Malla Rajireddy leaves legacy in Dandakaranya movement
MANTHANI: Malla Rajireddy, who spent nearly four-and-a-half decades in underground life, worked with the movement as his lifebreath. Born on the soil of Manthani in Peddapalli district, he entered activism at a young age for oppressed sections of society.
He joined the Radical Students Union and operated under several aliases, including Malla Rajireddy, also known as Meesala Rajireddy, Sangram also known as Sayanna, Alok and Deshpande also known as Gopanna.
From farming family to armed struggle
Rajireddy was born on January 31, 1950, in Shastrulapalli village under Eklaspur panchayat limits of Manthani mandal. His parents were Malla Radhamma, also known as Rajamma, and Venkata Reddy. He had a younger brother, Bhimareddy.
He was arrested in 1975 in connection with a village incident and lodged in Warangal jail. During his imprisonment, he came into contact with revolutionaries aligned with Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, founder of People’s War. After his release, he followed Kondapalli’s ideology and rejoined the movement, family members said.
Though he received a call letter for a job in Singareni, he declined it and continued in the revolutionary movement.
Rajireddy studied up to Class V in the local primary school and completed Intermediate (HSC) in Manthani. He joined the Radical Students Union in 1975 and worked until 1977. From 1977 to 1981, he served as a Manthani area squad member, later as squad commander, and from 1982 to 1996 as district committee member. Between 1997 and 2007, he worked as a Central Committee Member and rose to the rank of Central Committee member.
He was arrested once near Dharmapuri in 1988 and again on December 14, 2007, near SR Plaza in Ernakulam, Kerala. After spending 18 months in jail, he declared that he would not lay down arms. On October 7, 2008, he went underground again.
Role across four states
Rajireddy played a key role in forming Maoist guerrilla squads in Dandakaranya across undivided Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. He was a contemporary of Muppala Lakshmana Rao, former Central Committee secretary.
When his parents died, relatives expected him to visit for the last rites, but he could not due to police surveillance. However, in 2013, he reportedly met family members in a nearby forest area on the occasion of his mother’s second-month ceremony.
Family life under police watch
Rajireddy married Ratnamma. After he went underground, police harassment increased and she too reportedly joined the People’s War in 1982. The couple had a daughter while living underground and entrusted the child to his brother.
Due to heavy surveillance, no friends attended their wedding, which was conducted at Ambatpalli in Mahadevpur mandal. His daughter Snehalatha later married Kasim and is practising as a lawyer.
After Ratnamma’s death, Rajireddy married Beda Suguna, also known as Sangeeta, who reportedly died in an encounter.
Cases and reward
Rajireddy was allegedly involved in several incidents, including the killing of former Speaker Sripada Rao in Annaram forests of Mahadevpur mandal in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, another murder within Karimnagar limits, and nine cases across 20 police stations in Peddapalli district. He reportedly faced more than 50 cases nationwide.
Police sources said a total reward of ₹1 crore was announced on his head ₹25 lakh in Telangana and ₹75 lakh in other states.
