Latchanna worked for farmers and disenfranchised people. He was arrested at the age of 21, when he participated in the
Salt Satyagraha at
Palasa. Latchanna also participated in the
Quit India Movement. He was given the title of
sardar for his activities against the
British Raj. Latchanna continued his political and social activism after Indian independence in 1947, working on behalf of farmers, labourers, and the working class. He was also a member of Madras Trade Union Board. He played a role in the fall of Prakasham Panthulu's government over the issue of prohibition.
Freedom fighter He participated in the
Swaraj movement at the age of 21, starting with the
Salt Satyagraha at
Palasa. He was subsequently arrested in connection with a salt-cotaurs raid at Naupada in April 1930. He was sent to
Tekkali and
Narasannapeta sub-jails in
Srikakulam. After conviction, he was sent to
Berhampur jail in
Ganjam to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one month. After the
Gandhi–Irwin Pact in 1931, he organized a
Satyagraha camp at
Baruva and led picketing of
toddy,
liquor, and foreign cloth shops in
Ichchapuram,
Sompeta, and
Tekkali. In 1932, he participated in the
civil disobedience movement by hoisting the Congress flag at
Baruva. He was beaten for violating prohibitory orders and imprisoned for six months in
Rajahmundry central jail. In 1932, after being released from Rajahmundry jail, Latchanna organised "Harijan Seva Sangam" at Baruva, inspired by
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's "fast-unto-death" on the issue of
untouchability. He started a night school in the
harijan-Cheri, agitated against untouchability, and took
harijans to a drinking water well at Baruva. He and his colleagues were socially boycotted in response. As the secretary of Andhra Rashtra Congress Committee, he organised a reception at
Eluru for the soldiers of
Azad Hind Fauz. Latchanna participated in the
Quit India Movement in 1942. While underground, he was invited to a South Indian Congress leaders meeting at Madras. He was arrested at
Rajahmundry in 1943 while en route to Madras. He was sentenced for one year for possessing seditious literature. He was released in October 1945.
Revolutionary influence With imprisonment in
Rajahmundry central jail aftermath of the
civil disobedience in 1932, he came in contact with revolutionists like Vijay Kumar Sinha (Bijoy Kumar Sinha) and Siva Verma who were life-imprisoned in Lahore Conspiracy Case in connection with
Bhagat Singh, who were also imprisoned in the same block in which Latchanna was imprisoned. Siva Verma and B.J. Sinha were transferred from
Cellular Jail to Rajahmundry central prison, aftermath the fast-unto-death in demand for separate treatment for political prisoners. Latchanna, along with Andhra colleagues, like Anne Anjayya and Alluri Satyanarayanaraju used to have long discussions in prison about "Indian Republic Revolutionary Party" organization. They decided to start a similar revolutionary party, in Andhra after their release. As Latchanna was released with 6 months conviction before his Andhra colleagues who were convicted for one year, he and his colleagues decided to meet again to start a revolutionary party after release too. In the meantime, Latchanna went to
Cuttack,
Kharagpur,
Tatanagar, and
Calcutta to meet the "Indian Republic Revolutionary Party" leaders for joining their movement, as promised to Siva Verma and B.K. Sinha. By the time he went, all the revolutionary party members were either arrested or went underground. During this time, he fell ill in
Tatanagar, and was brought back home by his brother from Tatanagar.
Leader for Kisans Around 1932, after his return from Tatanagar to Baruva, Latchanna participated in the foot-march of Rythu-Rakshana call given by
N. G. Ranga from Varanasi, of parlakimide estate to
Chatrapur. He organized estate-wise "
Zamindari Rythu" associations, organised indirect no-tax campaign, fought for the abolition of
Zamindari system on the plea that
Kisans were unable to pay the heavy land revenue levied. In 1940, he organised
All India Kisan Sabha at
Palasa, which was attended by Pullela Syama Sundara Rao,
N. G. Ranga,
Sahajanand Saraswati, and Indulal Yagnik. The committee took the long reception of tens and thousands of hill tribals and Kisans with an effigy of Zamindari system and got it burnt publicly. It was followed by a public meeting of the
All India Kisan Sabha, violating the prohibitory orders of the then Composite Madras government. Immediately, after the All India Kisan Sabha at Palasa, the "Mandasa Ryots" under the leadership of lady "Veeragunnamma" of Gudari Rajamanipuram, took out a procession with their bullock carts into the forest of the
Mandasa Zamindari, cut trees, and took them to their villages openly by driving away the estate forest guards. This led to the arrest of Kisans by police, under the sub-collector of
Srikakulam. Veeragunnamma died in aftermath police firing when she surrounded sub-collector's office for the release of Kisans. Latchanna along with Syama Sundara Rao visited Mandasa village to talk with sub collector, but were denied interview. Latchanna visited the village and opened a defence camp at Haripuram to prevent police harassment of farmers. When police were finding it difficult in preparing charge sheet, against Kisans, Latchanna was interned at his native village, Baruva. In spite of intensive vigilance, Latchanna toured the villages during nights and exhorted public. This secret assistance forced district collector in ordering the detention of Latchanna, which he escaped by going underground. While underground, he fought the case, and got the case struck down from
sessions court.
