For a few years, he worked as a salaried engineer in a factory. He had achieved the middle-class Indian dream. But he could not ignore the poverty and caste violence he saw around him. He quit his job to become a full-time activist. He realized that songs reached the illiterate poor faster than political speeches.
He realized that songs could reach where pamphlets could not. In a region with high illiteracy, the Oggu Katha (traditional folk storytelling) was the medium of the people. He ditched his engineering compass and picked up a tambura . When he started singing songs against Indira Gandhi’s government and the local ruling classes, the police labeled him a "Gaddar"—a traitor to the nation. Instead of rejecting the label, he embraced it. He famously declared: "Yes, I am a traitor to a system that exploits the poor." gaddar
Gaddar used folk music and street theatre as tools for political mobilization, specifically focusing on struggles against caste oppression, feudalism, and state violence. For a few years, he worked as a
Whether viewed through the lens of or political labeling , "Gaddar" remains a high-stakes keyword that highlights the deep connections between language, identity, and the struggle for justice in South Asia. He quit his job to become a full-time activist
In modern political discourse, particularly in Pakistan and India, the term is frequently used to tag individuals or groups as "anti-state" or "anti-national".