The 102nd death anniversary of freedom fighter and ‘Manyam Veerudu’ Alluri Sitharama Raju was observed on Thursday with solemn ceremonies across Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts, with officials, political leaders, and civil society organisations paying tributes to the tribal revolutionary.
In Paderu, Joint Collector Tirumani Sri Pooja led the tributes at the Collectorate, garlanding a portrait of Alluri in the conference hall and offering floral tributes at his statue in the premises. She said his courage and sacrifice remained an enduring source of inspiration for today’s youth and called upon every citizen to contribute to national development in his spirit. District Revenue Officer (AFC) M.V.S. Lokeswararao, KRRC Special Deputy Collector B. Neelakantarao, and officials from various departments attended. At the ITDA office, Project Officer Aditya Varma garlanded Alluri’s statue and called upon all to rededicate themselves to tribal welfare and the development of agency areas, in keeping with Alluri’s vision.
In Visakhapatnam, the district Collectorate observed the anniversary under the joint aegis of the Youth Services, Tourism, and Cultural departments. Tourism Officer Madhavi, SETVIS CEO Ramya, Collectorate AO B.V. Rani, and district-level officers paid floral tributes, recalling Alluri’s sacrifices for independence and his struggle for tribal rights. At the Zilla Parishad conference hall, District Panchayat Raj CEO P. Narayanamurthy and APPRMEA district president S.B. Sattibabu garlanded Alluri’s portrait and paid tributes, with the CEO noting that Alluri’s struggle would remain an indelible chapter in the nation’s history.
Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat visited the statue of Alluri Sitharama Raju at Pandrangi village in Padmanabham Mandal of Bhimili constituency, the birthplace of the freedom fighter, and offered floral tributes. He described Alluri as a fearless warrior who mobilised tribal communities of the Agency areas towards the freedom movement and became an enduring symbol of courage and patriotism.
CPI State Secretariat member J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy, addressing party cadres near the Alluri statue on Beach Road, recalled that Alluri had organised a prolonged armed resistance against British forces to defend tribal rights before being captured near Chintapalli and executed. He raised concerns over what he described as anti-people policies of the Union Government affecting tribal lands and the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
The Alluri Seetharama Raju Vignana Kendram held a commemoration meeting addressed by Trust Chairman C.h. Narsinga Rao and former Pendurthi Polytechnic Principal N. Chandrasekhara, who exhorted youth to imbibe Alluri’s spirit of sacrifice. Alluri Committee In-charge G.S. Rajeswarao announced the inauguration of a buttermilk distribution centre, which will operate daily from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a month, serving around 2,500 people on its opening day.
BJP Andhra Pradesh State President P.V.N. Madhav, speaking at a Beach Road programme, described Alluri as “a flame of revolution that never dies” and said his party had been conducting a ‘Spurthi Yatra’ for 20 years to develop sites associated with Alluri into national heritage centres.