From Maoist To Minister: Seethakka, A Legacy Unparalleled (image: facebook.com/danasarisithakka/)
The Mulugu region in North Telangana, which has once been a naxal hotbed, is currently witnessing their Maoist-turned-legislator, Seethakka becoming a minister of the state. By securing the assembly segment for the third time in the Telangana Assembly elections, Seethakka alias Danasari Anasuya is stepping into cabinet position as Congress government forming government in the state on Thursday.
Born in Gutti Koya tribe family, Seethakka attracted to Naxalite movement when she was in teens. She was 14, when joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Janashakti, a left extremist organisation, and decide to commit her life to challenge class and caste oppression. She later became a commander in the Janshakthi group and directed an armed militia in the Narsampet region. In 1997, Seethakka gave up the armed revolution, and surrendered before the court under the state’s amnesty programme, The News Minute reports. She says, it was the split within the group, and disillusionment by the movement that prompted her to leave the movement.
200 కోట్ల కేసీఆర్ డబ్బును ఓడించింది నేను కాదు.. మా ములుగు ప్రజలు..
నా ప్రాణం వాళ్లది.. ములుగు నుండి మేడారం వరకు ర్యాలీగా వెళ్లి సమ్మక్క సారలమ్మలను దర్శించుకోవడం జరిగింది.. మార్గమధ్యలో ప్రతీ గ్రామం వేడుకలా స్వాగతించింది.
రాష్ట్ర ప్రజలందరికీ నా శుభాకాంక్షలు..@RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/f1INclCOcl
— Danasari Seethakka (@seethakkaMLA) December 3, 2023
In 2004 Seethakka entered politics by joining the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Though she contested from the Mulugu constituency in that year, she failed to gather voters. But in 2009, she emerged winner, and lost again in 2014 to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS, now BRS), in the uproars of a new state sentiment wave. In 2018, she left TDP and joined Congress and won the constituency in that year and in 2023. Besides, she also held positions such as general secretary of All India Mahila Congress and later state in-charge for Chhattisgarh Mahila Congres.
A former guerilla fighter, now holding a law degree considers public service as her primary goal. During the pandemic, her travel to deep forest areas and supply rations to Adivasis garnered much attention and support. In last year, Seethakka has also earned PhD in Political Science from Osamania University addressing her community”s issues and social backwardness.
From being an armed revolutionary to hailing one of the top position in a democratic system of governance, in a lifetime Seethakka survived several journeys.
