On this day in 1926, legendary author
Mahasweta Devi was born in Decca (modern-day Dhaka in Bangladesh). In a
literary career spanning six decades, Devi authored over 100
novels and 20 short story collections, becoming one of India’s
foremost authors and social activists.
Devi heavily leveraged personal stories and narratives, and
wrote using a unique mix of Bengali and tribal dialects. Her style – pragmatic,
humorous, witty, and direct – brought to life her deep empathy for her fellow
countrymen, immortalizing the lives of the tribal communities of India into an
anthology of works that are as much social documentaries as they are literary
masterpieces.
Published in 1974, Hajar Churashir Maa
(‘Mother of 1084’) is an example of her powerful work, depicting the
courageous struggle of a mother who loses her son in the Naxalite uprising of
the 1970s
and symbolizing the price of political rebellion and subsequent repression.
Devi was the recipient of two of India’s highest civilian
awards: the Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan for her social work. For her
contributions to the world of literature, she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi
Award (Bengali), Jnanpith Award, and Ramon Magsaysay Award – among many others.
Mahasweta Devi was an Indian fiction writer in Bengali and a
socio-political activist. Her notable literary works include Hajar Churashir
Maa, Rudali, and Aranyer Adhikar.
Born : 14
January 1926, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Died : 28 July 2016,
Kolkata
Awards : Jnanpith Award, Padma
Shri, Padma Vibhushan, MORE
Mahasweta devi Movies :
Rudaali, Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, Gangor, Sunghursh, A Grave-keeper’s Tale,
Gudia, Swabhoomi, Janani
Mahasweta devi Education : Asutosh College, University of Calcutta, Visva-Bharati University
