Duddilla Sridhar Babu won as an MLA in the 1999 Assembly elections from Manthani, after his father was killed by Naxalites. A legislator at the young age of 29 years, he went on to win the Manthani seat for a record four terms. In a conversation with Naveena Ghanate of The Pioneer, Sridhar Babu speaks about latitude in the Congress, his father, bureaucrat wife, and being elected as legislator four times.
Wanted to be lawyer like father
I am a normal outgoing student. But the situation and pressure due to siblings would be such that everybody used to top the class. So, peer pressure would always be there, and I would always be in the top 10. I am the third son. We have four brothers and two sisters. The atmosphere at home was all the time very cheerful, though ours was a big family. For some time, we missed that part of our family because all my siblings studied in the US. I never was inclined to go to the US. I was an arts student. I have done my masters from a Central University and later I went on to do my law from Delhi University. Except me, all my siblings are engineers. I thought of becoming a lawyer for life, after I gave up on UPSC. I attempted a couple of times, but I quit as I was unable to make it. My father was also a lawyer. So, I had that tingling. I played cricket for Nizam College and Delhi University. I never thought of becoming a cricket player, but cricket has been a passion.
Father shot dead
My father Duddilla Sripada Rao was a zamindar. He was a gold medalist lawyer and the speaker in 1999. My father was shot dead by the Naxalites and then I became a politician. The same incident had happened with my father too. Suddenly my grandfather expired. So, he had to leave his profession and take over the work. My father was a sarpanch for almost 22 years and Speaker of the combined AP Assembly. Losing one’s father is the biggest and the saddest part in anybody’s life and that too under naxalite attack and justice was not done. But in the long run, we just thought God will take care of everything. But what had happened was a mistake is what later we went on to say. On day of his death day, I had come back from the court knowing the news. We did not disclose it to Mom, but in one hour, she also got to worry about it. We were devastated as we never thought something like this would happen and for the family it was totally a disaster. And for 6-7 months, we never reconciled. I still feel sad because …what do you say at that moment. It’s shunyam and seeing the body, waiting for my brothers and sisters to come from the US. It took two days, and I was beside his body all the time. So, it was the darkest period of my life.
Family against politics
Actually, my mother and family all were against my continuance in politics. We just thought we would not be in politics, considering that, in the light of what my father had done for people, he was not paid back in a proper way. But then we had pressure from our party admirers, and someone had to fulfill my father’s dreams. So, siblings and all in family
decided on politics; it was a collective decision. My thought was to fulfill the dreams and ideas of my father, whatever it be, they had to be carried out. My father never involved us in politics. So, it was almost like I had to learn everything from scratch and the first one year was very tough. I was close to my mother. My father was always in politics. Most of the time he spent in village and among people. I used to think why I am not getting some time with my father on particular occasions and whenever one compulsorily want father to be present. But now the same thing happens to me with my kids. So, over a period of time, you know what happens after you get into politics, you will know how I was wrong in analyzing father’s role. Now my son or daughter keeps telling you don’t come to school. They will also try to understand. We are always under public scrutiny.
Yet to fulfill father’s dreams
I am yet to fulfil all of my father’s dreams. A couple of things made it reality. I used to feel many times as to why I picked this path. My father never used to reveal, you know, what problems he faced, but he always used to see us in good times. Naxalism prevalence was high, but salute to my mother because she lost her husband and me getting into politics,
moving around in the same villages. She should always feel tense all the time. I had to really go through all the villages try to understand them because I have to understand politics, how things will be, how our administration will react to it, being in a position- this has built my resilience. I got death threats a couple of times, but I believe you only die once, not every day. Every year on my father’s birth anniversary we do some sort activity like recognizing eminent persons and doing other charitable functions as we never got an opportunity to repay back to my father. So, that is one emotional thing that we have been doing every year for the past 24 years.
Civil Supplies favourite portfolio
I was made Minister after I got elected for the third time during Dr Y S Rajashekar Reddy’s tenure as CM. Among the portfolios, I had Civil Supplies. That was my favourite and Legislative Affairs was sort of controversial and I also held NRI Affairs. Legislative Affairs became controversial because during the Telangana movement the House was never run in a proper manner all the time as per legislative practices. Civil Supplies was my favourite because when the inflation was too high, the prices of essential items were rising, we did Amma Hastham where 9 items were given for Rs 180 rupees, which would cost Rs1,200. So that way, I think I have satisfaction that, you know, all the poor people, poorest of the people were catered. Now this government only gives rice and does nothing about inflation, but we secured hunger from inflation. Setting up paddy purchase centers across the state and in a week farmer used to get money in his bank. And third thing, what we have done is Mana Biyyam where grain cultivated in particular place would first go there. Putting their grain into their mouth — that will also give you good satisfaction.
