Siddalingaiah (poet)

Siddalingaiah Devaiah (Born 1954, Magadi, Bangalore) is an Indian poet-playwright writing in the Kannada language, and Dalit activist and politician. He is credited with starting the Dalit-Bandaya movement in Kannada and with starting the genre of Dalit writing. He is one of the founders of the Dalita Sangharsh Samiti along with B. Krishnappa.

Dr. Siddalingaiah
Siddalingaiah at Tathvapada singers gathering in Mandya in 2012
Born	Siddalingaiah 1954 Manchanabele,[1] Karnataka, India
Occupation	Poet, Dramatist, Kannada Professor, Legislator and Dalit Activist
Nationality	Indian
Education	M. A. and Ph.D in Kannada
Alma mater	Bangalore University
Period	1974-present
Genre	Dalit-Bandaya Movement
Literary movement	Dalit-Bandaya movement
Notable works	Holemadigara Haadu, Saviraaru Nadigalu and Meravanige
Notable awards	Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award and Nrupatunga Award

In 1988, at the age of 34, he became a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and, in 2006, chairman of the Kannada Development Authority, a post with Cabinet rank that he held until 2008.

He has been head of the Department of Kannada at Bangalore University and a member of the University Syndicate of Kannada University, Hampi. He is acknowledged as a symbol of the Dalit movement and a leading public intellectual and Kannada poet.[2]

Works

• Holemadigara Haadu (Songs of the Holeya and Madiga, 1975)

• Saaviraaru Nadigalu (Thousands of Rivers, 1979)

• Kappu Kaadina Haadu (The Song of the Black Forest, 1982)

• Aayda Kavithegalu (Selected Poems, 1997)

• Meravanige (Procession, 2000)

• Nanna Janagalu mattu Itara Kavitegalu (My People and Other Poems, 2005)

• Kudiva Neeliya Kadalu (2017)

• Ooru Saagaravagi (2018)