MUMBAI — Worldwide Booker Prize winning-author Banu Mushtaq has discovered herself within the midst of an argument after she was invited to inaugurate a distinguished competition within the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
Final week, the state’s Congress authorities introduced that Mushtaq — who received the Prize earlier this yr for her brief story anthology, Coronary heart Lamp — would inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festivities in Mysuru (previously known as Mysore).
Mysuru Dasara, additionally known as Naada Habba (which roughly interprets to competition of the land in Kannada), is an annual 10-day occasion that has been celebrated for many years.
1000’s of individuals flock to town to take part within the grand festivities, which embrace cultural performances, elephant parades, exhibitions and fireworks.
The choice to ask Mushtaq sparked criticism from some Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) leaders — which is within the opposition within the state — who stated that Mushtaq, a Karnataka-born Muslim, shouldn’t be inaugurating a Hindu competition.
Dussehra is a Hindu competition which celebrates the victory of fine over evil, however Mysuru Dasara is performed by the Karnataka state authorities and folks of all faiths be part of within the celebrations.
Mushtaq has stated that she was honoured to be invited to the competition and that she felt deeply linked to it, having participated within the festivities herself as a toddler.
However regardless of her expressing respect for the competition, the controversy has refused to die down.
Some BJP leaders have additionally taken offence to a few of Banu’s earlier feedback associated to the Hindu goddess Bhuvaneshwari, who is taken into account to characterize Kannada language and id.
Mushtaq made historical past earlier this yr when she turned the primary creator writing within the Kannada language to win an Worldwide Booker.
Her award winning-book, Coronary heart Lamp, which was translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, was praised by judges for showcasing characters that have been “astonishing portraits of survival and resilience”.
Mushtaq’s tales, together with in Coronary heart Lamp, deal with the challenges girls, particularly Muslim girls, face as a consequence of non secular conservatism and a deeply patriarchal society.
Curiously, she is not the primary Muslim particular person to be invited to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara competition. In 2017, KS Nisar Ahmed, a Kannada poet and creator, had been given the honour.
However the invitation to Mushtaq has come below scrutiny from the BJP.
BJP MP Yaduveer Wadiyar acknowledged Mushtaq’s affect on Kannada writing, saying that her Booker win introduced “nice pleasure” to the Kannada literary fraternity.
Nonetheless, he added that the Mysuru Dasara competition wasn’t a cultural occasion however a Hindu non secular competition and demanded that Mushtaq “make clear her reverence” in the direction of the 2 Hindu dieties related to the competition earlier than agreeing to inaugurate it.
BJP chief Pratap Simha stated that whereas it was okay for Mushtaq to chair literary festivals, it wasn’t acceptable for her to be the chief visitor at an occasion like Mysuru Dasara. He additionally questioned if Mushtaq had religion within the competition’s goddesses and if she adopted Hindu traditions.
Amid the criticism, a video of a speech delivered by Mushtaq final January started circulating on-line.
In her speech, she questioned the follow of associating a Hindu deity (Bhuvaneshwari) with Kannada language and id, declaring that it was exclusionary to her and different Muslims within the state.
Mushtaq is not the primary creator to view this blurring of identities by means of a vital lens. Many progressive writers from the state have criticised what they name a “Hinduisation” of the Kannada language and id.
Supporters of the invitation to Mushtaq say that the row isn’t just about her non secular id, however that it’s a bigger battle between retaining one of many state’s greatest festivals open and welcoming to all faiths and turning it right into a majoritarian occasion.
“Mysuru Dasara is a secular competition and alluring Banu to inaugurate it is without doubt one of the greatest issues that may occur to Karnataka. Turning this into a problem about faith or Hindutva [Hindu nationalist agenda] is detestable,” says Mamta Sagar, a Kannada poet.
In the meantime, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has defended his authorities’s resolution to ask Mushtaq, highlighting the competition’s inclusive character.
Mushtaq too hasn’t bowed all the way down to stress to say no the invite.
“Energetic politicians ought to have a way of what to politicise and what to not,” she advised The Hindu newspaper. — BBC
