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Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The world of Banu Mushtaq, Kannadiga life in the margins
It is indeed a high moment for Kannada and Karnataka: Kannada literature finds itself on the global literary map, thanks to the labour of two women. Banu Mushtaq, a senior Kannada writer, has been awarded the 2025 International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp (Hridaya Deepa), her anthology of 12 short stories, translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi. Women's writing in Kannada has not received the recognition it deserves. Even most of the notable awards at the national level, the Jnanpith for instance, have been conferred on men. In this context, the Booker is indeed a historic moment for women's writing in Kannada which can boast of great talent from Triveni and MK Indira of yesteryears to Pratibha Nandakumar, Vaidehi, and Du Saraswathi, actively writing today. And there is more, where it comes from. Much more! Banu Mushtaq hails from Hassan, the south-western town in the plains of Karnataka, while Deepa lives in Madikeri, a town in the Western Ghat ranges. The ordinary lives of common people in her small town constitute Banu's fictional universe. The award, thus, signals the triumph of the small town. A practising advocate, and social activist, Banu is the author of six short story collections, a novel, an essay collection and a poetry collection. Several important honours, including the Karnataka Sahitya Academy award and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe award have come seeking her. Her short story Black Cobras, which depicts the plight of Hasina, an abandoned wife, was made into an award-winning film by Girish Kasaravalli, the eminent film director, in 2004. Hasina and Other Stories, another collection of her short stories, also translated by Deepa Bhasthi, had won the English PEN translation award in 2024. Banu began her career during the Bandaya or the protest movement of the heady 1970s and '80s. The movement culminated in the awakening of a new social consciousness, which led to the effervescence of new writing in Kannada. The unheard voices of marginalised groups were heard for the first time, heralding a non-Brahmin era in Kannada literary culture. Sara Aboobacker, Fakir Mohammad Katpadi, Boluvar Kunhi, and Banu Mushtaq started chronicling the stories of their community for the first time. Standing on the firm ground of lived experience and observed life, Banu deployed writing as a powerful tool of social dissent. To put it in her own words: 'My stories are about women — how religion, society, and politics demand unquestioning obedience from them, and in doing so, inflict inhumane cruelty upon them, turning them into mere subordinates. The daily incidents reported in the media and the personal experiences I have endured have been my inspiration. The pain, suffering, and helpless lives of these women create a deep emotional response within me. I do not engage in extensive research; my heart itself is my field of study.' The first story in Heart Lamp, Stone Slab for Shaista Mahal to the last one in the collection, Be A Woman Once, Oh Lord! bear testimony to the fact that her writing is a searing indictment of our social system. Banu's commitment to progressive politics can be traced back to the Bandaya movement, which proclaimed, 'May poetry be a sword, a soulmate who feels for the pain of the people.' It couldn't have been easy for Banu as a Muslim speaking Dakhani Urdu, and as a woman writer writing in Kannada, to critique the patriarchal practices of an already beleaguered community. Banu candidly describes her predicament as a Muslim woman writer writing in a second language for a majoritarian reading community. She writes in the preface to her first collection (1990), 'I gradually became aware that even when I am writing in Kannada, I can only write about the Muslim world, its people, their joys and sorrows, their interests and angularities. Almost immediately, I also realised that the Muslim community will surely resist such revealing narratives. Even as I was coming to terms with this resistance from inside the community, I could equally clearly see how the larger community outside was as resistant to any critique coming from me.' It is remarkable that Banu has successfully negotiated this tightrope walk by simultaneously being a critical insider in the Muslim community, and a friendly outsider in the larger, not-so-friendly majority community. Her stories help us connect with the Muslim community in a small town like Hassan, which is invariably othered, reminding us of our common humanity. Deepa Bhashti's curation of stories showcases Banu's writing at its best. Deepa's translation has ably captured the rhythms and movements of Banu's lifeworld to lend a powerful voice to her various characters in English. Her interesting afterword provides a detailed account of the rationale behind her translation practice which has retained several Kannada and Urdu words while eschewing footnotes and italics altogether. Today, as new literates from the village, the small town, the city, and the metropolis have greater access to knowledge and technology, tremendous difference and diversity marks Kannada writing, bringing in lives and experiences that had not entered the hallowed space of the 'literary'. The Booker for Banu's stories has the potential to open the door to the diverse lifeworlds of the Kannada people through translation. Translations have always built bridges across communities. Which communities do the English translations of our regional literatures connect? Surely, Deepa's translation has brought home the Muslim world of Hassan to an international readership. Max Porter, chair of the International Booker Prize 2025, said: 'Heart Lamp is something genuinely new for English readers. A radical translation which ruffles language, to