Gummadi Vittal Rao was a prominent poet, activist, and former Naxalite who fought for the rights of the oppressed and for the Telangana movement.
Published Aug 07, 2023 | 9:39 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 09, 2023 | 5:29 PM
Thousands thronged the streets of Hyderabad to bid adieu to and get a glimpse of their beloved icon and revolutionary balladeer Gummadi Vittal Rao, fondly known as Gaddar, on Monday, 7 August.
Cutting across the political spectrum, several politicos attended the farewell journey and last rights of the rights activist, including Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chairperson Thol Thirumavalavan, and Telangana BSP president RS Praveen Kumar.
Former Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, and Lok Sabha member of Congress Komatireddy Venkat Reddy also paid their tributes.
Beginning from LB Stadium, the procession passed through the Gunpark and the Tank Bund stretch, beside the newly-inaugurated Telangana Martyr’s Memorial before reaching Alwal.
The final rites of Gaddar, who belonged to the Mala community, took place at the family-run Maha Bodhi Vidyalaya in Alwal’s Bhoodevi Nagar. He was laid to rest around 8 pm.
Funeral procession of #Telangana balladeer #Gaddar, who fought for emancipation of Dalits, went through #Hyderabad today ahead of his ongoing last rites.@TheSouthfirst pic.twitter.com/QLsLwxMGyt
— Ajay Tomar (@ajaytomarasks) August 7, 2023
Gaddar’s last rites were performed as per Buddhist customs, in the presence of his family members and a thousand others.
Religious leaders played “Buddham Namami”, “Dhammam Namami”, “Sangam Namami”, and “Bhimam Namami”.
Slogans such as “Lal Salaam”, “Gaddar Amar Rahe”, and “Johar Gaddar” were raised. The police personnel fired in the air according to the protocol of the State Honours.
Toopran, the birthplace of Gaddar in the erstwhile Medak district, observed bandh as a tribute to their beloved hero.
Gaddar (77) passed away on 6 August. According to the private hospital which was treating him, the causes of his death were lung and urinary infections, and advanced age.
He had also undergone a bypass surgery on 3 August, following a cardiac arrest he suffered on 20 July, said the hospital authorities in a statement.
During Gaddar’s funeral procession, which started around left LB Stadium in Mallepally around 1 pm, several of his ballads were consistently played on loudspeakers.
The nearly-six-hour procession covered a distance of around 15 km. As a tribute, several artists and folk dancers also performed throughout the processions. People could also be seen joining them.
Gaddar’s followers and supporters, who followed the procession, raised several slogans such as, “Jai bolo, jai bolo, Gaddar anna ki jai bolo, humara veeranna ki jai bolo,” “Jai Bhim and Lal Salaam.”
They also flashed the posters of Gaddar, a veteran of the Telangana movement and recited his ballads throughout his final journey.
“He left his job as a bank employee and was always at the front of Dalit movements and the Telangana movement. His way of putting his voice was through his songs and other cultural activities. It is a very sad day as there are hardly any people now who truly fight for the cause of the downtrodden and motivated everyone through his art,” T Naveen Raju, MRPS state youth president, told South First.
For Raju, Gaddar was among the top 50 of the world’s revolutionaries, which includes the likes of Argentine icon Che Guevara.
Around 2 pm, the procession reached the Ambedkar Statue on Tank Bund road with a few hundred people, accompanied by police deployment to ensure no disruption.
For many, Gaddar was not just a name but an ideology that always spoke about the upliftment of Dalit people in society. A voice that brought Telangana on a common platform.
“I remember him meeting Praveen Kumar sir some days back. He said that Bahujan people have come this far in Telangana after struggling a lot and it’s time for them to now attain power in politics to stop discrimination against them. He also extended his support,” Khairatabad BSP President, D Ramesh told South First at the funeral procession.
He went on saying, “I remember when he used to speak, it never sounded as a speech as he used to mix it with jokes. That was his humour.”
He also said: “Another attendee Deepika (name changed) was at the procession with her daughter and friends. “We were also a part of the Telangana movement and so was he. So that intimacy during the struggle brought us here today.”
Several at the funeral procession hailed Gaddar and mentioned to South First his continuous efforts against the medicine mafia and campaigns against corruption.
“He got several opportunities to join political parties but always decided against it,” Shashikanth of the Ambedkar Yuvajana Sangam at Somajiguda told South First.
Telangana Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD) KT Rama Rao, Union minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy, BJP MLA Eatala Rajender, and TPCC president Revanth Reddy also paid their tributes.
