Dear friends,
August 2007 issue of People's March is dedicated entirely to the women martyrs.
We publish its contents in MS Word format. The pdf version of August issue with photographs of martyrs will be published in a few days.
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P.Govindan kutty
Editor, People's March
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RED SALUTES TO HEROIC WOMEN MARTYRS OF CPI MAOIST
Realize the dreams of innumerable Martyrs
The spring thunder of Naxalbari was a clarion call for the poor, oppressed, and exploited people of India. It showed them the path for liberation. It has been forty years since four peasant women and three children had laid down their lives in Naxalbari village while fighting for land and life with dignity – their liberation.
The Indian Communist movement had gone through many ups and downs since then. Many were the twists and turns, ups and downs in these forty years. Finally on September 21, the two streams of revolutionary Communists – the MCCI and CPI (ML)(PW) merged into CPI (Maoist) and a strong single centre to guide the movement was finally formed. In the 37 years of class struggle and people's war of these two streams before the merger many comrades had laid down their precious lives for the victory of New Democratic Revolution in India. The soil in the remote villages of India turned red with the warm blood of these immortal martyrs. The unity of the party could be achieved only through their invaluable sacrifices. It is the base on which the party stands today and endeavors to advance the people's war. It is by paying homage to their glorious martyrdom that the unity was cemented.
It is the duty of every Communist Party to pay tribute to the memory of martyrs by continuing the tasks left behind by them till the victory of communism. People are always inspired by the sacrifices of martyrs. So it becomes our duty to propagate about their great qualities, which we have to emulate, their lives and their ideals, among the vast masses so that they are inspired to join the struggle to carry forward their lofty aims.
July 28th to August 3rd is celebrated as martyrs' week to commemorate them and to take a vow that we will follow their path with renewed determination. We are using this occasion to give the readers a glimpse into the lives of women martyrs of CPI (Maoist) party since the merger of the two parties. We are also planning to bring a book about all women martyrs since Naxalbari soon. This is a prelude to that attempt.
It is with great grief that we are writing here that out of a total of 139 women comrades who were martyred, we could collect the life histories of about 40comrades. CPI (Maoist) is leading a movement which is spread in a vast area and that too it is concentrated in the most backward and remote pockets of India. So one of the main reasons for the unavailability of their life histories is the lack of regular communication between the various zones. We have made an effort to compile the whole list of women comrades martyred between September 2004 and July 2007. We are giving the available life histories and the list of women comrades martyred in this period as far as we could gather. The list is more or less complete but there are some more women comrades who were martyred during the state sponsored Salwa Judum terrorist campaign unleashed by the Chattisgarh ruling classes in Dandakaranya whose names and details we could not get in time. Some more women comrades also died recently in encounters with para-military and other armed forces in DK whose details we could not obtain due to the war like situation prevailing there. We would definitely overcome these shortcomings for the book on all women martyrs. But meanwhile we thought it would be useful and inspiring to bring out as many life histories as possible on this solemn occasion when we commemorate our beloved martyrs.
When we look at the lives of these women martyrs many things strike us as significant. In the Srikakulam struggle, which was the major armed struggle of the Naxalbari period, there were 17 women martyrs. Altogether the total number of women martyrs of that period will be in dozens. But after 1985 and especially in the 1990s and in the new millennium their numbers reached hundreds. And more than a hundred women comrades have laid their lives just in this past two and half years since the merger. The majority of them were killed in the three zones of Andhra Pradesh (AP) due to the fascist repressive regime of YS Rajasekara Reddy and in Dandakaranya due to the Salwa Judum counter revolutionary terrorist campaign.
The reason for the repression becoming more and more severe in the past 15 years is the globalization policies pushed by the government under the guidance of the imperialists. The ruling classes of India i.e., the feudal landlords, the comprador big bourgeoisie and the imperialists want to plunder the vast mineral and natural resources of India especially in the forest areas of Chattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and North Andhra. Many brave men and women have lost their lives in Kalinga nagar in Orissa and in Singur and Nandigram of West Bengal when they opposed such exploitation.
The reactionary ruling classes want to suppress the Party and PLGA which defends the interests of the people and which are organizing the people into struggles against the plunderers. That is why so many people as well as party activists and soldiers of PLGA have to lay down their lives in this bitter struggle against the imperialist led ruling classes. As more and more women are realizing the truth and joining the struggles, the number of women losing their lives also increases.
As the people's war advances the number may increase more. But this large number not only indicates the level of repression and the scale of the movement but also the fact that women are joining the party and army in large numbers. It shows that oppressed women are increasingly choosing the revolutionary path.
On the other hand when we look at some of the incidents we can gauge how the fascization of the armed forces has risen to unprecedented heights. It even looks like the state is exceptionally cruel towards women. In the bizarre Manala covert killings three women comrades (with another 7 male comrades) were very cruelly tortured after they became unconscious from the sedatives mixed in their food and then killed. The whole scene was so ghastly that people were terrified when they saw the mutilated, mauled bodies. In Sangidigundala six women comrades were brutally gunned down. Out of them three were Chenchu adivasi young girls and the other three were also young women from a poor peasant background. In the Seshachalam Hills encounter also six women comrades were killed. This was also a covert operation. In the Daraboyinapenta encounter (in which AP State Secretary Comrade Madhav was also killed) five women comrades had laid down their lives. In the Gunukuralla encounter three women comrades died fighting the enemy bravely. In the Badwel encounter four women comrades were killed. These are the major incidents in AP-NT-AOB zones where women were killed in large numbers. The notorious AP Police did not spare even an old mother of four children. They tortured and killed Eeswaramma in a fake encounter after she was arrested. In many incidents the AP and DK police raped women comrades who were injured in encounters and murdered them. This is the lowest level they can stoop to in bestiality.
If these sounds horrible then when we hear about the atrocities poor, adivasi women are subjected to in DK there are no words to describe the horror. They seem to have surpassed the Nazis and fascists in their cruelty. The kind of hatred with which their breasts and private parts are attacked has perhaps never been witnessed in India. When we remember the fact that these adivasi women had to wage bitter struggle with their men to cover their breasts and private parts properly with cloth, we may perhaps understand why those parts are so particularly targeted.
All along ruling classes the world over have always used rape and sexual violence on women as a weapon to suppress people's movements and Salva Judum is an appalling continuation of that policy. Whether it is the DK adivasis or AP's Chenchu adivasis or Jharkhand's adivasis or the dalit women in the various plain areas, it is always the poor, backward women who are becoming the victims of state repression. Their only crime was to try to take their life into their hands; to try to liberate their people. In Salwa Judum they especially targeted the KAMS leaders and members and sympathizer women. India, which boasts to be the world's biggest democracy, doesn't even allow poor adivasi women to organize into women's organizations for their basic rights. It is high time the world sits up and listens.
Some of the women comrades were martyred as part of people's war when they went to attack the enemy forces. Comrades Karuna, Somvari, Anju and Yenki are a few examples of such brave women soldiers of PLGA who dared to be in the forefront in the battlefield. Many women comrades died while fighting the enemy valiantly in encounters and while defending other comrades. There are innumerable instances of women comrades showing exemplary bravery when facing enemy's attacks. They had long ago shattered the myth of women being 'naturally' weaker then men.
Many women comrades like Chada Vijayalakshmi, Eeswaramma, Pushpa, one women comrade each from Chattisgarh and Orissa etc were killed after getting caught. They had been severely tortured but they chose to guard the party secrets with their lives. Their supreme sacrifice in the face of enemy tortures will remain etched in the hearts of people forever.
Women are also becoming victims of attacks of black gangs floated by the AP government to suppress the people's democratic movements. Comrade Pochamma of Medak who is a sympathizer went missing due to these black gangs.
Many mass organization members, sympathizers and ordinary people have lost their lives in the brutal repression of the enemy. Comrade Isrubai attacking the police who were firing indiscriminately on adivasis 25 years back in Indravelli is an example of the courage of ordinary women. She died recently due to the ill health, as a result of poverty. A mother and daughter of Sitamarhi district in North Bihar have been killed in the indiscriminate firing by the police on their home as part of the repression after the Madhuban raid.
One woman comrade belonging to CPI (ML) (Jana sakthi), two women comrades of CPUSI (DBSV) Veeranna group, and one woman comrade of Praja Prathighatana have also lost their lives in AP in 2005 and 2006.
Comrade Santhoshi died during childbirth and her husband and village elders killed Comrade Vadde Sushila as they could not bear to see her become a leader i.e., due to patriarchal arrogance. These are two deaths, which occurred just because they were women and this is a feudal patriarchal class society.
The life histories of the martyr women comrades shows that women have come into the movement from all castes, classes and backgrounds – rich peasants to bonded laborers, petty-bourgeois women to beggar women, upper caste women to dalit and adivasi women. Women came into the movement fighting the class, caste, and patriarchal exploitation, oppression and discrimination on them. Most of the women are from rural areas but women from urban areas like Rajitha, Swetha etc. are also not behind. This vast variety of women among martyrs indicates the vast variety of such women in the movement. This is in itself an achievement for the party, which seeks to lead all these classes and sections of people into the NDR.
Their life histories, especially those of adivasi, dalit, and poor women show the tremendous efforts they had put in to develop themselves politically, organizationally, militarily in order to become communist leaders of the movement. Most of them became literate after joining the movement. Many of them had developed as Party committee members right from village party committee to district/divisional level committees. We are very proud of the manner they carried on their responsibilities as committee members quite efficiently. Their efforts in this direction will serve as an inspiration for all comrades in the generations to come. They have forever buried the false dictum of this society that women are always inferior. So we see women doing all kinds of works and taking up all kinds of responsibilities in the party, army and united front activities. They are leading in all fronts.
Another myth that some of these comrades have shattered is that women follow their husbands whatever they may do. Comrades like Padma, who developed into a DCM in Adilabad district, did not leave the movement till her last breath even though their husbands abandoned the movement. This shows their high level of class-consciousness and their immense commitment of these comrades towards the people.
Many women have become martyrs as part of the ongoing nationality struggles against the Indian ruling classes in the past two and half years. Likewise there have been many sacrifices of women in the revolutionary movements of Peru, Turkey, Philippines and Nepal. The world over many women is sacrificing their lives in anti imperialist struggles. On this occasion we remember all those martyrs who gave their lives for building a better society for all of us.
On this solemn occasion let us bow our heads humbly before the martyrs and once again vow that till our last drop of blood we will continue their work and strike to realize their lofty aims. As the people's war advances the sacrifices also increase. No revolution can advance without such supreme sacrifices. Let us intensify the war and realize the dreams of our beloved martyrs.
Never in the history of Indian Communist movement have so many women comrades (that too in leading positions in party, army and UF) laid down their lives in such a short period. It is necessary to build up a strong civil rights and democratic movement to fight this brutal repression. Highlighting the repression on women should be one of the main tasks of this movement.
"They can kill all the flowers… They can not holdback the spring"
Comrade Padma
Comrade Padma's life history is one of the most inspiring in our revolutionary movement. Perhaps there are very few instances where women came into the movement on account of their husbands and stayed on even after their husbands had deserted the party and revolution. Those who had seen her—frail, physically weak, mild-looking and soft-spoken—during the early 1990s, when she used to come to the guerrilla zone to meet her husband Rajanna who was in the squad, would never have imagined that she would have moulded herself, a few years later, into such a hardcore revolutionary participating in several raids, ambushes and attacks on the enemy.
Comrade Padma hails from Adilabad district. Comrade Padma developed from a squad member to the member of the district committee. She joined the movement in 1995 after continuous persuasion by her husband who worked in the guerilla squads in the Adilabad. She was married to one of her relatives in her childhood and was always confined to the housework. She refused to leave the house and her son to join her husband. But once she decided to join the squads she remained until her martyrdom in October 2006.
The transformation of Comrade Padma from a house wife in a backward peasant family into one of the leaders of the revolutionary movement in Adilabad district, from the soft-spoken, sensitive, mild-mannered and gentle girl into a beloved leader and organizer of the people and a terror to the police and reactionaries is really an amazing story which will remain an inspiration to one and all. The growth of political maturity and individuality in Padma made her husband both envious as well as inferior. She fought back his attempts to dominate her and his exercise of patriarchal authority over her. As the state repression became more and more intense in the later part of the 1990s, Rajanna could not withstand the heat and decided to desert the movement. He naturally assumed that comrade Padma would also accompany him since they were married for long and also had a son. But she remained stubborn, steadfast and committed to the revolutionary cause and refused to accompany him. Thus she continued in the revolutionary movement even after her husband surrendered to the enemy. She served as a guard to Com. Lalitha, the then secretary of the Adilabad district committee.
Later com Padma became a commander and was elected to the DC a few months before her martyrdom. The confidence and courage, determination and tenacity, which comrade Padma had displayed during the most difficult phase of the revolutionary movement in North Telengana, had endeared her to the people. Her self-effort and hard work had played a great role in her development. The life of Comrade Padma shows that it is possible to transform millions and millions of backward peasant women suffering under the burden of patriarchal and feudal oppression into great revolutionaries to overturn this exploitative and oppressive social system and build a genuine classless society.
Comrade Prashanti
Comrade Prasanti popularly known as Comrade Ramana in the backward Palnadu area of Guntur district was killed in an encounter in the Badwel forests of Kadapa district on November 10, 2006. It was one of the biggest incidents in the ongoing war between the Maoist forces and the AP Police and a total of 9 comrades including her husband and AP State Committee member Comrade Raghavulu died in that incident.
