Bengaluru: Renowned Dalit poet Dr. Siddalingaiah (67) passed away at a private hospital here yesterday following brief illness.

He is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.

Born in Manchanabele in Magadi taluk of now Ramanagara district in 1954, Dr. Siddalingaiah taught Kannada at Bangalore University.

He is credited with initiating the Dalit-Bandaya Movement in Kannada. An English translation of his autobiography ‘Ooru-Keri’, written in three parts, has been a text in many Universities. 

He was a voice of Dalit Rights right from his debut poetry collection ‘Hole Maadigara Haadu’ in 1975. He has several renowned works to his credit including ‘Saaviraru Nadigalu’, ‘Kappu Kaadina Haadu’, ‘Meravanige’, ‘Nanna Janagalu’, etc.

Dr. Siddalingaiah was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) for two terms during 1988-2001. He also served as the Chairman of Kannada Book Authority and Kannada Development Authority. He also chaired the 81st Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held at Shravanabelagola in February 2015.

Among the numerous awards and prizes he has won include Pampa Award, Nrupatunga Award, Rajyotsava Award, Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award, Dr. Ambedkar Award, Dr. Babu Jagjivan Ram Award and Satyakama Pratishtana Award.

His body was kept at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar College at Nagarabhavi in Bengaluru this morning for enabling the public to pay their last respects, following which his last rites were conducted at Kalagrama in Jnanabharathi campus this afternoon with State honours, according to sources.