Alluri Sitarama Raju

A brief note on Alluri Sitarama Raju-

• He was an Indian revolutionary who waged an armed campaign against British colonial rule in India. 
• Born in present-day Andhra Pradesh, he became involved in anti-British activities in response to the 1882 Madras Forest Act, which effectively restricted the free movement of Adivasis (tribal communities) in their forest habitats and prevented them from practicing a traditional form of agriculture known as podu. 
• Rising discontent towards the British led to the Rampa Rebellion (known as the Manyam Rebellion) of 1922, in which he played a major part as a leader. 
• Mustering a force combined of Adivasis, farmers and sympathizers to their cause, he engaged in guerilla campaigns against the British colonial authorities in the border regions of the Madras Presidency
• He was nicknamed “Manyam Veerudu” ( Hero of the Jungle) by local villagers for his heroic exploits.
• Harnessing widespread discontent towards British colonial rule in the backdrop of the non-cooperation movement, he led his forces against the British, aiming to expel them from the Eastern Ghats region through his guerilla campaigns. 
• During this period, he led numerous raids on local police stations to acquire firearms for his under-equipped forces. 
• After each raid, he would leave behind a letter written by him, informing the police about the details of his raids, including about the weaponry he parted away with, daring them to stop him if they could. 
• In response to these raids, and in order to quench the rebellion, the British colonial authorities undertook a nearly two-year long manhunt for him, resulting in expenditures reaching over ₹40 Lakh rupees then. 
• Eventually, in 1924, he was trapped by the British at the village of Koyyuru in the Chintapalle forests. 
• There, he was captured, tied to a tree and summarily executed by a firing squad. 
• His resting place currently lies in the village of Krishnadevipeta.
• His 125th birth anniversary was observed on January 2, 2022.