Hyderabad: Revolutionary folk singer Gaddar, whose real name was Gummadi Vittal Rao, passed away at the age of 74. He was undergoing treatment at a prominent hospital in Hyderabad after suffering a cardiac arrest and was admitted for ten days. Gaddar is survived by his wife Vimala, a son, and a daughter. Sadly, one of his sons passed away in 2003. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao condoled his demise and announced that Gaddar’s final rites would be held with State honors.
Born in a Dalit family in Toopran, Medak, in 1949, Gaddar became a member of the CPI-ML (People’s War) and later founded the Jana Natya Mandali, which served as the cultural wing of the Naxalite outfit. He was known as the people’s singer and used his songs to highlight various issues faced by the people. Additionally, he appeared in several movies, including Maa Bhoomi and Rangula Kala.
In 2004, during direct talks between the government and the People’s War, Gaddar, along with revolutionary writers Varavara Rao and Kalyan Rao, acted as an emissary for the PW. He campaigned against electoral politics, considering voting as futile, despite his support for Maoist ideologies. In 2017, he distanced himself from the Maoists and declared himself an ‘Ambedkarite,’ and in the 2018 Assembly elections, he voted for the first time in his life.
Gaddar supported the Telangana agitation and later endorsed the separate Statehood movement. In June of a particular year, he announced the launch of his political party called the Gaddar Praja Party and expressed his intention to contest forthcoming elections.
He had brief associations with evangelist KA Paul’s Praja Shanthi Party and was last seen publicly hugging Rahul Gandhi at a Congress meeting in Khammam on July 2. Recently, he was also seen with Jana Sena party founder Pavan Kalyan. In 1997, he survived a shooting incident, but a bullet remained lodged in his spinal cord.
Following the news of his demise, social media platforms were flooded with pictures and songs of Gaddar, with many reminiscing about his early days, when he was often seen in his signature attire – a dhoti, red shawl, and a wooden staff. Last year, he returned to his traditional attire.
Condolences poured in from various quarters, including the Telangana State Assembly, where Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy expressed his condolences. IT Minister KT Rama Rao and Finance Minister T Harish Rao, among others, also expressed their grief, acknowledging Gaddar’s immense impact as a poet and singer who inspired millions of people with his voice and conscious lyrics.
