Maoist legacy of Gajarla family ends with Ravi: Top Maoist's four-decade journey ends in Andhra encounter; wife, brothers, cousins — all part of movement, most killed or surrendered
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
A senior intelligence official told TOI, "He was just seven when he started running errands for the Naxals and putting up posters for them." There was a brief period in his youth when his brother Saraiah tried weaning Ravi away from the Maoists and made him join an ITI at Peddapalli.
But Ravi eventually joined the Chityala area Revolutionary Youth League in 1989-90. By 1990, he was in the Eturunagaram dalam, working alongside his cousin brothers Gajarla Ramesh alias Gajarla Naveen, who later died in an encounter in 2020.
Ironically, Saraiah too joined the Maoist movement later.
In 2002 Ravi, who was a district committee secretary of the Karimnagar east division, was demoted to district committee member after he was held responsible for the infamous Chintagudem bus blast in Warangal in which 20 civilians were killed and 16 others were injured.
However, he was soon promoted again. By 2004, he had become a state committee member and later took charge of the Khammam-Karimnagar-Warangal region under the North
Special Zonal Committee.
In 2009, he was shifted to the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), becoming one of its top leaders.
Trail of losses
Ravi's wife, Nidigonda Prameela alias Meena, was also a member of the Maoist ranks. She served as the divisional committee secretary of AOBSZC and died in an encounter in Andrapalli on Oct 12, 2018. Saraiah too was a central committee member and part of the central military commission.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
He was killed in April 2008 in an encounter in Kanthanapally forest in Warangal along with his wife Padma alias Radha.
He had 70 criminal cases against him and was linked to the Manala killings, in which eight tribals were executed on charges of being police informers.
Another brother, Gajarla Ashok alias Aithu, was a district committee secretary of south Bastar. He surrendered in 2015 due to ill health. He now works as a reporter with a local newspaper.
His wife, Shanigarapu Uma alias Anitha, formerly part of a Maoist medical team, now works as a staff nurse in a private hospital in Hanamkonda.
The eldest brother, Gajarla Rajaiah alias Posaiah, did not survive the prolonged underground life and died due to ill health. The only brother to have led a non-Maoist life is Gajarla Sammaiah, a retired coal filler in Mancherial. A brother-in-law, Ramesh alias Naveen, also a Maoist, was killed in an encounter on July 26, 2020. He was part of the Annasagar dalam.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Eyeing the Bodoland pie
Peace sells in a region scarred by decades of extremism. In 2003, the Government of India, the Government of Assam, and the Bodo Liberation Tigers signed a peace accord, which led to the creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), an autonomous body to to govern the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). The BTC was established as a political alternative to the demand for a separate Bodoland state. The Bodoland People's Front (BPF), a political party formed largely by members of the disbanded Bodo Liberation Tigers, ruled the BTR until December 2020. The end of its 17-year rule was partly because of another peace accord in January 2020 and partly because of the BPF's divorce from its 'big brother', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The 2020 peace pact, catalysed by the influential All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU), was between the government and all the factions of another set of extremists — the National Democratic Front of Boroland. Pramod Boro, then the ABSU president and one of the key architects of the peace process, became the president of the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), the BPF's long-term rival across the BTR. The BJP, claiming to have brought peace to the north-east and paved the way for development, found in Mr. Boro's image as a peace broker an opportunity to penetrate the areas under the tribal council where mainstream parties had little or no traction after 2003. The BPF, dumped by the BJP, became the single-largest party by winning 17 of the 40 seats in the 2020 BTC polls. The UPPL, which won 12 seats, and the BJP, with nine, formed the government in the BTC along with a regional party that won one seat. The Congress managed to win one seat and became the BPF's short-term ally in February 2021. Over the next few years, defections from the BPF and Congress saw the UPPL and BJP's tally increase to 15 and 14 seats, respectively. The UPPL-led government in the BTC, allegedly rendered bankrupt by the BPF, exuded inclusivity in the rebuilding process across the BTR, which had a history of conflicts between the dominant Bodos, the largest plains tribe in the north-east, and a majority of the 19 non-Bodo communities, including the Assamese and the Bengali-speaking Muslims. Mr. Boro's outreach was underlined by the Bhutan-inspired Bodoland Happiness Mission launched in 2024 and a community-based road map for development of the smallest of communities. According to him, the post-2020 BTR was vastly different from the pre-2020 BTR, ruled by instability and division along community lines. The UPPL has been banking on the 'unprecedented' peace and associated development across the five-district BTR for a second term, either on its own or in an alliance. There is apparently no strain in the ties between the UPPL and the BJP, but the latter has often indicated it could befriend the BPF again. The BJP, reportedly miffed by a less pliant leadership in the BTC unlike its counterparts in the two other tribal councils – Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council – under the Sixth Schedule in Assam, has decided to go it alone in the BTC polls, likely to be held by September-end. If that is not enough, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma began campaigning in the BTR extensively, claiming that the region was reaping the benefits of peace because of the BJP. He also said that the non-tribal communities would have nothing to fear in Bodoland till he was alive. 'Remember that you are safe and have equal rights because the BJP is here, and there will be no second-class citizens,' he said. Bodo organisations did not react to the Chief Minister's alleged bid to polarise the BTR electorate on ethnic lines. However, the All-Assam Tribal Sangha condemned State BJP president Dilip Saikia's assurance to non-Bodos that the laws specific to the autonomous councils would be amended for them to purchase land in the tribal blocks and belts. The BJP's approach to the BTC polls indicates a design to weaken the hold of its smaller allies in specific areas. This is evident from its oblique advice to another regional ally, the Asom Gana Parishad, to stay away from the BTC polls. The Congress and other non-National Democratic Alliance parties have slammed the BJP's 'divisive' campaign as a show of desperation to win the BTC polls.
