala, became members of the national executive of the Congress Socialist Party. While a member, Sundarayya rose to the position of the Secretary of the Congress Socialist Party.