Alluri Sitarama Raju Manyam Veerudu (Hero of the Forest)

Born on July 4, 1897, in a village called Mogallu, near Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh, Alluri Sitarama Raju was a saint who firmly believed in justice. He repeatedly spoke out against illegal British policies and fought against them.

It is said that Sitarama Raju completed his schooling in his native village and then moved to Visakhapatnam for higher education. At the age of 18, he renounced all worldly pleasures and became a monk. As a child monk, he wandered the hills and forests of the Agency area, mingling with the local tribal community. In return, the tribals considered him a saint who would liberate them from their humiliating existence at the hands of the British authorities.

Initially, Sitarama Raju, influenced by Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement, inspired tribals to seek justice in local Panchayat courts and boycott colonial courts. However, this did not alleviate their suffering, and ultimately, he used this movement to raise awareness about the need for change.

In August 1922, he launched the Rampa Rebellion against the British. Approximately 28,000 tribal people lived in the Rampa administrative area. These tribal people used the “Podu” system of agriculture, in which a small portion of forest area was cleared each year for cultivation, as this was their only source of food. While the forests were essential for the tribals’ survival, the British wanted to evict them so they could plunder these areas for timber, which would ultimately help them build railways and ships. To clear the forests, the Madras Forest Act of 1882 was enacted, restricting tribal communities’ free movement within the forests and preventing them from practicing their traditional podu cultivation. This tyrannical order sparked a tribal rebellion, also known as the Manyam Rebellion. These tribes refused to work as bonded laborers building roads and railway lines in the hilly region. Sitarama Raju demanded justice for them. He resorted to guerrilla warfare to fight against the British. With his army of tribal people, he attacked and raided several police stations, killed several British officers, and stole ammunition and weapons to continue his fight. He received strong support from the local people, which allowed him to survive the British for so long. His two-year armed struggle against the British (1922-24) so ​​infuriated the British authorities that a reward of 10,000 rupees was announced for anyone who could capture him, dead or alive.

Meanwhile, the British continued to oppress the tribal people. To alleviate their suffering, and as a just man, Sitarama Raju surrendered, hoping to receive a fair trial in return. However, on May 7, 1924, he was treacherously trapped, tied to a tree, and shot dead. He was cremated on May 8. Thus ended his glorious fight against the British government.

He left behind an inspiring legacy of anti-imperialist rebellion. Today, history remembers him as a fearless revolutionary who, despite not being a tribal, fought for the rights and freedom of the tribal people. He was awarded the title “Manyam Veerudu” (Hero of the Forest) for his valor and courage. Each year, the Andhra Pradesh government celebrates his birth date, 4 July, as a state festival.

अल्लूरी सीताराम राजू मान्यम वीरुडु (जंगल का नायक)