Dalit - Dalit Literature

Dalit Literature

One of the foremost and earliest dalit scholar is Shri Valmiki, author of the famous epic poem Ramayana. Shri Valmiki is considered to be oldest and greatest poet in Indian history. He is called Maha Kavi or Adi Kavi in Sanskrit. Dalit literature forms an important and distinct part of Indian literature. One of the first Dalit writers was Madara Chennaiah, an 11th-century cobbler-saint who lived in the reign of Western Chalukyas and who is also regarded by some scholars as the "father of Vachana poetry". Another early Dalit poet is Dohara Kakkaiah, a Dalit by birth, six of whose confessional poems survive.