Kanwal Bharti

Kanwal Bharti (born 4 February 1953) is an Indian Dalit writer and columnist.

Kanwal Bharti, the son of a cobbler, was born and raised in the slums of the Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh. At the age of 15, he started writing poetry and articles to highlight the sorry condition of Dalits. While pursuing his graduate studies, Bharti became a columnist for the Hindi weekly newspaper Sahkari Yuga. After struggling for years in poverty, his poetry was discovered and he shot to fame.

His work has now been included in course books prescribed by Delhi University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Allahabad University, Aligarh Muslim University and Lucknow University. His most notable works include two poems, Tab Tumhari Nishtha Kya Hogi and Shambook, besides a criticism titled Philosophy of Dalit Literature. Bharti has written 15 books.

Arrest

Bharti was arrested on 6 August 2013 for criticizing the stand of the Government of Uttar Pradesh in the Durga Nagpal case. On 16 August 2013, the Supreme Court of India asked the Government of Uttar Pradesh to clarify their justification for Bharti's arrest.

Bharti is a recipient of the Dr Ambedkar National Award (1996) and the Bhim Ratna Award (2001) for his work.