Life and Work of Sri Siddalingaiah

Covid-19 took away a notable person of Kannada literature, Sri Siddalingaiah

on 11 June 2021. He was born on 1954 at Magadi near Bangalore.

He was a poet, playwright and Dalit activist. He started the genre of Dalit
writing. He is credited with starting the Dalit-Bandaya movement in Kannada
literature. As a social activist he was one of the founders of the Dalita
Sangharsh Samiti along with B. Krishnappa.

He was Head of the Department of Kannada at Bangalore University. For his

intellectual contribution, he became a member of the University Syndicate of
Kannada University, Hampi.

He also had a notable political career. In 1988, he became a member of

the Karnataka Legislative Council, serving till 2001. In 2006, he became the
Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority, a post with Cabinet rank that
he held till 2008.

He was recipient of many prestigious awards during his busy life:

1986 - Rajyostava Award by Karnataka Government

1998-99 -Karnataka State Film Award for Best Lyricist for his

song Hasivininda Satthoru from the movie 'Pratibhatane'

2007 - Nadoja Award by Hampi University

2015 - Chaired the 81st Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Shravanabelagola

2018 - Nrupatunga Award by BBMP

2019 - Pampa Award, highest literary award in Kannada, presented

by Karnataka Government

Culmination of all these awards is in this year 2022. He was awarded Padma
Shri Award (Posthumous) for Literature and Education by Government of India.

His notable works are listed below:

Poetry

 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)

Autobiography

 Ooru Keri-1 : Atmakathana (1997)

 Ooru Keri-2 : Atmakathana (2006)

 Ooru Keri-3 : Atmakathana (2014)

 Ooru Keri - An Autobiography (Sahitya Akademi, 2003)

 A Word With You, World : The Autobiography of a Poet (Navayana, 2013)

Translated by S.R. Ramakrishna (Excerpt)

 Satyanarayana, K & Tharu, Susie (2013) From those Stubs Steel Nibs are

Sprouting: New Dalit Writing from South Asia, Dossier 2: Kannada and
Telugu, New Delhi: HarperCollins India.
Plays

 Panchama

 Nelasama

 Ekalavya

Critical Essays
Hakkkinota

Gramadevathegalu

Avataragalu

Jana Samsakruthi

Aa Mukha Ee Mukha

His unfortunate death is a great loss in Kannada literature.