Some Reminiscences
The late Mr. Y.S. Chinna Konda Reddy
- Mr. Vasanth D. Joseph Hyderabad
My remembrances of the late Mr. Chinna Konda Reddy go back to his Balapanur days, and my Pulivendla days. He and his parents were staunch friends of my parents, the late Rev. Y.Satya Joseph of Pulivendla more than anything else, that TCC period (1911-1946)has rightly been termed the golden age of Missionary Endeavour. This was the age in which men and women had dedication, which had no place for greed. One of the fundametal features of the Christian faith is trust,for that is the basis of love and not faith or hope.What Saint Paul is bidding us to do, in I Cor Chapter 13, is to ignore what happens between us, and to trust Jesus Christ our Lord in all matters. This is exactly what Mr. Chinna Konda Reddy had the courage to do. While I know that most of us do not have the habit of writing letters, the late Mr. Y. S. Chinna Konda Reddy did write regularly to my father, who, along with my mother were sent out to Papua New Guinea as on S.I.U.C., missionaries and later as C.S.I., missionaries. In this regard, it can be seen I think that the late Mr. Chinna Konda Reddy could have had a vision of Christ, somewhat similar to Mark 12:29-31, and learnt to try and walk in His footsteps. Mr. Sandinti Venkat Reddy, himself had no problems with his son Mr. Chinna Konda Reddy, what was common to father and the second of his five sons and five daughters Venkat Reddy family's interest is 42 to improve themselves in living a Christian life. The late Y. S. Chinna Konda Reddy was a bright star in this firmament, teaching others the elements of salvation. In the matter of a roof for the Pulivendula Church building programme of the late Rev.Y.Satya Joseph, excellent tough and solid wood had to be found in 1946. Mr. Y.S. Chinna Konda Reddy, being a contractor by profession, suggested that the best wood was "innumaddi" from the forsets of Ballarsha in Maharashtra. Not only that, he took an advance of Rs. 2000/- and returned Rs. 500/- of it to Mr. Y.S. Satya Joseph, soon after the deal was completed. There, Rs. 500/- was a very big sum in 1946 and Mr..Chinna Konda Reddy deserves full credit for finishing the Pulivendula Church building, after the Josephs left for Pupua New Guinea in November, 1946. For Christians, letters are important. After the Gospels, the importance of the epistles in the New Testament need not be stressed, but studied. The later Mr. Chinna Konda Reddy whole heartedly studied The New Testament from cover to cover and may God bless his soul. The late Y.S. Chinna Konda Reddy appeares to be a person of St.Peter's caliber, who slipped and fell, but never faild to get up until he reached his Master. His message, to us of today, is undoubtedly. "Be alert, standfirm in the faith. Be brave be strong" (I Corinthians 16:13).
Mr. Vasanth D. Joseph