Siddalingaiah (poet) (original) (raw)

Siddalingaiah (1954 in Magadi, Bangalore – 11 June 2021), was an Indian poet, playwright, and Dalit activist, writing in the Kannada language. 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. In 1988, at the age of 34, he became a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, serving till 2001 and, in 2006, chairman of the , a post with Cabinet rank that he held until 2008.