Red Salutes to Jananatyamandali artist Comrade Dappu Ramesh Who breathed song and molded his drum into a weapon for Revolution!
Let us further strengthen the Revolutionary Cultural sphere In the path of fulfilling the ideals of Comrade Ramesh!
The Central Committee of the CPI(Maoist) pays humble revolutionary homage to Comrade Ramesh (Kiran) who stuck to the path of revolution with his voice and drum for the liberation of the oppressed people and served the revolutionary cultural sphere for four decades and breathed his last on 18th March 2022. It conveys its profound condolences to Comrade Jyothi who became his life partner in revolutionary practice and is serving revolution, to his family, relatives and friends, to his comrades in various revolutionary, cultural mass organisations. Comrade Ramesh had been ailing with BP and diabetes for a long time and his health deteriorated further due to NIA attacks and harassment for the past one year that led to his martyrdom at a young age of 61.
Comrade Ramesh breathed song and molded the musical instrument dappuʹ (an instrument that sounds like drum beat) into a weapon for revolution. He is a peopleʹs artist who molded the heart-beat of the people into that of Jananatyamandaliʹs dappu and attained the surname ʹdappuʹ. He wrote above 86 songs on the sacrifice of the martyrs, on the peopleʹs army, on the high-tech rule of Chandrababu and on contemporary peopleʹs issues. He made distinct effort in propagating the effort of Jananatyamandali (JNM) in social media and in documenting it in modern technical methods. More than anything, his effort in drafting the history of JNM on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary that is going to be released shortly is invaluable. He took part in the programs of revolutionary mass organisations through his songs and performances as per the occasion. He starts a song, plays the dappu and gets absorbed in it. It is because he sees a distant light. And the light is the success of New Democratic Revolution that leads to the liberation of the oppressed people. It is the establishment of Socialism-Communism.
He was moved with the exploitation and oppression on the oppressed people and joined revolution that would solve them. He came into touch with JNM and Radical Studentsʹ Union (RSU) when he was studying First year Graduation in 1980-81 in Tenali of Guntur district. He belongs to Angalakurti of the area. He took part in propagating revolutionary politics and went to the villages in the ʹgo to villageʹ campaign. When a team of JNM was formed in Tenali he became part of it. He took part in the agitation regarding studentsʹ problems in the college in the leadership of RSU. He grew politically conscious through these activities and became a full-time activist in third year. He left his studies and attended the second state level training camp of JNM.
He was part of the Guntur district team of JNM since 1983. The team performed in Guntur, Krishna, Prakasam and Nellore districts. It held training camps of JNM. It trained the students of Universities, Polytechnic, Medical, Degree and Junior colleges and in hostels. JNM member and martyr Comrade Kumari and Comrade Ramesh married in 1983. While he was returning from a performance in Khammam in 1984 police picked him and severely tortured him. They left him on the verge of death. Comrade Ramesh participated in the State and All India Conferences of various Revolutionary Mass Organisations in the guidance of the party. Oppressor caste made an attack on the oppressed Dalit caste people on 17th July 1985 in Andhra Pradesh. Then the Guntur district JNM team took up agitation and propaganda programs among the people in the area for 3 months as per the call of the party.
The team stayed and worked among the people of Palnad and the surrounding areas and also in the Rayalaseema districts.
In 1985 the NTR government imposed undeclared ban, ʹstop performances, speeches and songsʹ on open activities. In those conditions the Central JNM team that was initially formed as the state team in 198 recording audio and video programs. Comrade Ramesh made distinct contribution for the technical development of JNM as a member of the team. Although there is ban in the state, JNM utilized opportunities in few areas and other states.
JNM artists worked as cultural organizers. At the same time, they made street plays such as ʹHistory of RSUʹ and ʹChandrababuʹs schemesʹ. They shot a few of them. When the artists went to various districts, they learnt the local folk forms and tried to revolutionize them. They got in touch with musicians and utilised the musical instruments in JNM performances and recordings. Comrade Ramesh made great contribution in this effort.
During the relaxation for a short time in the state in 1990 for the activities of mass organisations, JNM widely used it for the propaganda of revolutionary movement. It held public meetings and gave performances all over the state together with various mass organizations in the guidance of the party. It also tried to encourage folk art. As the movement spread in the leadership of the party, JNM went to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Gujarat and other such states. It not only performed there but also strengthened its ties with revolutionary cultural organizations. It contributed to the all India revolutionary cultural sphere.
The Andhra Pradesh State Committee of the party reviewed the effort of JNM that had been working as the cultural wing of the party and adopted the Cultural perspective in 1995. JNM became part of armed squads in the light of the perspective. Comrade Ramesh continued training to armed JNM and also made efforts to utilise the opportunities in the plain areas. He was part of the efforts to make audio cassettes and send to the areas of the movement all over the state.
Comrade Ramesh took up the responsibility of armed JNM in East Division in 1997 August that later became a part of the AOB Special Guerilla Zone. After the formation of AOB, JNM developed into four Divisional squads. He continued in the responsibility in the rank of Divisional Committee member. The party formed Special Zonal Cultural Coordination Committee and handed over the responsibility of its Secretary to Comrade Ramesh. When the party held talks with the state government in 2004, Comrade Ramesh went openly for the purpose and subsequently continued his efforts in this way.
Comrade Ramesh extended unforgettable service in the cultural sphere in the movement for separate state of Telangana. The effort of various cultural teams is very valuable in the formation of separate state of Telangana. Several art teams came forth in the movement for separate state in the spirit of JNM. Comrade Ramesh participated in the movement and made many songs on the living conditions of the people of Telangana and on the exploitation and oppression on Telangana. Comrade Ramesh made great contribution in bringing forth folk artists of Telangana in a big way. With the experience in JNM he extended political support to the various cultural organizations in the state. On contrary to those who deviated from revolutionary cultural sphere, Comrade Ramesh continued as a genuine revolutionary artist with unwavering confidence towards revolution and great belief towards the liberation of people.
The demise of Comrade Ramesh created a big void in the revolutionary cultural sphere. However, the effort of Comrade Ramesh shall stay alive as an asset for the revolutionary cultural sphere. It is the task of this sphere to take forth the effort. This, shall be the homage to Comrade Ramesh.
Abhay,
Spokesperson,
Central Committee,
COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST)
21 March 2022