Gajerla Ravi's death is another jolt to CPI (Maoist), his native village in Telangana plunges into grief
The outlawed CPI (Maoist) has lost another top-ranking leader from Telangana following the death of 57-year-old Gajerla Ravi alias Uday — a native of Velishala village in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district — in an 'encounter' in Alluri Sitarama Raju district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh early on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) morning.
The incident comes less than a fortnight after the death of the CPI (Maoist) Telangana State committee member, Mailarapu Adellu alias Bhaskar, of Pocherla village in Adilabad district, in an 'exchange of fire' in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on June 5, 2025.
Joined PWG in early 1990s
Ravi, who joined the People's War Group (PWG) in early 1990s, rose up the ranks of the outfit to become a member of the apex body of the CPI (Maoist). He had been underground for nearly three decades.
He held key positions including the secretary of the PWG's Karimnagar-Khammam-Warangal (KKW) division in the mid-1990s, before moving to the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) region, sources said.
Ravi was one of the maoist leaders who participated in the peace talks with the then Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh in 2004, which eventually failed.
His two brothers also worked in naxalite movement
His two brothers – Gajerla Saraiah alias Azad and Gajerla Ashok alias Aithu also worked in the naxalite movement. Saraiah was one of the key maoist leaders from north Telangana. He was killed in an 'encounter' with the police in Eturunagaram forest area in the erstwhile Warangal district in 2008. Ashok, who was active in Chhattisgarh's south Bastar region, surrendered to the police in Warangal in 2015.
As the news of Ravi's death spread in Velishala, grief engulfed his family members and relatives in his native village.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rebuts UDF's election-eve campaign that the CPI(M) tacitly sought RSS votes in Nilambur
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought to give the lie to the Opposition United Democratic Front's (UDF) poll-eve campaign that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] was tacitly seeking Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) votes in the Nilambur Assembly byelection by 'wistfully' harping about its Emergency-era alliance with the Jan Sangh, the precursor to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mr. Vijayan told a press conference that the CPI(M) worked with socialist Janata parties headed by Jayaprakash Narayanan to oppose Congress' authoritarian rule during the Emergency. Some Hindu majoritarian nationalist elements were embedded in the Janata movement. They broke away later, leading to the formation of the BJP in 1977. The CPI(M) was not part of the Janata Party-led electoral coalition that opposed the Indira Gandhi government in 1977. The CPI(M) fought the Congress on its own, he said. Quoting books authored by former Intelligence Bureau chiefs, journalists, and influential leaders in Indira Gandhi's close political circle, Mr. Vijayan claimed that Ms. Gandhi had despatched her son Rajiv Gandhi to pay obeisance to the RSS leadership for the Hindu majoritarian organisations' support for the Congress in the crucial 1980 Lok Sabha election prompted by the fall of the Morarji Desai government. 'By several accounts, Rajiv Gandhi touched the RSS supremo's feet. Later, the RSS lauded Rajiv Gandhi as a leader of the Hindus when he removed the locks on the Babri Masjid gates for Hindu devotees to worship as Prime Minister in 1989,' he added. Closer home, Mr. Vijayan said the UDF supported BJP leaders, including K.G. Marar and O. Rajagopal, to fight the Assembly elections. 'More recently, photographs showing UDF leadership paying obeisance in front of the picture of RSS ideologue M.S. Golwalkar surfaced on conventional and social media. A former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president said he had sent his supporters to guard RSS offices. The line between Congress leadership and RSS appeared blurred,' he added. Mr. Vijayan said the CPI(M) had never sought any alliance with divisive communal forces irrespective of their religious hues, including the radical Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, which has thrown its lot with the UDF in Nilambur bypoll. He said opposing Jamaat-e-Islami's theocratic ideology was not tantamount to stoking Islamophobia, as alleged by the UDF.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
All arrangements in place as Nilambur goes to poll on June 19
MALAPPURAM About 2 lakh voters are expected to reach polling booths on Thursday to choose their representative in the Nilambur Assembly byelection. As many as 263 polling stations have been set for a total voter population of 2.32 lakh. Poll equipment was distributed from Mar Thoma Higher Secondary School, Chungathara, on Wednesday. After a mock poll at 5.30 a.m., polling will start at 7 a.m. and continue till 6 p.m. Voters reaching the polling stations before 6 p.m. will be allowed to vote. A total of 315 voting machines and 341 VVPATs, including reserves, will be used for polling. As many 1,301 trained polling officials will be on duty. Among them will be 316 presiding officers, 975 polling staff and 10 micro-observers. Tight security arrangements have been made at 14 critical booths, including three booths located in the forest. The booths in the forest are at Punchakkolli, Vaniyampuzha and Nedumkayam. Election Commission has arranged webcasting of the polling in all stations. Although Nilambur has 3,672 voters eligible for home voting, only 1,254 of them exercised this concession. They voted from their homes between June 9 and 