PEDDAPALLI, MARCH 10, 2025: Jacob, a renowned ‘people’s artist’ and cultural warrior, was remembered during his statue unveiling ceremony held at the New Ashok Theatre in Godavarikhani coal belt on Sunday.
The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including former CPI MLA Chada Venkata Reddy, CPI state secretary Kalaveni Shankar, and IPTA national leader K. Swamy. Later, addressing a memorial meeting held at Bhaskar Rao Bhavan, the participants recalled Jacob’s contributions to the public and labour arts.
“As an employee of SCCL, Jacob worked tirelessly to serve for the rights of people and workers at the national level through his writings and songs. He was a national leader of the Praja Natya Mandali and the Indian People’s Theatre Association, and his progressive ideas and commitment to art for the people inspired countless individuals,” they said.
Jacob’s versatility as a writer, actor, singer, and director was also celebrated. He sang ghazals at the Coal India level in Singareni and represented Singareni on nearly twenty occasions, showcasing his talent in ten States and strengthening the company’s reputation. The ceremony included the unveiling of a Jacob memorial song CD written by artist Daya Narsing, which was sung by IPTA national leader Kavvampally Swamy.
Artists Y. Lenin, Kathi Anjanna, Ejja Rajaiah, and others also performed Jacob memorial songs. In their tributes, speakers emphasized the importance of continuing Jacob’s aspirations and art forms to pay him a grand tribute. His passing due to a heart attack was mourned as a great loss for the artistic community.
