Katti Padma Rao

Katti Padma Rao
Born	(1953-07-27) 27 July 1953 (age 71) Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India
Occupation	Dalit activist; publicist and leader of the Dalit Mahasabha in Telugu-speaking land.
Language	Telugu
Nationality	Indian

Katti Padma Rao (born 27 July 1953) is a Dalit poet, scholar and activist from Andhra Pradesh, India. He is the founding general secretary of Dalit Mahasabha, a people's organisation that spearheaded the Dalit movement in Andhra Pradesh in the aftermath of the 1985 Karamchedu massacre in the coastal region of that state. A scholar in both Telugu and Sanskrit, he has published several volumes of poetry, and books on sociology, religion, philosophy, history, and women's studies. He is a regular columnist in major Telugu newspapers and magazines.

Social and political activism

Following the Karamchedu Massacre where Kammas slaughtered Madiga Dalits in 1985, Rao emerged as a significant socio-political activist. He was the founder General Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Dalit Mahasabha ^[1] organisation, which mobilised not only the Dalits, but also the Adivasis and the Backward Classes against caste-based atrocities and oppression.^{[ citation needed ]}

Electoral politics

Rao launched the Peda Prajala Party (Poor People's Party) in the late 1980s. In the early 1990s, he was part of the Bahujan Samaj Party. In the late 2000s, he joined the Praja Rajyam Party.^{[ citation needed ]} His forays into electoral politics were largely unsuccessful.^{[ citation needed ]}

Awards and honours

Rao is recognised as a Dalit ideologue, ^[2] intellectual, ^[3] writer and socio-political activist. ^[4]

A list of awards and honours received by Rao:

• Sahitya Puraskar from the Loknayak Foundation. The award is given annually in memory of N.T. Rama Rao and Harivansh Rai Bachchan. ^[5]
• Boyi Bhimanna Trust Award for literature from Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2007
• Pratibha Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh for poetry in 2006
• Sri Ramulu Telugu University Award for Poetry in 2006
• Sahitya Puraskaram by Andhra Saraswatha Parishat by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Sushil Kumar Shinde, 2006
• Avantsa Soma Sunder Sahiti Trust Award in 2005
• Dr. C. Narayana Reddy Sahiti Award, Sri Narayana Reddy Kalapeetam, Hyderabad, 2003
• Ambedkar Award, 1992, Hyderabad

Books published

Titles in English

• Women and Caste in India (1983)
• Social and Philosophical Movements in India (1991)
• Dalit Women (1991)
• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: The Visionary
• Caste and Alternative Culture (1995)
• Charvaka Darshan (1998)
• Woman in Indian Culture (1999)
• Journey towards Dalit Dignity (1999)
• Buddhist Philosophy (2007)

Anthologies

• Jana Geetham (1979)
• Hethuvada Satyalu (1980)
• Jailu Gantalu (1986)
• Vimukthi Geetham (1987)
• Desam Diary (1987)
• Raktha Kshetram (1992)
• Nalla Kaluva (1996)
• Neelikeka
• Mullakireetam poetry (2002)
• Bhoomi Basha poetry (2004)
• Kattela Moppu poetry (2007)
• Aatma gaurava swaram (2010)
• Ambedkar
• Samghika Viplavamoorthy: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (1990)
• Ambedkar-Gandhi (2001)
• Ambedkar-Marx-Phule (2001)
• Ambedkar-Buddha (2002)
• Ambedkar Thatvasastram (2007)

Sociology

• Kula Samgharshanalu (1983)
• Kulam Punadulu (1981)
• Reservations: Hindu Mathonmadam (1991)
• Kulam — Prathyamnaya Samskrithi (1993)

Dalit history

• Dalithula Charitra (1st Part)
• Dalithula Charitra (2nd Part, 1997)
• Dalithula Charitra (3rd Part, 1998)
• Dalithula Charitra (4th Part, 1999)

Alternative Dalit philosophy

• Charvaka Darshan (1991)
• Buddha Darshan (1997)
• Dalita Darshanam (2008)
• Mahatma Phule (2008)

Women's studies

• Bharatheeya Samskruthilo Sthree (1993)
• PitruSwamya Vyavasthalo Sthree (2002)

Dalit literature

• Samghika Viplava Rachayithalu (1983)
• Dalitha Sahitya Vudyamam — Joshua (1995)
• Joshua Samajika Thatvam (1995)
• Mahakavi Jasuva Samajika viplavam (2007)
• Santh Ravidas Bhakti kavitodhyamam (2008)

References

1. "Dalit Mahasabha to launch movement". The Hindu . 13 November 2011. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010.
2. Ghosh, Anita (2006). "Dalit Feminism: A Psycho-Social Analysis of Indian English Literature". In Prasad, Amar Nath; Joseph, S. John Peter (eds.). Indian Writing In English: Critical Ruminations. Vol. 2. Sarup & Sons. p. 276. ISBN   978-8-17625-725-1.
3. "Events and Workshops, 2007". Anveshi Research Centre for Women's Studies. 2007. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
4. "Caste and Alternative Culture". Gurukul Lutheran Theological College & Research Institute. 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
5. "Literary award for Katti Padma Rao". The Hindu. 24 November 2020. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 5 December 2020.