Alluri’s guerrilla warfare had British on tenterhooks

Alluri Sitarama Raju was killed when he was just 26, but he lives on in the hearts of Indians. He kindled a sense of nationalism among the the so-called ‘primitive’ tribal groups and led them from the front ín the struggle against the British.

Born in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh to Venkatarama Raju and Suryanarayanamma, he inspired the tribals by demonstrating extraordinary skills of leadership. As he wandered in the forest area around the Godavari, tribal groups flocked to him.

Much before he was born, the British government had promulgated the Madras Forests Act, 1882, preventing tribals from free movement and cultivating forest land.

Tribals used to practise ‘shifting agriculture’ within the forest. The British government began to exploit the forests, leading to the loss of earning and starvation among the tribals.

People in the forests were engaged by the government for labour for a paltry remuneration. As the tribal landlords were stripped of their hereditary rights, they were reduced to being government agents to collect taxes. This led to the unification of the erstwhile haves and the traditional have-nots against the colonial regime.

Alluri Sitarama Raju mustered the support of both groups against the

British. Even though the haves were not completely in agreement with the rules of Sitarama Raju, they agreed to comply with the tenets of the revolution he was spearheading.

The tribes began rallying behind Sitarama Raju who launched a rebellion against the British, with trained activists looting British properties and attacking police stations of Krishna Devi Peta, Chintapalli in Visakhapatnam district and Rajavommangi in East Godavari district. The looting of police stations helped the revolutionary groups acquire guns and ammunition.

This emboldened the tribals who began to flock to Raju and his private army gained strength. They killed a British police officer and challenged the supremacy of the British. Tackling Sitarama Raju and his army wasn't easy for the British as the spread of the tribal people in the forests and the hilly terrain made it difficult for them to identify the hideouts. Sitarama Raju adopted guerrilla warfare against the British police.

The private army led by the “manyam hero” (the hero in the forests is called manyam) fortified its support base through the attacks and killing of police personnel. Police stations in the East Godavari parts of the Eastern Ghats — Addateegala, Rampachodavaram, Rajavommangi and Narsipatnam (Visakhapatnam) — kept the British on tenterhooks.

Legend has it that Sitarama Raju bared his chest when he was encircled by the troops of the armed forces working for the British. He laid down his life when the British Army shot him at Krishna Devi Peta on May 7, 1924.

The tribes began rallying behind Sitarama Raju who launched a rebellion against the British, with trained activists looting British properties