Autobiography: Y.S. Chinna Konda Reddy
Family Background I am Y.S.Chinna Konda Reddy, the second son of Sri Y.S. Venkata Reddy. We hail from Balapanuru village in Pulivendla Taluk of Kadapa district. As our ancestors lived in a small lane in our village, the villagers addressed us as Sandinti [family in a small lane] family, thus our families are familiar as [Yeduguru Sandinti] Y.S. families. My father Sri Y.S.Venkata Reddy was well informed in Indian culture and traditions from his childhood. Everyday, he used to have ceremonial bath and conduct worships. He used to wear Rudraksha Mala [Hindu religious rosary]. My father, from his childhood was well versed in Indian epics and taught its morals to many people. He used to recite Hindu scriptures and participate in theological discourses in several meetings. Having trained by Hindu gurus, he used to train the local people in Bhajans and singing worships. He was taught Hindu theology by Bhatrajus [Hindu folk teachers] and was able to conduct Bhajan groups all by himself. For his peace of mind, he always used to study Puranas and Hindu epics. He used to go on pilgrimage periodically along with religious groups. Having Rudraksha Mala in his neck and sacred lines on his forehead [Vibhudhi], he used to recite “Namassivaya” formula. Having devotion for Thirumala Venkateswara, he named all his five children “Venkata”. 1
My father Sri Y.S.Venkata Reddy was well trained in agriculture which was our family trait. Balapanuru area was known for its greenery as well as its hot politics. In that village, there were land lords, big farmers as well as poor and ordinary families. My father never hurt or exploited any of the poor community rather helped them in all their needs and difficulties. Thus he was known to be a friend of the poor. He always inclined to be available to all communities so that there would be harmony and peace all over the village.
My Childhood My father Sri.Y.S.Venkata Reddy married Lakshmamma daughter of Sri Sidda Reddy belonging to Bonala village in Pulivendla Taluk. As she did not conceive, my father married another woman Mangamma daughter of Sri Chinna Reddy belonging to Ulavapalle Rajupalem village in Kamalapuram Taluk. Thus he had two wives. When second wife Smt Mangamma became pregnant, the first wife Smt. Lakshmamma, who is my mother, also became pregnant. She gave birth to a girl child who unfortunately died in her childhood. Once again, my mother became pregnant and in God’s great mercy, I was born on 13th July 1913. My father carefully recorded all our birthdays. I studied my elementary school up to 5th standard in Balapanur and then in 1924 joined in Farmers’ High School in Pulivendula. By 1928, I completed my Fourth Form [9th class] and received my certificates. At home, I used to assist my father in his agriculture activities.
Gracious Revelation of Truthful God My father was living an exemplary life with his deep rooted faith in traditional Indian Hindu religious practices on one hand and on the other, with sharp social consciousness and service motive. 2
From the beginning my father did not like Christianity rather developed hatred because of his notion that it was a foreign religion. He used to make a mockery, saying that the Christian religion was confined only to Mala and Madiga castes. For him, Jesus was an alien God. When I was 12 years old, one Sri Isaiah, a teacher in Balapanur School gave to my father a New Testament containing the life of story of Jesus Christ, saying “Sir, please read this book carefully and if you don’t like please return it to me”. My father opened that book with a motive of finding faults and mistakes. Exactly at the same time, a doctor Sri Nambi Narasaiah of Madur village became a friend to my father and he introduced the gospel of Jesus Christ. During the same period, many dreams of our family for a male child came true with the birth of my brother Y.S.Deva Raja Reddy. Eventually, our faith in Christ was started growing. While my father was reading the Bible, he was very much attracted by the verse in St.Mathew – 22:39 – "Love your neighbour as yourself ". He was marveled that in the world history, nobody has propounded the teaching of love in this way. We were privilege to instill our faith in Jesus Christ as our great God. As it is written in Psalms-144:15- “blessed are those whose God is Yahweh”. Having studied the Bible, my father Sri Y.S.Venkata Reddy realized that Lord Jesus Christ was the only saviour of the world and only through His blood the sinners would get salvation and attain heavenly bliss [Moksham]. In this way, each one of us started receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. Along with our father, I also believed in Jesus and received baptism. In those days, the agriculture laborers were paid the wages in terms of food-grains measured by earthen pot called “Seru Munthalu”. These were the standard measures of those days. But these pots used in our home were smaller by 1/3 of genuine measure. When I found that 3 those pots were used to pay the daily wages to the labourers in our home, I felt very sad as it was injustice. Ezekiel -45:10 says – “You shall have just balances, a just ephah and a just bath. The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure. Thus says the Lord God: you shall have just balances [kara thrasu] a just ephah [kara padi] and a just bath [kara thumu]”. I was convinced to obey the word of God and live a just life. Feeling the guiltiness of it and understanding that it was an injustice I went into my home and replaced the wrong measuring pots with the genuine ones. When my father came to know what I had done, he was simply happy and appreciated me. Deuteronomy 24:14-15 says,"you shall not suppress a hired servant who is poor and needy whether he is one of your brother or one of the sojourners who are in your land, within your towns, you shall give him his hire on the day he earns it before sun goes down. For his poor, and sets his heart upon it; lest he cry against you to the Lord and it be sin in you”. Accordingly my father used to instruct me to pay the daily wages each day to the labourers. I loved my father and worked for him diligently. Ephesians 6:1-2 says, “Honour your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise, “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth”. I have personally experienced and received the blessings by following the above commandment. I have realized with my personal experience that any one who wants to reach the heights of his life must obey his parents, love them and follow their commandments. My father, Sri Y.S. Venkata Reddy trained us in prayerful life from our childhood. Everyday after supper, we used to have our family 4 prayer. We were allowed to go to bed only after the prayer. My father used to explain to us many things from the Bible in our family prayers.
