This
time at the QLC meeting, the members were introduced to the famous Bengali
writer, Mahaswetha Devi, and some of her works.
The
session started with Ms. Pankaja briefing the meeting about Mahaswetha Devi’s
life and works. Devi, a Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan awardee, was known for
her powerful and disturbing stories that depicted
the social evils that still prevail in our country. Her stories are exceptional
for their complete lack of melodrama. The hard life of the tribals, who are
oppressed by the rich and powerful are described in her distinctively matter-of-fact
style. Ms Pankaja also gave a gist of Devi’s 'Draupadi', which is one of
her most famous works. Draupadi, a disturbing plot set amongst the tribals of
Bengal is the story of a rebellious woman named Draupadi, who,in the face of
brutal assault and sexual abuse by government officials attempting to torment her
entire community of tribals, is not cowed but stands strong for herself. Draupadi’s
is a story that is as inspirational, as it is disturbing.
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| Pankaja Ma'am talking about Mahaswetha Devi |
The
session concluded with the screening of the movie 'Rudaali' which is also an
adaptation of Mahasweta Devi's story of the same name. It is about a woman
Shanichari who is forced into the work of weeping to sustain a livelihood.
Shani, who was abandoned by her mother, only to marry an alcoholic, who leaves
her, and her mentally challenged son to fend for themselves, is, incredibly,
shown to have never cried in her life before being forced by the society and
her circumstances, into the profession of weeping over the deaths of people
from the higher strata of the society, whose family members are not allowed to
publicly express emotion due to their status in the society. A conflicting love
angle is also introduced in the story, when Shani falls in love with one of the
local landlord’s son, but her pride and self respect stop her from marrying
him.
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| Getting Inspired |
Mahaswetha
Devi’s stories leave a lasting impact on the minds of those who read them,
because they express raw emotion and depict people in suffering fighting out of
those situations with incredible courage, pride and determination. Her stories
continue to inspire decades of readers, and will continue to do so despite her
death. QLC was indeed honored to have been able to discuss the life and works
of a writer as stirring as Mahaswetha Devi.
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| Watching Rudali |
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