Nationality Indian | Occupation Wrestler | |
Other names Flag Hero , Freedom Fighter, Thota Narasayya Naidu Other name Flag Hero , Freedom Fighter, Thota Narasayya Naidu | ||
Thota Narasaiah Naidu was an Indian Freedom Fighter resident of Pagolu taluk, Machilipatnam . He was a wrestler by profession and served in the court of Challapalli Zamindar.
On 6 May 1930 there was outburst of rioting across India, due to the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi for leading the Dandi March. In Machilipatnam, Thota Narasaiah Naidu along with other eminent leaders, led a protest against this They started to march towards Koneru center, reverberating the slogans Bharath mata ki jai, Mahatma Gandhijiki Jai.
Narasaiah Naidu along with two other leaders tried to hoist the Indian National Flag at the cape of the tall pillar located at center of Koneru Center. To stop the protest and the flag hoist, the police started to rain severe blows on them; they lost their grip and were severely bruised however, they still continued to chant the slogans which further angered the police, though bleeding profusely, Thota Narasaiah Naidu took the Indian National Flag, while constantly chanting the slogans Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai, he climbed on top of the pillar and hoisted the flag, mean while large number of angered British police also started climbing the pillar and were continuously raining lathi blows on him and tried to pull him down and the Indian National Flag, Thota Narasaiah Naidu despite being attacked, continued to chant slogans, stood on top of the pillar holding the hoisted flag tight in his clutches.
Being a wrestler and known for having the muscles of steel, he could have easily charged back at the British Police, however, abiding to Mahatma Gandhiji's non-violence principles, he continued to hoist the flag undeterred by the viscous blows of Lathi Charge, after 45 minutes of this act of valor, he collapsed from the top of pillar suffering severe Injuries.
Upon hearing this courageous deed of Thota Narasaiah Naidu, it is said that Gandhiji had referred to him by the term Flag Hero, from then on in the town of Machilipatnam, Thota Narasaiah Naidu is popularly known as The Flag Hero Thota Narasaiah Naidu