Pasula Sitaramulu: A Forgotten Tribal Freedom Fighter
In a time when tribals were often marginalized and expected to remain voiceless, Pasula Sitaramulu’s rise as a leading figure in the peasant armed struggle was both rare and remarkable
By Satyanarayana Dyavanapalli, Telangana Historian
In the tumultuous twilight of the 1940s, Telangana bore witness to the rise of the Communist movement, a fervent resistance against feudal oppression and the brutalities of the Razakars. These Razakars, with impunity sanctioned by the then ruler Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan of the Hyderabad State, unleashed terror across the region. Amidst this storm of rebellion, clandestine Communist guerrilla units—known as dalams—took root in the forests of Bayyaram, now part of Mahabubabad district.
Among the fighters who emerged from the shadows of obscurity was Pasula Sitaramulu, a member of the Naikpod tribal community. In a time when tribals were often marginalized and expected to remain voiceless, Sitaramulu’s rise as a leading figure in the peasant armed struggle was both rare and remarkable.
Born to Pasula Buchayya and Chasamma in Peddathallagadda near Garla and Bayyaram, Sitaramulu acquired a gun—an extraordinary feat for a tribal at that time. He trained himself in its use and stood fearlessly against the Razakars, the Nizam’s police, and later, the military forces of Independent India. Time and again, he faced danger head-on, engaging in multiple skirmishes and narrowly escaping police gunfire.
His resistance wasn’t limited to the battlefield. Sitaramulu also fought against local feudal lords who exploited tribal labor. One notable incident involved a man named Sangayya from the Kamma caste, who employed tribal workers to clear forest land and founded a village named Sandralapodu. This land, however, was soon usurped by a North Indian trader named Santhlal, and the village came to be known as Santhlalpodu. Though the land was built on the sweat of tribal workers, the fruits were enjoyed by outsiders—a glaring injustice that Sitaramulu and his comrades vehemently opposed.
Backed by landlords and traders, the Nizam’s police branded Sitaramulu a threat. A case was filed against him at Bayyaram Police Station, and he was summoned periodically to attend peshi (a legal appearance). In a defiant act of resistance, Sitaramulu refused to appear unless the police messenger (locally called Elodu or Maskoori) arranged a bicycle for his travel—an audacious condition he enforced each time.
Eventually, Sitaramulu ceased complying altogether, choosing instead to rebel openly. After India gained independence in 1947, the newly formed Indian Union sought to quell Communist insurgencies, and Sitaramulu found himself among the hunted. He went underground, evading capture until one day, he was discovered hiding in a crumbling well amidst a maize field. Refusing to surrender, Sitaramulu resisted—and was ultimately shot dead by the military.
Pasula Sitaramulu’s personal life bore its own quiet tragedies. He was married twice—first to a woman (Ramalaxmi) from Chittiramaram near Kottagudem, who was short and childless, and later to a woman from Bayyaram. Their only son died young due to ill health. His younger brother Laxminarsaiah later married the sister of his second wife, and their family, including his son named Pasula Buchayya, migrated to Khanapuram and later to Madaram in Mulkalapalli Mandal of Khammam district.
Today, only Pasula Buchayya remains as a living thread connecting us to the legacy of Sitaramulu. The silence surrounding his name in subsequent generations reflects the fear and trauma left in the wake of his struggle. Yet, his story—a tale of resistance, dignity, and courage from a forgotten tribal hero—deserves to be remembered and revered.