create new textures in a plurality of Englishes. It challenges and expands our understanding of translation.' But, as important, or perhaps more, is the bridge that it can build across the many linguistic worlds within India through our common, if alien, inheritance of English. Kannada literature can, as if by a sleight of hand, become Indian literature through English translations. There is yet another, perhaps the most important constituency that can be served through English translations. Increasingly, the educated class, which is the likely consumer of books, is growing monolingual in its orientation. While this class is comfortable using the local language or English for functional purposes, it largely reads in just one language: either Kannada or English, in the case of Karnataka. That the sales figures for English translations of regional texts are the highest in that very region bears out this claim. The English translations of regional literary texts can connect the more educated populace with the people around them. We are well-served by such translation activism. Most of the English translators of Kannada literature today are engaged in developing a pared down style and forging an informal and intimate English to express the varied voices, rhythms and styles of the emergent Kannada sensibilities of a new generation in a new age, helping the 'bullock carts to reach the global stage'! (Banu's words). International recognition — be it the 2018 DSC award for Tejaswini Niranjana's translations of Jayant Kaikini's stories or now the Booker for Deepa in 2025 — is bound to encourage translators and publishers to boldly experiment with 'a plurality of Englishes', explore new and creative ways of translating to bring alive novel life-worlds unknown to the mainstream culture, making for greater empathy for the worlds in the margins. Translation can, thus, be a potent bridge which can connect our polarised worlds. Vanamala Viswanatha is currently visiting professor, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. She has translated the works of major Kannada writers including U R Ananthamurthy, P Lankesh, Poornachandra Tejaswi, Vaidehi, and Sara Aboobakkar into English. Her latest work is a translation of Kuvempu's celebrated novel, Malegalalli Madumagalu (Bride in the Hills). The views expressed are personal
The Wire
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
3 Instances When PM Modi Has Not Congratulated Indians for International Recognition
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Politics 3 Instances When PM Modi Has Not Congratulated Indians for International Recognition The Wire Staff 37 minutes ago The silence is selective, possibly influenced by the recipients' perceived political or ideological positions, or the themes of their work. (From left) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and International Booker Prize 2025 winner Banu Mushtaq. Photos: AP/PTI Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is generally known for publicly acknowledging and celebrating Indian successes in various fields on international platforms. However, there are a few notable exceptions where his silence has been conspicuous. One such instance was when Banu Mushtaq recently won the International Booker Prize in 2025 for her Kannada short story collection Hridaya Deepa (Heart Lamp). There are at least two other instances when Modi failed to acknowledge Indian successes in global recognition events. In all three cases, the absence of a congratulatory message from PM Modi was in sharp contrast with his usual practice of publicly celebrating Indian achievements in sports, science, and other fields. The silence is perhaps selective, possibly influenced by the recipients' perceived political or ideological positions, or the themes of their work, which often include critique of religious majoritarianism and divisiveness, and advocacy for pluralism in India. Ravish Kumar – Ramon Magsaysay Award (2019) Ravish Kumar, a senior Hindi language journalist, was awarded the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2019, often called the Asian Nobel Prize. Despite widespread congratulations from across the Indian political spectrum, PM Modi did not issue any public congratulatory message to Ravish Kumar for this achievement. Geetanjali Shree – International Booker Prize (2022) Geetanjali Shree became the first Indian author to win the International Booker Prize for her Hindi novel Tomb of Sand (Ret Samadhi) in 2022. The union government and the ruling party, including Prime Minister Modi, were notably silent on this achievement, despite the book's significance as the first South Asian language work to win the prize. The lack of acknowledgment was widely noted, especially given the Modi government's general emphasis on promoting Hindi and celebrating international recognition for Indian achievements. Her book, in Hindustani is a bold exploration of pluralism, the meaninglessness of borders and features a strong relationship between a Muslim Pakistani man and a Hindu Indian woman. Banu Mushtaq – International Booker Prize (2025) Banu Mushtaq won the International Booker Prize in 2025 for her Kannada short story collection Hridaya Deepa (Heart Lamp). While there was an outpouring of congratulatory greetings from opposition leaders, there is no record of Modi issuing a congratulatory message for this achievement. This omission is particularly notable given the historic nature of the award for Kannada literature and Indian writing. Her book is about gender and attacks patriarchy which foregrounds her own identity as a Muslim, woman, speaker of Kannada, Urdu, Dakhni and Hindi. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News No Story Is Ever 'Small': Banu Mushtaq's International Booker Acceptance Speech 'Heart Lamp' Wins International Booker: Banu Mushtaq's First Reaction Why Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi's International Booker Is a Seminal Moment Banu Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp' – Translated By Deepa Bhasthi – Is 2025 International Booker Prize Winner The Politics of 'Heart Lamp' Is Profound, Urgent and Reflects the Lived Reality of Millions Humour, Scepticism and the Realities of the Familial in Banu Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp' Five 'Asanas' Modi Has Perfected To Deflect and Distract From Real Issues 'Army Bowing at Modi ji's Feet': Why a Deputy CM's Gaffe Doesn't Bode Well Modi Says 'Not Blood, Hot Sindoor' Flows In His Veins In First Public Address Since Op Sindoor About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Gazette
Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi congratulate writer Banu Mushtaq for International Booker Prize
New Delhi [India], May 21 (ANI): Mallikarjun Kharge, the President of the Indian National Congress (INC) and Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, congratulated writer Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi for winning the International Booker Prize for their book 'Heart Lamp' in London on Tuesday. Writer, activist Banu Mushtaq scripted history after her Kannada book 'Heart Lamp' became the first originally written Kannada book to win the International Booker Prize. Taking to his X handle, Congress President Kharge lauded Mushtaq's literary work, calling it a 'powerful advocacy' of harmony, secularism and fraternity. 'India is extremely proud of Banu Mushtaq, who scripted history on becoming the first Kannada writer to win the prestigious International Booker prize for the short story anthology - Hridaya Deepa - 'Heart Lamp'. Her remarkable achievement celebrates her literary genius and her powerful advocacy for harmony, secularism, and fraternity, significantly honouring both Kannada and India globally. Her women characters' strength lies not in seeking public attention, but in their quiet persistence, their ability to navigate challenges, and their meaningful acts of defiance. Many congratulations to her, and may her powerful words continue to inspire us. I also warmly congratulate Deepa Bhasthi for her exceptional translation, making her the first Indian translator to win the prize.' Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described Mushtaq's achievement as a historic moment for 'Kannada literature' and 'India'. Taking to his X handle, Rahul Gandhi wrote, 'Banu Mushtaq's International Booker win for 'Hridaya Deepa' or 'Heart Lamp' is a historic moment--for Kannada literature, and for India. It's a proud affirmation that stories from the margins, when told with sincerity, can move the world. My heartfelt congratulations to Banu Mushtaq and to Deepa Bhasthi, whose translation carried these voices to global hearts.' Earlier, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, also congratulated the writer Mushtaq for winning the International Booker Prize 2025 on Wednesday. Taking to his X handle, the Karnataka CM wrote,'Heartfelt congratulations to Kannada's pride, author Banu Mushtaq, who has been awarded the International Booker Prize. This is a moment of celebration for Kannada, Kannadigas, and Karnataka. Banu Mushtaq, who embodies and writes with the true values of this land, which is harmony, secularism, and brotherhood, has raised the flag of Kannada's greatness on the international stage and brought honour to all of us.' He also congratulated writer Deepa Bhasthi for the English translation of 'Heart Lamp'. As per the Booker Prize website, Heart Lamp is a collection of 12 short stories chronicling the everyday lives of women and girls in patriarchal communities in southern India. The collection of 12 stories spans more than 30 years, written between 1990 and 2023. (ANI)
News18
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
India's Banu Mushtaq Scripts History, Becomes First To Win International Booker For Short Stories
Last Updated: Banu Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp' is the first short story collection ever to win the International Booker Prize, marking a major global moment for Kannada literature The Kannada literary world woke up to a major celebration on Wednesday morning. The heavy rain across Karnataka added a rhythm of its own to the mood. Author Banu Mushtaq won the International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp, translated by Deepa Bhasthi. Heart Lamp (originally titled Hridaya Deepa in Kannada) is a collection of 12 short stories written over a span of more than 30 years, chronicling the everyday lives and struggles of women in southern India. It is the first time the award has been given to a collection of short stories. Well-deserved congratulations on this milestone achievement have been pouring in, and Mushtaq has credited her award to the Kannada language and its readers. Banu Mushtaq (77), from Hassan—the same district that is home to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda—has been a fighter for over 50 years. A lawyer, politician, journalist, social activist, and writer, she wears many hats. As a journalist, she also wrote extensively about Gowda's family politics in Lankesh Pathrike. In the early 1980s, two Muslim women writers, Banu Mushtaq and Sara Abubaker, emerged on the Kannada literary scene, attracting significant attention from readers and the public. While Abubaker confined herself to writing alone, Mushtaq ventured beyond the literary world to explore many other fields. P. Lankesh, the renowned Kannada writer and public intellectual who had just launched his pathbreaking weekly tabloid Lankesh Pathrike, gave her a platform to write both fiction and hard-hitting political stories—thus shaping her journey as both a journalist and fiction writer. Like Abubaker, Mushtaq wrote about the hitherto unfamiliar world of Muslim women, sometimes shocking her own male-dominated society. She explored their trials and tribulations, and created awareness