Comrade Ramana was a very simple woman who was always very humble. She was a person who talked less and worked more. She had been associated with the Guntur rural movement centred around the backward Palnadu pocket for more than a decade. She developed herself from a squad member to a District Committee member through sheer hard work and dedication. She led the peasantry and wage labourers of that area in many struggles. She also led them in famine raids when the poor peasantry of Palnadu was reeling under famine and drought. As a woman she was conscious of the patriarchal oppression on women and so concentrated on building Viplava Mahila Sangham (VMS) the revolutionary women's organization of AP wherever she worked. The oppressed women rallied into the women organization under her leadership and Guntur district had always been a place where there were strong VMS units. She was one of the women comrades who ensured this. She fought patriarchal tendencies in the party too.
She had fallen ill many times and was down with the infamous Nallamala malaria umpteen numbers of times. But she was undaunted in her spirit and carried on her responsibilities with a determined look on her face.
She had been shifted to the Rayalaseema organization from Guntur in 2006 and she willingly integrated with the movement there. She tried to study the specific problems of that area in order to give better guidance. In her long revolutionary life she had seen many ups and downs inside the party and went through many rough patches of repression, but she never looked back or wavered. Dozens of comrades surrendered to the enemy in front of her eyes but she always believed in the victory of communism. That is what she told her family also when they feared for her life.
AP movement had lost many exemplary women leaders to repression especially in the past decade. Com. Ramana was one of those leaders whom we can compare to the bricks, which constitute the wall. It is a great loss to the AP movement and PLGA to have lost such a dedicated, humble leader. Let us vow to carry forward her lofty aims.
Comrade Karuna (Chada Vijayalakshmi)
Comrade Karuna worked in the party very sincerely fulfilling her responsibilities very patiently and without any vacillation. She laid down her life heroically. Comrade Karuna was born in a rich peasant family in Navabpet in Karim nagar district. Her parents named her Vijayalakshmi. She came in touch with the revolutionary politics in 1982. Since 1985 she has been working as a full time activist. She married Comrade Mahendar (Jaipal) while at home. He was martyred while working as the organizer in Visakhapatnam city in a fake encounter. At first they worked as the technical staff in Hydrabad city. Though she was from a rich peasant family she used to be very frugal in the room because she thought every pie of the party belonged to the people. Thus the young couple set good standards in maintaining party shelters. She took initiative to learn nursing while staying in the shelter. It was to serve as a cover, meet the expenses and also for treating guerrillas when the need arose. It was due to the meticulous care taken by them in maintaining the shelter with all precautions that safeguarded the leadership especially of the North Telangana movement. Later when Com. Mahendar was shifted to work in the workers' field in Visakhapatnam district in the late 80s, she too was shifted with him. She continued to work as a nurse in a hospital and began meeting women in the nearby villages, factories and slums to work among them. She had cordial relations with the neighbours and maintained the cover so well that nobody had an iota of doubt that this nurse with a frail body with such a serene face could be a naxalite. During this time she improved her nursing skills so well that she began to be given duty in the operation theatre too though she had not got a formal nursing certificate. Many were the gifts showered on her by the doctor and the patients she looked after for her service.
She established relations with working class women in the factories and was to concentrate on this work. After Comrade Jaipal became a martyr it was decided to shift her to other areas as it was a bit difficult to continue in the city and she was transferred to Srikakulam town where she strived to organize the women in the slum areas. From 1995 she worked in the Kondabaridi and other squads in the district. She took any work assigned to her actively and led a simple life. She was sincere in each and every aspect and was eager to learn. She bore the characteristics of an organizer. Though she had certain difficulties and limitations as a woman working in cover in the towns she fulfilled her responsibility with great patience. After she was transferred to the East Division she went into the broad masses and organized them. She stood committed to the party line and could face any kind of hardship. She worked with great will despite hard terrain and severe ill health. She took up responsibility as a squad commander and worked for a long time. In 1996 Comrades BK and Karuna got married and became partners. She gradually developed as the AC secretary and DCM. She later took up the responsibility as the East Divisional President of the AVMS (Adivasi Revolutionary Women's Organization) and was part of the women's sub committee formed in AOB to develop the women comrades and build a strong women's movement. Her sensitive approach to women's problems and keenness to fight patriarchy in anu form were added assets in this work. She conducted the first district conference of AVMS successfully. She strived to the best of her efforts to build a broad mass movement and a broad women's movement.
Karuna fulfilled utmost difficult responsibilities as a doctor in many military actions. She developed as an experienced doctor of PLGA. Comrade Karuna was a member of one Assault team and the doctor of the total raiding party in Darakonda and Kalimela raids led by Comrade BK. She provided medical help that doctors could not provide, to the severely injured comrades in these incidents. One of the comrades hurt his fingers in firing. It was not an ordinary thing to revive his hand. She brought to life those who everyone thought would die of injuries. She eased the profusely bleeding comrades without tension, gave them great support and treated them with utmost patience. She washed the clothes wet with blood and kept the patients in a clean condition always. She worked enthusiastically to bring them to normal condition and continue as great fighters in the war front. When the injured comrades were talking about their problems, she was patient and courageous. On some occasions when the leadership was not available she explained them many political issues. Many comrades recovered due to her services.
Comrade Karuna gave an understanding about political and health problems to the adivasi women and mainly regarding women's health problems. She brought before the leadership the problems faced by the women and suggested solutions. She made very serious political effort to entrench the women comrades firmly in practice and to develop them. Many persons were surrendering in the increasing repression and she was anxious to educate the cadre by teaching them the enemy tactics and revolutionary politics. She did not waver in her commitment to the revolution and never stepped back from her responsibilities even in one incident.
Central Military Commission (CMC) recently resolved to give special training to develop a higher-level medical department under the leadership of Comrade Karuna, in view of the necessity of doctors' teams for PLGA in the advancing people's war. We lost a heroic, dedicated doctor who could have evolved into a skilled doctor like a Norman Bethune.
The Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) police arrested comrades Vadkapur Chandramouli (BK) and Karuna with prior information in a highly secret operation. In fact they were missing since 26th December 2006 when they left Durg town in Chathisgarh. They were caught without anybody's knowledge but the enemy could not obtain any secret information despite cruel fascist torture for one whole day. The police got mad and killed Comrades BK and Karuna most cruelly and the tale of 'encounter' in the forest of Gudem Kotha Veedhi mandal of Visakhapatnam district. The tale was put in the media and their bodies were left in this place on 27th December. Comrades BK and Karuna kept to themselves the party secrets despite severe tortures and died a heroic death. Whoever had seen Karuna would definitely wonder how her frail, delicate body would have endured such severe torture. Such is the spirit of a true communist!
The nearly two decades long revolutionary life of Karuna is full of communist ideals, which we have to imbibe if we have to successfully complete the revolution. It is a great loss to the movement to have lost such a senior woman leader and doctor when our war is advancing. Only by intensifying war we can pay our real red homage to her.
Comrade Lakshmi
Com. Lakshmi was born in a dalit family in Madduru village of Pamulapadu mandal of Kurnool district. She came from a poor family and in a background of extreme exploitation of the landlords of her village. Their parents educated her but as a dalit woman she could not escape the various kinds of discriminations in the society. She was a sensitive girl and many questions were raising in her mind about the inequalities in the society. Her questioning nature led her to revolutionary politics while she was studying in Kurnool. Within a short period she decided that this was the path to end all kinds of exploitation and discrimination in the society.
She began working in a women's organization and mobilized the poor, dalit, exploited women as well as students and middle class women and women employees in various struggles in Kurnool town. She played a key role in establishing the women's organization as a champion of the oppressed.
She was an excellent singer and performer and put a strong impact on the people whenever she performed. When she used to sing about the agony of mothers of martyrs people used to be so moved that they wept. When she sang describing the people's singer as a nightingale it was as if she was also a nightingale singing. Such was the sweetness and expression in her voice. She had successfully conducted many cultural workshops of the women's organization and trained many cultural activists.
She gradually won the confidence of the cadres and was elected as a state EC member of the women's federation she was working for. She was active in propagating that New Democratic Revolution was the solution to the problems women were facing. She used to work very hard and carried on her activities even while doing tailoring work for her livelihood.
The YSR government wanted to end the talks process as soon as possible as it feared the enormous influence of the revolutionary politics on the people would turn against it. So it caught Com. Lakshmi and tortured her to death on January 8th 2005 in Prakasam district and ended the talks process.
It is still difficult for dalit women in our society to come out and participate in political activities. It is really commendable that Lakshmi developed herself into a state leader in such a short time.
She served as a model to many young girls in the slums who tried to emulate her. It is a big loss to the women's movement also as it is still not so easy to find such dedicated leaders who serve the people without any selfishness in an atmosphere where most of the women organizations and so called leaders are taking funds and becoming corrupt or insincere.
Comrade Shobha
Just two days before the International Women's Day the state resorted to the Manala massacre with the help of coverts and killed ten revolutionaries by torturing them to death. Three among them were women. Comrade Kamindla Shobha was one among them. At the time of her death she was the Secretary of the Local guerilla squad.
She was born in a poor family in Pattemalla village of Konaraopet mandal of Karim nagar district. She had two sisters and two brothers. She lost her mother when she was still a child. The doting father gave her the love and affection of both a mother and father. He could send her to school till 7th standard. She could not continue as they were poor and could not afford higher studies. She used to look after household chores and also roll beedies thus helping the family financially. As she grew up questions such as – why are women paid less than women though both of them worked equally, why is there patriarchal oppression on women, what is the reason for men's domination on women etc. crossed her young mind
The revolutionary politics in the village provided answers to her questions. So she organized women beedi workers against the exploitation of the company owners and fought for the workers' demands. She participated actively in the village revolutionary women's organization. She gradually prepared herself to join the squads and according to the party's decision joined in 1997. She first worked in the Sircilla squad and later in the Kamareddy squad till 2000 as a squad member. Then she worked as a guard to Com.Rajitha, the North Telangana Special Zonal Committee (NTSZC) member till mid 2001. She fought bravely in many encounters and safeguarded her leader Rajitha. From mid 2001 to 2002 she worked as a squad member of Jagityal. In January 2004 she was promoted as an Area Committee (AC) member and worked in Kodimyal, Kathalapur and Jagityal squads. She undertook the responsibility as the Local Guerilla Squad (LGS) secretary since 2005 January and continued in her responsibilities till her death in Manala on March 7th 2005. Com. Shobha went to any area that was assigned to her by the district party and gave importance to the party's needs. She was very active and mingled very well with the people wherever she went. Whoever had met her once would always enquire after her whenever the squad went there. She used to compete with the men comrades in the squads to do all kinds of works. Though she had a frail, weak body she never lagged behind in fulfilling any task. Everybody liked her as she mingled well with all and was a lively person.
She participated in military training in the year 2004 and learnt military techniques with lot of determination. She trained her body for the hardship filled life of a guerilla and tried hard not to become a burden to the squad. She married Com. Srinu (Jagityal LGS Secretary) in 2002. He was also martyred along with her in the same massacre.
Though many leaders like her beloved Comrade Padmakka were martyred and many surrendered before the enemy Com. Shobha continued in the movement and sacrificed her life for lofty aims of the party. Her sacrifice is invaluable.
She participated actively in punishing the class enemies and resisted the enemy valiantly when they attacked them. On February 23rd 2005 when the squad was attacked in three places on the same day she fought back bravely.
During the temporary respite in May 2004 she propagated revolutionary politics among the people through song and dance. The state cruelly ended the life of this promising young comrade even while she was developing herself politically, militarily and organizationally. Let us bow our head in red homage to her
Comrade Kadamanda Padma (Sunitha)
Com. Padma was born in the village Rapalle of Gollapalle mandal of Karim nagar district. Since she belonged to a poor, dalit family she could not afford to study. Since her childhood she worked as a daily wage labourer and helped her family to survive. She was married off at a very early age. But her married life was filled with harassments and difficulties. Meanwhile she gave birth to a child. But patriarchal harassment from her husband and in –laws doubled. Though she tried to bear all that with immense patience the harassment and violence increased day by day and finally she had to leave her in laws house and come back to her mothers' house. There she tried to contact the squad and got recruited into the squad in August 2003. She undertook all the tasks given to her as a squad member in the Jagityal squad since then.
She became a party member in December 2004 and worked as the deputy of the Jagityal squad since January 2005.
She was always in the forefront in doing collective jobs, doing sentry duty, carrying luggages etc. She married Com. Ramesh, the district committee secretary in 2005 February. On February 23rd the enemy attacked the squad at three places on the same day but she fought bravely and retreated through resisting.
Even while she was developing herself into an efficient leader she lost her precious life along with ten comrades on March 7rd , 2005 in the Manala massacre.
Padma believed that imperialism and patriarchy will end only with the establishment of communism and laid down her life for that cause. She was the shining star of the oppressed people. She leads them by her example.
Comrade Pushpa
Com.Pushpa was born in a village in Wanparthy mandal of Mahboob nagar district. Right from her childhood she used to work very hard in the fields and undertook all kinds of hard chores for her family. She was a terror to the landlords and bad gentry in the village. She was never afraid of anybody and stood her stead against anybody. She never knew what is fear. It was this quality in her and her hatred for the class enemies, which lead her into the armed struggle in 1997.
After she came into the party the Green Tigers black gang and the police threatened her family many times. They were harassed by the police umpteen number of times but she never looked back. She put class bonds above family bonds. She married Com. Santhosh in 1998 and they vowed that they would keep their personal life always subordinate to party life. This promise they kept till their death.
Com. Pushpa had a strong physical body, which she had improved more by rigorous physical training as a guerilla. She used to do lot of hard work during camps in the Nallamala forest areas and used to serve as a model to women comrades. By her practice she shattered the myth that women are perpetually weaker than men. She used to compete with men comrades in carrying heavy luggage to the camps. She tried to do all the items in the military camps without fail.
Once when a big poisonous snake crawled over her when she was asleep she bravely caught hold of it and killed it without panicking. In another incident while crossing the fields at night a fence put up for animals electrocuted Com. Santhosh. Though the party had propagated among the peasantry not to connect electricity during the nights sometimes police also forced the peasants to do so. Some of our comrades died in such incidents too. If not for the presence of mind and the bravery of Pushpa, Santhosh too would have met the same fate. Even while others were too shocked to do anything she immediately pulled him out of danger.
These are just two of the many examples of her bravery. The squads in Mahboob nagar had to cross the river many times at nights and she was one of the few women comrades who could row well for a long time. It was no small feat to row in the rough waters during monsoons. She had good grip over the routes and used to go for any task assigned to her even in pitch darkness without losing her way. In the encounters with the police and in attacks on police or class enemies hers was always a praiseworthy role. She displayed the same determination in learning to read and write. She was very studious and always tried to ensure that the school in the squad was conducted without fail. She was popular among the village women and whenever any squad touched their villages they used to ask for her.
In all the rough patches that the movement went through in that district she was one pillar who withstood everything till the end. Her decade long revolutionary life was no bed of roses as this whole period was one of severe repression from the government and black gangs. True to her class character (poor peasant) she used to be straightforward in her behavior and never hesitated to criticize shortcomings in persons or in the movement. She also fought against manifestations of patriarchy and tried to explain to village men also that they should treat women on equal par with men. Gradually she developed into an AC member.
The period of brutal repression unleashed by the YSR government after break down of talks was another testing period through which Pushpa had gone through in the true spirit of a communist. When the party put the proposal in front of her to shift to Dandakaranya she unhesitatingly agreed in the spirit of internationalism. The enemies got hold of the information of Comrades Pushpa and Santhosh when they came out of the forest area to go to Dandakaranya and killed them in cold blood.
The land soaked in the blood of this exemplary, poor daughter of the soil vowed to take revenge against the enemy. The backward Chenchu adivasi men and women of Nallamala forest and the poor peasantry of Panagal, Achampet areas will never forget the sacrifice of their darling daughter whose cheerful smile had lit up their life for almost a decade.
Comrade Karuna
Comrade Karuna was born in Mettapad village of Gangalur range of Bijapur Tehsil in Dantewada district. Her parents named her as Moti Punem. In spite of her village being situated near Gangalur Police Station it was like a bastion for the revolutionary movement. All the mass organizations in the village were actively functioning. Comrade Karuna was organizing women as a KAMS member. In this process she was inspired by Party politics and decided to dedicate her life for the cause of the revolution. With an understanding that women cannot achieve complete liberation without the success of New Democratic Revolution she joined the revolutionary movement. Local party unit was also impressed with her work. She became a guerrilla by joining the squad in 1997. In the beginning she was in Basagudem squad. Comrade Karuna was both physically and mentally quite hale and healthy. In 1998 South Bastar Divisional Committee took her into the special guerrilla squad and she worked for a year in that. In this process party gave her membership. In 1999 she was selected to be a member of the newly formed Platoon-2. Due to her initiative and leadership qualities in military affairs, first she has become Deputy Commander and later Section Commander. On 28th July 2004 Company was formed in DK in which there was a special section of women and Comrade Karuna became the commander of it.
Comrade Karuna participated in many military actions during her revolutionary life of 9 years from 1997 to 2005. She was a steeled woman fighter and once again she proved that a woman is no lesser than a man in any way in military field. The ambush near Torrem village near Basagudem was her first military action. In that action 16 police personnel were killed and 17 were injured. Karuna felt very proud of her participation in this successful ambush. Later she participated in Kongupalli, Wakulwai ambushes etc. as a member of support team. She showed her fighting spirit through participating in the ambushes conducted in Bajrangbali of North Bastar division and Tigeta, Motukupalli, Usikapatanam, Saalpalli etc. of West Bastar. She also took part in Tallagudem, Motu, Vedire, Geedam etc. police station raids. She was Deputy Commander of ambush batch in Geedam raid. With her martyrdom, PLGA lost a capable and efficient soldier especially an aspiring woman fighter. One important characteristic of Comrade Karuna is that she never turned her back to responsibilities. She always did whichever work was allotted to her and went wherever she was sent. She fulfilled all the responsibilities given to her in military field with commitment. Com Karuna happily accepted the responsibility in the newly formed first company in DK.
Comrade Karuna fought strongly against patriarchal trends in the party. Whenever some comrades pressurized her for marriage in an inappropriate way, she criticized them in the meetings of the platoon. She was always against any pressure of the men on women. Just before one or two months before her martyrdom she married a fellow fighter comrade. Since he works in another area they hardly spent a week together after their marriage. Since they gave more importance to the duties of the revolution than to their personal life, they proceeded to their areas to make successful the TCOC against the enemy in their areas. Comrade Karuna once again proved that the important aspect of married life would be sacrifice.
One more ideal characteristic of Comrade Karuna was her hardworking nature. Whether she was in platoon or in company, whether she was a member or a commander, she always used to come forward to carry luggage. In the memorial meeting held to commemorate Karuna, Company commander remembered her like this: "whenever I remember comrade Karuna, I visualize her with a bundle on her head because whenever there was an extra luggage in platoon or company she used to come forward to lift it. We must learn this quality of doing hard work from her life." In the same meeting a woman comrade said, "whenever we woman fighters feel that our self-confidence is coming down, we should remember Comrade Karuna. She is not just a source of inspiration but a source of energy also."
Comrade Karuna was selected for the assault team of Daula raid in which she had to fight by entering into enemy's fortress. She advanced without caring a bit for her life. She fell to enemy bullets while trying to enter it.
Comrade Yenki
The party in DK decided to annihilate the Salwa Judum goondas in the rahat sibirs (relief camps) where they are perpetuating atrocities on women and children especially. As part of this the Gangalur sibir was raided with a force of 400 led by the main forces and in which soldiers of secondary and base forces also participated. Eight SPOs (Special Police Officers) and Salwa judum goons were killed and ten more were injured. Some more of them were given warning and let off.
During the raid Com. Yenki, a section deputy commander in Platoon-2 led a team to raid another den of the goondas. But the two-inch mortar shell launched by the enemy fell near the team and the mines nearby also exploded. Com. Yenki and three militia members lost their lives in this explosion.
Comrade Indira (Manjula)
Com. Indira was born in a middle class dalit family in the Pedamoola village of Chandampet mandal of Nalgonda district. She was attracted by the revolutionary movement and joined as a full timer in 2002. She worked in the South Telangana platoon and was later shifted to Nallamala division. She worked hard as a squad member and developed into an AC member. She married a fellow comrade. She learnt to read and write. She put a proposal before the party that she wants work in an organizational squad. So she was shifted back to South Telangana. During that period she was killed in the encounter at Sangidi Gundala. She was a disciplined soldier and was always helpful to others. She was simple and straightforward. She serves as a model to all of us with such good qualities.
Comrade Swaroopa (Padma)
Com. Padma was born in an ordinary family in Panjugula village of Kalwakurthy mandal of Mahboob nagar district. Right from her childhood she used to herd cattle and help her parents as their eldest child. Since she was married to a revolutionary activist, she got interested in revolutionary politics and both of them decided to join the party as full timers. But by that time they had a small child. But they were determined to join the squad and so they left six month old baby with his family members and joined the squads. Leaving behind the infant she continued along with her fellow comrades in the movement and developed herself into a party member and then into the deputy commander of the Nallamala squad. She worked at first in the Upper Plot area and later her revolutionary life was spent with the Chenchu adivasis and the fishermen on the river Krishna. She participated in the struggles against the corruption of ITDA and Girijan stores and against the fisher company owners who exploited the fishermen. She was very patient as a deputy commander and mixed up well with the squad members. Though her physical condition was not allowing her to scale the big mountains in the Nallamala forest she continued to put in lots of efforts. It is not an exaggeration if we say that there was nobody in that area who did not know Swaroopa. That was the way she mingled with the people. She never expressed the desire to be with her baby and always believed that it is only a better society that will allow true relationships to prosper and worked for that aim till her death. Her life is an example for all of us to follow. In two police firings on Upper Plot and Nallamala squads she fought bravely with the enemy. In a greyhound police attack on the squad near Sangidigundala in January 2006 she was martyred along with eight other comrades. Just two days back she was bitten by a snake and was in a weak condition when they were attacked. This was one of the mostly ghastly incidents in the history of the revolutionary movement in AP and the greyhounds true to their name killed our beloved comrades in a cold-blooded manner.
Comrade Anju
Com. Anju joined the party when she was 15 years old as a full timer. She was very enthusiastic towards the party work and paid special attention. She was responsible, disciplined and had will power for achieving her task. She was very amicable with women, men, with people of her age, with children and others. She was exemplary to all. She developed commitment, firmness and revolutionary and communist characters. She advanced step by step in the revolutionary movement. She had a lot of hopes in the party and revolutionary movement. At times a small mistake would lead to a heavy price. This is what happened in the case of Com. Anju.
Martyr Com. Anju (Jhamur Marandi) was born in Jambuni village in the limits of the Kanksa police station in Bardwan district in West Bengal in a middle class peasant family she studied until 5th class. She joined the party in 1999. She started working in the women's front, organizing the women. In a short time she started wielding the weapon in the squad. In 2000 when Jharkhand state emerged she was recruited into the women guerilla squad. Later this guerilla squad was combined in Pl-30. Then she became a member of this Pl. She fulfilled her responsibility in imparting political training to the women comrades in the platoon. Later the Pl-30 and Pl-35 were merged to form a company in the erstwhile MCCI. Then she became a member in the company party committee.
She took medical training and took up the responsibilities of a doctor. She had a good role in developing the company politically and molding it in a disciplined manner. She was firm regarding discipline. She was keen on learning to read and write. She was the in-charge of the medical team in the company. Her nature was heroic, stable and serious. She had the capability to lead the guerillas. She was part of many raids and ambushes. She played a good role in these actions. In June 2006 she was in Assault group 2 in the short surprise attack on the Jhumra STF, CRPF camp in Bokaro district in Jharkhand.
This assault group went very near the camp, attacking and occupying all the rooms. According to the plan this group chased away one sentry. But it could not control another sentry since there was severe firing from it. It tried to advance with fire and movement. But the enemy concentrated LMG firing in this place and so it was difficult to advance. A comrade operating SLR asked Com. Anju to fire while he was changing his empty magazine. Then Com. Anju peeped out of her cover to observe the movements of the enemy. Exactly at that moment a bullet on the mouth hit her and it pierced through. In a few seconds she lost her life.
Com. Anju was the first woman martyr who died fighting with the enemy in Jharkhand. Her martyrdom is especially a heavy loss for Bihar- Jharkhand. She was exemplary among the front rank, efficient women in PLGA in the dynamic, strategic area of BJ SAC.
Now there is a lot of necessity of leading women guerillas, commanders and warriors. In such a situation it is a severe loss to have lost Com. Anju. Her martyrdom made the Jharkhand region, the whole party and the PLGA ranks became melancholic with her martyrdom. It is impossible to forget her. Her loss cannot be fulfilled. It is a challenge to fulfill her loss. Now there is a necessity for many Anjus. We can fight back the enemy offensive and take a qualitative step forward in the revolutionary movement only when thousands of Anjus come up. Only then it would be possible to develop guerilla war into mobile war and PLGA into PLA and guerilla zone into a liberated area. Now there is a necessity to bring thousands of young women and women into the people's army and prepare many women into efficient warriors like Anju. It is possible only when we take the revolutionary and communist characteristics of Com. Anju as an ideal and follow them. We have to study the life history of Com. Anju, take her revolutionary and communist characters ideal and mold ourselves into such an exemplary guerilla. Thus Com. Anju would be alive in our memories.
Comrade Rajitha (Sushila)
Rajitha was born in 1974 in Palem village of Palamur (Mahabob nagar) district. It was a drought affected district and theirs was a poor family and on top of it she was a daughter in a joint family. So she was brought up with many restrictions as an obedient girl and she always acted in a responsible manner. Though she had no proper food, no chappals for her feet, only torn clothes to wear and no books to read, she used to go to school regularly. As soon as she came back from school she used to help mother in housework. When she was still young, just in eighth class, she opened a small retail shop to help her family financially. Thus she studied till 10th standard in the village. Her parents thought that the girls have come of age and they should be married off. But they were so poor that they decided they could not marry them off then and migrated to Hydrabad city in search of livelihood. During summer holidays she worked in a candle factory. After holidays were over she joined in Inter in a government college.
Daily her father used to nag that there is no need for a girl to study. She never cared such comments. She went wherever she could learn some new things free of cost like tailoring, typing, computer, and shorthand, spoken English etc by walking long distances with determination. She fought a war for educating herself.
She faced sexual harassment from childhood itself and from her own eldest brother. She did not understand why all this was happening to her. She believed god would save her from all travails and so she used to religiously do puja to all gods praying that her brother should change, that her family should prosper and that her conditions should improve. But nothing changed. In fact the conditions worsened. Then she joined in degree in a college and came into contact with a women's organization called Mahila Chetana. This was a big turning point in her life. She understood that she was not alone in facing all these problems, that every woman in this society is facing some or the other problem and that the government is encouraging imperialist, obscene culture and literature which is giving rise to these problems. She understood that fighting against these was the solution to the problems faced by people like her. She also believed strongly that girls should learn karate and solve the problem of sexual harassment with self-respect. So she started learning karate. The problem she faced from her brother was solved with this. But other problems cropped up. Pressure was built up at home to stop her from learning karate as they thought it would be difficult to get her married. On the other hand karate instructors were also sexually harassing their girl students and so the girls were dropping out. So she firmly believed that only women karate coaches should teach girls if they are to learn freely and tried to develop herself in that direction. She became a coach and taught karate free of cost to girls in schools, colleges and slums. For that purpose she went cycling to many slums to gather girls. Actually she had a very weak body. Though she was a weak baby from birth she used to take lot of care in health matters because she did not want it to become a hindrance in learning karate. Though she came from a vegetarian family she changed her eating habits after joining the organization. She used to be very active and lively with all this. She never fell sick. She believed that we could work more if we are healthy.
Everyday there used to be quarrels at home as they brought new matches for her and forced her to stop karate. While working in the organization she developed the understanding that marriage is a union of two hearts and a union of ideologies and that it should not have anything to do with caste, religion, dowry or money. She declared in no uncertain manner that she would not have an arranged marriage. She even refused to sit in front of the prospective grooms and their families, as was the norm. Now beatings accompanied scolding. By this time Rajitha was already working as a receptionist in a private nursing home. Clashes intensified and she left home after declaring that she can live independently. Her sister followed in her footsteps. Her parents thought this act of hers would make them lose their prestige in society. So they went to the police and with their backing came to the organization's office and attacked it. They abused the organization in the most obscene manner. Finally both the sisters had to announce in the press that they both were majors and that they had the right to live independently. Everybody supported their act of bravery.
Within a short time Rajitha developed as an activist and went on to become the organization's Joint Secretary. Between 1995 and 2003 she was in the forefront in all the activities and struggles by the organization leading them militantly. She made the adversaries bow before the movement. We can see this in many struggles whether it was the struggle against lifting of subsidies, exposing the sham of Chandrababu's Mahila Janma bhoomi or fighting for water facilities in slums or demand for a school building, for implementation of welfare programmes or even in Bangalore when their state federation gave a call against the Beauty Contest in 1997 and the activists got arrested while doing rasta rokos. The activists were dragged by their hair and beaten black and blue till they bled. Instead of deterring her, with each incident her hatred against the state increased. She loved to have long hairs. But after the Bangalore arrests she thought that her long hairs came in handy for the police to beat her and so she cropped it.
In the year 2000, floodwaters inundated Hydrabad. Many slums got submerged and thousands of people became homeless. As the convener of the flood victims committee of twin cities she participated in the relief campaign and in distributing rice, money and clothes to the victims. The MRO embezzled the relief fund, which was to reach the slum dwellers and sent the police, as he could not face the questioning people. Rajitha and six more mass organizations' activists and slum dwellers were arrested as they questioned the police. She was kept in police station for two days and in jail for four days. She never lamented the fact that she was arrested and tried to get necessary things for those arrested by demanding the police. When they tried to take photographs she opposed saying that they were not thieves and the police had to backtrack. She used to give slogans non-stop every time she was taken to the court. In the two days she spent in the police station she used to sing songs and practice a play on how they were unlawfully arrested (though she was not an expert) thus filling everybody with enthusiasm, brimming with enthusiasm herself. The lady constables were so surprised that they said 'we have arrested so many people but we never saw anybody who is so happy and not at all worrying about being arrested'. Some of them started sharing their problems with Rajitha. This experience was repeated in jail also. She tried to understand the conditions of the jail inmates in the four days time she got. She used to go to all the women prisoners and ask them about their problems and why they got arrested. She did not participate in the celebrations of Gandhi Jayanthi in jail it as an act of protest. She exposed it from the stage. The jail inmates looked after the activists very affectionately. When she was released on bail after four days all of them felt as if one of their own was leaving and were very sad. It shows how much she mingled with them.
When asked about her jail experience she said that she did not get sufficient time to know about the sufferings and lives of women in jail and that it would have been nice if she had spent another week in jail! That was Rajitha for you. She tried to understand anything in a political manner.
She never liked to waste even one minute. She used to say that we must work hard and move fast and she implemented it. Even if she could not learn something quickly she never used to get disheartened. She used to strive hard to learn with determination. This could be seen in every aspect. She used to lift heavy loads easily. Rajitha was such a person who never got disheartened in spite of any number of people discouraging in any number of ways or creating hindrances in her work or in her endeavors. She did not give these much importance and took them as a challenge. She never looked at any matter in a superficial manner and dwelled deeply into it. If she liked to do something she went to great lengths to do it. She believed that women's liberation was possible only with the liberation of the proletariat and that it could be achieved only through armed struggle. So in 2003 she joined the Maoist party and was martyred in a fake encounter with the YSR mercenary police forces on July 23rd , 2006. Our Rajitha once again reminds us words of Marx that nothing is difficult in this world, there can only be people with no determination. She personified that determination. In fact, Rajitha did not have any talents in the beginning. She came from a backward area, from a poor family and from an upbringing full of restrictions. By achieving everything with her determination, fighting against the society and her family by breaking chains of traditions, she proved that nothing is impossible or difficult in this world.
Thus she became a model for all us to emulate.
Comrade Bhavani
Comrade Bhavani belonged to a Chenchu village in the Nallamala forest of Prakasam district. She was a very intelligent child and began observing the society from a young age. She felt oppressed by the backwardness of the people and was especially sensitive towards Chenchu women's plight. Being a woman she too was one of the victims of the age-old customs of that tribe. She opposed marriage and expressed her desire to join the PLGA at a very young age. The Party educated her and took her into the squads. Another Chenchu woman comrade had earlier joined the squad and she was inspired by her example. She had a melodious voice and was quick in learning songs by heart, as she liked to sing. Comrades and people always made it a point to make her sing whenever opportunity arose. She learned to read and write after joining the PLGA. She was a hardworking soldier and learnt military skills attentively. She had participated in all the military tasks assigned to her by the leadership. Gradually she developed into an ACM.
She readily agreed to shift to AOB when party put the proposal before her. She did not hesitate to leave the forest area where she grew up. She knows it would be almost impossible to visit her village or surrounding areas in the near future if she shifted to AOB. But she accepted the decision with the spirit of a communist. She was caught while traveling to AOB and killed after severe torture on March 1st , 2007 just a week before International Women's Day. We have lost a young rising leader and the loss is not replaceable.
Limmi Thimma
Limmi Timma (Sarita) was born in Gadder village in Kasansur range of Gadhchiroli district 28 years ago. Her village and family have been linked to the revolutionary movement ever since the Party reached her village in the early 1980s. The youngest in her family, her life too, from the very beginning has been integrally involved with the ups and downs of the revolutionary movement in the area.
In 1985 her father became a member of the DAKMS, the peasant mass organization in Dandakaranya (DK). By 1990 her brother was a leader of the mass organization. When the Maharashtra Government launched severe repression on the tribal peasant movement in 1991 her family was one of those affected. Both her father and brother were arrested. Her family faced a desperate situation because they had no one to till the fields and they could not afford to pay the legal expenses to get the arrested persons released. In spite of this the family's commitment to the revolutionary cause did not waver. They kept the mass organizations alive in the midst of severe police repression.
She brought food and water for the squad members secretly, listened to songs of the movement and of martyrs and thus learnt the primer of revolutionary politics. She taught her friends the songs and organized them. Thus in 1997 after a long gap the women's organization KAMS was re established in Gadder. Later as the revolutionary movement picked up in the area again she emerged as one of the most active women in the area. Hence she naturally became a member of the local people's government, the Kotimi Janatana Sarkar that was set up in several villages in her area. Though she lived in the village and was a part time party member she worked hard and gave most of her time to building the revolutionary movement.
In February 2004 the State launched one more round of repression in her area and on her family. Timmi and her brother had to flee their home and move about secretly organizing the villagers. In August 2004 the police raided her house when they heard that she had gone home. But she was not there. She had already left her home and decided to join the PLGA. She quickly started learning the basics of military science. She participated enthusiastically in the counter-offensive programs during the state assembly elections in September 2004.
On November 1, 2005 when the guerrillas were resting near Manewada village the special police reached there and launched an attack on them. Sarita boldly faced them but while retreating a bullet entered her stomach. Seriously injured she tried to retreat with her kit and weapon. But Sarita could not survive the injury and became a martyr. Sarita was one of the backbones of the revolutionary movement in Gadhchiroli district; the people at large loved her. She will always be remembered even after the success of the New Democratic Revolution as one who built the revolutionary movement in the face of the severest repression of the exploitative ruling classes.
Comrade Swaroopa/Penti Porteti
Com Swaroopa was a member of the special company of the PLGA formed for executing the historic Koraput raid. On November 17, 2004 she died in a police offensive in Batnur village in the hilly tracts of Vishakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh. On the basis of information from an informer the police launched the attack on the platoon of this company camping near the village. Swaroopa was injured in the leg but she continued to fight the Greyhounds valiantly for two hours and became a martyr.
Swaroopa was born in a poor peasant family in Karancha village of Gadhchiroli district. She had a younger brother and sister. From the early 1980s Karancha village was one of the strong centers of revolutionary activity. She grew up amidst struggle and revolutionary politics. She loved the songs and stories of struggle. Active and cheerful, young Penti soon joined the Bal Sangham (children's organization). As she grew up she became an active member of the women's organization Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sanghatan (KAMS). In the year 2000 when the revolutionary party approached her she unhesitatingly became a full time activist and got herself recruited in the PGA. Her close friend from the village, Laxmi also got recruited with her. But just one month after both of them joined the People's Guerrilla Army, Laxmi was killed in an encounter with the special police in Chamorshi tehsil of Gadhchiroli district. Swaroopa was determined to continue the fight after Laxmi's martyrdom. She became a member of the Platoon-3 in 2001 and remained a hardworking and sincere fighter till the very end.
Swaroopa participated in many military actions of the PLGA in DK forests. She participated in the tactical counter-offensive raid on Bande police station in 2001. She was also a member of the ambush team when the convoy of vehicles with district SP Rajvardhan was ambushed. She went with the platoon to Sironcha area when work in that area was revived amidst a state offensive to prevent the revolutionary movement from reviving in that area. To counter the growing and increasingly sophisticated offensive of the state police it was decided to train up a striking force. Swaroopa was a member of the team that was trained for this role. To fulfill the desperate need of the movement for weapons the raid on Geedam police station was planned. Swaroopa was an active participant in this raid.
Coming from a poor family Swaroopa was used to hard work. She retained her willingness to work hard in the PLGA. She had no education at home but joined the party and became literate. Swaroopa was among those brave young fighters who strove to raise the fighting level of the PLGA so that the guerrilla army can develop its military capabilities and take on the might of the State. Her death is a great loss for the PLGA but she will continue to inspire generations to come.
Comrade Santoshi
Up in the hills of Bastar in what was named as Abhuj maad (which means unknown hills) during British times, the revolutionary movement has spread with rapid intensity in the second half of the 1990s. In this Maad division, in the Kohkametta area, in Kacchepal village Santoshi joined the revolutionary movement as a young girl about six years ago. Initially she became a member of the KAMS. Then as the stirrings of people's political power came to realization a committee was formed in her village and she became a member of the committee. She had come to understand that women's liberation is possible only with New Democratic Revolution (NDR) and further through struggle in the process of building socialism. She was certain that without the people's army and people's power the oppressed, men and women, can never complete revolution. She strove to build revolutionary consciousness in her village and fulfilled every task that came her way. In every program and mass mobilization in her area Santoshi was there, always ahead of the others. Seeing her discipline and dedication she was given membership of the Party in the year 2000.
Several important tactical counter-offensives were launched by the PLGA in the Maad division. Several ambushes of the special police and raids on police stations were conducted. Santoshi participated in some of these actions along with members of the people's militia. Santoshi was an all rounder, organizing women, running the village activities and participating in military activities. But Santoshi's parents, in the traditional way of their tribe, wanted to marry her off to one of their relatives. Santoshi took the help of her comrades to convince her parents to let her marry a village youth whom she loved. After her marriage both she and her husband continued their active participation in the revolutionary activities in the area. But on February 10, 2005, when Bhoom kaal day was being celebrated all over Maad, Santoshi went into labour and both Santoshi and the baby died during childbirth. It was indeed a sad day for the revolutionary organizations in the region. It is a clear indication of the backwardness and denial of facilities that the ruling classes have kept our tribal people in, that force a woman to die giving birth to a child in this 21st century, a clear pointer to how much revolution is necessary for the oppressed in India. Santoshi's example will surely inspire hundreds more women to join and lead the revolution in India.
Comrade Swetha
Comrade Swetha was born in Amalapuram of East Godavari district some 30 years back. Later her family settled in Budithi village of Srikakulam district, which was her mother's village. Since her father died when she was a child it was her mother who worked hard to look after the children and impart education to them. From her childhood Swetha used to be very responsible. Society used to look at her family as one without a man at the helm. So Swetha had to undertake many tasks usually done only by men and she became the main pillar of her family.
After she finished her graduation she was married off. But she could not continue for long with the beast called her husband. She separated from him very soon. Later while she was staying with her sister in Rajahmundry she came into touch with progressive movements. She came into contact with Com. Ramana (Martyr, who was a member of Visakha city committee then). She became increasingly attracted towards the revolutionary movement after that. She wanted to observe the movement more closely. So she went to the Eastern ghats along with Ramana in July 2003. She was greatly inspired by the guerillas there. She too wanted to become one.
The Party suggested that she remain outside for some time and learn computer skills, which she followed. She worked for some time in the party outside and finally became a full time guerilla in July 2004. Since then she was working as a SZC staff member and worked very hard as a computer operator.
Com. Swetha was very interested in song, dance, sports and literature. Though she came from an urban middle class family she became one with the adivasis. She was enthusiastic to learn new things and increase her knowledge. She always tried to share her knowledge with everyone. She worked with dedication on all the tasks assigned to her by the Party. She never used to waste any time and was always immersed in her work in a disciplined manner.
