Comrade Ramappa died due to heart related issues on 31st December 2023 at the age of 60. He was a member of the Karnataka Party State Committee. He was the Vijayanagara district secretary of the party for many years. He also served as the State Secretary of the party for few years. He had also held the position of being party-in-charge for AIARLA and AIKM.
From his student days Com. Ramappa was active in social activities fighting for the rights of the downtrodden, rural poor and Dalits in particular. Despite not being from the Dalit community, he played an active role in the Dalit Sangarsh Samithi.
Com. Ramappa along with some other comrades came in contact with the party in 1997 in Mysore district. Numerous struggles were initiated for the issues of rural and urban poor. We contested in 1998 Loksabha elections from Mysore constituency and polled polled 4716 votes. Those votes came from the poor Dalit agrarian labourers and poor peasants. He introduced Red Shawls as a symbol of the struggles for the rural and urban poor. It became a popular symbol over a period of time.
After few years Com. Ramappa moved to Harappanahalli and began our party work there too. Our work developed in several villages of Davanagere and Bellary districts which are now part of Vijayanagara district. He had led hundreds of struggles on people’s issues. Com. Ramappa met Com Bhardwaj in Bellary jail during this time, which resulted in the expansion of party work in Koppal district. Com. Ramappa was the party’s candidate in 2004 Loksabha election from Bellary constituency and he polled 12413 votes. In 2009 elections, the Party fielded Com. Chowdappa for Bellary constituency, during which campaign Com. Ramappa played a crucial role resulting in Com Chowdappa polling 11540 votes.
Com Ramappa played a crucial role in putting Karnataka on the party’s map. He was instrumental in a breakthrough of Karnataka party work that was emerging from underground into open work. In the Vijayanagara district, Com. Ramappa acquired an image of a fighter for people’s rights. On 29th December, 2023, just two days before his death, he had participated actively in a struggle to liberate the public lands grabbed by local vested interests. Com. Ramappa would continue to inspire other comrades on the spirit of fighting for working class and rural poor till the end of one’s life.
Red salute Comrade Ramappa.
