The death of Kudumula Venkata Ramana alias Ravi, a senior leader of the banned CPI (Maoist) recently, will impact the Maoist leadership in the tribal heartland in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam district.
Ravi, who was a State-level secretary and active member of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) and chief of the party’s Central Regional Committee (CRC) in this region, was a tribal leader and hailed from Kommangi village in Chintapalle mandal, which is considered to be a hotbed of the Maoists.
His death leaves a void in the tribal area, as he was one among the two senior most tribal leaders in the State-level committee, from this region, the other being Bakuri Venkat Ramana alias Ganesh, who hails from Bakuri Village in Humkumpeta mandal in the Visakhapatnam Agency. Ravi, who carried a reward of Rs. 20 lakh, died of jaundice at a city hospital in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
The fact that the Maoists have been facing a leadership crisis, especially in the tribal belts of Andhra-Odisha Border, a main cadre recruiting zone, was evident from a 7,000-worded letter from Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi, general secretary of the CPI (Maoists), which was widely circulated within the party in 2013.
According to Superintendent of Police Koya Praveen, the Maoists have lost hold in the urban pockets about 20 years ago. Since then they have been dependent both for cadres and leaders from the tribal belts of Andhra-Odisha border. Ravi was one among those tribal people who rose to the State committee level and now his death will create a void, said the SP.
Ganesh is the only one left in that stature and a few others like Jambri, who are mostly in the ACM cadre. Ravi was active and fit till he acquired jaundice and was a motivational figure. He not only participated in many actions but also lured many tribal youth into the movement, said Dr. Praveen.
Urban void
Unlike about two or three decades ago, when the Maoists were able to recruit educated and intellectual cadres from colleges and universities such as NIT – Warangal and Andhra University, it hit a dead end about two decades ago.
Ever since the flow from the urban areas slowed down the mantle passed on to the tribal people. But the tribal people also were not given the leadership role and there is unrest, as the leadership still vests with non-tribal people, and this was evident from Ganapathi’s leter, said a senior SIB officer.
Apart from Ganesh and to an extent Jambri in the lower order, the leadership still lies with non-tribal people such as Azad who hails from Pendurthi in Visakhapatnam and heads the Galikonda area, Rama Chandra Reddy alias Chalapathi who is from Anantapur and takes care of the East Visakha Joint Division, Naveen from Nalgonda and head of the Korukonda area and Sarita also from Nalgonda, plays an important role in the cut off area.
Ravi was one of the main links between the tribal people and the Maoist leadership, and his death will create a void, feel the police.
