Hyderabad: Vattikota Alwar Swamy, a proud native of Madaram village in Nalgonda district, is remembered as a pioneering figure in Telugu literature. He holds the unique honor of being the first novelist in the Telugu language. For him, the people of Telangana and the Telugu language were of utmost importance.
Swamy faced many challenges early in life. After his father passed away, he worked as a cook for his teacher to continue his education. Despite these hardships, he was deeply troubled by how his people were being deprived of expressing themselves in their mother tongue. This frustration pushed him to stand up against the authorities.
Although Swamy was drawn to leftist ideology due to his desire to serve the people, his heart was always dedicated to promoting the Telugu language. He became heavily involved in the library movement, aiming to revive and spread the use of Telugu in rural areas. At the same time, he was also drawn to the communist movement, which led him to fight against the rulers of that time.
Swamy’s resistance to the authorities resulted in him being jailed. However, his love for the Telugu language never wavered. Even in these difficult times, he carried books on topics like bonded labor and freedom in a basket on his head, selling them village to village while pretending to sell vegetables.
During his time in jail, Swamy wrote a novel titled “Jailu Lopala” (Inside the Jail), sharing his experiences behind bars. He also authored other significant works like “Gangu,” published in the 1940s, and “People’s Man” (Prajala Manishi) in the 1950s. These works established him as a key figure in advocating for the Telugu language and the freedom of the people.
Most of Swamy’s books were known as “Ana” books, which were sold at just six paise each during those times. This low price reflected his commitment to making knowledge accessible to everyone, helping raise awareness on various issues in a language they could understand.
Taking his mission further, Swamy published a series of 35 books under the banner of “Desodharaka Granthamala.” He had the support of Desoddharaka Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao Pantulu, a well-known nationalist and journalist who founded the Andhra Patrika Telugu newspaper.
In addition to his work as a publisher, Swamy also started a Telugu newspaper called “Telangana.” Through this publication, he aimed to educate and inspire the people to unite for their freedom and to uphold the importance of their mother tongue.
