Prior to his death, poet Gaddar launched the “Gaddar Preja Party,” which was intended to run for office

Gaddar, a revolutionary poet who had been planning to run for office, passed away on Sunday in Hyderabad. He had just a few months to prepare. He was 77.

Gaddar, who had long been associated with the Maoist movement, launched the “Gaddar Preja Party” (GPP) in June and said he will run in the Telangana assembly elections later this year.

Gaddar didn’t break up relations with the Maoists till 2017. According to Deccan Chronicle, he cast his first ballot in the Telangana assembly elections in 2018.

 

According to Hindustan Times, Gaddar, whose true name was Gummadi Vittal Rao, founded Jana Natya Mandali, the People’s War Group’s (PWG) cultural arm. The Communist Party of India—Marxist Leninist-People’s War (CPI—ML-PW) was the official name of the PWG. India has labeled the CPI—ML-PW as a terrorist group. In 2004, it united with the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), another organization that has been labeled as a terrorist organization.

 

Gaddar formerly belonged to the Praja Shanthi Party (PSP), which suspended him shortly after the formation of the GPP.

 

Gaddar said the new party will fight for the right to life protected by the Indian Constitution after launching it.

 

“Our party will struggle to protect this fundamental right, which the Indian Constitution guarantees, since the right to life itself is at jeopardy. The party’s flag and platform will be the people’s flag and platform.I already said that I will challenge Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. This was a personal choice of mine. I’ve started the party; let the party determine where I should run for office,” Gaddar remarked, according to the Deccan Chronicle.

 

Gaddar was revered among Maoists for a long time and was also well-known for his efforts on behalf of human rights and his involvement in the Telangana statehood struggle.

 

Gaddar’s stated involvement in electoral politics was a significant turnabout for him since, as a Maoist, he had long advocated against elections.

 

IANS said that Gaddar “strongly campaigned against electoral politics and called for a boycott of elections during his time with the Maoist party,” adding that Gaddar renounced Maoism in 2017 and declared himself to be an Ambedkarite.

 

Gaddar was referred to as a “legendary balladeer” in Rahul Pandita’s book Hello Bastar: The Untold Story Of India’s Maoist Movement.

 

In the book on Gaddar, Pandita states that “Maoist ideologues like the legendary balladeer Gaddar would travel from one village to another, talking about hunger, deprivation, marginalization, caste bias, and singing songs on’martyrs’ like Peddi Shankar.”

 

In the past, there had been rumors that Gaddar may join the Congress party, which has since issued loving tributes to him. Gaddar “will forever remain in our memories,” according to a tweet from Congress, adding the “void left by his absence is irreplaceable.”

 

Along with Varavara Rao and Kalyan Rao, Gaddar was one of the Maoists’ envoys in negotiations with the government in 2004.