Alluri Sitarama Raju, Indian activist (born 1897/1898)

Alluri Sitarama Raju was an Indian revolutionary who waged an armed rebellion against the British colonial rule in India. He led the Rampa rebellion (1922–1924) which was born from rising discontent towards British colonial rule in the backdrop of the non-cooperation movement (1920–1922). To recruit for his force, Raju harnessed grievances caused by the 1882 Madras Forest Act that effectively restricted the free movement of adivasis in their forest habitats and prevented them from practicing their traditional form of agriculture called 'podu', which threatened their very way of life. Mustering combined forces of tribals and other sympathisers to the cause, he engaged in guerilla campaigns against British forces across the border regions of present-day Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states in India. He was given the title "Manyam Veerudu" by the local people for his exploits.