Dadala Raphael Ramanayya - Early Life

Early Life

Ramanayya was born into a poor family from a tiny hamlet, called Farampeta, about 2 kilometers from Yanam. His father, Dadala Bhairvaswamy, was a farm worker, and his mother's name was Ramanamma. Ramanayya was orphaned at the age of four and was taken under the care of his paternal Grandmother Veeramma, along with whom he had to work for food in the fields of landlords of the neighbouring villages. The French priests of Yanam Catholic Church, Father Artic and later Father Gangloff took him under their patronage and educated him. Father Gangloff helped him to study in the high school of the Petit Seminaire college, Pondicherry and later on to finish his Baccalaureate (B.A.) from the Government's Arts College, Pondicherry.

During February 1932, during his student days, on the occasion of "Mardigras" and during a fancy dress procession, a few European students misbehaved with some Brahmin girls of a high family in open public. The governor dismissed the petitions sent to him saying "The youngsters had some fun in jovial mood. Nothing is offending in it." Dadala was indignant that the sons of the governor and other high officials could escape scot-free without even an apology to the parents of the girls. He raised a student group to rebel against this and beat up some European students in retaliation. He was immediately arrested along with another student, but later due to a great public outcry, the then governor of Pondicherry ordered his release.

In February 1933, he passed a competitive examination of teachers for teaching French and worked for about two months as a teacher in Bahour. Later again he passed in First Class the competitive examination to be appointed as a Sub-Inspector of Police of Mudaliarpet.