Katti Padma Rao (born 27 July 1953) is a

Dalit Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...

poet, scholar and activist from

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

, 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 Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

, he has published several volumes of poetry, and books on sociology, religion, philosophy, history, and

women's studies Women's studies is an academic field that draws on Feminism, feminist and interdisciplinary methods to place women's lives and experiences at the center of study, while examining Social constructionism, social and cultural constructs of gender; ...

. He is a regular columnist in major Telugu newspapers and magazines.

Social and political activism

Following the Karamchedu Massacre where Kammas slaughtered

Madiga Madiga is a Telugu caste from southern India. They mainly live in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, with a small minority in Tamil Nadu. Madigas are historically associated with the work of tannery, leatherwork and smal ...

Dalits in 1985, Rao emerged as a significant socio-political activist. He was the founder General Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Dalit Mahasabha organisation, which mobilised not only the Dalits, but also the

Adivasi The Adivasi (also transliterated as Adibasi) are heterogeneous tribal groups across the Indian subcontinent. The term is a recent invention from the 20th century and is now widely used as a self-designation by groups classified as Scheduled Tr ...

s and the Backward Classes against

caste A caste is a Essentialism, fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (en ...

-based atrocities and oppression.

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 The Bahujan Samaj Party ( BSP) is a political party in India that was formed to represent Bahujans (literally means "community in majority"), referring to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (OBC), along with Religious ...

. In the late 2000s, he joined the Praja Rajyam Party. His forays into electoral politics were largely unsuccessful.

Awards and honours

Rao is recognised as a Dalit ideologue, intellectual, writer and socio-political activist. 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. *Boyi Bhimanna Trust Award for literature from

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2007 * Pratibha Award from the

Government of Andhra Pradesh The Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as GoAP, is the Administrative division, state government and the administrative body responsible for the governance of the States of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati is the capital ...

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 Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, 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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rao, Katti Padma Dalit writers Dalit activists Telugu poets 1953 births Living people Praja Rajyam Party politicians Andhra Pradesh politicians Bahujan Samaj Party politicians from Andhra Pradesh Indian male poets 20th-century Indian poets Writers from Guntur district Poets from Andhra Pradesh 21st-century Indian poets Activists from Andhra Pradesh 20th-century Indian male writers 21st-century Indian male writers