MyVoice: Views of our readers 8th August 2023

The great balladeer who moved masses

The word ‘Gaddar’ became a byword for revolutionary zest and zeal. A uniquely gifted balladeer and folk singer, Gaddar mesmerised millions with his spellbinding performances. The Varavara Rao-Gaddar pair subscribed to Maoism and rebelled against the system. Their association with the People’s War Group revealed their political convictions. Gaddar sang people’s songs, putting all his energies into them before large crowds of people and he came to be popularly known as ‘Praja Gayakudu’ or people’s singer. The audience joined him in the singing and danced rhythmically, swaying their arms, hips and legs to his soulful and evocative music. He was easily and instantly recognizable. He was attired in his trademark dhoti and a red shawl, he sported a winning smile. We felt he was one among us and drew a certain strength from his looks, voice and tireless campaigns for the emergence of just and egalitarian political and social order. We wanted to be like him, little Gaddars; we wanted to emulate him.

G David Milton, Maruthancode, TN

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Gummadi Vittal Rao popularly known as Gaddar, who was the voice of downtrodden and peasant community with electrifying songs penned by him in Telangana dialect, ended 74 years of his life’s journey within a few days after undergoing heart surgery. He was lucky enough to survive a bullet injury. He came out to mainstream stream from his naxalite background having links with Marxist-Leninist movement, upon advice of the then Chief Minister Marri Chenna Reddy. He founded Gaddar Praja Party recently but death took his physical frame away before it took off. He acted in two movies in which in ‘Maa Bhoomi’ he portrayed the plight of landless peasants. What else the readers can write more on this splendid balladeer when half-page elaborate sketch was drawn on the canvas of Hans on August 7, except paying heartful homage?

N Ramalakshmi, Secunderabad

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Gummadi Vital Rao known as Gaddar and balladeer singer was known for impromptu lyricist on prevailing situations. He strove for social justice. His trademark attire consisted of a vest and a dhoti with a long stick. He worked in the extreme left wing for the benefit of the poor and downtrodden. He inspired the people in separate Telangana movement with his songs. He was one of the rarest of the rare personalities respected by both the left and the right wing political parties as well. Really his death is a great loss to both TS and AP. It is highly impossible to imagine people’s movements in his absence.

Pratapa Reddy Y, Tiruvuru, NTR Dt

PM’s political rhetoric a waste of time

Speaking of negative politics, it has become a common practice for all opposition parties to play negative politics. And the very same political parties while in power accuse the rivals of playing negative politics. It is not a surprise that Modi is accusing the opposition of playing negative politics. While in opposition, the BJP too did the same thing by opposing the ruling UPA on all aspects including GST. It is easy to hurl abuses, allegations, insinuations against the rivals in politics, but actual deliverance is what matters to the common man whose lot even after 75 years of Independence is yet to improve because India still remains a developing country! It is this aspect that the ruling outfits should concentrate on and work for instead of indulging in political rhetoric which is a waste of time. If you deliver you are returned to power, otherwise it would be curtains.

Govardhana Myneedu, Vijayawada

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In retrospect, it is abundantly clear for any discerning citizen that the courts in Gujarat had shown undue haste in meting out disproportionate punishment to the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Thankfully, the Apex Court entered the arena and undid the damage in time. This is, however, in no way to justify the sensational remarks by our political leaders, the type of which, of late, are unfortunately on the rise. Speeches of political leaders are expected to be sagacious, above parochial considerations and, above all, free from personal character assassination.

Seshagiri Row Karry, Hyderabad

Time to make GDP gender-sensitive

In a recent report published by Oxfam, it is found that nearly two-third of women’s working hours is unpaid and grossly overlooked by official yardstick of economic activity, better known as GDP. Not including the daily chores of a woman, baby care, cooking, cleaning etc., means they are unnoticed by formal economy. In this grim scenario, we need to move beyond traditional, narrow GDP, the key measure of the growth of a given national economy. In the present context, GDP seems to consider only those activities which can be monetised. Market value is given priority over the social and family values. Thus, women are confined to the four walls of private world having no economic value. Governments across the globe have to reshape GDP to make it gender sensitive to maintain equilibrium in society.

Arka Goswami, Durgapur, WB