A camp was set up near Pujariguda of Malkangiri division for some party tasks in February 2004. On the 20th while she was working on the computer the enemy launched a big scale attack on the headquarters in the afternoon hours. The Head Quarter was near the computer tent. As soon as the attack started she took the computer and retreated along with some comrades. But after going to some distance she remembered that there were some important CDs in the HQ tent. She said that those CDs should not fall into enemy hands and immediately went dashingly into the HQ tent. She recovered the CDs but while coming back she was hit by enemy bullets and died a heroic death. The way she chose to sacrifice her life to safeguard party secrets is a great example and will serve as a guide to all party ranks.
"In order for women to be strong,
there must be one more condition-
they must form organizations.
Without an organization, their strength is scattered
and dissipated. Each person is thinking only of herself.
This is what is meant by [the saying]
"If hearts are not united, strength cannot be combined."
When there is an organization, hearts will be united,
strength will be combined, and, then,
with hearts and strength united,
we can accomplish great things."
--Mao Tse-tung
Comrade Gangarajavva (Padma)
Comrade Padma was born in a poor, dalit family in the village Arepalli of Dharmapuri mandal of Karim nagar district. Since she was a child she used to work as a daily wage labourer. Though she resisted she was married off at the age of eighteen. After some days she left her husband and came back to her mothers' house, as it was a forced marriage. With an attractive face and melodious voice she used to sing revolutionary songs and be in regular contact of the party. Comrade Ravi who was martyred in the Maddimalla encounter was her uncle. She used to tell the squad, which visited her village, that she too wanted to follow in her uncle's footsteps.
She was a disciplined party worker and worked among the people of her village on women and peasant problems according to party guidance. She conducted people's courts and led the women in the struggle against Gudumba. (Local brew) She became a full time squad member in 2004 July.
On February 22nd ,2005 when the squad was inside sugarcane farm in Korutla the police attacked them. Comrade Padma fought valiantly and injured two policemen with her firing and laid down her precious life while defending her comrades against the enemy attack.
Comrade Vasantha (Nirmala)
Com. Vasantha was born in a middle class family in the Eesala Thakkalapalli village in the Malyala mandal of Karim nagar district. Her father was already with the revolutionary movement and so he named his daughter after the legendary revolutionary Panchadi Nirmala as Nirmala. She grew up true to her name. She grew up observing the guerillas and singing and dancing with them. She was good at academic studies and studied till intermediate. She used to write poems on various social issues. She read all eight volumes Mao's writings –not a small feat for such a young girl from a village.
Just when she decided to join the party her family's contact with the party got disconnected. Her father made lot of effort to contact the party for about 2,3 years and finally got hold of it. He said that his daughter is now grown up to join the party and bid farewell to her. Thus Nirmala became a full time member in 2004 September and took the name Vasantha. Since she grew up observing the party from her childhood she used to be greatly disciplined and had good political understanding on various issues. She used to show interest in imparting medical care to people. One day the enemy encircled the squad when it was near Gopalpur of Manthani mandal and she died in the firing.
Comrade Somari
Comrade Pottam Rami, known in the Party as 'Somari' and 'Saraswati' was born in Pumbad village of Gangalur range in Bijapur Tehsil of Dantewada district. She was the eldest among five siblings. Pumbad is one of those villages, which contributed many soldiers to fight for the cause of the people. Pumbad's history will be written in red letters in current history of the revolutionary movement. Many comrades from this village joined PLGA and are commanders at present. Comrade Somari who was born and brought up in this village adopted discipline naturally. After working in KAMS she became a candidate member of the party. She joined the Gangalur guerrilla squad in 2001. She earned people's confidence while going around the villages with the squad. By seeing her determination and discipline Party confirmed her membership. In 2003 she was transferred to Platoon-4. Later in 2004 she became a member of the newly formed company. She participated in Modukupalli, Salapalli ambushes and Geedam raid. Somari was an exemplary guerrilla in observing the discipline. Implementing the orders of the leadership as a disciplined soldier, mingling with everybody, criticizing the comrades for their mistakes, helping the comrades in rectifying their mistakes etc. are the characteristics that we should learn from Comrade Somari.
Another charming characteristic of Comrade Somari was her active participation in military drill and exercises in which she always stood first. She used to think that, she should never lag behind men comrades. She used to do all types of exercises without any hesitation. If she could not do properly any item, the next day she would come to the ground before the roll call and practice the item till she achieved perfection. She used to feel it as a great loss if on any day she could not go to the ground. She always had a smiling face. She used to talk with everybody freely without any hesitation. Because of her military capabilities she was allotted to be in the assault group during the raid on Daula police camp in Narayanpur tehsil of Bastar district. She was very happy to be chosen for an important team. She advanced in the raid along with Com Karuna with great enthusiasm and determination. But she was martyred at an early age in that battle on 19th May 2005.
Comrades Sunitha Madavi, Geetha Thulavi
On July 17th 2005 police attacked the Tipragadh organizational squad. The PLGA guerillas resisted and retreated successfully. Three young girls who had come to meet the squad thought that the police would not do anything to them as they were unarmed villagers and so they stood there. But the police raped the three innocent girls. Later they killed Sunitha Madavi and Geetha Thulavi in close range and the third girl Sushil was put in jail with injuries to her mind and body.
Com. Sunitha was born in a poor Madavi family in Charwai village. She studied till 5th standard she joined the children's mass organization in her childhood and then joined the village militia after she grew up. Com. Geetha also belonged to Charwai village. She was born in a poor peasant family and studied till 7th standard. She worked in the children's organization and later joined the DAKMS, the peasant –laborer organization. From the beginning days of the movement Charwai served as a bastion for the revolutionaries. It stood steadfast in the storms of repression. Even during repression the people became closer to the party rather than going away from it. It was this revolutionary village, which inspired youngsters like Sunitha and Geeta to join revolutionary activities. The police brutally raped and killed them, as they were unable to kill the revolutionary spirit of the villagers. But the villagers vowed to take revenge for their death and carry forward the revolution.
Comrade Sathyavathi
Com. Sathyavathi (23) was born in a poor adivasi family in Visakha district. After attaining puberty she was also married off like many other young women of her age. Even before her marriage her husband had told her that he was working in the Adivasi peasant – laborer organization. He also told her that he would be going off as a full timer after preparing himself for the task in future. Sathyavathi was not frightened by his decision. She did not back off from this marriage. His lofty aim won her respect and she married him with her will.
Later the couple met the squad, which came to their village in 2004. They expressed their desire to join as full timers. Party recruited them as full timers and kept them in a den in a town for technical work. Though she was born in an adivasi village she did not hesitate to live in a town for the needs of the party. After working there for some days she was again assigned to a forest squad. The Party observed her cultural interest and transferred her to the JNM squad. Within a short period she gave many programmes in the villages. The squad planned to give training to youth in a village. As part of that work a training camp was being held. The police got information of the camp and they attacked it on 23rd October 2005. Sathyavathi was on sentry duty along with Com. Prabhakar. They both resisted the enemy in order to safeguard the camp. But the police launched launchers on the sentry post on a big scale and both comrades fell down with injuries. The police caught them with injuries and tortured and killed them in cold blood.
Comrade Ramadevi
Comrade Ramadevi (Jayakka) was born in a poor Banjara family in Pegadapalli village of Mahamutharam mandal of Karim nagar district. Since hers was a poor family since childhood she herded cattle and worked as a bonded laborer and helped her family to survive. After she grew up into a young lady she fell in love with a young man who went singing from village to village and earned his livelihood. She said there are no difference of rich and poor, caste and creed, dalit and other castes in love and married the person of her choice although her parents opposed the marriage. Theirs was a nomadic life. She also learnt to sing and give chorus and performed along with her husband. Whatever meager sum they earned was always insufficient. After she became a mother of three children it became difficult to balance both the roles and also found it unsuitable to give chorus in her Lambadi accent. So she consented to her husband's proposal to get a second wife for him. From then onwards domestic clashes increased. Her husband used to drink and beat her up. On the one hand she was facing extreme poverty and it was increasingly becoming difficult to look after her family, on the other hand there was the harassment by her husband. She wanted a way out of this hell.
It was at that time that she came into contact with the squad, which visited the village, and she used to give food and shelter to them. She also worked to set up a women's organization in the village. As her consciousness increased she left her three children with the husband and joined the squad as a full timer. She understood that struggle was the only way to get rid of all kinds of difficulties which women face.
As she was very interested in arts she insisted that she will be in Jana Natya Mandali squad and worked in it for one year. As she had practiced giving herbal medicines when at home she used to treat the small ailments of the squad members with herbal medicine. She used to act very well in street plays as she had ample life experience. She learnt to read and write with determination. In January 2000 the district committee transferred her to Gundala LGS but since there were no contacts with that squad she remained for some time with the Manuguru squad. During that period when the squad was conducting a people's court near Janampet, police came with information and started firing rapidly on Jayakka who was in sentry duty at that time. She died in that firing.
Jayakka who was considered to be an innocent woman had become a secret guerilla by arming herself and entrenched herself in the minds of people as their beloved comrade. She lived a worthy life.
Comrade Singidi Jyothi (Vasantha)
Comrade Jyothi (17) was born in Bachanpalli village of Bhimgal mandal of Nizamabad district to Singidi Rajaiah and Lakshmi. She was their eldest daughter. She studied till 5th standard.
As she grew up she also increased her knowledge about the society. She understood the poverty of her family and tried to help out by rolling beedis from a young age. Meanwhile her mother became a mental patient and so she had to take up the whole responsibility of the family.
She always used to think why her father was not able to look after the family well in spite of working so hard and why the beedi seths are able to lead such luxurious lives in spite of doing nothing. These questions naturally led Jyothi to the class struggle going on in that area.
With the encouragement of her father she entered the revolutionary movement very enthusiastically on January 25th 2005. She changed her name to Vasantha. Within a short period the enemy took up a multi pronged attack on the movement and in Manala we lost ten comrades in a covert massacre by the police. Many comrades who joined the movement before her left the movement in their dozens after these combings and the Manala massacre. But Vasantha never thought of turning back. She continued in the squad withstanding all kinds of difficulties and enemy attacks.
She worked in Kamareddy squad and in the Sirpur and Chennur areas. She worked in the Ellareddy squad till July and then worked in Kamareddy and Sircilla areas till her martyrdom. According to the divisional committee's decision while she was participating in the resistance programmes the enemy attacked their squad camping area on November 19th in Jogapur forest. She resisted the enemy heroically and retreated safely. While she was coming back to meet the squad there was another encounter in Manigad hills on November 22nd at 5 p.m. and she died in that encounter by spilling her warm blood.
Surrenders, martyrdoms, mother becoming mad, her sister and brother becoming orphans since her father migrated to Bombay to escape police harassment – none of these could shake her undaunted revolutionary spirit and determination. She upheld the martyrdoms. She hated those who licked the boots of the enemies. She always saw her family as one among the people. Always with a smile on her face she used to mingle with even new persons by talking in a friendly manner. She always expressed her views frankly without any hesitation.
If she had committed any mistakes due to lack of knowledge about work methods she was always ready to learn from criticisms from her fellow comrades and the leadership comrades and strived hard to get rid of those shortcomings. At the same time she used to criticize any wrongs in the practice of her fellow comrades and leadership comrades. She tried to learn new things continuously. If anybody fell ill she used to serve him or her like a mother. She could be friendly even with people who opposed her in certain things.
Vasantha could not bear patriarchy at all. It is really a big loss to the Nizamabad movement to have lost Jyothi who had so many exemplary revolutionary qualities. It is only by overthrowing this exploitative society by imbibing qualities such as determination, sacrifice, frankness, straight forward behavior, motherly love, friendliness from Com. Jyothi that we can give a fitting homage to her.
Comrade Mamatha (Alisa)
Comrade Mamatha was born in Posaram village of Illendu mandal of Khammam district. She was the second child of her poor parents. Her parents had been running a brick kiln in Illendu after leaving their village in search of livelihood. But it did not run well and they ran into financial difficulties. So the family returned to the village and Mamatha worked as a bonded laborer along with her brother for rich peasants. They used to hate the domination of New Democracy, the revisionist party that had a hold there. But since they had no other way they had to bow their heads and work without uttering a word.
During the period of Talks with the government in July 2004, Posaram village was awakened due to the people's struggles against New Democracy, which shattered its base. People were ready to fight against that party's policies. Mamatha's brother led this fight. Mamatha also participated in it. The people about their corruption questioned the New Democracy party and their atrocities were exposed. And this was how Mamatha entered the path of struggles. With the encouragement of her brother she stood in the forefront bravely to fight against the revisionist goons and their anti people policies. Later both brother and sister wanted to join the squads and did so in September.
Ever since she joined the squad Mamatha concentrated on learning revolutionary politics and on military training. Though the talks ended within a few days after she entered the squads she went forward with determination. She used to enthuse everybody by her laughter and bubbly talkative nature. She mingled well with the people and made sure that she in turn taught them whatever she learned.
She was sent to the protection squad in 2005 March. Once she went outside for treatment and went to her village for contact with the squad. The New Democracy people tried to be very amicable with her but they had already planned to give information to the police. She saw through their deception and she in turn deceived them and went away from the village in the dead of night and reached another village.
Since both brother and sister were in the party the police and New Democracy party harassed their family in many ways and tried to get both of them to surrender. Her parents narrated all this to her and cried before her. But Mamatha was not ready to leave the path of struggle. Her brother was a bit shaken with this. But she told him also that party would solve the problem of their family too and that it cannot become a reason to quit the party. Since the party also assured that it would solve their family's problems she very enthusiastically prepared herself to resist the enemy.
While on their way to attack the enemy they were caught in police firing on Lingagudem hill in 2005 November and Mamatha was martyred in the firing. Com. Mamatha's enthusiasm, determination and dedication are an inspiration to revolutionaries always.
