Gaddar (1949–2023)
The People's Bard, Communist Revolutionary, and the Voice of Telangana's Soul
Gummadi Vittal Rao, known to millions as Gaddar, was more than a balladeer. He was a phenomenon—a poet, singer, actor, and armed revolutionary who used folk art as a weapon against caste oppression, landlord tyranny, and state injustice. For over five decades, his fiery songs, sung in the raw Telangana dialect, echoed in villages, protests, and even legislative assemblies. He was the conscience of the Telangana movement, a cultural icon who transformed the very idea of protest through the power of the human voice and the tambura. This article traces the extraordinary journey of Gaddar, from a railway workshop employee to the most beloved and feared revolutionary artist of modern India.
Gummadi Vittal Rao was born on 13 May 1949 in Toopran, Medak district, in a humble agricultural family. His father was a railway employee, and the family eventually settled in the railway colony in Jangaon. He completed his schooling in Jangaon and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (B.E.) from Osmania University, Hyderabad. While in college, he was drawn towards leftist ideologies and student politics, becoming a member of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
After graduation, he worked briefly as a junior engineer in the South Central Railway. However, the rampant corruption, caste discrimination, and exploitation he witnessed among railway workers radicalized him. In the 1970s, he quit his job and went underground to join the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) – People's War, better known as the Naxalite movement. It was during this period that he adopted the nom de guerre "Gaddar" – meaning "rebellion" or "upheaval" – which would become his permanent identity.
The Urdu word Gaddar (गद्दार / گدار) literally means "traitor" or "rebel". But in Gaddar's context, he inverted the meaning: he was a rebel against the oppressive system, not a traitor to the people. The name became a badge of honor, symbolizing uncompromising struggle.
In the late 1970s, Gaddar recognized the immense power of folk art as a tool for mass mobilization. Along with fellow revolutionaries, he helped revive and lead the Praja Natya Mandali (PNM) – the People’s Theatre Association. The PNM, inspired by the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA), used ballads, street plays, and folk songs to spread revolutionary messages among peasants, agricultural labourers, and tribal communities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Gaddar’s style was unique. He composed songs in the colloquial Telangana dialect, set to simple, memorable tunes that anyone could sing. He performed in villages, often illegally, evading police. His songs did not merely criticise; they named oppressors – landlords (doralu), policemen, and politicians – and called for armed struggle. Songs like "Bandenaka Bandenaka" and "Maa Gudadiki" became anthems of resistance.
Gaddar performed with a tambura (a drone lute) in one hand and a red flag in the other. His voice – powerful, rasping, and full of rage – could captivate a crowd of thousands. He often used call-and-response techniques, turning audiences into active participants in the revolt.
Gaddar’s lyrics were poetry in the rawest sense – direct, passionate, and uncompromising. Some of his most enduring songs include:
- "Podustunna Poddu Meedha" (On the Rising Sun): A haunting song about the plight of landless labourers, which became the unofficial anthem of the Telangana movement.
- "Bandenaka Bandenaka" – A rallying cry for peasant unity.
- "Ooru Moota Bhumi Moota" – About the alienation of land and dignity.
- "Maa Bhoomi" title song – Co-written and sung for the 1980 film Maa Bhoomi (Our Land), directed by B. Narsing Rao. The film, based on the Telangana armed struggle (1946–1951), featured Gaddar’s music and voice, bringing his revolutionary art to a national audience. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu.
Gaddar not only sang for the film but also acted in a minor role. The soundtrack, composed by him, blended folk tunes with revolutionary fervor. The film was banned in Andhra Pradesh for a period due to its political content, but it remains a cult classic and a testament to Gaddar’s artistic reach.
Gaddar spent several years as an underground revolutionary. He was arrested multiple times, charged with sedition, and imprisoned. In 1997, while in jail, he was severely beaten, leading to a hunger strike that drew international attention. He survived, but his health was permanently affected.
After decades of armed struggle, Gaddar chose to join mainstream electoral politics. In 2009, he floated his own political party, the Praja Samsaktha Party (PSP). However, he later merged it with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), now Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), to support the demand for a separate Telangana state.
