Com. Chandramma breathed her last on September 23, 2020 at 7:30 PM at Government Hospital Visakhapatnam (AP). She had contracted Covid in the course of her activities which she did not stop despite suffering from other ailments.
Com. Chandramma has been a shining example of women who fought in and contributed to the communist revolutionary movement. Born in 1951 in a village in Srikakulam district she was exposed to the activities of revolutionary communist leaders active in the area and started attending their programmes at an early age. This was a region of intense exploitation and oppression and also of resistance under the leadership of communists. At 11 years of age in 1966 she participated in a hunger strike in Srikakulam by 1500 tribals who had come walking from distant places.
Being active in the movement in the revolutionary movement, she joined glorious armed struggle of Srikakulam. She braved all the difficulties and hardships of squad life. When other squad members were encountered, she stood firm in the movement. She continued as an Iron Lady.
In the process of her participation in revolutionary movement she married legendary communist revolutionary leader Com. Pyla Vasudev Rao. When the movement was facing severe repression she gave her new born child (Well known journalist A. Aruna) to other family as both parents were leading UG life.
State tried to suppress the Srikakulam Struggle with encounters and arrests and very cruel repression. At that time Com. Chandramma and other comrades tried to rebuild the movement. In that process she was arrested and put in Central Jail Visakhapatnam. She remained in jail for 14 years.
After release from jail, she organized landless peasants, tribals, fisherfolks and other poor people of the region and led struggles on their problems. She build struggle for Casuarina farmers for MSP along with struggles on the problems of workers of that industry.
She led struggles as the district leader of the communist revolutionary organizations and as Rytu Coolie Sangham (later AIKMS) leader also. She was elected as State ECM of RCS at its Second Conference in Khammam. At the time of her death she was district secretary of CPI(ML) (Central Organ – Rising New Democracy).
Until her last breath she worked to build revolutionary struggle. CPI(ML)-New Democracy pays its homage to this warrior of Srikakulam Armed Struggle and a leader of people’s movements.
Red Salute to Com. Chandramma!
(Issued by Com. Y. Sambasiva Rao on behalf of APPC, CPI (ML)-New Democracy)
September 24, 2020