Comrade Isrubai
Nearly 25 years back Comrade Isrubai lost her left leg in the infamous police firing in Indravelli on April 20, 1981. This incident was likened to Jallianwalah Bagh massacre.
She was ailing since some days and died in December 2005. She was 65. She belonged to the village Pitta Bongaram of Indravelli mandal of Adilabad district.
When thousands of Adivasis were converging at Indravalli for a public meeting to discuss their problems and find a solution the police opened fire on the innocent Adivasis to disrupt the meeting and killed them. Isrubai could not bear the killings of the adivasis in such a brutal manner. She was a brave woman who killed one of the policemen there. A total of 13 adivasis died in this incident and many more were injured. Comrade Isrubai was one of them. The CPI (Maoist) Party Adilabad district Committee as well as many Adivasi organizations' leaders paid homage to her.
Comrade Koram Ramadevi (Rajitha)
Comrade Rajitha was martyred in a fake encounter at Bonthagutta in the Somalagadda forest area in January 2006. She was born in a poor family in Mukunur village of Karim nagar district. She was the eldest child of her parents. She studied up to sixth standard but could not continue after that due to poverty. Rajitha had immense confidence and respect for the party since childhood. She used to sing revolutionary songs since she was a child and talk to women about party politics and methods.
Comrade Rajitha was married at the age of 15 to Comrade Gauranna who was a revolutionary mass organization leader. Both of them wanted to come into the party. But meanwhile Gauranna died due to illness and Rajitha also fell ill and faced difficulties and so her joining the squad was postponed.
She finally got recruited into the squad in December 2004. As a Local Guerilla Squad member she worked as a teacher and doctor in the squad and undertook any task given to her. She was in the forefront in all works and worked with determination. She used to mix well with the comrades and wished everyone with a smile on her face. She competed with other comrades in hard work and worked day and night with patience and steeled determination.
When some people who were recruited along with her surrendered to the enemy she used to feel she should take up the work of 10 more people for the sake of revolution. She helped her fellow comrades who could not go to school to learn quickly. She helped everyone. Though Rajitha is no more amongst us let us learn from her patience, determination, immense confidence and skill. Let us carry forward her revolutionary spirit.
Comrade Nagi reddy Eswaramma
Gorky had immortalized a working class woman in his novel 'Mother'. On the back cover of the book are given the photographs of the original persons who inspired the characters of the mother and son (Nilovna and Pavel). If ever a novel were to be written on such mothers in the AP movement, Comrade Eswaramma would be one of the first choices to be the inspiration for such a character. In the novel Nilovna learns about the movement through her son while our own 'mother' Eeswaramma inspired her children to join the movement. Not stopping at that she herself became an activist, squad member and a PR for the Party. Only a "People's War" can inspire even children and old to participate in revolutionary activities. Let us learn about the life journey of this unique revolutionary.
Before the revolutionaries entered her village Eeswaramma was one of those typical village women working hard to meet ends, without much property but 4 mouths to feed (a son and three daughters), a non cooperative husband, a frail body with not a pound of flesh… nothing extraordinary. Such women can be seen in all poor, backward villages of AP or for that matter in any village of India. But she made a decision in her life, which proved to be a turning point and changed her life into an extraordinary life. She decided to join hands with the revolutionaries (erstwhile CPI (ML)(People's War) when they promised to end all exploitation and oppression in this society. She was deeply inspired by the lofty aims of the Party. Once she believed in revolution she did not confine it to herself. She led her whole family into it. Such is the depth of her belief. When Party organizers used to visit her house as single organizers she used to feed them and stood in sentry the whole night till they left in spite of back breaking work in the fields by the day. They were always given farewell with words of advice about safety measures to be taken while roaming the villages. Now she decided that she would not just love her children as her own but would love all revolutionaries as her own. Organizers and activists never went without shelter or food as long as she was there in the village. She used to give information on class enemies and the police movements. Thus she studied the weak and strong points of the enemy.
Gradually all her children chose to become full timers of the Party. She was very attached to her children but she steeled her resolve and bid farewell to them one by one. Now squads were roaming about the area in the place of single organizers. Not only her house continued to be a shelter but now she also frequented the squads. She used to go to meet the squads and sometimes she stayed with them for a few days. Some times it was with the squads in which her children were present; sometimes it was some other squad. She also donned pants and shirt and demanded that she be assigned sentry duty and other duties in the squad. Youngsters in the squads used to find it extremely inspiring to see her work along with them. And she in turn looked after them as her own children.
The police raided her home many times but she always fought back militantly with the help of other villagers especially women. The local police were terrified of this frail woman. She used to inspire courage in other women whose children have also gone into the squads. She exchanged her experience of fighting the enemy when they raided her house with them and inspired them to do so too.
One of her daughters had left the Party with her husband after a few years of Party life but she never supported her decision and always sided with the movement along with her other children. Comrade Lakshmi whom his son married in the Party had been killed in a fake encounter in January 2005. She loved her daughter in law and was very sad with her untimely death but she vowed to carry forward her aim.
Gradually it became increasingly difficult for her to stay in the village with increased repression especially after the talks and she had to shift from the village. In that course she was caught and tortured along with two other comrades and brutally murdered. 'Chandrababu Naidu's police killed 2 year old child Monika and the YSR Government did not hesitate to take the life of an old mother of 4 children.
One is reminded of Tao Cheng's family in Chinese revolution if we look at the way she involved herself and her children for the cause of revolution. She has given the ultimate sacrifice for the success of the protracted people's war. Her saga continues to inspire generations of revolutionaries. Let us bow our heads in humble homage to our own 'mother' and 'Tao Cheng' of Indian Revolution.
Com. Santhi (Malleswari)
Comrade Santhi was born twenty years back in Syamagadda village of Gudem mandal of Visakha district. Since her father died she had to take up family responsibilities at a young age. She worked as a wage laborer along with her mother.
Comrade Santhi came into Korukonda squad contact when she was still a child. Gradually she joined the militia. She opposed forceful marriage at home and joined the Korukonda squad in October 2004. She used to participate in all the works of the squad very actively. In spite of ill health she used to participate in all works. She used to carry heavy luggage. She mingled up well with the people.
She was never shy and spoke with confidence in meetings. Since she studied up to 5th standard she could read and she used read party literature with lot of attention and interest. She mobilized people into the anti arrack struggle conducted in their area. She participated in people's courts where wrong doers who harassed women were punished. She worked with good initiative in mobilizing people in various issues. She escaped during an encounter in Gaddibanda in January 2005, spent three days alone in bushes and finally met the squad again. She never lost her spirit. This active comrade was killed brutally by the police at Gunukuralla on April 17th 2005.
Comrade Anitha (Korra Salo)
Comrade Anitha was born in a poor family in Bonampally village of Gudem mandal of Visakha district 22 years back. Both her parents died and so she used to work as a daily wage labourer along with her two sisters and a brother and earned her livelihood.
Com. Anitha joined the children's organization when she was still a child. After she grew up she joined the woman militia. Later she joined the squad in 2001. At first she worked in the JNM squad. Later she worked in the Galikonda area for some time. Then she worked in the Galikonda special squad for some days. When Gurthedu squad was reconstituted she was sent as a member of that squad. Her effort was main in converting that area into 'our' area. While she was there she also used to accompany the women organizer of that area. She used to mingle very actively with the women and enquired about their problems. The party observed her interest in this field and so she was transferred to Chitrakonda squad and given responsibility of the woman work there.
During that period the squad consisting of Anitha and five other members was camping near the village Gunukuralla on April 17th 2005. Sixty policemen surrounded them and opened fire. While retreating Anitha saw that the squad commander Com. Ramana was firing by taking position there. She thought she cannot leave him to fight alone there and so she came back and started firing to give cover fire to the commander by taking position. She was martyred in that heroic battle with the enemy. In this encounter the commander Ramana, Comrades Nirmala and Santhi were also martyred.
Comrade Somidi (Parvathi)
Comrade Parvathi was born in a poor adivasi family in Chennapur village of Charla mandal of Khammam district. So she had to work hard since her childhood to help out her family.
Comrade Parvathi was influenced by the party politics and joined the mass organization. She mobilized women against patriarchal oppression and adivasi oppressive customs and worked enthusiastically in the organization. Whenever the party conducted political classes or meetings she used to be present without fail. Due to increased enemy repression she joined the squads. She fulfilled all the tasks entrusted to her with great determination. She learnt to read and write within a short period.
In the joint operations by the Chattisgarh and Andhra police in the border areas undertaken with the aim of crushing the movement, Com. Somidi was martyred in an encounter on their squad on April 2nd . Though she was a new recruit she fought valiantly and laid down her life while fighting the enemy.
Comrade Vijaya
Comrade Vijaya was born in Rampur village of Usur mandal of Khammam district in a poor adivasi family. She used to work hard since childhood. She opposed her forceful marriage by the village elders and joined the squad in 2005.
Comrade Vijaya got used to the squad life within a short period and learnt to read and write with determination. She was always in the forefront in doing the tasks given to her. She mingled well with one and all and learnt new things with great attentiveness.
In an encounter on April 2nd near Mukunur village Comrade Vijaya was martyred. Though the enemy outnumbered them by many times she fought with them bravely and laid down her life while facing the enemy courageously.
Comrade Radha
Comrade Radha was born in a poor family in Peddapalli of Chityal mandal of Warangal district. She grew up in an atmosphere of revolutionary politics. After her elder sister Radha was martyred in an encounter in 1998 near Kothur in Mulugu mandal of Warangal district her determination increased and she used to work in the village secretly under the guidance of the squad. She hated the anarchic acts of the ex- naxalites in the village and opposed them.
She joined the squad as a full timer in 2002 May and worked in the Narsampet, Chityal LGSs. In the Chityal squad she worked as a LOS committee member. In 2004 she married Com.Shyam. Along with him she worked in the JNM squad till his martyrdom.
Radha fought relentlessly against patriarchal tendencies in the squad. She opined strongly those special women's meetings on women issues and problems of patriarchy should be held. In the special meeting conducted in 2005 she put forward her opinions in a straightforward manner.
Though she was ill she used to be always active. As a performing artist she used to enthuse her fellow comrades. She went out for treatment and while she was resting in the squad after coming back their squad was attacked and she died in that attack. It is a big loss for the district cultural movement. It is very sad that we have lost such a comrade who was developing herself in so many ways. Let us imbibe her qualities and take determined steps to reach her goal of a communist society.
Comrade Madhavi (Saidamma)
Comrade Madhavi was born in the village Avulonibaavi of the Uppununthala mandal of Mahboob nagar district in an ordinary Yadav family. When she was a child her father had left them and married another woman. So it was her mother who brought her up by working as a daily wage laborer. She even managed to send Madhavi to school till 7th standard.
In her teens Saidamma fell in love with a young relative. He became a full time activist of the party. After some time she also decided to become a full timer for the party. She joined as a full timer in September 2005. She became a member of the first platoon. As she fell ill, it became increasingly difficult for her to continue in this work.
Even while the party was thinking of shifting her to some other work, she died in the encounter at Sangidi Gundala in June 2006. At first the main reason for her joining was because her husband was a full time activist. But she very quickly learnt the party politics and dedicated her life to the people. There is a lot we have to learn from her.
Comrades Gangamma, Lingamma, Kotamma & Sivudu
The three Chenchu daughters of the soil – Comrades Gangamma (Suguna), Lingamma (Pushpa) and Kotamma (Padma) were born and brought up in Appapur of Lingal mandal of Mahboob nagar district. Since there was a Government Ashram School in the village they studied there in the primary section. As the whole village is in contact with the party they were influenced by the politics since a young age and came into contact with the squad. They started questioning the exploitation and oppression in the village. They opposed the traditional marriages in the village and decided to join the squad.
Actually the party was also keen to recruit people from the Chenchus in that core area. They were recruited and were being trained for the squad life. Within four days they had an encounter with the police near Eerlapenta. But the girls showed exemplary courage and withstood. Within five days again there was an encounter at Sangidi Gundala on June 27, 2006 and the cruel greyhounds police killed these three adivasi young women along with an adivasi boy named Sivudu. He belonged to the Appayapalli village and was herding cattle since childhood. He was also interested to join the squads and so he also joined recently.
Chenchus were one of the most backward tribes of India and they had been kept in such backwardness by the government even after almost 60 yrs of so-called 'independence'. They had joined the movement as they had realized there wouldn't be any improvement in their lives unless this exploitative society is overthrown and an egalitarian society is established. Their martyrdom once again exposes how callous this government can be that it does not hesitate to kill such poor, young boys and girls in the name of crushing the movement.
Comrade Sushila Vadde
Her husband and the village bad gentry in Messi village in Prathappur area of North Bastar division in July 2006 killed Comrade Sushila and they buried her corpse. She used to oppose the evil ways of the village elders' in front of the people and she developed herself into a true leader of the masses by being in the forefront in people's resistance struggles. This was the main reason for killing her. It was a cruel manifestation of patriarchy too.
Sushila chose to marry Satru of Messi village at the young age of 15 when she had visited that village for song and dance programme. It is a norm among the adivasis to go to other villages to sing and dance and choose their partners. After they got married both of them worked in the mass organizations and used to meet the squad when it visited the village. But she went ahead than him in her work in the village KAMS and gradually went on to become the village party committee member. She was always too ready to take up the tasks given by the party. Her husband became jealous of her but she tried to make him understand and opposed his patriarchy.
