Kolkata, Jan. 10 -- Mahasweta Devi refused to be confined in a box as merely an author and reinforced the idea of 'buffalo woman' when describing herself, with her works disrupting a literary culture that largely preferred safe and familiar narratives.
Far from a metaphorical flourish, media personality Sudeshna Roy explained, the phrase "buffalo woman" encapsulated Mahasweta Devi's lived politics. She likened herself to a buffalo wallowing in mud and water, burdened by labour, yet sustaining life, choosing to draw her strength from the everyday struggles of the marginalised.
Her major works include "Hajar Churashir Maa", "Rudali" and "Aranyer Adhikar". She worked on the ground with tribal communities such as the Lodha and Shabar across e...