Paritala Gurinchi Kasepu
Paritala Gurinchi Kasepu
Paritala Gurinchi Kasepu
Paritala Ravindra Chowdary was one of the most adored lord of Rayalaseema region in
Andhra Pradesh. He was elected as M.L.A for five times from Penukonda constituency in
Anantapur district. He was slain by his political rivals in 2005 because of a vandetta. He was
one of the most controversial persons in the history of Andhra Pradesh politics. A 1998 report
prepared by the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee on Paritala Ravi, a former naxalite,
says: "The entire district kneels down before him. Everyone is afraid of him. From 1994,
even the political scenario (in Anantapur district) has undergone a change".
Family background:
Ravi's father Paritala SriRamulu:
Paritala Ravindra was born on 28-5-1957 in Venkatapuram village of Nasanakota panchayati
(Ramagiri mandal, Penukonda constituency, Anantapur district).His father was SriRamulu
(12-4-1935 to 29-11-1982). Even though his father was a landlord of 300 acres, he was
inspired by the Marxist ideology. He donated most of his land to the poor. He also lead the
poor and the oppressed (Boya, Kuruba, Eediga castes) in fighting for their rights over the land
(sivaijaama Bhoomulu) occupied by landlords of kanaganapalli and chennekothapalli, namely
Gangula Narayana Reddy and Sane Chenna Reddy. He managed to distribute around 600 acres
of land belonging to these landlords and their supporters among the poor. He joined
C.P.I(M.L) party in 1971. He became top most leader of the Naxal movement in Andhra
Pradesh. He didnt kill anyone.(Refer to Eenadu News Paper(Anantapur edition) dated 25-1-
2005 and Sunday magazine of Eenadu newspaper dated 6-2-2005 for more information about
beginning of vandetta and the land struggle).
This land struggle turned into a vandetta and caste struggle when he was killed on 29-5-1975
by his own follower. This follower took money from Gangula and Sane. He was going to
attend a marriage in Baksampalli. The bus stopped near Baksampalli cross. He stepped down
from the bus and immediately he was killed by that person. Gangula Narayana Reddy and
Sane Chenna Reddy were the conspirators.
Ravi's younger brother Paritala Hari:
Paritala Hari was younger brother of Paritala Ravi. He was born on 10-7-1960. After his father
was killed by Gangula, he lead poor and oppressed. He joined Naxal movement in 1979. He
managed to distribute some land ocupied by the same landlords. He became a powerful
Naxalite. He lead the Naxals in killng Saayanna. They (Naxals) never killed any children or
women.
On 28-11-1982 Hari was killed by the police inspector named Kabir in a fake encounter. Hari
was there in his house in Venkatapuram. Police came to know this. They immediately went to
Venkatapuram. Hari was not able to escape from the police, so he was hiding in the house all
the doors closed. Police caught his sister and threatened Hari that they would rape his sister if
he didnt come out of the house. So Hari finally came out of the house. He was taken to
Nasanakota village which is 2 Km away from Venkatapuram. There he was shot by inspector
Kabir infront of hundreds of villagers. Again Gangula Narayana Reddy, Gangula Narsanna,
Sane Chenna Reddy were the conspirators.
Early life of Ravi:
As he lost his father and brother in the vandetta, he wanted to take safe shelter to protect his
life from his family rivals. His family rivals were after him after killing his brother. Paritala
Ravi once said that he walked barefoot for somedays during those days when he was trying to
save his life from his rivals. He went to his mother's brother, Kondaiah, in SeerpiKottaala
village of Uravakonda constituency to take shelter. Their he married Paritala Suneetha, his
cousin in 1986. He took up cultivation at that time.
He never was a naxalite. Many P.W.G leaders, Maoist party leaders, Virasam leader VaraVara
Rao, Gaddar said this many times. He participated in the faction politics from 1991 and not
before that.
It is Congress propaganda that he was the conspirator in killing Gangula Narayana Reddy,
Narsanna and Yaadi Reddy during 1982-83. On the contrary it was not he but it was Naxalites
who killed them. This is again said by many Naxal leaders.
Naxals who were fed up of the attrocities committed by Gangula Narayana Reddy, his
followers Chenna Reddy, Narsanna, Yaadi Reddy wanted to kill them. They also wanted to
take revenge of the killings of their party leaders SriRamulu and Hari. First persons to be
killed were Narsanna and Yaadi Reddy. They never killed women and kids even that time.
Then it was Narayana Reddy's turn in 1983. Narayana Reddy was in Anantapur in a lodge on
1-6-1983. He was brutally hacked down by the P.W.G. Naxals escaped from there
immediately.
Naturally everyone's fingers pointed to Ravindra. But he was not at all involved in the murder.
He was not even a conspirator. Later P.W.G leaders said this.
Ravi's entry in to factionism:
After Narayana Reddy was killed, Ramachandra Reddy of Telugu desam party became M.L.A
from Penukonda in 1983 and 1985. Even though he became M.L.A Penukonda was never
peaceful. Chenna Reddy, his sons Ramana Reddy and Obul Reddy, Gangula Surya Narayana
Reddy (son of Narayana Reddy) and many of their thugs committed many attrocities. Surya
Narayana Reddy and Obul Reddy raped many women in their own houses infront of the
parents of the women. Some T.D.P activists were killed during that time.