In the 2014 Telangana Assembly elections – the first after statehood – Gaddar was elected as an MLA from the Malkajgiri constituency on a TRS ticket. Although he served only one term, his presence in the assembly was symbolic: the voice of the revolutionary now spoke in the legislative chamber.
Gaddar was known for singing his questions and speeches, much to the bewilderment and admiration of fellow legislators. He continued to prioritize agrarian issues, irrigation projects, and the rights of the poor. He did not seek re-election in 2018, choosing to return to his first love – performing for the people.
Gaddar’s most profound impact was on the Telangana statehood movement. From the late 1990s onwards, his songs became the emotional backbone of the movement. He crisscrossed the region, singing at protest rallies, dharnas, and cultural meetings, galvanizing public support for a separate state. Even as other leaders negotiated, Gaddar’s voice kept the flame of agitation alive.
His song "Podustunna Poddu Meedha Telangana Siru Muthyala" (On the rising sun, the pearls of Telangana) became the de facto anthem. He famously declared, "Telangana kosam pranam istham, kaani rajyam kaadu" (We will give our lives for Telangana, not just the state). Though not a political strategist, his cultural leadership was indispensable. After Telangana was formed in 2014, he continued to critique the new government when he felt it was failing the poor.
“We haven’t won our rights; we’ve only won a state. The struggle for land, water, and dignity continues.” – Gaddar, post-2014.
In his later years, Gaddar suffered from multiple health issues, including kidney ailments and heart disease. He had a kidney transplant in 2015, but his health remained fragile. Despite this, he continued to perform whenever he could, often seated on a chair, his voice still commanding.
On 6 August 2023, Gaddar passed away at a hospital in Hyderabad due to cardiac and respiratory complications. He was 74. His death triggered an unprecedented outpouring of grief across Telangana. Political leaders from all parties paid tribute, but it was the common people – the labourers, farmers, and students – who thronged the streets, singing his songs and weeping. He was given a state funeral with full honours, a rare recognition for a former revolutionary.
“My songs will live on. Don’t cry for me. Sing, fight, and win.” – Gaddar’s message to his followers before his death.
Gaddar leaves behind a multifaceted legacy:
- Cultural Politics: He proved that folk art is not mere entertainment but a potent force for social change. He inspired a generation of balladeers, including members of the Gaddar-led Praja Samsaktha Kala Samakhya.
- Telangana Identity: More than any politician, Gaddar shaped the cultural self-awareness of Telangana. His songs are sung in schools, political gatherings, and even cricket stadiums.
- Bridge Between Armed Struggle and Democracy: He walked the difficult path from the underground to the assembly, embodying the idea that revolutionaries can also work within the system without compromising their principles.
- Critique of Caste and Class: Unlike many mainstream artists, Gaddar never flinched from naming caste oppression. His songs explicitly attacked upper-caste landlordism and called for a classless society.
- Institutional Remembrance: The Government of Telangannas has proposed the Gaddar Smriti Kala Mandir (memorial cultural centre) in Hyderabad. His works are included in university syllabi, and awards have been instituted in his name for folk artists.
“I never wrote a single song expecting money or fame. My songs were written to be sung by a hungry labourer, by a woman who has been beaten, by a student who dreams of a just world. That is my treasure.”
📚 References & Further Reading
- Wikipedia: Gaddar (activist)
- Film Companion / Scroll articles on Gaddar’s legacy (2023).
- The Hindu: “Gaddar, revolutionary balladeer, passes away” (August 2023).
- Outlook India: “The Ballad of Gaddar: Voice of Telangana’s rebellion.”
- IMDb: Maa Bhoomi (1980)
- BBC Telugu: “గద్దర్: తన పాటలతో ప్రజల్ని కదిలించిన విప్లవ గాయకుడు” (6 August 2023).
- Telangana Today / Eenadu obituaries (August 2023).
- Gaddar’s own song albums: Ooru Moota Bhumi Moota, Bandenaka, etc.
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