On Gaddar - Part III - Conclusion ( sigh!)

Rao Veluri (rveluri@smtpgate.anl.gov)
Thu, 06 Mar 97 20:06:08 CST 

     On Gaddar - Part III Conclusion (sigh!)
     
     Tarkaman gETu kaaDa tatamgamu telsaa
     gETu cuTTu gareebOLLa guDselunnayannaa
     caaTa ceepuru lEni ceepurlla vaaDalu
     kooDu guDDaa lEni kaarmikula paakalu
     idi coosi sanjayki ishi ishi anipince naTa -
     dhilli laanTi nagaramlO alli billi guDselEla
     buldojar deesukocci bhhomaTTam cEsinDoo
     guDiselu peekeyyoddani tiragabaDDa pEdOLLanu
     piTTalanu kaalcinaTTu paTTapagale kaalci pElci
     Taank kinda paDadOsi taar rODDu vEsinDu
     
     Well! This happened during the 'emergency' in the name of 'gareebee 
     haTaavO' in our great politico-cultural center, the one and only           
     hastinaapoor, which the British referred to as Delhi! 
     
     indiraa kaangirEsu hitam cEstaranTa
     janataa naayakulu jayamjEstaranTa
     beejEpee paarTODu baagu cEstaDanTa
     donga kammyunisthoLLu anDagunTaranTa
     
     Not much to comment on this line! It is self evident.
     
     bhoomanta bhoosvaamula valala undirannaa
     aa valanu cemcedaaka kulam bOdurannaa
     ganilO boggunu tavve gani manishivi neevu
     sammeTa baTTeTODa samme cEya raara
     kammani batuku koraku kattinoorukOraa
     nee sematinakani sEnundaa nuv ceyyani ceejundaa
     Srmajeevu vimuktikai piDikiletti baasa cey
     
     Gaddar asserts that his life story is in these lines. His father is a 
     'uppari' mEstri. He has not only built sewer lines, but also big 
     buildings. But, he was always standing out at the compound wall gate,
     once the owners had performed the ritual of 'gRiha pravEsam,' on some 
     auspicious day! 
     
     When his people wanted to have the pulses (say kandi pappu) boiled
     well, they used to go to the houses where they have sweet drinking 
     water wells. These 'doras' gave them water, but immediately used to
     wash themselves off, as if they are expiating their sins! The women
     never dared to wear a decent sari and go to the upper caste bosses'
     homes. He remembers kOTEsu very well, who was lynched and burnt alive!     
     
     When he was a student, he could never dare to go to his class mates'
     houses and ask for water! He could not get a decent house for rent
     even when he started working in a Bank. No! He could never say 'arE'
     to the son of an upper caste boy of his own age! But, he was always
     addressed as 'arE,' 'orE' or as 'vaaDu.' 
     
     Gaddar reiterates that this song is his most favorite one; not because 
     he was born as an untouchable; but because, this song touches the 
     deep bottoms of his heart - it depicted his entire life; his life then,
     his life now and his people's life then and now!

     That's what he wants to change!      
     
     [I have tried to paraphrase as best as I could based on the 
      the "interview" that pertains to this song only from the   
      book entitled "taragani gani - prajala paaTala puTTu
      poorvottaraalu" by gaddar. It is published by Jana Naatya     
      Mandali in 1992. The book is in the form of questions and
      answers on a number of songs; not necessarily all by gaddar, but
      definitely propagated by his troupe! For copies of the book,
      or audio and video cassettes, one can write to:
      Gaddar, 21-6 Venkatapuram, Secunderabad - 500 015]

      Regards.
     
      Venkateswara Rao Veluri