Renuka's writings highlight the intersection of gender, class, and armed struggle

By Harsh Thakor*

On March 31, 2025, Gummadivelli Renuka, also known by her pen name Midko, was killed in Chhattisgarh during an alleged exchange of fire with police forces. Aged 55, she had been active in the Maoist insurgency for over three decades and was widely known within revolutionary circles as both a writer and a guerrilla. Police stated that she was killed during a gunfight near the villages of Nelgoda, Ikeli, and Belnar, on the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts. They reported recovering an INSAS rifle, ammunition, a laptop, and Maoist literature from the site. However, the CPI (Maoist) claimed she was arrested and executed in custody after being interrogated. The publication Andhra Jyothi cited allegations that she was tortured.

Renuka was born in Kadivendi village in Warangal district. While pursuing her LLB in Tirupati, she became involved in the women's movement through Mahila Shakti. After its merger into Chaitanya Mahila Sangham in 1995, she served as a key organiser in the state-wide women's movement. She contributed to and helped edit the magazine Mahila Margam. Her literary work began in 1994 under the name Renuka Devi, with stories often published in Mahila Margam. Her early writing focused on middle-class urban women, reflecting her own background, but was marked by a strong revolutionary and democratic consciousness.

Renuka later joined the Maoist movement formally and went underground in 2004, working in the Andhra-Odisha border and Dandakaranya regions. She served as the press and publication in-charge of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the CPI (Maoist). She was known to Telugu readers as Midko, writing over 30 short stories—some translated into English and published in Viyyukka – The Morning Star, a collection focused on Maoist women insurgents. Under pen names such as B.D. Damayanti, she documented issues including tribal land struggles in Odisha’s Narayanpatna and state-backed violence by Salwa Judum.

Her writing portrayed women’s experiences in revolutionary contexts. Her stories highlighted the intersection of gender, class, and armed struggle, emphasizing not just the suffering of women but also their resilience, leadership, and creativity. She viewed literature as a means of exploring the depth of political and personal struggle, often rejecting traditional literary norms to convey the stark realities of life in conflict zones. Her female characters were designed to challenge bourgeois stereotypes and reflect the active, complex roles women play in revolutionary movements.

Midko's editorial contributions included underground publications like Awami Jung, People’s March, Jhankar, Mahila Margam, Sangharshkar Mahila, Pituri, Midangur, Bhumkal Sandesh, and Prabhat. Articles under her editorial leadership voiced strong opposition to state policies and elections, criticized economic inequality, and supported tribal resistance movements.

Renuka’s death drew thousands of people to her native village, where tributes were paid by former comrades, revolutionary writers, and members of the public. Leaders of various organizations accused the state of suppressing resistance movements through violence and alleged that the killings were connected to resistance against mining operations in tribal areas. They called for an end to Operation Kagar, which they claimed had resulted in hundreds of deaths.

Renuka is survived by her family, including her parents and brothers. She had previously been married to fellow Maoist leader Santosh Reddy, who was killed in a police encounter in 1999, and later to Shakamuri. Her life and writings remain emblematic of a particular strand of revolutionary politics in India.

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*Freelance journalist

Comments

Anonymous said…

This very informative about Renuka

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