Home » Telangana » Telangana Government To Celebrate Sardar Sarvai Papanna Birthday On 8 August As A State Function

Telangana: Government to celebrate Sardar Sarvai Papanna birthday on 8 August as a state function

The Backward Class Welfare Ministry has sanctioned ₹10 lakh for the celebrations of the birth anniversary of the17th-century freedom fighter.

ByAjay Tomar

Published Aug 05, 2022 | 8:57 AM ⚊UpdatedAug 05, 2022 | 8:57 AM

Telangana government has recognised Sardar Sarvai Papanna birth anniversary as an official state function and has released Rs 10 lakh for the celebrations on 8 August across Telangana. In picture, is the historic fort built by the 17-th century freedom fighter Savai Papanna at Qila Shahpur village in Jangaon district. (Creative Commons)

Recognising Sardar Sarvai Papanna’s birth anniversary as an official state function, the Telangana Backward Class Welfare Ministry has sanctioned Rs 10 lakh for the celebration of the freedom fighter’s life on 8 August.

Minister of Culture, Tourism, Excise, and Archaeology V. Srinivas Goud had asked the Minister of Backward Classes Welfare Gangula Kamalkar in September 2021 to officially celebrate the birth and death anniversaries of Sarvai Papanna Goud.

According to the state government, Sarvai Papanna Goud was born on 8 August, 1650, and died on 2 April, 1710.

Who was Sarvai Papanna?

According to the Backward Class Welfare Ministry, the celebrations — which are held at the Ravindra Bharathi auditorium in Hyderabad every year — will take place across all the districts of Telangana for the first time.

The Telangana Toddy Tappers Cooperative Finance Corporation will bear the expenditure of the celebrations of Papanna’s birthday.

బహుజన వీరుడు సర్దార్‌ సర్వాయి పాపన్నగౌడ్‌ జయంతి వేడుకలను అధికారికంగా నిర్వహించాలని నిర్ణయించిన తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వం. అన్ని జిల్లాల్లో బీసీ సంక్షేమ శాఖ ఆధ్వర్యంలో ఈ నెల 8న అధికారికంగా వేడుకలు. pic.twitter.com/CJnUPnjchp

— BRS Party (@BRSparty) August 4, 2022

Papanna, who is locally known as “Papadu”, was a “bandit” for the Mughal and Qutub Shahi rulers, but a hero for the Goud, toddy tappers and Dalit communities.

While historians like Barbara Metcalf and Thomas Metcalf have described Sarvai Papanna’s actions as “Robin Hood-like”, Richard Eaton called him a “social bandit”.

A statue of Sarvai Papanna, (Creative Commons)

In June this year, Minister Srinivas Goud announced the renovation — at an estimated cost of Rs 1.26 crore — of the historic four-storey structure built by Sarvai Papanna in the 17th century at Qila Shahpur village in Jangaon district.

The stone structure, which was in dilapidated condition, collapsed during torrential rains in October last year and the ministry plans to revive its past glory and treasure its heritage for posterity.

Construction of a statue

Srinivas Goud, an MLA from Mahabubnagar district, also asked Minister Kamalar to identify a suitable place for the installation of the statue of Sarvai Papanna.

Speaking to South First, Kamalkar said, “No suitable place has been identified yet, but the statue will be somewhere around Hussain Sagar Lake at Tank Bund Road.”