Siddalingaiah (poet)

Siddalingaiah
Born	1954 Magadi, Bangalore, India
Occupation	Poet, dramatist, legislator and Dalit activist
Nationality	Indian
Education	Ph.D in Kannada
Alma mater	Bangalore University
Literary movement	Dalit-Bandaya movement
Notable works	Holemadigara Haadu, 1975

Siddalingaiah (born 1954, Magadi, Bangalore) is an eminent Indian poet and playwright writing in Kannada, and a 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.

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

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