MALAYALAM
Forgotten hero
K. K. GOPALAKRISHNAN
ALLURI SITA RAMA RAJU: T. K. Krishnakumar; Pub. by Indological Trust, P.B. No 955, West Hill, Calicut-673005. Rs.70.
COUNTLESS ARE those who had dedicated their lives to the cause of the nation’s freedom. For them it was a selfless service for the motherland. They were least bothered about publicity or recognition of any sort. As a result, many of the warriors and revolutionaries who participated in the freedom struggle in different parts of India did not get even the kind of acknowledgment or recognition they richly deserved.
One such warrior was Alluri Rama Raju, who hailed from Andhra and led several successful guerrilla fights against the British. He derived inspiration from veterans such as Lokmanya Balagangadhara Tilak and Chattrapathi Shivaji. This book traces his life-story — family background, the failed love affair that made him lead a saint-like life (on the death of his beloved, he added ‘Sita’ to his name, as a tribute to her, to become ‘Alluri Sita Rama Raju’), the way he mobilised the tribal people against the British, his encounters with the police, et al. In his endeavour to give a colourful account of the life and activities of Alluri, with due regards, the author has taken no chances.
In several places, however, the narration leaves much to be desired in that it lacked information about the source material depended upon for the different events/incidents mentioned.
The book reads more like a detailed feature article than a research-based biography. It also calls for a lot of improvement in production.
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