Activist, Revolutionary Singer Gaddar Passes Away

Gaddar and his music were a crucial part of the Maoist movement in Telangana as well as the separate statehood agitation since the late 1960s.

New Delhi: Renowned singer, activist and writer Gaddar – born Gummadi Vittal Rao – passed away in Hyderabad on Sunday. He was 74.

Apollo Spectra Hospital, Ameerpet, said in a statement that he passed away at 3 pm “due to lung and urinary problems and advanced age”. “He was suffering from severe heart disease and got admitted on July 20, 2023. He underwent a bypass surgery on August 3, 2023 and recovered from it. However, he is a past patient of lung and urinary problems, which along with advanced age aggravated and led to his passing away,” the hospital continued.

According to The News Minute, Gaddar and his music were a crucial part of the Maoist movement in Telangana as well as the separate statehood agitation since the late 1960s. His songs highlighted state exploitation and marginalisation of oppressed communities, including several songs on extrajudicial killings and police torture. He also played an important role during the demand for statehood for Telangana.

There was an attempt on his life by unknown gunmen at his home in Venkatapuram in Secunderabad on April 6, 1997. He survived, with the doctors removing four bullets from him. One bullet could not be removed.

Gaddar was the founder of Jana Natya Mandali, a cultural wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist). “He assumed the name of Gaddar by taking inspiration from Gadar Party, which fought against the British in India’s quest for Independence,” The South First reported. He also wrote a number of street plays and organised rallies.

In 2017, Gaddar cut ties with the Maoists. He voted in elections for the first time in his life in 2018. According to The News Minute, “In 2022, Gaddar announced that he would contest the Munugode by-poll from KA Paul’s Praja Shanti Party. The move came as a surprise especially considering the poet’s connections with the Congress party, and many were convinced that he would join them. Gaddar’s son GV Surya Kiran had in fact, joined the Congress in 2018, the same year Gaddar voted for the first time.”

Gaddar has criticised the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao for not giving Dalits their due and instead bringing a “new feudalism” to the state.

Several political leaders shared their condolences on social media.

“His love for the people of Telangana drove him to fight tirelessly for the marginalised. May his legacy continue to inspire us all,” said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too shared a picture of Gaddar from the Bharat Jodo Yatra.