On Monday, July 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Andhara Pradesh to pay his tributes to freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary. As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, the PM unveiled a 30-feet tall bronze statue of one of the greatest freedom fighters of his time, who laid his life fighting against the tyrannical British Raj for the rights of the tribal communities.
Sharing a video of his public address in Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh on the occasion, PM Narendra Modi Tweeted, “Tributes to the great freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju. His indomitable courage inspires every Indian.”
Tributes to the great freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju. His indomitable courage inspires every Indian. https://t.co/LtgrhYHKin
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 4, 2022
Several initiatives have reportedly been planned by the Modi administration as part of the year-long commemoration honouring the fearless revolutionary hero and freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju. As per reports, the birthplace of Alluri at Pandrangi in Vizianagaram district and Chintapalli Police Station will be restored to mark 100 years of Rampa Rebellion. The attack on this police station marked the beginning of Rampa Rebellion a century ago. The government has also approved the construction of Alluri Dhyana Mandir at Mogallu with a statue of Alluri Sitarama Raju in Dhyana Mudra, depicting the life story of the freedom fighter through mural paintings and an AI-enabled interactive system.
This has been the first such gesture by any Government to honour the awe-inspiring freedom fighter that made the British spend sleepless nights a century ago.
Born on July 4, 1897, Alluri Sitarama Raju is known for his brief but emphatic 1922 Rampa Rebellion in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh against the Britishers. Alluri, who is also referred to as Manyam Veerudu (Jungle Warrior), rallied thousands of poor tribals and kindled the spirit of freedom among them.
Alluri Sitarama Raju was one of the main characters portrayed in film RRR
In fact, Alluri Sitarama Raju is one of the main characters portrayed by actor Ram Charan in the SS Rajamouli-directed epic action drama film RRR (Rise, Roar, Revolt). The other character played by Jr. NTR was another freedom fighter, Komaram Bheem. The multi-lingual movie was a fictional tale of the friendship between two freedom warriors – Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sita Ramaraju – belonging to present-day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states. The movie was an adaption of the life story of two legendary revolutionaries and their journey away from home before they started fighting for the country in the 1920s.
The movie RRR, which hit the theatres in October 2020, became one of the biggest ever hits in the history of Indian cinema. However, it couldn’t escape criticism from the Indian left who blamed the film for promoting “Hindutva”. The Hindu symbols and imagery used in the film offended Indian liberals, as did the names Ram and Sita, that were used for the lead pair. Even though the names were picked from the history where Rama Raju had fallen in love with a girl named Sita, eventually adding her name to his name after her untimely death.
Sitarama Raju led the Rampa Rebellion (1922-24) against the Madras Forest Act, which prevented the free movement of tribals in the forests and impacted their livelihoods. Under his leadership, the tribes fought a gruesome guerilla war by attacking British armouries and police stations. Komaram Bheem led a rebellion against the feudal Nizams of Hyderabad and the British Raj in the eastern part of the princely state during the 1930s which culminated in the Telangana Rebellion of 1946.
The story of the unsung revolutionary freedom fighter Sitarama Raju or ‘Manyam Veerudu’
Sitarama Raju, fondly known as ‘Manyam Veerudu’ (hero of the forest) was born on July 4, 1897. He was born in the Mogallu village of West Godavari district to Venkata Rama Raju and Surya Narayanamma. Since childhood Sitarama Raju was eager to fight British oppression. History has it that at the age of 13, when Sitaram Raju was offered a handful of badges with King George’s picture on it, he threw all but one, pinned it on his shirt, and said, “To wear them is to flaunt our servitude. But I pinned it on my shirt near my heart to remind all of you that a foreign ruler is crushing our lives.”
Sitaram Raju is believed to have traveled extensively while he was still a teenager. He was extremely moved by the dismal socio-economic conditions that existed during the British administration, particularly in tribal areas. He started working with tribals and organising them against the atrocities committed by British police, forest, and tax authorities after returning to the primarily tribal “Manyam” areas near Visakhapatnam and Godavari.
The Rampa administrative area was home to many tribes who followed the ‘podu’ method of shifting cultivation. The Madras Forest Act, 1882 forbade them from engaging in podu farming and limited their freedom of movement so that the forests might be cleared and exploited for wood. Under the Rampa rebellion, which went on from August 1922 to May 1924, many tribal residents led by Sitaram Raju, attacked the British army.
He won a few battles, using traditional weapons such as bows and arrows. Later, Sitarama Raju led attacks on police stations to steal their firearms to support their uprising. The British government offered a prize of Rs 10,000 for Sitarama Raju’s capture, and a large number of personnel and resources were mobilised to quell the uprising.
Despite announcing a cash reward, when the British failed to crush the uprising, it sent TG Rutherford in April 1924, who resorted to unprecedented violence in tribal villages to find his coordinates.
Finally, in 1924, Raju was taken into police custody. chained to a tree and executed in front of the entire community, effectively putting an end to the armed uprising. For his bravery, he received the title of ‘manyam veerudu’ or ‘forest hero.’
It’s unfortunate that, like many other unsung heroes, Alluri Sitarama Raju’s contribution to the history of this country has been ignored by so-called historians and the intelligentsia. The bravery, valour, and stories of Alluri Sitarama Raju have never been featured in any NCERT texts.
