HYDERABAD: Popular folk signer and State Warehousing Corporation (TSWC) chairman Veeda Saichander died of cardiac arrest here on Thursday. He was 39. Saichander, who is survived by wife, participated in the Telangana movement and moved the people with his songs.
According to sources, Saichander developed pain his chest last night at his farmhouse in erstwhile Mahbubnagar and later he was shifted to a private hospital in Hyderabad, where he breathed his last. He was consigned to flames in the evening here.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao visited Saichander’s residence in Hyderabad and paid floral tributes. He burst into tears while paying his last respects to Saichander. The CM found it difficult to console Saichand’s wife Rajini when she said “Sir, please call Saichand. He will wake up if you order”.
The Chief Minister assured all support to the bereaved family. Ministers T Harish Rao, Md Mahmood Ali, Sabita Indra Reddy, MPs- Joginapalli Santosh Kumar, local MLA Manchireddy Kishan Reddy, MLCs Goreti Venkanna Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, Madhusudanachari and other people’s representatives also paid their last respects to the departed BRS leader.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao tweeted: “Shocked and saddened by this sudden loss. A great artist & humble soul our Sai was. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Gone way too soon Brother. We will miss you and that amazing voice that moved so many people. May your soul rest in peace (sic).”
BJP State president Bandi Sanjay also conveyed his condolences and sympathies to the bereaved family. TPCC senior vice-president Dr Mallu Ravi attended the final rites and said that Saichander’s demise was a huge loss to Dalit and Bahujan movements.
Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said that Telangana society will never forget Saichander, and that Telangana has lost a great singer and artist. He remembered how Saichander sang and filled energy into the hunger-strike staged by him in Nalgonda during the Telangana movement.
Stating that Saichander’s role in Telangana movement can’t be forgotten, he said that the former’s voice had put life into the movement. Telangana Sahitya Academy chairman J Gowrishankar described Saichander’s demise as the falling of a mountain.