When the village bad gentry tried to woo the people away from the party saying that they will have to face repression she reported it to the party. One of them was Sushila's brother in law. She brought him in front of the people and exposed him. An ordinary woman exposing them in front of the people enraged them. The village priest and some village elders spread rumours about her. But she did not care. She increased her activities. She volunteered to be in an ambush set up as part of TCOC (tactical counter offensive) campaign. Once when police tried to whisk away the mass leaders of Messi village women under the leadership of Sushila resisted the police and got them released. Com. Sajonthi, a martyr from the cultural field was her sister in law. Inspired by her martyrdom she led the cultural troupe at the RPC level. All this had angered the village bad gentry. They began influence Sathru in many ways. The priest said that there was illness in the family because she was roaming about like that. Her brother in law also tried to turn him against her by implanting doubts in his mind about her behavior. That she did not have children was an added factor. He even told him to get rid of her and get another wife. Already he was jealous that she was the established leader of four, five neighbouring villages and was ahead of him. Influenced by them he began putting restrictions on her movements and harassed her mentally and physically. But she told him that she would never leave the party. She reported to the GPC (village party committee) when all this became unbearable and the Party also tried to explain to him. But the harassment continued. Finally she got vexed and told her friend that she wanted to become a full timer. Both of them decided to do so after the martyrs' week and dispersed to go for the propaganda campaign of the week. After training with the CNM team she rested at home in the night and three CNM children also stayed with her. Her husband came home drunk and immediately began abusing her and hit her on the head with a club. The blood started oozing out of the wound, the children cried and tried to stop him but he went on clubbing her and she died on the spot.
The Dandakaranya level KAMS conference condemned her murder and made a resolution that her murderers should be punished.
The people were enraged after they came to know about her murder. A people's court was held with hundreds of people in Messi village. The bad gentry tried to escape responsibility at first but at last they had to bow down before people's fury and accept their guilt. Her husband, two of the village bad gentry and two ex mass organization leaders who were their accomplices were beaten by people as punishment. The property of the two village gentry was seized and distributed among the people. The husband was thrown out of the village. This incident inspired women and they felt that the revolutionary movement always guards women's interests. This was people's justice. And they all vowed to carry forward her aims.
Comrade Velpula Bhagya (Jaya, Swarna)
Comrade Bhagya was born in a poor worker family in Chittapur village of Nennela mandal of Adilabad district. Her parents doted her on. Her parents forcefully married her off even while she was studying in 5th standard. Her father was a worker in Srirampur RK 5 mines in Singareni. Her family migrated to Srirampur Krishna colony from Chittapur. From her childhood Bhagya was always opposed to any kind of oppression. She used to oppose the untouchability practiced against dalits. She was vexed with the harassment she faced from her husband and the forceful married life and finally chose to become a revolutionary. She learnt revolutionary politics through Singareni Belt committee organization. She was filled with class hatred when she saw the atrocities committed on the poorest sections in the society. She was recruited in Singareni organization in September 1998 and was sent as a squad member to Chennur squad.
Till May 2000 she integrated with the people of Chennur area and was with them in all struggles. She was in the firing in Kondampet in October 1999. In the firing near Lovva in December 1999 she resisted the enemy valiantly. She used to sing very well.
In December she went to Bheemarm LGS as a squad member. Her songs put an indelible mark in the hearts of people. As the person in charge of women's organizations she went to the villages, enquired about the women's problems and taught revolutionary politics to them. As the LGS doctor she patiently served the cadres and the people. She married a comrade of her choice. She was later transferred to the Indaram LGS. She participated in the struggles there.
Bhagya's martyrdom is a big loss for the Singareni women's movement too. She was the first woman martyr in the squads of Singareni and will remain an inspiration forever.
Comrade Savithri (Kumari)
Comrade Savithri was born in the village Damerathogu of Gundala mandal of Khammam district. She was very much interested in songs and dance from childhood. Taking into consideration her interest the party suggested that she take training with JNM and she accepted this decision happily. She went to Hydrabad and trained with Jana Natya Mandali (JNM). She participated actively in many cultural activities and toured the whole of Andhra Pradesh giving cultural programmes with JNM.
After repression increased she became underground according to the party's decision and joined the Manugur squad. In a life full of hardships she used to enthuse her fellow squad members by using her art. She learnt to read and write within a short period. She developed herself through hard work.
Comrade Savithri opposed traditional marriages in adivasi society and authority of elders in the villages. She was conscious that women have to fight for equality with men.
She was part of an ambush team set up for the enemy. But they were caught in a counter attack and Comrade Savithri died in that attack.
Comrade Poyami Moti (Basanthi)
Comrade Moti was born in a poor Poyami family of village Jangla of Bhiranghad area. She was the second child in the family. She became a member of the children's organization at a young age. She chose the revolutionary path, as she believed there is no liberation of women without revolution. She opposed the exploitation and oppression of village elders and joined the squads in October 2005.
Even during Salwa Judum black days she used to work bravely while facing great difficulties by escaping from the goondas and the police. Later she became the member of Wajed LGS under North Telangana Special Zone abiding by the party decision. On 26th November 2006 the PLGA attacked the greyhounds near Charla and Moti was martyred along with another comrade in that action.
Comrade Moti proved that there are no borders and limitations for communists to work and went from Bastar to AP and gave her life for the great cause. This brave soldier will live forever in the annals of the revolutionary history of India.
Comrade Radha
Comrade Radha was born in a poor family in Peddapalli of Chityal mandal of Warangal district. She grew up in an atmosphere of revolutionary politics. After her elder sister Radha was martyred in an encounter in 1998 near Kothur in Mulugu mandal of Warangal district her determination increased and she used to work in the village secretly under the guidance of the squad. She hated the anarchic acts of the ex- naxalites in the village and opposed them.
She joined the squad as a full timer in 2002 May and worked in the Narsampet, Chityal LGSs. In the Chityal squad she worked as a LOS committee member. In 2004 she married Com.Shyam. Along with him she worked in the JNM squad till his martyrdom.
Radha fought relentlessly against patriarchal tendencies in the squad. She opined strongly that special women's meetings on women issues and problems of patriarchy should be held. In the special meeting conducted in 2005 she put forward her opinions in a straightforward manner.
Though she was ill she used to be always active. As a performing artist she used to enthuse her fellow comrades. She went out for treatment and while she was resting in the squad after coming back their squad was attacked and she died in that attack. It is a big loss for the district cultural movement. It is very sad that we have lost such a comrade who was developing herself in so many ways. Let us imbibe her qualities and take determined steps to reach her goal of a communist society.
Chinari Martyrs
The bloodthirsty government of Chief Minister of Chattisgarh Raman Singh had murdered four revolutionaries in the Chinari village of Maad division. More than 700 forces belonging to CRPF, CAF, district police and STF with information obtained from an informer had surrounded and attacked a platoon of militia on 8th January 2007 at 5.30 a.m. and fired indiscriminately. The platoon comrades fought back valiantly and in this exchange Commander Comrade Sukhlal Gawde, Section Deputy Commander Comrade Kachru Yadav and Platoon women members Comrades Dasri Salam and Ranay Gawde were martyred. Comrade Somari was arrested with injuries.
The people of neighboring villages demanded that the corpses be given to them but the police refused. They lathi charged the people and even fired in the air. Thus the police once again exposed their undemocratic and anti people character. Thousands of villagers expressed anguish that they could not get the corpses of their beloved comrades who belonged to their villages.
Exactly eight days later the PLGA Company attacked and killed seven policemen and seized their weapons near Jharaghati in revenge against this Chinari encounter. It is noteworthy that the main accused in the Chinari encounter Hawaldar Sahu whose cruelty has become infamous in the whole area was also killed in this attack.
Comrade Bhogami Radhe
Comrade Radhe belonged to the village Dorum under Mirtul PS of Bhiramghad area. She was an active member of Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sanghatan (KAMS). She participated in all the meetings, rallies and other activities of KAMS. Even during the Jan Jagran -2 repressive campaign she stood steadfast. She never bowed before the police and never resigned to the organization in that repression.
When Salwa Judum started, her land, house and everything was destroyed. The goondas and the police burnt everything belonging to her. Then she went and began living with her relatives in village Oorepal. The Salwa Judum goons, Special Police Officers and Police caught her by deception and gang raped her. Then they killed her with a bullet.
May be they thought that they could stop women from joining revolutionary movement by killing her. But hundreds of women are joining the People's War and proving them wrong. They are participating in many valiant attacks like the Ranibodili raid and annihilating the armed forces, which had raped and killed dozens of women comrades like Comrade Radha in revenge.
Comrade Dasri Salami
Comrade Dasri was born in Chote Farasgaon in a middle class family. She studied till 6th standard. She was influenced by revolutionary culture and joined the movement. She was the only child of her parents. Later she joined the Jan Militia Platoon and vowed to take revenge on the rapist armed forces that are destroying their lives. She died in the Chianri encounter while valiantly fighting with these forces.
Comrade Ranay Gawde
Comrade Ranay was born in Kondahar village of Benur area. She became a member of KAMS while fighting against the oppressive patriarchic customs of the village on women. Later on observing her interest in military activities the local party chose her for the Jan Militia platoon. She also laid down her life while fighting the enemy in the Chinari encounter.
Women comrades killed as part of Salwa Judum
As the base of the exploiters began to crumble with the advancement of the revolutionary movement in Dandakaranya the village elders, feudal forces with the support and direct participation of state, police, para military, Naga police and Salwa Judum goondas unleashed a reign of terror in DK.
Since June 2005 the ruling class parties of Congress and BJP have joined hands and started a multi pronged attack in the name of Jan Jagran Abhiyan (Salwa Judum). This started in Kutru area and spread to Bhiramghad, Nelsnar, Gangalur, Midtur, Barsur, Indravathi, Vaynar and Daula areas. In military campaigns like Operation Green Hunt unprecedented violence has been unleashed on the people of Bastar and women have been its worst victims.
As part of operation Green Hunt that was launched from August end to September 3rd people were fired upon indiscriminately apart from looting their property and burning their house. Many women were raped. Such incidents are taking place in West Bastar (in Bijapur police district). In Dorum village Boggum Sombari was feeding her hungry daughter as she does every day early in the morning. She and her husband Kotral were attacked by the SJ goons and were hacked to death with swords and axes. When the blood spilled on the faces of their terrified children they laughed. Such is their cruelty. When mass organization member Korsa Santho was pounding rice the Naga police and SJ goons surrounded her house and killed her after raping her. Her chest was split open and her limbs were chopped off. Her private parts were injured with swords. They put her corpse in a bush and went away.
On October 5th 120 CRPF police and SJ goons attacked the Mukavelli village. Vendinje Malli and Vedinje Nangi escaped with fright and took shelter in a hut near their fields. Nangi was pregnant. She had her one and half year old boy in her lap and she was cooking rice. They fired indiscriminately on her and killed her. The boy was terrified and he went towards her sister. Nangi's body was fully ridden with bullets and the foetus came out. Both the mother and the foetus died instantly. They fired upon her sister Malli and she also died on the spot.
On October 7th Naga police and SJ goons attacked Pedda Korma village and caught hold of Modiyam Sukki and Kursam Lakki the KAMS members who were on sentry duty along with village militia members. They resisted for almost one hour when they tried to rape them. But they were tortured cruelly and raped. Their breasts were poked with knives, hacked with axes and the corpses were left in a blood soaked condition to terrify people. Their corpses could be found only after two days of search. They were given a fitting martyrs homage by the villagers who vowed to carry forward their aims.
On October 7th as part of operation Green Hunt – II in the Etpadu village of Mirtur area Madkam Channi, Naga police and Chattisgarh police killed a fully pregnant woman in the firing while she was pounding rice.
An old mother was fired upon when she was serving food for her daughter on October 30 in Karrimarka village of National Park area. All four members of the family died in this indiscriminate firing.
On February 9th , 2007 night the brutal forces of the Salwa Judum – comprising the local SPOs, Naga Battalion and CRPF – surreptitiously crossed the Indravathi river and lay in wait for the tribals who would come to harvest their crops. Some adivasi women came out from the forests and began harvesting their crops. Those Salwa goons pounced on them and managed to grab five young women; the rest escaped. Three were brutally gang-raped, mercilessly killed and their bodies were thrown into the river Indravathi. Two more were also gang-raped and dragged to the police station. These women belonged to the villages Netravalli, Takleer and Utleer in the Bhiramgadh region of Dantewada district. The crops that were harvested were also burnt. Not only that, the Salwa goons sought to use the dead bodies as bait to trap those who would come to collect them. They laid in ambush but were spotted by the militia. Finally the people could retrieve the bodies only on February 15th in a highly putrefied and bloated state.