Marriage The elders of our family decided my marriage with Rajamma, the second daughter of Pedda Subba Reddy belonging to Ulavapalle Rajpalem village in Kamalapuram thaluk. It was God’s abundant grace that my marriage was held in a garden west to Balapanur village solemnized by God’s servant Rev.Y.Satya Joseph on 29th December 1932. As it was Christian marriage that too the marriage in reputed Y.S. family, many friends, relatives, Co-farmers and many people from neighboring villages attended the marriage out of their curiosity and interest. Sri Velpula Paul Reddy, Sri Sarvayapalle Nagi Reddy who were staunch believers of Jesus Christ already converted and along with the then missionary Rev.Romphas from Kadapa attended the marriage. Though there was no bus-transportation facility in those days, many had attended the marriage. It was 2nd Christian marriage in our family as my elder brother Sri Pedda Konda Reddy’s marriage took place in 1929 with Smt Mariamma, daughter of Dr.Marreddy Joji Reddy of Urutur village in Kamalapuram Taluk. Their marriage was solemnized at Roman Catholic Church of Nagarajupalle in Jammalamadugu Taluk. As it is written in Proverbs-19:14 “...a prudent wife is from the Lord”, God blessed me with wife of wisdom and values. She proved as an ideal wife by being with me all the time, keeping up the family status. God had blessed us with pretty children. Of course, in the early days of our marriage we had to face a tragedy as eldest one of our three daughters had become blind due to eye-ailment and died at the age of 3years and 3 months. I only believed and accepted it as God’s will. After her death, with great sorrow we prayed for His mercies and He blessed us 5 with next four male children. But among the four, the second son died when he was just 10 months. With His abundant love He responded to our prayers and blessed us with next three more daughters. Thus, since 1934 to 1955 we were blessed with 13 children among whom one daughter and one son slept in Him in their childhood. By the providential grace of God, we brought up 6 male and 5 female children who are healthy and happy until now. Me and my wife always remember in prayers as it is said in Psalms 85:12 – “…Lord will give you what is good...” After my marriage, I took much burden and took care of my younger brothers and sisters along with my elder brother’s children in their studies as well as maintaining the joint family. For children’s education I had to struggle much for about a decade from 1933 to 1944. During those days, I used to travel 40 to 50 miles on cycle to take care of my trade and agricultural activities as well. “Few lives live longer not out of Amrutham but by showing Love” As I struggled more than my ability, I suffered from Pneumonia in the month of April, 1944 which affected all my routine activities for more than two months. Of course, Almighty God heard our prayers and I recovered fully.
