Hyderabad: Within six months of the balladeer’s demise, the Congress government in Telangana has moved to erect a statue of Gummadi Vittal Rao, popularly known as Gaddar, on Hyderabad outskirts, and announced the reinstitution of the Telugu films-theatre awards in his name.
On Wednesday, CM Revanth Reddy attended the first “Gaddar Jayanthi” event organised by his administration in Hyderabad, and described the celebrated poet-singer as “a Telangana legend, brand ambassador.”
Political analysts see Revanth’s initiatives as a bid to consolidate the Dalit, Left leaning votes for the Lok Sabha polls, while impressing upon the public how the Congress is embracing the Ambedkarite who was allegedly disregarded by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Known for his revolutionary ballads that stirred uprisings in the eighties and nineties, Gaddar (74) died of ill health, while undergoing treatment in a hospital, in August last year.
In the Telangana polls in November, the Congress party had fielded Gaddar’s daughter Vennela in Secunderabad cantonment. Vennela, an educationist, came third while the BRS won the seat.
ఆయనతో గడిపిన క్షణాలు…
నాలో పోరాటాన్ని రగిల్చిన నిప్పు కణాలు.
ఆయనతో సంభాషించిన మాటలు…
నేనొక ప్రజా గొంతుకై పేలిన తూటాలు.
ఆయన గుర్తుగా మిగిలిన జ్ఞాపకాలు….
పేదల పక్షాన నేనెగరేసే బావుటాలు.గద్దరన్నా…
నీ స్ఫూర్తి…
జనం కోసం నువ్వు పడిన ఆర్తి…
నన్ను నిత్యం వెన్నంటి… pic.twitter.com/gmQjpRKIXz
— Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) January 31, 2024
At the Wednesday event, the CM commended Gaddar, describing him as one of the leaders, inspirations in the Telangana statehood movement and as the one who relaunched fight for the public “as their aspirations remained unfulfilled under the previous (KCR) regime.”
“Gaddar’s strong aspiration for a people’s government served as an inspiration, which resulted in the Congress government removing the iron fences that barricaded the public from the Pragathi Bhavan (KCR’s camp-office) and name it as Mahatma Phule Praja Bhavan,” Revanth told the audience.
When Gaddar died, retired bureaucrat-turned-rights activist Akunuri Murali tweeted his picture purportedly waiting outside the Pragathi Bhavan. “Gaddar anna tried to meet KCR two times. This picture is from 28 February 2023, Gaddar waiting for three hours seeking an audience with KCR. Having refused to meet him when alive, KCR has now instructed final rites with state honors and visited his home in hunt of votes,” he posted in August.
Political analyst Bhandaru Srinivasa Rao opines that Revanth’s fresh efforts now, in addition to the assembly ticket to Gaddar’s daughter, are apparently for the Congress to claim the Ambedkarite and Telangana pioneer’s legacy.
“Within three months of becoming CM, Revanth is facing a very big test — Lok Sabha polls. While the party is yet to deliver on its six guarantees, Revanth, by eulogising Gaddar is evidently wooing those Dalits who voted for the BRS earlier for schemes such as Dalit Bandhu,” Rao tells ThePrint.
Telangana has 17 Lok Sabha seats, and Revanth has aimed to win all the segments in order to help his party at the Centre. Currently, the BRS has 9 MPs, the BJP 4, the Congress 3, and the AIMIM 1.
Revanth further announced that his government will institute ‘Gaddar Awards’ in place of the Nandi Awards, an equivalent of National Film Awards, presented annually in the times of united Andhra Pradesh. The awards, founded to recognise excellence in Telugu cinema, theatre, and television, were discontinued during the BRS rule.
Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, the lone CPI MLA in Telangana, where the party is in alliance with Congress, also attended the event.
Anti-Terrorism Forum censures ‘glorification’
Meanwhile, Hyderabad-based Anti-Terrorism Forum (ATF) is faulting the Congress government for commemorating the birth anniversary of Gaddar as an official event and allotment of a land parcel at Tellapur, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, for erecting his statue.
ATF termed Gaddar “a figure who has been associated with Maoist ideology, which is responsible for the deaths of numerous police personnel and innocent civilians, and fundamentally opposed to the principles of democracy.”
“Glorification of such an individual and thus ideologies by an elected government not only undermines the democratic fabric of our nation but also serves to demoralise our armed forces who risk their lives to protect our country from internal and external threats,” ATF convenor Ravinuthala Shashidhar said in a statement.
“These actions, unfortunately, signal a troubling endorsement of anti-democratic values and directly contravene the laws of the land which expressly ban Maoism and Naxalism due to their violent methods and objectives.” .
ATF is seeking Telangana Governor’s intervention to revoke the land allotment for Gaddar statue, as well as to cease the official celebration of ‘Gaddar Jayanthi.’
“Such initiatives are not only disrespectful to the victims of Maoist violence but also to the very principles of democracy and the rule of law. ATF is also writing to the Chief Justice of Telangana High Court, urging to examine the matter and take appropriate action to rectify this undemocratic act perpetrated by the government,” says the statement.
Ravinuthala, who is also the VHP state joint secretary, says the issue warrants the Centre’s attention, “given that the celebration of figures associated with banned ideologies poses a significant challenge to national security and unity.”
The ATF had registered its protest when Gaddar’s final rites were held with state honours in August, during the BRS government.
‘Gaddar later embraced democracy”
Born Gummadi Vittal Rao in 1949, in a Dalit family at Toopran in west central Telangana, Gaddar was aligned with the radical Naxalite/Maoist movements that overwhelmed united Andhra Pradesh till mid-2000s. He was the face of the Jana Natya Mandali, cultural front of the extremist movement.
Inspired by Naxalbari politics, Gaddar discontinued an engineering course at Osmania University. He worked with Canara Bank for a brief time but rejoined the ultra-left campaign. His poignant lyrics extolling the class struggle, shirtless rendition on stage, and rustic dance steps electrified the masses and was a major force attracting many youths to take to armed resistance or become sympathetic to it.
In 1997, the Telugu bard survived an assassination attempt, when Chandrababu Naidu was the CM. For the rest of his life, he carried a bullet in his spine. Later, Gaddar gradually moved away from the revolutionary path to accept the ballot.
In 2017, Gaddar announced that he was registered to vote. While turning to democracy, he went further and started visiting temples.
“His was a pivotal role in strengthening the people’s movement earlier and the statehood struggle later. Whichever path he took, all his life, my father strived for the people – downtrodden, marginalised from among all the communities,” Vennela told ThePrint.
“Gaddar’s course followed the common man’s aspirations, socio-economic, political situations of the time. There are people from all ideologies in our society. Some might still dwell into the past and could be opposing the honour he is receiving now,” Vennela, who runs a school under Ambedkar Vidya Niketan Trust, says.
“But we thank the government wholeheartedly. This commemoration, I believe, is not just for Gaddar but for hundreds like him — artists, writers, workers — whose endeavours were for a better society.”
Vennela confirmed that Gaddar, during the BRS regime, was not granted an audience with the then chief minister KCR. “He had formed Gaddar Praja Party in June and wanted to contest in Gajwel against KCR. ‘(I might lack support), but I’ll go vote for myself to mark my protest in democracy,’ he stated,” said Vennela. “Save Constitution, Save Democracy and Save India, were his final slogans.”
ThePrint reached the CMO officials for response on ATF’s objections, through calls, WhatsApp messages and is awaiting reply.
(Edited by Tony Rai)