Modi unveils 30-ft statue of legendary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju in Andhra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled a 30-ft bronze statue of legendary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju on his 125th birth anniversary at Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, and asserted the history of the country’s freedom struggle is “not about a few years or some people”.
Addressing a large public meeting at Pedaamiram, Modi paid glowing tributes to those who fought to free the country from colonial rule.
The 15-tonne statue was moulded at a cost of `3 crore and installed by the Kshatriya Seva Samiti in the Municipal Park at ASR Nagar in Bhimavaram, as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
“As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Independence, the responsibility is on every citizen to fulfil the dreams of the freedom fighters. Our New India should be an India of their dreams. Such India, where the poor, farmers, workers, backward classes, Adivasis and oppressed have equal opportunities,” the PM said.
“The fight for freedom is not the history of a few years, a few regions or some people. This is the history of every nook and corner of the country, the history of sacrifices and martyrdom of people of all corners,” Modi remarked.
Recalling Alluri’s war cry to the British, “Dum hai to mujhe rok lo” (Stop me if you have the guts), the PM said people of the country were now using a similar slogan, “Dum hai to hamein rok lo” as they were bravely confronting many challenges and difficulties.
“The 130 crore citizens of the country, in unison and capability, are daring the challenges and saying ‘stop us if you have the guts’,” Modi said.
Paying glowing tributes to Alluri, popularly called the “Manyam Veerudu” (Hero of the Forest), Modi pointed out that the legendary freedom fighter was a symbol of “Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat”(one nation, great nation).
“Alluri’s 125th birth anniversary and Rampa Rebellion’s centenary will be celebrated through the year. Renovation of Pandrangi village, Alluri’s birthplace, and the Chintapalli police station that he first attacked and construction of Alluri Dhyana Mandir at Mogallu village were symbols of our lasting emotions,” Modi said.
A museum was being built in Lambasingi for Alluri and other Adivasi warriors. The
Prime Minister said Andhra Pradesh was a land of patriots and legends like Pingali Venkaiah, who designed the National Flag as well as Kanneganti Hanumanthu, Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Potti Sriramulu and Uyyalavada Narasimha Reddy, the first revolutionaries. The legacy of the land was inspirational, he said and paid his tributes to all of them.
Modi arrived in Vijayawada International Airport by a special aircraft from Hyderabad and flew by helicopter to Bhimavaram. After unveiling the statue of Alluri, he felicitated Alluri Srirama Raju, Alluri’s nephew, and Bodi Dora, son of Alluri’s close lieutenant Mallu Dora.
According to a PTI report, the regular patriotic discourse during the freedom struggle had a strong influence on Alluri since his childhood. Following the death of his father, his schooling got disrupted and he went on a pilgrimage and toured the western, northwestern, north and northeastern India during his teens. The socio-economic conditions in the country under the British regime, particularly in the tribal areas, deeply moved him.
During those journeys, he met revolutionaries in Chittagong (now in Bangladesh). Alluri then made up his mind to build a movement against the British. He organised the local Adivasis in the forest areas along Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts into a potent force to launch a frontal attack.
Thus was born the “Rampa Rebellion” or the “Manyam Uprising”, in the Rampachodavaram forest area in the erstwhile East Godavari district, which rattled the mighty British forces. Using the Adivasis’ traditional weapons, bows and arrows and spears, Alluri spearheaded many an attack on the British forces and became a thorn in their flesh.
He, however, realised that traditional weaponry was no match against the heavily armed British forces and, hence, planned to snatch the enemy’s own weapons. The famed attack on the Chintapalli police station on August 22, 1922, with over 300 revolutionaries was the first in the series, which ended in a haul of firearms. The sheer audacity of Alluri in warning, in advance, the police of the date and time of the attack left the British stunned.
