Q. Analyse the challenges faced by the Library Movement in Telangana under the repressive policies of the Nizam’s administration.

Approach:
Introduction:
• Start by establishing the cultural significance of the Library Movement as part of Telangana’s early social awakening. Introduce the Nizam’s authoritarian context and define the question focus: how state repression and feudal resistance challenged a movement aimed at democratizing knowledge.
Body:
Use a thematic structure, with 4–5 subheadings covering different dimensions of challenge:
1. Censorship and Surveillance
• Raids under Hyderabad State Public Security Act
• Monitoring of library activities in places like Khammam, Nalgonda
2. Ban on Political and Progressive Literature
• Marxist, reformist works banned
• Intimidation and book seizures in libraries (e.g., Warangal)
3. Lack of State Patronage
• No financial support unlike other princely states
• Survival through public donations and volunteers
4. Suppression of Activists
• Arrests of leaders (e.g., Ravi Narayana Reddy) under sedition laws
• Police targeting of literacy workers
5. Social and Feudal Barriers
• Mass illiteracy and landlord opposition
• Dalits and tenant farmers denied access
Each point should include example + explanation + consequence to show depth.
Conclusion:
• Summarize that despite facing systematic repression, the movement sparked intellectual awakening across Telangana. Its foundational role in shaping public consciousness led thinkers like Suravaram Pratap Reddy to call it Telangana’s first real movement.

Introduction:
The main objective of the Library Movement in Telangana was to make books on Telangana’s history accessible to the common people and foster public awareness. The movement began with the establishment of the Sri Krishna Devaraya Andhra Bhasha Nilayam by Komarraju Laxman Rao in 1901, marking the beginning of cultural and social awakening in the region.

Body:
Challenges Under Nizam’s Rule:
1. Censorship and Surveillance
a) The Hyderabad State Public Security Act (1940s) empowered the Nizam government to raid libraries and seize material considered “seditious.”
b) Libraries in Khammam and Nalgonda were often targeted if they kept progressive Telugu works, including those of Sri Sri and Komaram Bheem.
c) Government spies were deployed to monitor intellectual gatherings at library halls.
2. Ban on Political and Progressive Literature
a) Books by Karl Marx, M.N. Roy, and Veeresalingam were officially banned.
b) Libraries in Warangal and Karimnagar that dared to keep such literature had their books seized and sometimes even burned.
c) This created an atmosphere of fear and intellectual suppression.
3. No State Patronage or Funding
a) Unlike princely states like Travancore or Baroda, Hyderabad State refused to fund libraries unless they promoted religious orthodoxy.
b) Institutions like Vivek Vardhini Library survived purely on the goodwill and donations of ordinary citizens, particularly schoolteachers and grassroots activists.
c) This lack of funding limited their reach and sustainability.
4. Suppression of Activists and Organizers
a) Volunteers associated with the Andhra Mahasabha and the Communist Party were arrested under sedition charges. b) Leaders like Ravi Narayana Reddy and Baddam Yella Reddy, who actively promoted literacy and public mobilization through libraries, were constantly targeted.
c) Many were harassed, tortured, or placed under long-term surveillance.
5. Barriers to Learning in Feudal Society
a) More than 85% of people in rural Telangana could not read or write, which made it hard for the movement to reach the masses.
b) Feudal landlords feared the empowerment of tenant farmers and Dalits, and often stopped library efforts in their villages. c) In several areas, landlords directly closed down or damaged libraries to prevent access.

Conclusion:
Despite facing restrictions and repression from the Nizam’s repressive policies, the Library Movement significantly contributed to raising public awareness on social, cultural, and political issues. Its transformative role in awakening the masses is the reason Suravaram Pratap Reddy regarded it as the first movement in Telangana.

Additional Embellishment: