Laxman Maruti Gaikwad (born 23 July 1952, Dhanegaon, Latur District, Maharashtra) is a famous Marathi novelist known for his best work The Branded, a translation of his autobiographical novel Uchalaya (also known as Ucalaya).
Considered a masterpiece in Marathi literature, his novel for the first time brings to the world of literature the trials and tribulations of his tribe, Uchalya, literally the pilferers, a term coined by the British who classified the tribe as a criminal tribe.
This book also brings in the problems faced by the Dalits in India.
[citation needed] Other notable novels written by him include Dubang, Chini Mathachi Divas, Samaj Sahitya Ani Swathantra, Wadar Vedna, Vakila Pardhi, Utav and A Swathantra Konasat.
He has actively participated in the Labor Movement and worked for the welfare of the farmers, slum-dwellers and the other weaker-sections of the society.