Paritala Ravindra

Paritala Ravindra, also known as Paritala Ravi, was a political leader and factionist in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. He was a cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh and a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Penukonda constituency. He was assassinated by his political rivals in 2005. Paritala Ravindra was born on 30 August 1958 in Venkatapuram, Anantapur district. His father, Paritala Sreeramulu, was a Naxalite leader and was close to Kondapalli Seetharamaiah of the then-monolithic People’s War Group. In 1975, Gangula Narayana Reddy, a factionist, Congress MLA and Sane Chenna Reddy, another factionist, killed Sreeramulu. Ravindra was seventeen years old when his father was killed. He, along with his brother, Paritala Hari, escaped the attack. After losing his father and brother, Ravindra wanted to take shelter from his rivals. He went to his maternal uncle, Kondaiah, in Seerpi Kottaala village of Uravakonda Constituency to take shelter. He married his uncle’s daughter Sunitha in 1986 and took up cultivation. He had three children: Paritala Sriram, Paritala Snehalatha, and Paritala Siddhartha. Ravindra wanted to avenge the deaths of his father and brother. He allied himself with Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People’s War (PWG) who were ready to help Ravindra and so plotted against Chenna Reddy. Sane Chenna Reddy, who was conspirator in his father’s and brother’s deaths was killed in Dharmavaram in 1991. By-elections were conducted and Ramana Reddy, son of Chenna Reddy, became MLA in 1991. Ravindra started as a communist and later entered electoral politics by joining the Telugu Desam Party. He was elected five times as an MLA from the Penukonda constituency in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. He was a cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh during the Telugu Desam Party regime. He was known for his charisma and popularity among the masses. Ravindra was also involved in several criminal cases and factional feuds. He was accused in the murder of seven of Maddela Cheruvu Suri’s family members (including women and children) in 1995 via a TV bomb. Ravindra allegedly planned the bomb to kill Suri, but Suri escaped. Suri tried to take vengeance by triggering a remote-controlled car bomb in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, in 1997, but missed his target. On 24 January 2005, hired killers detonated bombs near the Telugu Desam Party office and shot Ravindra. He died instantly. His death sparked violent protests and arson in several places across the state. His wife, Paritala Sunitha, succeeded him as the MLA of Penukonda and later became a minister in the Telugu Desam Party government. Ravindra produced a film, Sri Ramulayya, based on the biography of his father. The film was directed by N. Shankar and starred Mohan Babu as Ravindra’s father. The film was a hit and portrayed the life and struggles of the Naxalites and the factionists in the Rayalaseema region. Ravindra is considered as one of the most influential and controversial leaders in the history of Andhra Pradesh politics. He is remembered for his courage, charisma, and leadership. He is also seen as a symbol of factionalism and violence in the Rayalaseema region. His life and death have inspired several books, films, and documentaries.