HYDERABAD, TRINET NEWS, SEPTEMBER 12: The wall poster and invitation for the grand 50-hour 'Praja Kala Jathara' (People's Art Festival)—featuring continuous songs, dances, and discourses celebrating 52 years of Arunodaya and 50 years of Vimalakka's journey—was unveiled today under the aegis of the Praja Kala Jathara Welcome Committee at the Somajiguda Press Club, Hyderabad.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Jayadhir Tirumalareddy, Prof. Katta Bhagavantha Reddy, Prof. Lakshmi, Arunodaya Vimalakka, Patolla Nagireddy, Mallesh, and Mannarapu Nagaraju announced that the 50-hour festival will be held from September 26 to 28, 2026, at the RTC Kalyan Mandapam (Arunodaya Naganna Pranganam) in Bagh Lingampally, Hyderabad. Just as today's struggles at Delhi's Jantar Mantar have transformed into a 'Janata Mantar' inspiring students and youth nationwide, the turbulent decade of the 1960s and 70s—marked by the Naxalbari, Srikakulam, and Godavari valley revolutionary movements—inspired the formation of Arunodaya, the speakers noted. While revolutionary movements naturally give rise to revolutionary poets and artists, very few remain steadfast in such people's cultural movements until the very end. Vimalakka is one such rare individual.
Speakers recalled that she inherited her fighting legacy from her father, the martyr and Telangana armed struggle veteran Comrade Bandru Narsimhulu, and imbibed the hard work and affectionate love of her mother, Bandru Narsamma, who lived past eighty. The companionship of revolutionary activist and poet Comrade Mitra further strengthened her revolutionary cultural life, while the sacrifices of hundreds of martyrs spurred her onward without stopping. Planting songs in neighboring fields and Bathukamma songs and dances outside her home deeply influenced her from childhood. Whether storytelling with the sound of the oggu and damru, peerlu songs and dances, the awakening calls of Balsanthu bells, chindu bagotham, the communist story of Chinthalapudi Ramireddy recited on the Sharada veena, the heroic ballad of Bahujan leader Sardar Sarvai Papanna, or the courageous saga of Pundla Sayanna played on the kinnera—all these deeply influenced not just Vimalakka, but countless poets and singers of Telangana.
Telangana's folk arts and folk traditions are inextricably intertwined with the revolutionary spirit of its society. That is why Vimalakka, much like Gaddar, was able to elevate revolutionary songs to a performative level. Burrakatha, Oggu Katha, Bhoomi Bagotham, Bathukamma, Koya and Gond dances, and especially the signature dance of dappu artists, have all been part of her performances—serving as the inspiration for today's Praja Kala Jathara.
"Let us sing all the songs Vimalakka has sung over the past 50 years and join our voices with hers, thereby fusing ourselves with people's movements. Let us match our footsteps to the dances she performed, standing firm as cultural leaders of people's movements. Let us engage with the folk wealth and countless art forms that have electrified not just Vimalakka, but the entire Telugu society and India. Let us revive those on the verge of extinction and cherish those facing neglect. Therefore, let us sing together Vimalakka's 50 years of revolutionary songs, caste-rights songs, social movement songs, environmental songs, martyr memorial songs, women's liberation songs, Adivasi self-rule songs, and choral songs. Let us resonate with the songs she sang protesting the twin attacks of corporatization and Manuvadi ideologies, and unite with ongoing contemporary movements. Let us perform all dance forms and art pieces presented from a people's perspective. At the same time, let us restage Burrakatha, Oggu Katha, ballets, and dance dramas that she performed. We appeal to everyone to make full use of the 50-hour duration to showcase all art forms in Telangana, the cradle of arts on Telugu soil. We warmly invite everyone to participate in the 'Praja Kala Jathara'. Since the entire event will be recorded and shared with the public, we request participants to pre-register their songs and art performances with the organizers for proper coordination."
This is not merely a 50-song program, but a confluence of analyses and experiences from 50 speakers. It is a people's art festival where not only Vimalakka's performances will be showcased, but also diverse folk arts and traditional art forms from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and all corners of the country. "We warmly invite all organizations, forces, and individuals who wish to be part of building an alternative people's culture against the attacks of Manuvadi superstition and unbridled imperialist exploitation. We desire the unity of revolutionary and democratic cultural forces."
