Murderous bid on Ganti Prasadam

Ganti Prasadam, honorary president of the state committee of Martyrs' Families and Friends, was attacked with knives and shot by an unidentified group of persons here on Thursday around 3.30 pm. When reports last came in he was being treated at the Narayana Hospital. Doctors attending on Prasadam in the ICU said he had lost lot of blood due to stab and bullet wounds and his condition was critical. They removed three bullets from his body and one more, stuck near liver, was yet to be taken out.

Additional SP Nageswara Rao said the assailants were not identified yet but all check posts around the town were identified and a clues team was sent to the spot. He was hopeful of apprehending the attackers soon. However, leaders of various people's organizations were quick to allege that it was a handiwork of the police themselves, which the latter denied vehemently.

In Hyderabad, revolutionary writer Varavara Rao demanded the government to shift him immediately by helicopter to the NIMS for special treatment. However, when he together with a group of civil liberties people went to the Chief Minister's camp office to make the request, they were refused permission, arrested and taken to Sanjiva Reddy Nagar police station.

Prasadam, a former top leader of the Maoist Party, was in Nellore to take part in a martyrs' memorial programme. After addressing a forenoon session on 'state violence in society', before participating in the main programme in the post-lunch session he was going to see a patient named Kameswari, sister of his friend Raghupathi, in Praja Vaidyashala. At that time two well built people, dressed as rural folk, and were pretending to be quarreling among themselves, suddenly attacked Prasadam close to the hospital. According to shop keepers around that place, while one attacked him with a big knife used to hack coconuts, another fired five rounds with pistols. The two, along with two others fled the scene immediately after that. After preliminary treatment in Praja Vaidyashala the victim was rushed to Narayana Hospital.

Prasad was reportedly pleading with the Doctors that he be saved so that he could be among the poor people and continue to fight for them. State president of the Martyrs' Families Committee Padma, Maa Bhoomi Sandhya and one local woman were present at the scene of incident. They as well as Dappu Ramesh, leader of district Civil Liberties Committee E Venkateswarlu and others,who were in Town Hall, immediately rushed to the hospital. Virasam writers Kalyana Rao, Chenchaiah, CSR Prasad and others were also in town to take part in the programme.

Varavara Rao was also expected but did not turn up. Several Maoist activists belonging to Nellore, who include Rajaram Reddy, Vanga satya, Nethagani Raghavulu, Bal Reddy, Puli Seenanna, Dasarathi, Modem Daasayya, Shankarayya, Riaz alias Venkatesh, Shiva alias Bhaskara Rao, Krishna, Gaddam Srinivasa Reddy were killed by police in encounters. Before that while the naxalites killed CPM leader Malakondaiah, Chinthala Venkataswamy alias Suryam and Padmakka lost their lives in 1994 in an encounter near Padugupadu. After that phase ended nearly thirty years ago, this was the first violent incident to take place in the district.

PUCL flays attack on Ganti Prasadam

Hyderabad: The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) AP unit on Thursday condemned the attack on Ganti Prasadam, leader of the "Bandhu Mitrula Committee" in Nellore and demanded a CBCID probe into the incident.

The PUCL state president, Jaya Vindhyala wanted the government to identify those involved in the attack and deal with them sternly. She said such incidents if encouraged would prove inimical for the democratic set up and the democratically elected governments.

The responsibility of saving the life of Ganti Prasadam rests very much on the government. He should be extended best possible treatment under the observation of a team of senior doctors.

active since 1974

* He was jailed in the Aurangabad conspiracy case * His brother Rajanna was killed in an encounter

Nellore: Ganti Prasadam belonging to Bobbili was attracted to the organisation after the Naxalbari Armed Struggle spread to Srikakulam district in the late 1970s. Soon his brother, Ramesh alias Rajanna, took to the revolutionary politics and was active in the radical student union during its nascent stage in 1974. Ramesh went underground during the Emergency and became a full-fledged activist of the People's War in 1980s, organising various dalams. He was active in the party till his killing in an encounter 15 years back.

In 1972 and 1973 Prasadam joined the revolutionary movement at a young age while leading the Bobbili jute mill agitation. He was also active member of Virasaram during his student days. He joined the Party Unity, formed under the leadership of Satyanarayana Singh. He got involved in diversifying the party activities in Srikakulam district under the stewardship of Mamidi Appalasuri. After the party's merger with the People's War in 1997, Prasad became State leader and played a crucial role in several changes brought about in the extremist organisation. He rose to become a member of the State Committee.

After Party Unity merged with the People's War in 1997, Prasadam has become the state committee member and taken up the responsibility of Agitation and Propaganda Committee by regularly publishing Kranti magazine and other publications of the State Committee. There was disruption of communication between the Central and State committees after the encounter killing of Shyam alias Nalla Adi Reddy, Mahesh alias Erramreddy Santosh Reddy and Seelam Naresh. Still Prasadam has managed to reestablish the communications and continued the publications without fail. In spite of the heart problem he was suffering during 2000, he has actively participated in the Central Committee meetings held at Nallamala.

After the 2006 talks with PWG, Prasadam was jailed for over two years in connection with the Aurangabad Conspiracy Case along with several Virasam members. He was also implicated in the case involving Prakasam SP Mahesh Ladda. He was arrested in 2010 several weeks after Padma, wife of Maoist party secretary Haragopal alias RK alias Srinivas, was caught by the police along with several relatives near Koraput in the then Orissa during a visit to see him. He remained in the Koraput jail till January 2011 and was brought to Ongole by the police in connection with a case.

Prasadam remained outside the party as its sympathizer, following the formation on July 18, 2002 of 'Amarula Bandhu Mitrula Sangham'. His wife works as teacher and son is studying. As a sympathizer, he has been giving moral support to the families of the slain extremists in overcoming various problems and holding meetings.