Gaddar, balladeer of resistance, dies

HYDERABAD/AMARAVATI: Renowned Telangana folk singer and balladeer Gaddar, who was popularly known for his revolutionary songs during the 1980s and later during the Telangana statehood agitation, passed away here on Sunday due to ill-health. He was 77.

He was suffering from severe heart disease and got admitted to a hospital on July 20 and underwent a bypass surgery on August 3. Though he recovered from it, Gaddar developed lung and urinary problems and advanced age, the hospital said in a statement.

Born in a Dalit family at Toopran in Medak district in 1949, Gaddar’s original name was Gummadi Vittal Rao but he became popular with his stage name Gaddar.

He was a revolutionary singer and a Naxal sympathiser right from his days at the Osmania University Engineering College. He actively participated in the Telangana agitation in 1969-70s and lent his voice to many songs in support of the movement. He became popular as a ‘people’s singer’ with his revolutionary songs, highlighting people’s problems. He also acted in Telugu films ‘Maa Bhoomi’ and ‘Rangula Kala’. In ‘Maa Bhoomi’, he sang ‘Bandenka Bandi Katti’, which became a popular song.

He went underground in the 1980s and founded Jana Natya Mandali, a travelling theatre group. Known for his soulful, melodious folk songs with simple lyrics, Gaddar attracted people, especially the youth, towards Maoist ideology.

The group later became the cultural wing of the CPI(ML) People’s War, which merged with the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) in 2004 to form CPI(Maoist).

He was one of the emissaries for the People’s War in its first direct talks between then Andhra Pradesh government in 2004.