On Ambedkar Jayanti, Sruti M.D. and Souradeep Roy speaks to Kannada writer Siddhalingaiah. Siddhalingaiah, who published his first book of poems Holemadigara Haadu (Songs of the Holeya and Madiga) in 1975 to widespread acclaim, says that his poems were meant to be sung in protest marches, because, at that time, he was involved with the Ambedkarite and peasant movements. In the first of the interview, he explains how the poems spearked off heated debates in literary circles, but eventually found aceptance.
In the second part of the interview, he speaks of his autobiography Ooru Keri (published in English translation A Word with You, World). He says that the humour in the autobiography is a way by which he deals with the humiliation he faced since childhood.
Read our first feature of the Living Ambedkar Jayanti series, an interview with Vira Sathidar, here.
