JE News Desk: Popular Balladeer and former Maoist party ideologue Gummadi Vithal Rao, also known as Gaddar, passed away on Sunday following a brief illness at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Sunday afternoon.
Gaddar had been suffering from severe heart disease and had been admitted to Apollo Hospital for treatment. He is survived by his wife Vimala and two sons including Surya and Chandra and a daughter Vennela.
According to a bulletin from Apollo Spectra Hospitals, he was admitted on July 20 and underwent bypass surgery on August 3 and recovered from it.
Gaddar was a balladeer and used to write revolutionary songs and sing them on stage. He also played a significant role in bringing the massacre of Dalits at Karamchedu in 1987. He was born in Toopran in Kamareddy district and worked for some time in Canara Bank in 1975.
Several people including politicians condoled his death on social media. Congress party also condoled the death of the folk singer on its official handle.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Shri Gummadi Vittal Rao, also known as Gaddar. His significant contributions as an activist and balladeer towards the cause of Telangana will forever remain in our memories. The void left by his absence is irreplaceable,” the party wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condoled his demise and wrote that his dedication to the social causes and fight for Telangana’s statehood was ‘inspiring’.
“His unwavering dedication to social causes and the fight for Telangana's statehood was truly inspiring. Gaddar ji's powerful verses echoed the aspirations of millions, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts,” she wrote on X.
Gaddar also founded the Jana Natya Mandali, the cultural outfit of the Naxalites' People's War Group, which subsequently became the Communist Party of India (Maoist)