The Hindu
32 minutes ago
- The Hindu
CPI urges government to form expert committee to release Tamil Nadu Labour Policy
The 26th State Conference of the Communist Party of India (CPI) demanded that the Tamil Nadu government release the State's Labour Policy. The four-day conference, which began on August 15 in Salem, concluded with a rally and public meeting on Monday evening. During the conference, the CPI passed several resolutions. One of the key resolutions criticised the Centre for consolidating 44 labour welfare laws into four labour codes, against which workers across the country have been protesting. Anti-labour provisions The resolution stated that the anti-labour provisions in these codes were being gradually implemented in Tamil Nadu. The CPI highlighted the lack of job regularisation in the State, noting that workers were increasingly being recruited through outsourcing in government and government-related sectors. These workers face job insecurity and receive no monetary benefits upon exit. The resolution pointed out that over 3 crore workers in the State earn around ₹12,000 as salary, and that implementing such policies under pressure from big corporates and the Centre contradicts the ideals of the 'Dravidian model' of governance. The CPI urged the State government to form an expert committee and, based on its recommendations, release the Tamil Nadu Labour Policy — similar to the release of the State Education Policy and Industrial Policy — to ensure a dignified life for workers. The party also demanded that the State government refrain from outsourcing local body work to private entities; fix minimum wages for workers in government-related sectors; ensure the safety of inter-caste couples; and implement the law preventing honour killings. The CPI strongly condemned the Union Petroleum Ministry for publishing a photo of RSS leader V.D. Savarkar alongside Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, and Subhas Chandra Bose. It demanded an apology from the Ministry and action against those responsible. Additionally, the CPI condemned the police's treatment of conservancy workers in Chennai. Defamatory statements Speaking at the public meeting, CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan criticised AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami for aligning with the BJP despite previously promising not to do so. He accused Mr. Palaniswami of spreading defamatory statements against the Left parties and asserted that the AIADMK-BJP alliance would be defeated in the 2026 Assembly election. CPI general secretary D. Raja highlighted the party's history, noting that both CPI and RSS were founded in 1925. He said while the CPI fought battles during the British period for the freedom struggle, the RSS did not participate in the movement. He added that the RSS was banned following Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the organisation in his Independence Day speech. Mr. Raja called for strengthening the CPI to ensure adequate representation in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. He also criticised India's silence on the genocide in Gaza, stating that historically, India had always supported the Palestinian cause. He concluded by announcing that the CPI's national conference would soon be held in Punjab and emphasised the party's responsibility to work with democratic forces to unseat the BJP at the Centre.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Man caught by crew smoking in flight lavatory, booked
Chennai: A flyer who was caught smoking aboard an international flight from Kuwait to Chennai was arrested by city police on Sunday. The accused, Ajmir Sheik Mohammed, employed as a driver in Kuwait, was headed to Chennai on an Indigo flight on vacation. He lit a cigarette inside one of the lavatories after the flight departed from Kuwait. When fellow passengers complained about the odour of cigarette smoke emanating from the restroom, the flight crew confronted Ajmir. He admitted to the offence but defended his act by stating that he did not cause any harm to fellow passengers. Smoking on a flight is prohibited as it increases risk of fire and causes inconvenience to fellow passengers. The flight crew alerted the pilot, and as per his instructions, Ajmir was made to sign the unruly passenger form. Upon landing, the passenger was handed over to Indigo's security manager at Chennai airport. He was then handed over to police. Ajmir was booked under Section 10 of the Aircraft Act and was released on bail. Police said the passenger should appear before the court when summoned, and the penalty will be decided by the court. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Gold Rates Today in Chennai | Silver Rates Today in Chennai Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
