Damodaram Sanjivayya

Damodaram Sanjeevaiah (14 February 1921 – 7 May 1972) was an Indian politician who served as the 2nd chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 11 January 1960 to 12 March 1962.

Sanjivayya was the first Dalit Chief Minister of an Indian state.

He was also the first Dalit leader to become All India Congress Committee president.

Damodaram Sanjeevaiah was born in a Mala Dasu family in Peddapadu village of Kallur Mandal in Kurnool district.

His father died when he was in young age.

He studied at the Municipal School and he took a Bachelor's degree in Law from Madras Law College in 1948.

Even being a student, he actively participated in the Indian freedom movement.

Damodaram Sanjeevaiah was Minister in the composite Madras State.

He was the member of the provisional parliament 1950–52.

In 1950 Sanjeevaiah married a Dalit teacher, Krishnaveni.

They had no children.

Sanjeevaiah wrote literary articles and poetry in Telugu in his free time.

In 1962, Sanjivayya also became the first Dalit leader from Andhra Pradesh to become All India Congress Committee president.

He was Minister of Labour and Employment under Lal Bahadur Shastri between 9 June 1964 and 23 January 1966.

Sanjeevaiah was the first Dalit Chief Minister of an Indian state.

He wrote a book on Labour problems and industrial development in India, in 1970 published by Oxford and IBH Pub.

Co., New Delhi.

He introduced pension system for widows, elderly people,

he established Lalitha kala academy in Andhra pradesh,

he was the youngest chief minister ever in India, he introduced the office of Anticorruption Bureau {ACB}, he completed the irrigation projects like Gajuladinne in Kurnool dist., Vamsadhara, Pulichintala and varadarajula swamy project near Atmakur in Kurnool dist.