Mahasweta Devi, a literary treasure, who used his pen to fight for the rights of oppressed and tribal communities across India, remembers his death anniversary today. Mahasweta Devi has written over 100 novels and over 20 collections of short stories including political plays, novels, plays and children’s fiction.
Mahasweta Devi was the voice of the landless workers in India. She had an intimate connection with tribal people in remote corners and enjoyed documenting their struggling lives. Mahasweta Devi, through her works, has become a socio-political commentator of disadvantaged and marginalized people.
All her acclaimed works like ‘Hajar Churashir Ma’ (Mother of 1084), ‘Aranyer Adhikar’ (Right to the forest, ‘Jhansir Rani’ (The queen of Jhansi), ‘Agnigarbha’ (The inner fire), ‘Rudali’, “Sidhu Kanhur Daakey”, etc. give us invaluable information about the lives of oppressed people of India.
A number of his works have been adapted for the big screen. Govind Nihalani’s 1998 film “Hazaar Chaurasi ki Ma” is based on his novel about the emotional struggle of a mother trying to understand the reasons for her son’s involvement in the Naxalite movement.
In 1993, Kalpana Lajmi’s award-winning film ‘Rudaali’ was also based on her novel which recounted the life of professional mourners in Rajasthan.
In 2016, after Mahasweta Devi’s death, actor Irrfan Khan expressed his grief and said: “She was a very important writer, she wrote incredible literature. I respect her a lot. I wanted to make a movie on his life. The wish of the actor remained unfulfilled.
Mahasweta Devi has won several awards, the most important of which are the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Jnanpith and the Ramon Magsaysay Awards. She received the Padma Shri in 1986 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remembered the writer-activist today on his death anniversary. Speaking to Twitter, Ms Banerjee said: “Lovingly remember Mahasweta Di on her death anniversary. She was like a guide for me. Through her works, she gave voice to marginalized sections of society. We miss her very much.