In 1989 election, congress formed the govt in the state. Sane Chenna Reddy became M.L.A of
Penukonda by defeating Ramachandra Reddy of T.D.P. From there on attrocities committed
by his sons Ramana Reddy and Obul Reddy, Gangula Surya Narayana Reddy incresed. There
was a womens college near the house of Chenna Reddy. It is said that during the time of 1989
to 1993 the strength of the womens college came down to ground levels, a stage in which the
college had to be closed down. Women were afraid to come out of their houses in
Dharmavaram because of the fear that they would be raped by Obul Reddy.
Obul Reddy raped many women and school going girls. Women includes married
women of age 45 or less. For instance, he once raped wife of an engineer in
Dharmavaram which became an issue. He raped two women from Tamil Nadu who
came to Dharmavaram for livelyhood. He even raped wives of his followers also. He
once raped daughter of Dr. Kullayappa who was congress member.
He was a sadist. He once killed a person by throwing him on the railway track under a moving
train. He killed Muskeen, a T.D.P activist, by cutting a kilogram of muscle from his body
everyday. He once drilled bore (Rigs) in the stomach of a person. There are many other
instances in which he raped many. To sum up these are only few cases.
On the other had Surya Narayana Reddy raped some women. He once raped a women
belonging to Kuruba (Kurava) caste infront of her father and mother in
Maddelacheruvu. He raped a goverment employee in Maddelacheruvu.
In 1990 Chenna Reddy and Surya Narayana Reddy gangs killed Paathapaalyam village
committee leader, Boya Venkata Ramudu who was close to Paritala Ravindra's family.
They also killed Vepakunta village secretary, Vaaraadappa. After killing them they
burnt their bodies with diesel.
Chenna Reddy and Surya Narayana Reddy abducted Nemalivaram village sarpanch,
Subbaraayudu and killed him in Kanagaanapalli and thrown him into thorn bushes and
burnt him.
In 1994 they killed Narayanappa in Rayadurgam who was a close associate of Nanji
Reddy. Nanji Reddy was close associate of Paritala Ravindra.
Boya Naagaraju, Tagarakunta village sarpanch and close associate of Ravindra, was
killed in a bomb blast on Republic day, when he was unfurling the flag. This was done
by Surya Narayana Reddy for the sake of Tagarakunta Konda Reddy, a close associate
of him.
As mentioned above Muskeen of Dharmavaram was also killed. These are only some
examples.
Paritala Ravindra wanted to take revenge of his father's and brother's death. He awaited right
time. He joined hands with Naxals in 1991. Even Naxals wanted to help Ravi as his father and
brother were their party leaders. Sane Chenna Reddy who was conspirator in his father's and
brother's death was killed in his house in Dharmavaram in 1991. Chenna Reddy was sitting on
a chair, reading news paper.Three naxals wearing police uniform came to him, saluted and
shot him.
Byelections were conducted. Ramana Reddy, son of Chenna Reddy got congress ticket and
Gaade Lingappa got TDP ticket. Heavy rigging took place in favour of Ramana Reddy. Four
TDP activists were killed by Ramana Reddy and Obul Reddy's thugs. Gaade Lingappa was
defeated and Ramana Reddy became M.L.A in 1991. After he became M.L.A, their attrocities
increased two fold.
Re-organising Committee (R.O.C):
P.W.G expelled Kondapalli Seetha Ramaiah from the party. He split P.W.G in to two. One is
P.W KS group. Potula Suresh who shot Chenna Reddy was an active member of this group.
After T.V bomb blast, this group was agian split in to two. One was Redstar and other was Re-
Organising committee (ROC). Potula Suresh was head of ROC and Sudarshan was head of
Redstar. Redstar was pro to Chenna Reddy sons and Surya Narayana Reddy. ROC worked for
Paritala Ravindra. There was gangwar between these two groups.
ROC killed around 16 people, kidnapped around 13 people belonging to Obul Reddy or Surya
Narayana Reddy. Congress spread propaganda that Paritala Ravindra was accused in 57 cases.
Even DGP said this.But When challenged to show the police records which proves their claim,
they failed to show any records. When Paritala Ravindra was killed, only 5 police cases were
there in which his name was mentioned.
On 24-1-2005, after the party meeting in the TDP office in Anantapur, when he was
coming out of the office he was shot by Joolakanti Sreenivasa Reddy, Narayana Reddy,
Rekhamayyah. Vadde Seena and some others also participated in the shooting. Paritala
died instantaneously. His gunman Habib and Ravi's follower were also killed.
Remaining gunmen who were aged above 40 dropped guns on the shooters orders.
Gangula Surya Narayana Reddy alias Soori, Tagarakunta Konda Reddy were
conspirators.
Ravi's family supply rice, wheat and barley to around nine villages of Nasanakota
Panchayati. The villagers are entirely dependent on Ravi's family.
Anantapur district is famous for continuous droughts. Poor farmers cannot afford to
marry their daughters because of dowry and high marriage expenditure. So Ravi's
family took up the responsibilities of their marriages. Around 360 marriages were
conducted.
He rebuilt the temple of Venkateswara in Nasanakota panchayati. He built community
halls which can be used by poor. Road construction was carried out by him on his own
money in two villages. He spent around 4 crores to build temple and others.
As the area has dearth of drinking water, water supplying scheme was introduced by
him in 44 villages of his constituency. 11 crores was granted by the govt and 3 crores
was spent from his pocket. Total of 14 crores was spent to supply drinking water.
Patolla Govardhana reddy (he was also accused in the case, Sreenivas Reddy was in his
gang) also accepted that Paritala and his Family is Pro-Poor.
Former district collector of Anantapur, Somesh Kumar once said that he once visited
Penukonda in 1991 during his training days. He said that Penukonda was very under
developed during that time. He said that lot of development took place during Paritala Ravi's
time.