AMARAVATI: A pall of gloom descended on many villages, particularly Dalit colonies in Palnadu region, following the death of top Maoist leader Akkiraju Haragopal popularly known as Rama Krishna or RK.
Born in Tumrukota village of Rentachintala mandal in the underdeveloped Macherla constituency, RK got attracted to the naxalite movement after seeing the injustices being meted out to the local dalits and poor.
An articulate speaker and a selfless student leader, RK inspired several thousands of students in the colleges towards the movement during his student days. He was a nightmare to the police in the district when he headed the zonal and district committees of the erstwhile People’s War Group (PWG) in early 1980s. RK is a household name in the region as it created fear psychosis among the landlords and moneylenders.
Naxalite groups headed by RK conducted famine raids on the wealthy people and moneylenders and took away grains and cash in remote palnadu villages when the movement gained momentum. The distribution of grains to the poor and threats issued to the moneylenders attracted the youth into the party.
The locals used to take the sides of naxalite groups braving the police torture and cases as the outfit instilled a belief in people that poor could get justice only through ‘Annalu’.
RK escaped several encounters but people fondly recall one incident in which he gave a slip to the police in Chandravanka area in Macherla. Based on a tip-off from an informer, the special police team headed by the then SP RP Meena almost surrounded RK and his men in the remote village. Sensing trouble for the naxalites, the locals helped them move out of the village and escape via Krishna river in the dark of the night. “RK fought for the poor throughout his life. He selflessly worked for the party,” recalled a former associate, R Bharadhwaja.
People from Dalit colonies in Guntur and Prakasam districts accorded a rousing reception to RK when he headed the team of naxalite leaders for peace talks with the government in 2004. Thousands attended the public meetings addressed by RK enroute from Nallamala forest to Hyderabad.
