Remembering an Activist Intellectual

Gaddam Krishna Reddy, professor of political science at Osmania University and honorary director of the Indian Council for Social Science Research (Southern Regional Centre, Hyderabad), passed away peacefully on 11 June at his home. He spent the night before his death making small talk cheerfully with friends Rikka Limbadri and Rami Reddy, as well as family members.

Krishna Reddy did his MA and MPhil at the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi and started his teaching career at Osmania University in the early 1990s. To contextualise Krishna Reddy’s unique academic contribution and his devoted activism, one has to understand his personal and social background. He came from a feudal Reddy caste background; at a professional level, he was a well-known political scientist and the former chairman of the University Grants Commission. He was also vice chancellor of multiple universities. Stepping outside the bubble of caste privilege and that of being related to an influential academic was the challenge he faced throughout his life. He strived earnestly to de-caste himself and identified with Dalit academics and activists as an anti-caste collaborator. As a long-time personal friend and collaborator, I can comfortably state that Krishna Reddy overcame caste and personal privileges. He won the trust and friendship not only of Dalits, but also the women’s movement and other organisations fighting for social equality and human dignity.