The Central Committee of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) on Friday announced the death of its member, Akkiraju Hara Gopal aka Ramakrishna (RK), around 6 a.m. on Thursday.
It said RK died due to kidney failure and other ailments. “He suddenly developed kidney-related complications. Immediately, medical treatment was started with dialysis when his kidneys failed triggering other health complications,” noted a statement issued in the name of Central Committee spokesperson Abhay.
Despite extending ‘good medical treatment’, he could not be saved. Tributes were paid to him by conducting his final rites in the presence of revolutionary cadre, it stated, describing his death as an irreparable loss to the party.
The committee praised his ‘selfless services to revolutionary movement’ and asserted that the party’s cadre would be motivated by his style, simple life and affection towards people and complete the democratic revolution.
A school teacher
Born in 1958 in Palnadu region of Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, RK completed his post-graduation. His father was a school teacher.
Having worked as a teacher along with his father, RK got attracted to revolutionary politics and took the membership of the CPI-ML (People’s War Group) in 1978. Two years later, he attended PWG’s Guntur district conference. After two years, he joined the PWG as a full-time worker. Within four years, he became PWG’s Guntur district secretary.
The party shifted him to the AOB (Andhra-Odisha Border) area after alleged attempts to eliminate him began following the failure of ‘peace talks’ with the AP government in 2004. RK married Shirisha while leading the revolutionary movement. The couple had a son, Munna (Pruthvi). He was killed in an encounter at Ramaguda in 2018, according to the party.
Ramakrishna’s chronology
* 1992: RK became PWG state committee member.
* 2000: Became AP state committee secretary.
* 2001:Became Central Committee member in PWG’s ninth conference held in 2001.
* 2004: Led party representatives during peace talks held with AP government.
* He was eventually made in-charge of Andhra-Odisha-Border (AOB) area.
* Worked as AOB area secretary till 2014.
* 2018: CC made him party’s Polit Bureau member.
(With inputs from Sumit Bhattacharjee)
