Jan 14, 2018
Mahasweta Devi’s 92nd Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
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.
Today’s Doodle by Mumbai-based illustrator Onkar Fondekar pays homage to the stories narrated by Mahasweta Devi and the lives that her work impacted in such a profound manner.
Happy birthday, Mahasweta Devi!
Early drafts of the Doodle below:
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