The Nizam In recognition of his services to Dalits honored him with the title of “Khusro-e-Aleem” and with the title “Khusro-E-Deccan”.
Khosrow is a “Male given name” of Iranian origin, held by Khosrow I of Sassanid Persia.
- Over the years, the word has come to mean “king” or “ruler” or was used as a dynastic name.
- Battula Sainna Venkata Rao was born on 11th Dec, 1900, to Battula Saianna and Muthemma.
- He was a key leader in the Dalit movement that was built in the erstwhile Princely state of Hyderabad.
- He was influenced by educational institutions and movements led by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in Maharashtra.
- He worked for the spread of education among the Dalit youth through many organizations.
- Nizam’s government-sanctioned grant of Rs 1 crore to the Scheduled Castes Welfare Fund because of his initiative.
About B.S. Venkata Rao
- He was the second-generation leader after Bhagya Reddy Varma in the Adi Hindu movements which were on rising.
- In the year 1919, he joined the Nizam Sagar project as Asst Recruitment Officer and later went on to join the Public Works Department.
- He resigned from his job and joined the larger Dalit movement of Hyderabad.
Venkat Rao worked extensively on education for the oppressed classes and spent a large part of his earnings on the same.
In the year 1936, Rao recognized the efforts of Dr. B R Ambedkar in the social arena and started the 17th Youth League Of Ambedkarites along with P R Venkataswamy, fully supporting the social movement.
Later he renamed the Ambedkar Youth League to Hyderabad State Depressed Classes Association.
His movement was so intense that he was asked to preside over the Bombay Presidency Mahar Sabha by Ambedkar himself praising his contribution to the Dalit movement in Hyderabad.
From then, throughout his life, he spent his life for the liberation of Dalits. He strongly opined education is a key weapon and a voice of protest.
The religious practices that lowered the status of individuals irked him the most.
In an interview, he said, “As long as we (DALITS) continue in Hindu religion, there is no liberation for us. We shall choose to go for a religion that seeks equality or a new religion altogether”.
Venkata Rao started a number of initiatives to propagate Ambedkarism among the Dalit youth in Hyderabad, motivated by the expanding Dalit movement in Maharashtra.
He campaigned for the dissemination of education among the Dalit youth through a number of organizations and was greatly affected by the educational institutions and activities established by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in Maharashtra.
Under Venkata Rao’s direction, a sizable number of Dalit youngsters from the Bollaram, Secunderabad, and Hyderabad regions actively participated in progressive activities.
Venkata Rao’s leadership for the Dalit movement in Hyderabad State earned recognition in administrative, civil, and political fields, Railway employees, Army Jawans, domestic help with English officers, businessmen, and contractors, among others, and started activities for the promotion of awareness among Dalits.