List of women martyrs after the emergence of CPI Maoist
List of the Women Martyrs after the emergence of
1. Sarita, Manevara, Etapally Gadchiroli, 02-11-2004, Sqd. member
2. Portheti Penti, Batnur, Visakha dt, 27-11-2004, Pl member
3. Lakshmi, J. Pullalacheruvu, Prakasam dt. AP, 08-01-2005, State EC member, Women's Organization
4. Bajamma (Nagamani) (19), Chintala, Erragondapalem, Prakasam, 14-01-2005, PR
5. Shanti (22), Bakkalingayapalli, MBNR, 15-01-2005, Sqd. member
6. Santhoshi, Childbirth, 10-02-2005, KAMS member, militia member
7. Sweta (30), Poojarigoda encounter, Malkangiri, 20-02-2005, Computer Operator
8. Padma (Gangarajavva), Venkatapuram encounter, Korutla mandal, 23-02-2005, PM, Sqd. member
9. Vasantha (Nirmala), Gopalpur encounter, Manthani mandal, 27-02-2005, Sqd. member
10. Vasanta, Ramgiri Khila, Karim nagar, 28-02-2005, PM, KMKS (VRCS)
11. Sneha, Raped and killed, Manala covert operation, 07-03-2005, Sqd. member
12. Swaroopa, Edugurallapalli, Munuguru, Khammam, NT, 07-03-2005, LOS Commander
13. Shobha, Manala covert operation, Nizamabad NT, 07-03-2005, LOS Commander
14. Sunita (Padma), Manala covert operation, Nizamabad NT, 07-03-2005, LOS Commander
15. Pushpa (Venkatamma), Acchampet, Mahaboob nagar, AP, 02-04-2005, ACM
16. Santi (Malleswari), Gunukuralla encounter, East Div., 17-04-2005, Sqd. member
17. Nirmala, 20, Gunukuralla encounter, East Div, 17-04-2005, Sq member
18. Anita (Korram Salo) 25, Gunukuralla encounter, East Div, 17-04-2005, Sqd. member
19. Vasantha, Marrivemula, Pullala cheruvu, 20-04-2005, Sqd. member
20. Sunita, Marrivemula, Pullala cheruvu, 20-04-2005, Sqd. member
21. Pochamma, Missing case by Black gangs, medak, 06-04-2005, Sympathizer
22. Karuna, Daula Raid, Dandakaranya, 19-05-2005, Company Section Commander
23. Somvari, Daula raid, 19-05-2005, Company member
24. Geeta Tulavi, Raped and killed, Gadchiroli, 17-07-2005, DAKMS
25. Sunita Madavi, Raped and killed, Gadchiroli, 17-07-2005, Militia member
26. Manga (Premalatha), Fake encounter, Tumbavi Thanda, Nalgonda, 25-07-2005, Sqd. member
27. Shyamala (Manjula) (18), Fake encounter, Tumbavi Thanda, Nalgonda, 25-07-2005, Sqd. member
28. Sanyasamma, Vishakha, 23-10-2005, PR
29. Sathyavathi, AOB, 23-10-2005, JNM sqd. member
30. Rajeswari, Nallabelli forest area, Koyyur mandal, AOB, 27-10-2005, Sqd.member
31. Mamata (Battu Alisa), Warangal, 21-11- 2005, Sqd. member
32. Vasantha (Singidi Jyoti) , Manigad Hills, Nzb, 22 -11-2005, Sqd. member
33. Ammubai, Peddamalini– Jogapur forests, Adilabad, 22-11-2005, Sqd. member
34. Rajita, , 00-11-2005, Sqd. member
35. Vijaya (Sruthi), Marrivemula, Guntur, AP, 10-12-2005, Commander
36. Madhavi, Missing case by police, Guntur, 10-12-2005, Sq member, PR
37. Latha, Sirigiripadu, Guntur, 26-12- 2005, Sqd. member, PR
38. Isrubai, Adilabad, 06-12-2005, Sympathizer
39. Yenki, Gangalur raid Dandakaranya, 29-01-2006, Platoon Section Dy. Commander
40. Koram Ramadevi, Warangal, Bonthagutta in the Somalagadda forest area, 06-01-2006, Sqd. member
41. Savitri (Nagi reddy Eswaramma , (44), Malakonda penta, 05-02-2006, PR
42. Somidi (Soni), Mukunur Encounter, Khammam, 02-04-2006, Sqd. member
43. Vijaya, Mukunur Encounter, Khammam, 02-04-2006, Sqd. member
44. Radha , Mukunur encounter, Khammam, 02-04-2006, Sqd. member
45. Rani , Immadigudem forest, Katapuram, Tadvai, Karim nagar west, 05-04-2006, Sqd. member
46. Kumari, Immadigudem forest, Katapuram, Tadvai, Karim nagar west, 05-04-2006, Sqd. member
47. Renuka (Sake Laxmi Devi), Seshachalam Hills, Karatamadugu, Sundupalli Kadapa, AP, 28-04-2006, Sqd. commander
48. Sunita (Uppara Chandrakala), Seshachalam jungle, Karatamadugu, Sundupalli, Kadapa, 28-04-2006, PR
49. Swarna (Boya Varalamma), Seshachalam jungle, Karatamadugu, Sundupalli, Kadapa, 28-04-2006, PR
50. Pravina (Ponanki Nagaveni), Seshachalam jungle, Karatamadugu, Sundupalli, Kadapa, 28-04-2006, PR
51. Bhagya (Boya Ratnamma), Seshachalam jungle, Karatamadugu, Sundupalli, Kadapa, 28-04-2006, PR
52. Kumari (Saroja), Seshachalam jungle, Karatamadugu, Sundupalli, Kadapa, 28-04-2006, PR
53. Uma, Peddarutla, Prakasam, 30-04-2006, PR
54. Jhansi (Basupaka Devi) (19), Pidakala Penta encounter, Mahboob nagar, 30-04-2006, PM
55. Uma 21, NFD, 00-04-2006, PR
56. Uma (Mirabi) (19), Bogolu encounter, Ardhaveedu Mandal, Prakasam, 15-05-2006, PR
57. Jaya (Chandrakala) 22, Maguturu (Prakasam), 19-05-2006, PR
58. One woman comrade, Near Tekuguda Block, Malkangiri, 30-05-2006, Sqd. member
59. One woman comrade, Near Tekuguda Block, Malkangiri, 30-05-2006, Sqd. member
60. Rajita (Boya Suvarna), Somidevupalli, Racharla mandal, Prakasam AP, 17-06-2006, Dy. Commander, Nallamala
61. Swaroopa (Kalla Ilamma), Edugurallapalli, Manuguru, Khammam, NT, 18-06-2006, LOS Commander
62. Latha (Kasani Salamma) 24, Guvvalagutta fake encounter, Nalgonda, AP, 20-06-2006,Commander
63. Tummala Padma (Swaroopa), Sangadigundala, Mahaboob nagar, 27-06-2006, LOS Dy. Commander
64. Indira (Manjula), Sangadigundala, Mahaboob nagar, 27-06-2006, ACM
65. Madhavi (Saidamma) 18, Sangadigundala, Mahboob nagar, 27-06-2006, PR
66. Suguna (Gangamma)18, Sangadigundala, Mahboob nagar, 27-06-2006, FT
67. Padma (Kotamma)16, Sangadigundala, Mahboob nagar, 27-06-2006, FT
68. Pushpa (Lingamma) 17, Sangadigundala, Mahboob nagar, 27-06-2006, FT
69. Anju, Zumra Pahad raid, Jharkhand, 00-06-2006, Platoon Party Committee member
70. Maadvir Gangi (Kumari) 25, Tekuguda encounter, Malkangiri, AOB, 30-06-2006, ACM
71. Bimla, Tekuguda encounter, Malkangiri, 30-06-2006, PR
72. Susheela, Mahboob nagar, 06-06-2006, PR
73. Padma, Mahboob nagar, 06-06-2006, PR
74. Rajitha (Susheela), Daraboyinapenta, Nallamala, AP, 23-07-2006, ACM
75. Vadde Sushila, Killed by bad gentry, DK, 06-07-2006, GPC member
76. Madhavi, Darboyina penta, Nallamala, 23-07-2006, Section Commander
77. Mamata, Darboyina penta, Nallamala, 23-07-2006, Sqd. member
78. Sita, Darboyina penta, Nallamala, 23-07-2006, PR
79. Parvati, do, 23-07-2006, JNM sqd. member
80. Uma, Gannepalli, Arthaveedu, Prakasam, 5-09-2006, PR
81. Geetha (Sunarikani Pramila), Medaram encounter NT, 15-09- 2006, Sqd. member
82. Padma, Medaram encounter NT, 15-09- 2006, Sqd. member
83. Nirmala, Medaram encounter NT, 15-09- 2006, Sq. member
84. Padma, Adilabad, NT, 14 -10-2006, DCM
85. Ramana (Prasanti), Badwel encounter, AP, 10-11-2006, DCM
86. Sandhya (Golla Rajyalakshmi), Badwel encounter,AP, 10-11-2006, Sqd..member
87. Parvati (Nagamani), Badwel encounter,AP, 10-11-2006, Sqd.member
88. Sujata (Lalita), Badwel encounter,AP, 10-11-2006, Sqd.member
89. Sulochana, KNR-Khammam-wgl, 00-11-2006, Sqd. member
90. Vasanta (Markam Mote Khammam-wgl, 06-11-2006, Sqd. member
91. Poyami Moti @ Basanti, Charla, 26-11-2006, Sqd. member
92. Chada Vijayalakshmi (Karuna), Panasalova forest, Kotta Veedhi, East Division, AOB, 27-12-2006, DCM
93. Swarna, Near Kapalavagu, Madded, 31-01-2007,
94. Bhavani, While going to AOB from AP, fake encounter, 01-03-2007, ACM
95. Aruna, Near Kapalavagu, Madded , 01-03-2007,
96. Vanita, Near Charbhatti, North Gadchiroli, June 2007, Sqd. member
97. Lalita, NT, 2007,
98. Manasa 23, Nalgonda dt, , PR
99. Velpula Bhagya, Sqd. member
100. Radha, Warangal, , JNM sqd. member1.
101 Savithri (Kumari), Khammam, Sqd. member
102 Kiran Korba, Puregada, Chattisgarh, fake encounter, 14-05-2006, ACM
103 One woman Comrade, Orissa, caught and died in hospital, ,
104 Ramadevi, Karim nagar, , Sqd. member
105 Mamata, Khammam, , Sqd. member
106& Mother and daughter, Sitamarhi, Bihar, killed by indiscriminate
107 firing on their home, 2005, People
Women killed as part of Salva Judum
1. Korsa Santo (20), Pulgatta, 02-09-2005, CRPF & SJ goons gang raped her, chopped off her breasts, pierced private parts with knives and later threw the body into bushes
2. Bhogam Somari (36), Dorum, 02-09-/2005, SJ goons hacked her to death with axes in front of her husband
3. Vedinje Nangi, Mukavelli, 05-10-2005, Naga police fired bullets into the womb when she was 9 months pregnant; both the mother and the fetus were killed.
4. Vedinje Malli(20), Mukavelli, 05-10-2005, Co-wife of Nangi. Was killed by Naga police with bullets along with Vedinje Nangi
5. Modiyam Sukki (25)
6. Kursam Lakke (23), Pedda Korma, 07-10-2005, While doing sentry duty to safeguard their village during the raids of Naga police and SJ goons. They were gang raped and breasts were cut off.
7. Modium Budri (30), Pedda Korma, 16-/12-05, Killed by Police & SJ goons.
8. Madkam Sanni (35), Etepad, 2-9-2005, Killed by Naga police in firing.
9. Buggar, Ehkal, 23-10-2005, SJ
10. Hemla Dokri (50)
11. Hemla Somari (19), Karremarka, 10-11-2005, both mother and daughter was murdered by SJ goons.
12. Samo, Indravati Area, 14-11-2005, SJ
13. Madiyam Sukli, South Bastar, 12-04-2006, Raped and killed
14 Tati Mangli (20), Paralnar, 11-07-2006, Killed in firing by Joint patrolling team of CRPF & SPOs.
15. Hemla Pande (27), Puladi, 13-07-2006, While this 9 month pregnant woman was working in the field, the CRPF & SPOs fired bullets into her womb and the foetus.
16. Punem Gutto (45), Puladi, 13-07-2006, while working in the field she was killed by CRPF who floated the story of encounter.
17. Madavi Mondo (25), Gornam, 28-08-2006, This pregnant woman was killed in a fake encounter by CRPF police.
18. Madavi Lakhmi (25), Gornam, 28-8-2006, This woman was killed in a fake encounter
19. One unknown woman, Nethikakiler, 06-11-2006, This woman along with her daughter was caught and both were gang raped; mother was killed and daughter was left half dead
20. Bhogami Radhe (30), Dorum, 30-11-2006, Left her village due to the fear of SJ and was living in Urepal. Police gang raped her and killed her in the name of encounter.
21. Oyam Bujji (19), Bellamnendra, 11-08-2006, CRPF & SJ goons killed her cruelly, her tongue was cut off.
22. Beko Munny (20), Rengeyagudem, 09-06-2006, She was killed in the name of encounter after having been raped in Devarapalli village
23. Veko Phagani (19), Parkeli, 25-03-2006, Police killed her in fake encounter in Parkeli village
24. Madavi Bhime (20), Indwada, 25-03-2006, She was caught in Parkeli village, tortured and killed in fake encounter
25. Punem Budhi, Toynar (Bhairamgadh), 25-03-2006, Could not get the details
26. Gantala Sridevi (19), Lingagiri, 15-12-2006, Could not get the details
One woman, Indravati Area, 09-02-2007, Gangraped and killed & body thrown into Indravati river
28. One woman, Indravati Area, 09-02-2007, Gangraped and killed & body thrown into Indravati river
29. One woman, Indravati Area, 09-02-2007, Gangraped and killed & body thrown into Indravati river
30. Silok Veko
31. Aayte Aatram (28), Taakilod, 11-02-2007, Two married women were caught by patrolling police on 9/2/07 when they went searching for greens vegetables in the forests and brutally assaulted and raped for two days. Later they fired bullets and announced that two women naxalites were killed.
32. Saibo.
"..... In these struggles, whether in China or in the world as a whole, the men assuredly have a great deal of force, but what about the women? Do the women have strength or not? Some people say that women have no strength. Others say that women do have a bit of strength, but very little. Even among female compatriots themselves, there are those who express the view that their strength is not at all great. Such ways of speaking and thinking are wrong. In every struggle, if we say that the strength of men is very great, so is the strength of women. Without the participation of women, nothing in this world can be accomplished. If women do not participate in our fight against Japan, we will not succeed; if women do not participate in the production campaign, it will not succeed either. Whatever the matter in hand, without women, nothing can succeed."
-Mao Zedong
"All men must die, but death can vary in its significance, the ancient Chinese writer Szuma Chien said, "Though death befalls men alike, it may be weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather." To die for the people is weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the fascists and die for the exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather."
-Mao Zedong
Maoist Information bulletin [Published by International
