Explained: The controversy over SPB statue unveiling at Hyderabad’s Ravindra Bharathi

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Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is set to unveil a statue of legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam at Ravindra Bharathi, a state-run auditorium and cultural centre in Hyderabad on December 15, Monday. 

While he was born in a Telugu Brahmin family in present-day Andhra Pradesh, SPB’s music spanned many languages, and he is a celebrated cultural icon all over India, particularly the southern states. 

However, the statue has been opposed by a few activists of the Telangana statehood movement, who insist that the honour should go to cultural icons born in Telangana whose work contributed to the statehood movement. The opposition is also based on rumours that back in 2004, SPB refused to sing a statehood anthem for Telangana, composed by Andesri. 

On December 2, Sangamreddy Prithviraj, president of the Telangana Kranti Dal and a Telangana statehood activist, confronted SPB’s brother-in-law Subhalekha Sudhakar at Ravindra Bharathi. 

Sudhakar had met CM Revanth on November 29 to invite him for the statue unveiling ceremony and to thank him on behalf of SPB’s family for permitting the statue. 

“There’s no need for an SPB statue. There are many others who worked in cultural fields from Telangana – actor Paidi Jairaj, poets Gaddar and Andesri, and other folk artists,” Prithviraj said. 

He claimed that in 2004, SPB refused to sing the now-Telangana state anthem, ‘Jaya Jayahe Telangana’ written by Andesri, unless a line demanding statehood was removed. “Andesri refused to remove it, so he didn’t sing the song. SPB represents a voice who was opposed to the Telangana movement,” Prithviraj said. 

Writer and activist Pasham Yadagiri has also echoed these views. 

Commenting on the issue, Telangana Jagruthi Samithi president Kalvakuntla Kavitha, whose political outfit was formerly a cultural organisation, said that she supports the Telangana activists. 

“The people of Telangana have opposed many people who did not join the Telangana statehood movement. There’s a rumour that SPB refused to sing the ‘Jaya Jaya He Telangana’ song, which is why Telangana activists are opposed to his statue being erected at Ravindra Bharathi. Whatever happens, I’ll side with Telangana activists. So if there’s a better place for an SPB statue, and if instead they place a Telangana artist’s statue at Ravindra Bharathi, it would be better,” she said on December 14. 

She also mentioned that earlier, there had been complaints that Ravindra Bharathi did not provide enough space for Telangana artists. “Since Telangana formation, there has been an attempt to give a stage for all Telangana folk cultural art forms there, and to display portraits of Telangana activists there. I personally think that it’s not suitable for a film personality’s statue. 

There are other more suitable locations such as Prasads IMAX, film studios etc. I think Ravindra Bharathi must be reserved for Telangana folk artists,” Kavitha said.  

Protests led by Prithviraj resurfaced at the venue on December 14, on the eve of the statue’s unveiling. He even threatened to demolish the statue if it is erected.