India's Intellectual Desert

V. T .Rajshekar ,in full Vontibettu Thimmappa Rajshekar, also known as V.T.Rajshekar Shetty, (born 1932) is thefounderand editor of the Dalit Voice, which has been described in a release by Human Rights Watch as "India's most widely circulated Dalit journal". He is himself not a Dalit, he is the son of late P.S.Thimmappa Shetty, who retired as the Collector of South Kanara District. He is from well-known Vontibettu Beedu family belonging to the higher caste Bunt community. A Graduate of Madras university and author of over 20 books, translated into many languages, worked for 20 years for leading English language dailies, considered one of India's rare original thinkers, he has attempted to combine the essentials of Marxism and the Philosophy of the late Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a prominent advocate of the human rights of India's Black untouchable. Rajshekar was married to Hema Rajshekar until her death. His son Salil Shetty works for Amnesty International in London. In 2005 Rajshekar received the London Institute of South Asia (LISA) Book of the Year Award.