Birth

Monsieur Samatam Krishnayya (Samatam Kistaya) was born in Yanam in and around 1875.

Life

He was poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

, historian

Historian

A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...

 and ayurvedic doctor

Ayurveda

Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...

 too. He wrote many books in Telugu

Telugu language

Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...

. He was staunch pro-French politician in his days.

During 1954, Monsieur Maddimsetti fled from Yanam to join pro-merger group, which brought anger in its people that led to pillage of his home. Then a 78 year old, Monsieur Samatam Krouschnaya was became the Mayor of Yanam (interim) who was the lone pro-French leader to fight against pro-merger leaders.

Death

He died during the Coup d'État de Yanaon

Coup d'état de Yanaon

The Coup d'état of Yanaon was an incident which brought interest for both India and France when both governments were in an ongoing negotiations in Delhi and Paris regarding the future of French settlements in India in 1954.Yanam was a predominantly pro-French colony, with staunch pro-French...

 on Sunday, 13 June 1954 at the age of 78 years. It was declared that he was killed by Indian Military while seizing Yanam. But it is still a mystery about the actual causes and real persons behind his death. Had he been alive when the coup ended, Yanaon still would exist as French colony.

Major view about his death

On the day of the coup, he fought a lone battle to maintain French Sovereinty in Yanam against all the pro-merger groups. When he was trying to jump from a wall (at Pydikondala house) and take shelter, he was shot by Maddimchetty Satianandam who had a pistol

Pistol

When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

 which had been given to him by one of his close friends. It was known that Maddimchetty thought that because of Monsieur Samatam that only his house had been pillaged. The 78 year old, Acting Mayor

Acting Mayor

Acting mayor is a temporary office created by the charter of some municipal governments.-History:In many cities and towns, the charter or some similar fundamental document provides that in the event of the death, resignation, or removal from office of the mayor, another official will lead the...

 Monsieur Samatam collapsed mortally wounded, but even as he was dying he did not stop shouting Vive la France. It was declared that Monsieur Samatam was killed by shots fired by the Indian Military which brought tears to many people in Yanam. Had Monsieur Samatam survived that day, it is thought that the Coup d'État de Yanaon

Coup d'état de Yanaon

The Coup d'état of Yanaon was an incident which brought interest for both India and France when both governments were in an ongoing negotiations in Delhi and Paris regarding the future of French settlements in India in 1954.Yanam was a predominantly pro-French colony, with staunch pro-French...

 would have been a complete failure. The death of Monsieur Samatam is still considered by the French even now as a political conspiracy

Conspiracy (political)

In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....

 perpetrated by the Indian side. For locals of Yanam, it is still a mystery, who was the real murderer of their beloved leader.

A popular view is that, it was only personal interests that drove the leaders to help in the merger of Yanam rather than that of the cause of Indian nationalism

Indian nationalism

Indian nationalism refers to the many underlying forces that molded the Indian independence movement, and strongly continue to influence the politics of India, as well as being the heart of many contrasting ideologies that have caused ethnic and religious conflict in Indian society...

.

French patriot

The French Government identified him as a patriot

Patriotism

Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...

 of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 and even commemorated

Commemoration

Commemoration may refer to:*Commemoration , an observance of the Church of England*Commemoration , a prayer of the Roman Catholic Church...

 him with a statue

Statue

A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...

 which exists in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 even today. They used to garland

Garland

A garland is a class of decoration, of which there are many types.Garland may also refer to:-Places:*Garland, Arkansas, a town in Miller County*Garland County, Arkansas*Garland, Maine, a town in Penobscot County...

 his statue in the remembrance of his lone sacrificial fight on the day of Coup d'État de Yanaon to defend France.

Titles held

See also

• Yanam, French India
• Dadala Rafael Ramanayya
• Diwan Bouloussou Soubramaniam Sastroulou
• Kamichetty Sri Parassourama Varaprassada Rao Naidu
  Kamichetty Sri Parassourama Varaprassada Rao Naidu
  Kamichetty Sri Parassourama Varaprassada Rao Naidu was a member of the legislative assembly of Yanam, India from 1964 until his death in 1989....