Alluri Sita Rama Raju

by **Admin** Mon Sep 08, 2008 3:07 pm

Alluri Sita Rama Raju (Telugu: అల్లూరి సీతారామరాజు b. 4 July 1897-d.1924) Also called Alluri Rama Raju, Rama Chandra Raju, and Alluri Seetha Rama Raju was an Indian freedom fighter from the Mogallu village in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India. He was the leader of the ill-fated Rampa Rebellion that fought against the British occupiers from 1922 to 1923. Popularly referred to as Raju, he lives on in the hearts of the Telugu people as the Manyam Veerudu (Hero of the jungles).

Alluri Sita Rama Raju

Alluri Sita Rama Raju was one of Andhra Pradesh's early revolutionaries who successfully mobilized and led local tribals in an armed rebellion against British rule in India.
He was deeply moved by the plight of the tribals, who’s rights were
infringed upon by the British with the inaction of the Madras Forest
Act of 1882. The Act placed restrictions on the free movement of
tribals in the forest areas and prevented them from engaging in their
traditional lifestyle of Podu (shifting) cultivation, and use of the forest for firewood and toddy.
Despite having fewer manpower and weapons, Alluri and his men
exacted tremendous damage on British interest, as they were much more
familiar with the hilly terrain and adept in guerilla tactics. They
frequently attacked police stations to seize arms and ammunition. These
actions led to a reward of Rs. 10,000 placed on him.
He was born on July 4th 1897 in the Village of Pandrangi village, 12 km from Bheemunipatnam of Visakhapatnam district. He was educated in Rajahmundry and Rama-chandra-puram in East Godavari district. His father died when Alluri was in elementary school and he grew up in the care of his uncle Rama Chandra Raju, a Tahsildar in Narsapur. He then studied in Taylor High School, Narsapur. Then, he shifted to Tuni along with his mother, brother and sister, on the transfer of his uncle. He joined Mrs A.V.N. College in Visakhapatnam on September 20, 1912.
He dropped out of the college after having failed in fourth form (Std.
IX). While in Tuni, Alluri used to frequent the agency areas of
Visakhapatnam district.
The statue of this Pride of Telugus stands majestically at The Park junction in Visakhapatnam.
The repressive measures and the unjust policies of the British, coupled
with the misdeeds of British contractors who exploited and oppressed
the workers of the hill tribes of the Visakhapatnam district, brought
Alluri Sita Rama Raju into a tussle with the police who supported the
contractors. This eventually culminated in the Rampa Rebellion (Rampa Pituri; 'Pituri' means complaints in Telugu).
Sita Rama Raju carried out his campaign in the East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh. Inspired by the patriotic zeal of the revolutionaries in Bengal, and the decisions taken by them at a meeting in Chittagong in 1921,
Sita Rama Raju raided many police stations in and around Chintapalli,
Krishna-devi-peta and Raja-vommangi, carrying off guns and powder, and
killing several British army officers, including the ruthless Scott Coward and Hites, near Damana-palli. Between August and October 1922, he and his men attacked the Chintapalli, Rampa-choda-varam, Rajahmundry and Addati-gala and Annavaram police stations and blasted the Chintapalli police station.