My Paternal Grandparents: Sri CV Subrahmanyam and Smt Kantamma

Cheruvu Subrahmanyam garu (1905 – 1991) – Teacher at Peravali High School (1925 and 1967)

Sri C V Subrahmanyam garu was born in 1905, to Sri Cheruvu Anjenaya Sastry garu and Smt Sitamma garu. He was the only child and passed his SSLC examination from Kollur High School. Subsequently he completed Secondary Grade Teacher training from Guntur and started working as a teacher from 1925. He was posted in Peravali, Pittalavari Palem and Jampani among other places where he taught English, History, Social Studies for High School students. 

Subrahmanyam garu contributed to building a collection of books for the use by teaching staff and students and often took the lead in building up the school library at each school he worked. He would often go to Tenali and personally select books from Ms. Venkatramana & Co. His choice included books by Sir Walter Scott, William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw, while also ensuring a strong representation of Telugu books by Veeresalingam Pantulu, Chilkamarthi Lakshmi Narasimham and other writers in Andhra.

One of his very popular student activities was to prepare students to perform oratory activities in-front of the DEO (District Education Officer). His favorite piece was the speech by Marc Antony at the funeral of Julius Caesar, where the speaker cleverly uses rhetoric to raise the emotions of the crowd.

              “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

    The evil that men do lives after them; the good is often buried with their bones;”

Subrahmanyam garu also encouraged sports like Ball Badminton among students and many remember him as “Maastaru garu” to this day. He was born and lived most of his life at Peravali till 1991.

Sri Subrahmanyam Garu and Smt Kanthamma are shown in the picture below. Their two sons & 3 daughters – Professor CS Sastry (Retired IIT Kharagpur), Group Captain C Kalidas (Retired Indian Air Force), Smt Varalakshmi, Smt Seethamma & Smt Lakshmi Rajyam (PhD and Retired Teacher Govt Railway School) continue to be closely associated with Peravali village and each of them is an alumni of the Shri Cheruvu Butchiramiah Peravali High School.