Arunodaya Vimalakka is not just an individual, but a collective force. Long before the Arunodaya Cultural Federation was born on May 12, 1974, at the Osmania Engineering College, she was already singing on public platforms as a young child singer, holding her father's finger. Following the birth of Arunodaya, she participated in campaigns alongside the Arunodaya propaganda team that visited Aleeru. When she went to visit her father, Comrade Bandru Narsimhulu, who was jailed during the Emergency, leaders like Kashipathi, HRK, and Varavara Rao had her sing songs in prison. By 1976, by the time she learned and sang a song written by Guda Anjantha in memory of Comrade Jampala through Ramsattya, Vimalakka was already 12 years old.
While teachers like Kanuri Venkateswara Rao and Ramsattanna, and camaraderie with people's cultural fighters like Ramarao, Naganna, Rajendra Prasad, Ambika, Prof. Vinay Babu, Veeranna, Karuna, Ganga, Usha, Devi, Chaitanya, Jaya, Balnarsaiah, Chandramouli, and Rayikrishna were one side of her journey, Vimalakka's ultimate strength lay in choral singing. As a student, she joined PDSU and was elected as the cultural secretary of the Bhongir Degree College. She led numerous women's movements as the Nalgonda district president and state treasurer of POW (Stree Vimukti). Yet, Vimalakka's primary address remained Arunodaya. Her main endeavor has been the singing of the people's cultural movement. In this effort, the strength of the organization and her troupe manifests as collective power through Vimalakka, reinforced by instruments like the kanjira, dappu, dolu, gajjelu, and occasionally the flute.
Along with her troupe, she traveled to major metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Lucknow, Ranchi, as well as active movement areas like Goa, Kalinganagar (Odisha), Jajha (Bihar), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Thrissur (Kerala), and Jalandhar (Punjab). She addressed numerous Zoom meetings with Telugu associations in countries like the USA and Malaysia. She performed with her troupe at international conferences in Tirupati (1995), Hyderabad (1995), Mumbai (2004), and Hyderabad (2014). Carrying the Bahujan Bathukamma on her head, she toured Telangana for 15 years and traveled to Qatar to spread the message of the Bathukamma movement.
Her journey includes dozens of foot marches, arrests, cases, and imprisonments, alongside felicitations and awards earned from public appreciation. Numerous books have been written condemning the suppression she faced. Articles, interviews, and podcasts featuring Vimalakka's insights and needs for people's movements are countless. There are essays and commentaries elaborating on her artistic performances and personality. Above all, her songs, dances, speeches, and militant struggles during the Telangana statehood movement will remain etched in history. An effort is underway to bring all these together. Through this endeavor, Vimalakka has dedicated her life to the people, proving what a meaningful life is. We hope Vimalakka's journey serves as an inspiration to mold such dedicated activists and people's artists.
We humbly request organizations, forces, and individuals to voluntarily become part of the organizing committee for this 50-hour People's Art Festival. On this occasion, we are releasing a book titled "Arunodaya Vimalakka Praja Sanskrutika Udyama Prasthanam - Viplava Sanskrutika Udyama Dasa-Disa" (The Journey of Arunodaya Vimalakka's People's Cultural Movement - The Direction and Course of the Revolutionary Cultural Movement). Hundreds of poets, artists, academicians, legal experts, human rights activists, public health doctors, caste abolitionists, journalists, representatives of people's organizations, and democratic-progressive forces are partners in this welcome committee. We appeal for financial and moral support to make this event a success.
Among those who participated in the event were Arunodaya Cultural Federation State General Secretary Potula Ramesh, Assistant Secretary Rakesh, former Editor of Upadhyaya Darsini Prakash Rao, LHPS Pandu Naik, AIFTU leader Yakayya, Rythu Coolie Sangam State Treasurer Venkateswara Rao, PDSU (Vijrimbhana) State General Secretary Alluri Vijay, AIFTU General Secretary Anjaiah, Oggu Ravi, Venkatesh, Rajesh, Sowmya, Srilatha, Mounika, and others.
- Praja Kala Jathara Welcome Committee.