16. Among them were 938 voters above age 85 and 316 differently abled persons. Ten candidates are in the fray, including the frontrunners Aryadan Shoukath of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and M. Swaraj of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The other contestants are BJP's Mohan George, SDPI's Sadik Naduthodi, Independents like P.V. Anvar, N. Jayarajan, P. Radhakrishnan Namboothiripad, Vijayan, Satheesh Kumar G., and Harinarayanan. With 7,787 new voters getting eligibility, Nilambur has 1.136 lakh men voters and 1.187 women voters. There are eight transgender voters as well. As many as 1,200 security personnel, including State and Central forces, have been deployed. Nilambur DySP will be in charge of Nilambur and Pookkottumpadam police stations and another DySP will be in charge of Edakkara, Vazhikkadavu and Pothukal police stations. There will be 17 patrolling groups to monitor the 263 polling booths, with each group headed by a sub-inspector. There will be two law and order patrolling teams for each police station headed by a sub-inspector. Besides, there will be separate quick response teams (QRTs) comprising a sub-inspector and four police officers. Central security forces are posted in areas where Maoist presence had been reported. One company of Armed Police Battalion is on election duty in Nilambur. One platoon Central Armed Police Force will provide security to the strongroom at Mar Thoma Higher Secondary School, Chungathara. A district election control room has been set up at the Collectorate. It can be reached at 0483 2734990. A call centre set up at Government Rest House, Nilambur, can be reached at 048931 220039.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Chhattisgarh: Senior Maoist serving as guerrilla educator surrenders with wife in Mohla-Manpur
RAIPUR: A senior Maoist who served extensively in remote villages educating cadres in guerrilla zones through the Mobile Political School (MOPOS) network, surrendered with his wife before police officials in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. The couple carried cumulative cash reward of Rs 13 lakh and is being called an important surrender on the LWE front. The Maoist couple was identified as Jeevan alias Ram Tulavi at the rank of divisional committee member, and his wife Agasa alias Aarti, an area committee member have surrendered to the police in Mohla, police said. Their surrender marks another success in the state's "Operation Prayas", a campaign designed to encourage Maoists to leave the armed insurgent movement and return to mainstream society. This surrender took place in the presence of Inspector General of Police (IG)Abhishek Shandilya and Superintendent of Police Yashpal Singh. The couple had been active members of the Maoist movement for over 25 years and decided to leave the organization after being influenced by the Chhattisgarh government's new rehabilitation policy. Jeevan, 45, hails from Parvideeh village in Mohla and was a prominent member of the Naxal outfit, having held the position of Mobile Academic School (MAS) Commander in Marh division. Jeevan joined the outfit around 1993, influenced by the growing Naxal presence in his village. He began his journey in the movement by working under the leadership of Divakar Kurchami, a commander from the Tipagadh Naxal group. Over the years, Jeevan played an instrumental role in spreading Maoist ideology by teaching at Naxal-run schools, including in the Marh area, where he was tasked with training new recruits. His work included conducting Mobile Political Schools (MOPOS) to educate Naxals in various villages, adapting to changing circumstances and locations. Jeevan steadily rose through the ranks, from an L.O.S. (Local Organization Squad) member to a Divisional Committee Member (DVCM). He carried a cash reward of Rs 8 lakh. His wife Aarti, 38, is from Teli Tola villageinMohla, and was active in the movement for over 15 years. She was involved in Chetna Natya Mandali, a cultural wing of the Naxals, where she helped spread the ideology through folk performances. She was introduced to the Naxal cause through her association with Laxman Deshmukh, the leader of a local cultural group who had links with the Naxals. After her marriage to Jeevan in 2007, Aarti continued her work with the Chetna Natya Mandali in Manpur division, where she was eventually promoted to the position of ACM. Over the years, she also worked with the Naxal media and press teams. She carried a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh. The couple's decision to surrender comes after years of being disillusioned by the growing discrimination and exploitation within the organization. With several senior leaders being killed in encounters and a growing atmosphere of fear among members, the couple chose to leave the armed insurgency and return to their communities. Chhattisgarh government's new rehabilitation policy, which offers a better future and support for surrendered Naxals, also played a crucial role in their decision to abandon the movement. Their surrender was facilitated by the joint efforts of various security forces, including the 27th and 44th battalions of the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) and District Reserve Guard (DRG). These forces played a vital role in bringing the couple to safety and ensuring that they were able to leave the Naxal organization without facing harm or retaliation. Both Jeevan and Aarti will receive immediate relief funds of Rs 50,000 each. The surrendered couple made an appeal to other active Maoists in the region, urging them to return to their families and live a peaceful, fulfilling life without the violence and fear associated with the movement. "Operation Prayas" encourages cadres to return to the mainstream by providing an alternative to the violence and isolation of the insurgency.