Leader for weaker sections In 1941, when
Rangoon was bombarded during
Second World War, Latchanna in spite of being underground, arranged "Burma refugee’s conference" at
Narasannapeta, presided by
N.G. Ranga to assist the Indian labourers in
Burma who fled to their native land, India. As a result of this conference, the then Madras government was obliged to provide relief to the evacuees by constituting "Burma evacuees relief committee". He was the founder and president of the Andhra State Unit of the
Indian National Trade Union Congress, which he continued till 1955. He was the president of Shipyard Labor Union at
Visakhapatnam and was instrumental in organizing strikes, getting pay scale hikes, and introduction of service grades for the workers. On the third day after his marriage, he was obliged to proceed to Rangoon to get the Indian labourers released, who were in the concentration camps aftermath the assassination of
Aung San.
Leader for backward castes In 1948, he presided over first Andhra
backward classes conference at
Guntur, and decided to achieve legitimate rights and privileges embodied in the
Constitution of India covering reservations and directives for their social, economical, and education development. Consequently, he took statewide tours and organized district backward classes associations, which made him designated as champion of backward classes, and was considered one of the prominent leaders of his time. In 1957, after the formation of united Andhra Pradesh,
chief justice of Andhra Pradesh,
high court struck down the list of
Other Backward Classes approved by government of Andhra Pradesh, acting on a private complaint. Latchanna started a statewide agitation for the restoration of list of Other Backward Classes, a statutory obligation under the Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution of India. List of Other Backward Classes were restored when
Damodaram Sanjivayya became
chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. High Court again struck down the list of Other Backward Classes for including
Kapu community in the Other Backward Classes. Latchanna again, started statewide agitation, and demanded the government of Andhra Pradesh to renew the publication of backward classes list by omitting
Kapu. The case finally went to
Supreme Court of India to be represented by advocate
P. Shiv Shankar on behalf of government along with an advocate appointed by Latchanna on behalf of Andhra Pradesh backward classes association.
Supreme Court of India gave a favourable judgement asking the government of Andhra Pradesh to publish the list of
backward classes caste wise, establishing their social and economical backwardness. In consequence, the Government of Andhra Pradesh appointed the Ananta Raman Commission, which recommended the list of Backward Classes by dividing them into 4 groups as A, B, C & D. After
N. T. Rama Rao came to power in Andhra Pradesh, when he cancelled Backward Classes scholarship grants against his election manifesto, including cancellations of licenses of the
toddy tappers co-operative societies for public auctions, Latchanna took serious objection and did satyagraha on behalf of the backward classes students and toddy tappers co-operative societies for cancelling public auctions. During N. T. Rama Rao regime with statewide agitations, Latchanna was arrested more than 14 times, forcing him to take fast-unto-death to accomplish the demands. After
Nadendla Bhaskara Rao overthrown N. T. Rama Rao regime through coupe, Nadendla Bhaskara Rao fulfilled the demands of Latchanna. From 1984, disgusted with opportunistic politics of different political parties, Latchanna mostly concentrated in raising awareness among oppressed classes, using his monthly publication "Bahujana". He tried to join
Bahujan Samaj Party under the leadership of
Kanshiram for the upliftment of
Schedule Castes,
Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes. He announced his joining in Bahujan Samaj Party in 1994 at
Hyderabad, but couldn't join the Bahujan Samaj Party due to certain ideological differences, which were against backward classes of Andhra Pradesh, as he felt, Kanshiram was trying to exploit backward classes for only votes. ==Political life==