Family that prays together stays together The basis for all the prosperity of our families is our Family prayer! Nevertheless we had overcome all kinds of struggles in the family and hurdles in the trade through the mighty power of prayer. For all our successes and as well as in loss, we only relied on the power of prayer and Gods answers each time. I strongly believe that only God has provided His abundant grace in response to my prayers, in all that I had experienced in my life, prosperity in the family and courage in times of trial. After my marriage I continued to live in my father’s home for several years and we together 6 shouldered the responsibility of our families. In 1949, September 30th I separated myself from my father’s home. Yet I was assisting my father in all matters, to some extent financially as well until my father’s demise. In God’s grace me and my wife with our sons and daughters, nurtured very much in the word of God and prayers. In His providence, my sons and daughters got married in their appropriate ages. From 1952 October till 1975 June, all the marriages of my children have been taken place. I profusely praise God for His grace that all my sons and daughters have been blessed with nice children and every one is fine. Sri C Shubhakar Reddy, the eldest son of my second daughter got married in Balapanuru in 1972 and God has blessed them with a son and a daughter. In 1977, February 3rd Sri C Shubhakar Reddy while traveling to Bangalore in a jeep met with an accident and injured all over his body affecting paralysis. His father, Sri Subba Reddy spent several lakhs of rupees to recover his son, but in vain. It is only grace of God that he is able to only speak even though he can not attend to all his needs and depends upon others. I continued to pray for him that God would heal him. I am now 75 years old. By 12th July 1987, I will complete my 75 years and by 29th December 1987 I complete our 55 years of married life. In all these 74 years of my life, I lived under the care of my parents for 19 years. After the marriage we continued to live in our father’s home for 17 years until I was 36. Yet, I passed through several financial crises. Many hurdles I had to face during the period from 1949 to 1970, which led me into lots of losses and sold a part of my property in order to clear the debts. Psalms 15:4 – “He always does what He promises, no mater how much loss it may cost….” 7
God’s providence in our perils It so happened in 1953 that I took the contract work of digging the Kurnool Canal, for which I had to take 600 men and women labour from Pulivendla. As there was no cooperation with PWD department in the place of our work, I could not provide job for all the people I took for nearly 3 weeks. Exactly the same time, the cholera epidemic erupted in the neighbouring villages. As the labour had to keep going and coming from these villages, many of the people in the camp were affected with cholera and nearly 35 of them died. Because of this disaster, I had to loose huge money in this work. With deep depression because of these crises, I only could go to the rescue of the God in prayer. I had to struggle a lot to accomplish the task to which I was committed. It became too difficult for me even to move the labour to the work spot. I realized that unless I go to the rescue of God, I can not get over these crises. As it is written in Psalm 37:5 – “…..commit your ways to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will accomplish…” I took the promise and knelt before God who is all powerful. God has rescued me in the task which was beyond my ability.
“Start your day with the Lord – the light of your life. Commit each morning all that you have to do to His way. Your first step with God and all the steps with Him Rivers, hills, valleys, experience your strength from Him. Your first encounter with God in prayer Flourish your enterprise with all His power Praise and grace all to creator not to the creation”.
I realized the fact that human beings as we are not wholly rely on own strength and wisdom, but should humble ourselves to the feet of the Lord to accomplish any task. From then onwards, I used to go to the feet of the God, meditate and pray every morning before I start my work. All those who did great things to God used to pray in the early morning. Therefore it is indeed good for us to have morning prayers. It is natural that our lives are filled with ups and downs, joys and sorrows just like in the nature the floods and droughts happen. In such situations, we need to acculturate the divine attitudes of righteousness, justice, truth, love and kindness which we can gain only through struggling in prayer with confidence that the Lord would give us. As far as possible it is nice to be amicable with everybody around us. We can prosper in the Lord only if we have the life of praying all three times a day by inviting God the creator into our daily lives as our partner. Mortal life is always temporary. We need to get out of our selfishness and in all our enterprises extend a helping hand to the poor, physically handicapped, destitute, orphans, widows, the sick and so on. Only such person can have right relationship with God. Every person should realize and incline to do good as much as he can to all around him. Those who follow these principles can alone live in the fellowship with God, because John-I: 4-20 says…” if any one says, “I love God”, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen can not love God, whom he can not see”. Human being must have concern on the animal and plant kingdom. They also have pain and life. God has given life to them as much as we are given. God has kept this animal, plant into the care of human being according to Genesis 1:28, we also can see in Psalm 8 that ani9 mals, birds, fish and all the living beings are kept under the care of the human beings by God himself. Also Proverb 12:10 says “the righteous man will be kind to animals” and there fore we must be kind towards the animals and all the living. I strongly believe that only those who show kindness to animal and other living creatures, can be acceptable to God. In order to put all these wonderful truths in our heart, we need to have consciousness, kindness, righteousness, justice and truth. If every person becomes kind like this, it is my strong faith that we flourish in our village, in our district and even in our nation with peace and prosperity. It is very easy to write or to say these kinds of good words but for those who inclined to put them in practice will have to prepare to face all kinds of hurdles, difficulties, insults and so on… “No patience even to pray, for the body is weak mind is disturbed and void of sleep Tired and varied, no strength and depressed Surely have a sleep in the arms of motherly love God knows you are tired, no need to pray in words… Show your heart, open your mind Submit to Him, you’re whole and rest with Him in peace.