Losing election was disappointing
I was elected thrice from Manthani and became Minister after being elected for the third time. After being a three-time MLA, losing election was very disappointing and that too after doing great work. I used to literally stay put in my constituency, being a Minister and got so many houses, new colleges or schools. My basic concentration over there was to
make everybody study and provide access to education, which was my father’s dream. And the second thing is that I was concentrating on irrigation where I could fulfill a slight part of what is now called Mini Kaleshwaram. Indian National Congress has such flexibility. The ministers have liberty, and they will be given some sort of freedom by the chief ministers to literally see that if that policy action is very progressive, is very good, and very useful to us. Now, what happens in any regional party is that the party and the government is only run by either an individual or by the family. So, whatever be the creative ideas, they don’t have that liberty to exchange their ideas with a man sitting at the top or with the family.
Policymaker not agitator
You get connected ideologically to the party and with the party’s affairs. I am a policymaker, not an agitator. So, during the Telangana agitation there was pressure to come out and we could not fall prey to opposition tactics. But a few people told you being in the national party when party is in power at the Center, your voice can only be heard when you have some position. So, I just thought about keeping that position. I had to voice my opinion. I just thought my voice was more important. My discipline was due to the fact that we were in the government, and we could not openly come and say that. We could not fight our own government and own party. Tussle with then chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy was out in the open. We used to differ when our chief minister used to talk about Telangana, knowing the last ball was not over. Then I differed; I told everything is over, the match is over. When the Telangana Bill was introduced, I resigned as legislative affairs minister, but resignation was not accepted at that time. I know he won’t accept my resignation because maybe I will be getting due credence and agitation still go strong. What I think is Kiran Kumar Reddy was a big strategist. He is a very intelligent politician. But personally, I think he made a wrongful decision of joining BJP.
Congress has too much of democracy
I was in the Karnataka elections as co-incharge. We only did the coordination work. It is, you know, synchronizing different groups coming, making them come to a platform. My job here is different. So, here also the party is making their level best to bring all the people
with different opinions and different conditions together. The Congress has democracy, too much of democracy. So, we will be expressing our opinions openly obviously. And that is also a strong point. So, the deliberations or whatever or opinions or suggestions is there, the opposition will take it as an advantage. Basically, the media has been controlled by them and they try to put it the wrong way that there are too many groups. Everybody would like to bring the party back to power. That is the common goal for everybody.
YSR is humane in approach
I love YSR’s style of working. He was always humane in his approach. After he became the chief minister too, his policies were always in favour of looking at the poor people. So, that created a certain level of respect for him. He was a political mentor for me because after my father I looked up to him. I worked under D Srinivas, Satyanarayana Rao, Keshav Rao. Now, the BRS government does not have the patience and they don’t want to resolve the
problems. They have only one point formula: that is to denounce the opposition, stop the opposition and make their only point of view telecast all through the state so that people will have that view. Biggest change I could suggest is Speaker sitting in the chair, should not be associated with parties. My father used to tell about recall system where if the state doesn’t perform what is being desired they have to rollback. This BRS government does it on a personal level. Things which are not there, things which do not fit with my nature, or my personality have been ascribed to me. So, that is the saddest part. I feel bad for it all the time and that will be there on my mind all the time. They have foisted on me. I am fighting them in courts.
My wife is woman of integrity
It was a love-cum-arranged marriage with Shailaja Ramaiyer IAS. We had known each other through our college years. When the proposal came for marriage, she was my junior in degree and junior in my PG. At home, we are not IAS and politician but like any husband and wife. She is an integrity driven and sincere officer who has been doing great work. She is an officer who believes in performing as per the government and rules. She is a self-
contained lady and even during the Congress regime also, she did not ask for big postings and neither I have gone and asked for her. She is very, very firm and disciplined; so, nobody tries to prank her. Back home, we don’t discuss the administration. Neither does she talk about politics. But this government suddenly feels that she’s the wife of an opposition leader. That’s a bad governance of the system. It is natural progress for any civil service officer to get posting, get promotions, irrespective of who is in power.
Kids don’t want to be politician or IAS
I am a moderately strict father, and this generation is different. Our kids are losing our parental time. I have 11th class studying daughter Aditha and school going son Sri Anirudh in 9th class. Blessing in disguise was when my daughter was in 10th, my wife did not have the posting so she could spend some quality time with her during her peak and very critical class exams. So, that is what God sees one way. If somebody sees that way, the God sees another way. I’m very optimistic that way. They don’t want to be either a politician or an officer. They are so frank; they say we keep seeing both of you as we are almost all the time occupied. So, they also should have felt this is not like what we needed.
Quick bytes
What is your favorite food? : Dal rice with pickle, ghee
Favorite color : always white and black
Favorite holiday destination : Hilly place
Bad habit that you have : having tea
Hobby : reading books
Do you watch movies : Sometimes
Fav actor : Amitabh Bacchan
What’s your fitness regime : Very, very, very irregular
Quote that you use often : My father used to say all the time. Stretch your legs as per the size of the cot because if you go beyond you will become uncomfortable
Who’s your favorite politician : Nehru
Do you listen to songs : Kishore Kumar and Pankaj Udhas
Happy moment : when poor people get houses. They know their future is secure
Sad moment in politics : Losing elections