about the everyday lives of Muslim women in Karnataka. A prolific writer with a lucid imagination and distinctive style, she carved a niche for herself in no time. Mushtaq has also been a prominent figure in the Bandaya Sahitya movement (the progressive or rebel literary movement) of Kannada literature, which challenged the established literary tradition and lifestyle. True to the name of the movement she is part of, Mushtaq has been a rebel. As a lawyer and political activist, she has fought real battles against orthodoxy and hegemony. She is also a leading figure in the Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike — a forum of like-minded writers, thinkers, advocates, journalists, and political activists that promotes communal harmony in Karnataka. Her husband, Mushtaq Ahmed, has been a great source of strength throughout her long journey, supporting her unconventionally and unconditionally. She has consistently questioned the branding of her as a 'Muslim writer", arguing that she is first a Kannada writer, then a woman writer, and only after that a Muslim writer. She often says that when every Muslim woman speaks for herself, the community will be able to achieve openness. The modern Kannada literary world has been home to several prominent figures from the Muslim community, including S. K. Karim Khan, Professor K. S. Nissar Ahmed, B. A. Sanadi, Professor M. Akbar Ali, and Professor M. R. Gajendragad. In the late 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, a new crop of young writers—such as Boluwaru Mohammed Kunhi, Fakir Mohammed Katpadi, Abdul Rashid, B. M. Rashid, D. B. Razia, Sabiha Bhumigowda, and many others—emerged from the margins of the community. It is no mean feat that Banu Mushtaq and Sara Abubaker have laid a solid foundation for future Muslim writers in post-neo-modernist Kannada literature. Banu Mushtaq's winning of the Booker Prize has validated not only her own work but also that of her fellow writers. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah reacted to Mushtaq's win by saying the victory had raised the flag of Kannada's greatness. 'Heartiest congratulations to the proud Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq for winning the International Booker Prize for Literature. This is a time to celebrate Kannada, Kannadigas and Karnataka," Siddaramaiah posted on X. In her acceptance speech, Banu Mushtaq said, 'To my family, friends, and readers—you are the soil where my stories grow. This book is my love letter to the idea that no story is local, that a tale born under a banyan tree in my village can cast shadows as far as this stage tonight. To every reader who journeyed with me, you have made my Kannada language a shared home. It is a language that sings of resilience and nuance. To write in Kannada is to inherit a legacy of cosmic wonder and earthly wisdom." Deepa Bhasthi, a journalist and writer who has ably translated Banu Mushtaq's work into English, has also played an important role in bringing her to the world literary stage. top videos View all As Banu Mushtaq triumphantly said, 'Kannada and Karnataka — Booker comes home." The 50,000-pound ($66,000) prize money is to be divided equally between author and translator. Each is presented with a trophy too. The International Booker Prize is awarded every year. It is run alongside the Booker Prize for English-language fiction, which will be handed out in the fall. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 21, 2025, 17:12 IST News india India's Banu Mushtaq Scripts History, Becomes First To Win International Booker For Short Stories
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Deepa Bhasthi quotes Dr Rajkumar's iconic Kannada song at Booker Prize ceremony. Watch
At a glittering ceremony held at London's Tate Modern on Tuesday night, translator Deepa Bhasthi shared the spotlight with author Banu Mushtaq as their work Hridaya Deepa (Heart Lamp) made history by becoming the first-ever Kannada title to win the prestigious £50,000 International Booker Prize. In an emotional acceptance speech, Bhasthi paid tribute to the Kannada language by quoting an iconic line from a Kannada song. "Jenin holeyo, halin maleyo, sudheyo, Kannada savi nudio," which likens Kannada to a river of honey, a rain of milk, and sweet ambrosia. (Also Read: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah lauds Banu Mushtaq's International Booker win) The song, penned by lyricist C. Udayashankar and immortalised in the voice of Kannada cinema legend Dr. Rajkumar, is widely celebrated for its poetic reverence of the language. 'What a win this is for my beautiful language,' Bhasthi said, drawing loud applause. 'Kannada is one of the oldest languages on earth, and I am ecstatic that this will hopefully lead to a greater interest in reading, writing, and translating from and into the language.' The award-winning collection, consisting of 12 short stories, paints a compelling picture of women's resilience, resistance, humour, and solidarity within patriarchal communities in southern India. Rooted in the region's rich oral storytelling traditions, the stories span more than three decades, written between 1990 and 2023. Judges praised the work for its 'witty, vivid, colloquial, moving and excoriating' tone, noting how it sensitively captured the intricacies of family relationships and community conflicts. The collection emerged as a standout among six shortlisted titles from across the globe. 'This book was born from the belief that no story is ever small, that in the tapestry of human experience every thread holds the weight of the whole,' Banu Mushtaq said during her acceptance speech. 'In a world that often tries to divide us, literature remains one of the last sacred spaces where we can live inside each other's minds, if only for a few pages.' (Also Read: 'Heart Lamp' becomes first Kannada title to win International Booker Prize, Siddaramaiah congratulates Banu Mushtaq)
