Between poetry and prison: Varavara Rao as voice of dissent in Indian radical politics

By Harsh Thakor* 

Varavara Rao, born in 1940, is an Indian poet, teacher, and activist associated with radical politics. He turns 85 on November 3. Known as VV, Rao gained prominence during the rural land rights movements of the 1960s and served as a mediator between the Andhra Pradesh government and Naxalite groups in the early 2000s. The Indian state has classified him as a dissident and a national security threat.

Rao has worked as a Marxist literary critic and opposed caste discrimination, religious orthodoxy, and neoliberal development. He co-founded the Revolutionary Writers Association (Virasam) in 1970 to link literature with social struggles. He also participated in establishing the Radical Students Movement in Andhra Pradesh and guided writers and activists on the left.

Born in Chinna Pendyala village in present-day Telangana, Rao was the youngest of ten siblings in a middle-class Brahmin family. His family participated in the Telangana Peasant Armed Struggle, and he was exposed to literature and political debate early on. He earned a master’s degree in Telugu literature from Osmania University, then taught and wrote poetry influenced by Sri Sri, Chalam, and Dasarathi. His 1968 anthology Chalinegallu addressed post-independence themes, while later works incorporated Marxist and revolutionary elements, shaped by the Naxalbari uprising and the Srikakulam movement.

Rao’s adoption of Marxism aligned with the Naxalite movement, and his writings from that era advocated revolutionary change. Through Virasam, he supported leftist literary efforts. He joined protests and encountered state actions, including his first arrest in 1973 after a student demonstration in Warangal. Over the years, he faced charges under laws including TADA, MISA, and UAPA, serving approximately ten years in prison in total. He is an accused in the Bhima Koregaon–Elgar Parishad case, involving alleged Maoist links, which he has denied.

Rao has documented his prison experiences in the memoir Captive Imagination, addressing confinement and state handling of dissent. From 1973 to 2018, he was arrested 25 times; 13 cases were dismissed after trials, three were quashed without trial, and the others were withdrawn.

Rao has continued writing and addressing social and political issues despite incarceration and health issues. He has critiqued aspects of revolutionary movements, such as limited engagement with minority communities, and has referenced B.R. Ambedkar’s ideas while interacting with scholars including Anand Teltumbde.

Critics contend that Rao overstated the viability of armed movements in Telangana and Bastar and that his emphasis on ideological consistency restricted Virasam’s scope. His contributions to Telugu literature, radical criticism, and the integration of art and politics are acknowledged.

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*Freelance journalist