HYDERABAD: The final journey of popular balladeer Gaddar was a befitting tribute to a charismatic singer who won fame with his pulsating rendition of inspirational songs. The journey began from Lal Bahadur Stadium amid drumbeats and foot-tapping by hundreds of folk singers and dancers, who came from all over the state to pay homage to their ‘Gaddaranna’.
The stadium, where the mortal remains of Gaddar were kept since Sunday night, hours after he had passed away, reverberated with slogans ‘Lal Salam Gaddaranna', and 'Gaddaranna Amar Rahe' by social activists, folk singers and dancers. All styles popularized by the singer were on show.
Wearing red and yellow saris and carrying Bonam pot on their heads, over 50 women from Jangaon came to the venue, and exhibited their stick dance (kolatam) skills. N. Anjamma, one of the team members, recalled that a few months ago, Gaddar had visited their place and blessed them for keeping alive the near-extinct kolatam, stick dance.
Tribal women from Warangal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Khammam, Mahbubnagar, and other districts came up with their traditional dances.
Meanwhile, although the state government had announced state honours for Gaddar, police personnel blocked people who came to pay tribute.
Political leaders, social activists, folk singers, dancers, and Gaddar's fans had a bitter experience after the police imposed restrictions and closed some of the gates and denied entry to many people. This led to a scuffle between police, Gaddar’s admirers and social activists.
TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy monitored the situation along with the family members of Gaddar from the dais at the stadium.
Among those who paid tribute were Union minister and state BJP chief G. Kishan Reddy, retired Supreme Court Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, actors Mohan Babu, Manchu Manoj, Naga Babu, Niharika and Ali, politicians Botsa Satyanarayana, Paritala Sriram, Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Tammineni Veerabhadram, Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, Manikrao Thakre, V. Hanumantha Rao, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, Vivek Venkataswamy. An estimated 4,000 persons turned up.
Later, just before the commencement of Gaddar’s final journey, amid a sombre atmosphere, the police offered their honours. The procession passed towards the Telangana martyrs memorial, where the people were waiting to pay tributes and proceeded towards the residence of Gaddar.
