Paritala Ravindra
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Paritala Ravindra (August 8, 1958 – January 24, 2005) was a political leader in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, India. He started as a communist in the foot steps of his father and later entered electoral politics by joining Telugu Desam party. He was elected four times as Member of Legislative assembly to the state of Andhra Pradesh from Penukonda constituency in Anantapur district and also served as Minister for Labour. He was slain by his political rivals in 2005.
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[edit] Early life
After losing his father and brother, Ravi wanted to take shelter to protect himself from his rivals. He went to his maternal uncle, Kondaiah, in Seerpi Kottaala village of Uravakonda constituency to take shelter. He married Suneetha in 1986 and took up cultivation.
[edit] Entry into Factionism
After Narayana Reddy was killed, Ramachandra Reddy of Telugu Desam party became M.L.A from Penukonda in 1983 and 1985 . In 1989 elections, congress formed the government in the state. Sane Chenna Reddy became M.L.A of Penukonda by defeating Ramachandra Reddy of T.D.P.
[edit] After 2004 elections, till his death
TDP lost power and congress formed govt in the state. From the day three of forming the govt, i.e from May 14th onwards killing of TDP activists started in the Anantapur district. . Only a group of 2 vehicles was allowed showing the reasons that it becomes difficult for the people to go on roads. His houses in Anantapur and Venkatapuram were frequently raided by the police.
- Paritala Ravi's follower and counsellor, Basha, was killed in Dharmavaram by Soori's gang in June 2004.
- Another of Ravi's follower Adi Narayana, who was Z.P.T.C member of Somandepalli, was killed.
- Tagarakunta Prabhakar was also killed by Soori's gang which consisted of Julakanti Srinivas Reddy(Moddu Srinu), Damodar Reddy, Bhaskar Reddy etc. Tagarakunta Konda Reddy and Soori were the conspirators. Prabhakar who was entering his Sumo after having a shave was shot in the car by Julakanti Srinivas Reddy(Moddu Srinu). They escaped immediately after that. Prabhakar died immediately.
- RK who was a follower of Paritala Ravindra was killed in Bellary by the same men when he came out of house for a morning walk.
- They planned to kill Ravi if he comes to compaign in Byelections of Somandepalli Z.P.T.C. But Ravindra didn't campaign.
- Anantapur DSP Narasimha Reddy was accused to be involved in the murders of Pavurala Krishna and his brother in Anantapur. DSP called them to police station. When they were on the way to police station they were killed.
- On 24-1-2005, after the party meeting in the TDP office in Anantapur, when he was coming out of the office Paritala Ravi was shot by sharp shooter Julakanti Srinivasa Reddy(Moddu Srinu) many times and in the eyes as he claimed as a bonus for suri [ref: the TV9 interview], Narayana Reddy, Rekhamayyah. Vadde Seena and some others also participated in the shooting. Paritala died instantaneously. His gunman Habib and Ravi's follower were also killed. Remaining gunmen who were aged above 40 dropped guns on the shooters orders. Gangula Surya Narayana Reddy alias Soori, Tagarakunta Konda Reddy were involved .
[edit] Violence in politics
- In the past 15 years, 670 Congressmen and 560 TDP men have lost their lives to factional rivalry.[1][2]
- Paritala narrowly escaped from a major attack that was planned to kill him in Film nagar in Jubilee hills, Hyderabad by exploding nearly 50 Kg RDX, in which nearly 30 members of his partymen killed
- Paritala Ravi's name figures in 54 murder cases. About 10 Congressmen are missing and the involvement of Paritala Ravi is alleged in these cases.
- He was a faction leader whose name was linked with a number of criminal cases, the 45-year-old Ravindra, or Ravi, had a questionable reputation.
- As news spread about the killing, TDP workers went on the rampage in several towns and cities. They set ablaze buses of the A.P. State Road Transport Corporation and broke the windscreens of a large number of other vehicles. They also expressed their ire at government offices.At the end of two days of pitched battles between the police and TDP workers, the APSRTC was poorer by nearly Rs.20 crores. Eighty of its buses had been burnt and 576 had their windscreens and glass panes smashed. The vandalism was the kind which TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu had passionately opposed when he was Chief Minister.
- Paritala Ravi was among the 51 contestants in the last State Assembly elections named as having a criminal record by the Lok Satta, a non-partisan movement for reforms in governance, . But Chandrababu Naidu stoutly defended Ravi's inclusion in the TDP's list of nominees. "Many of those named by the Lok Satta were acquitted. Values are essential in public life but there are some constraints too," he said. [3].
- Frontline editorialised that "Paritala Ravi's murder not only showed the extent of criminalisation of politics in Andhra Pradesh but also exposed the deterioration of the criminal justice system."[4]<
[edit] Re-Organising Committee (R.O.C)
People's War Group (P.W.G) expelled Kondapalli Seetha Ramaiah from the party. He split P.W.G into two. One was P.W.K.S group. Potula Suresh who shot Chenna Reddy was an active member of this group. This group again split into two. One was "Redstar" and other was "Re-Organising committee" (ROC). Potula Suresh was head of ROC and Sudarshan was head of the Redstar. Redstar was favourable to Chenna Reddy's sons and Surya Narayana Reddy. ROC worked for Ravi. There was armed struggle between these two groups and many people were killed.
[edit] Post-2004 Elections
Telugu Desam (TDP) lost power and congress formed government in the state. From the day three of forming the govt, i.e from May 14th onwards, killing of TDP activists started in the Anantapur district. Ravi's houses in Anantapur and Venkatapuram were frequently raided by the police.
- Paritala Ravi's follower and counsellor, Basha, was killed in Dharmavaram by Soori's gang in June 2004.
