Team News Riveting
Hyderabad, September 21
The Divisional Committee Member of outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist)’s South Bastar Division, Savitri alias Ravula Savitri surrendered before the Telangana police on Wednesday.
She is wife of late Ravula Srinivas alias Ramanna, the Central Committee Member and Secretary of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, who died of cardiac arrest in December 2021. Ramanna was a hardcore Maoist and first-generation Maoist leader; a strong believer of revolutionary ideology.
Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddy Wednesday announced the surrender of Savitri, 46, who is a native of Chintagupha village of Konta in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. Savitri’s son Ravula Srikanth alias Ranjith, an underground Maoist operative, had surrendered before the police in July 2021.
Savitri got attracted to revolutionary ideology due to socio and economic conditions prevailing then in the society. As a minor girl at the age of 13 years, she worked in Bal Sangathan (Adivasi Balak Sangh), a frontal organization of the CPI (Maoist) and was elevated to higher positions. During her 33 years of association in the outlawed organization, Savitri recruited 300 to 350 members in the CPI (Maoist) by propagating revolutionary ideology through her speeches in tribal areas. Many of them are now continuing in the party at various levels.
The DGP said she was frustrated and went into depression after the death of her husband. She along with son Ranjith attended the funeral of Ramanna and expressed anguish over leadership of CPI (Maoist) for not informing critical ill health condition of her husband. She said she was also unfulfilled with the mindless violence and aimless protracted armed struggle of CPI (Maoist).
Savitri revealed that many senior cadres are facing serious health issues while there is a leadership crisis as no educated people are interested in the party. While opening of the CRPF camps in the core areas of Maoists, there is a sense of security among the people and the armed formations of Maoists and militia are under great pressure for logistic support.
The DGP said Savitri’s surrender did not make her eligible for a reward in Telangana as she belonged to Chhattisgarh but he assured her that he will urge the state government to provide her relief on par with other surrendered cadres. She could get the benefits of the surrender policy of Telangana.
Savitri was involved in some of the brutal attacks on security personnel in Chhattisgarh state. Besides the Burkapal attack in 2017 wherein 24 CRPF jawans were killed, she was involved in the Minpa ambush in which 21 security personnel were martyred in 2020. She participated in the Tekulagudem ambush that took place last year in which 21 CRPF jawans were killed.
