By Tirthankar Mitra
As Vedan raps on stage, the crowd mostly comprising youngsters cheer him. And the admirers of this singer surge in number even if he is belting out his songs in a rally of party activists of CPI(M) in poll bound Kerala. Meet Vedan, rap star. He is a Dalit in his 30s whose songs are often based on the theme of a classless society.
Small wonder, he is singing in LDF rallies. In Kerala. He is a big pick of the Left Democratic Front less than one year before the assembly poll in Kerala. Here are a few lyrics of one of his raps in Malayalam ” We’ll stitch a palace out of sheer dreams / Where the minister and the king are both… us”. Hirandas Murali better known as Vedan now is known for his socially conscious lyrics. His words in his rap songs address themes of caste discrimination, class struggle and social injustice gained prominence in 2020.
The title of Vedan’s debut music video is typical of his political beliefs. It is entitled “Voice of the Voiceless”. The song addresses casteism, colorism and struggle of marginalised community in Vedan’s colony. Its unapologetic lyrics received widespread support and the video got 600000 views establishing him as voice of the oppressed.
Vedan’s music blends Malayalam and Tamil rap. He draws inspiration from his personal experiences and the socio-political landscape of Kerala. Released in 2021 his music video “Vaa” explores themes of labour, difference and everyday struggle. It stands out for its socio-political depth.
Son of a Sri Lankan Tamil mother and a Malayali father, Vedan’s career gained greater impetus in 2024 when he wrote and performed the lyrics for the track of “Kuthantharam’. It became a popular anthem.
A BJP councillor in Palakkad, V S Minimol has filed a formal complaint against Vedan accusing him of “defaming” Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The rapper-songster has also been accused of “promoting” caste-based division.
The complaint has been sent to Union home minister, Amit Shah and NIA. It remains to be seen how Vedan reacts to it after having earlier apologised to his fans on social media after he was accused of sexual misconduct. Vedan had earlier been arrested on a drug possession charge. But it is some of the lyrics of the “Voice of the Voiceless” which has infuriated the saffron brigade.
Meanwhile, there is no denying of the fact that the LDF in Kerala is likely to reap the advantage of Vedan’s popularity. A crowd of young fans walked up the podium at Palakkad after one of his performances. This is an yardstick of Vedan’s popularity. It may not cut across the political divide but a considerable section of youth in Kerala are rooting for him.
The LDF dispensation is looking forward to see this support base translating into votes for it in the coming elections. A long tradition of using songs and plays to draw crowds and gain their support exists in both Bengal and Kerala..
If Vedan is all the rage in Kerala these days, time was when people flocked to Left Front poll rallies in Bengal to listen Salil Chowdhury and his troupe singing or enjoying a fiery play by the leading theatre and cinema actor Utpal Dutt.
Time was when Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) members which included Hemanta Mukherjee, Salil Chowdhury, Ravi Shankar, Bijan Bhattacharya to name a few added ideological shine to the undivided Communist Party India. Their matchless performance influenced and enthused not only the party faithful and fellow travellers but many of those not subscribing to the Left ideology.
It remains to be seen how the saffron camp springs an opposition to Vedan’s popularity. It would be s long and hard trek for the BJP to find out one matching the rapper’s popularity while Kerala inches closer to 2026 elections. (IPA Service)
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