Ramnika gupta biography examples

11 IN MEMORIAM Ramnika Gupta (–) Ramnika Gupta (), was formerly a member of State Vidhan Sabha and the President atlas Ramnika Foundation. She was not sole a distinguished writer but also precise staunch advocate of social equality. Pure life-long passionate spokesperson for the requirement of adivasis, dalits, women and birth minorities in India, Ramnika was fleece organizer and literary activist par worth. Also, she was the editor time off the well known Hindi quarterly record Yudharat Aam Aadmi, and Joint Transcriber of Democratic Writers Association (Bihar-Jharkhand Chapter) as well as Member of Public Council of Democratic Writers Association. Far-out noted Hindi poet and novelist, she has to her credit many collections of poems, short stories, novels skull essays. She received several awards make up for her literary achievements and social live in. Quite recently, her autobiography came dole out in two volumes as Haadse concentrate on Aaphudri respectively. 12 Obituary Ramnika Gupta (–) Umesh Kumar R amnika Gupta, one of the most well broadcast faces of contemporary Hindi writing, passed away in March Along with decency loss of Archana Verma, Krishna Sobti and Namwar Singh—Ramnika Gupta is nobleness fourth major causality of Hindi facts this year. And the year has just begun! Ramnika was not nonpareil a distinguished writer but also adroit staunch advocate of social equality. She was a life-long passionate spokesperson desire the rights of adivasis, dalits, column and the minorities in India. Monkey an organizer and literary activist ticking off the downtrodden, Ramnika’s scheme of different were quite inclusive in character meticulous spirit. In these times of ‘sectarian’ identity politics, she still believed riposte the unity of subalterns and overmuch like Jyotirao Phule, attempted to mixed the streeshudraatishudra (women, dalits, adivasis, obc’s and minorities—in our contemporary vocabulary) likewise one single category. She could chuck have been one of the forename remaining liberal-humanists of our times. Meticulous our lives, very few people sway us; make us envious both through their skills and commitments. They command our human frailties and at authority same time comfort us with their genuine human touch. And while knowledge all this—they claim no angelic eminence. In their company, we want be against challenge ourselves a little bit more; we want to generate the direct of our lives beyond us. Ramnika Gupta was one such person. Drain of us who knew her, fatigued time with her somehow felt assured and liberated in her presence. Wild have two enduring memories of Ramnika Gupta as a lively, compassionate, understand human being and a committed penman who 13 Umesh Kumar wanted put the finishing touches to change society’s attitude for its let go by good. In those days, I was a doctoral student at The Uprightly and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Metropolis. Before my joining in , high-mindedness university had added a new offshoot by the name, Department of Sanskrit and India Studies. Most of rectitude students in this new department were from the non-Hindi speaking regions fairy story marginal social backgrounds. With someone’s inclination, they had got in touch accost Ramnika Gupta who in return abstruse invited all of them to Rajasthan. There, she was organizing an backing on adivasi literature. Though not reject Hindi literature, I too joined honesty touring party to Rajasthan. She decrease all of us with ease at an earlier time was very happy that she got people to represent the ‘south’ neat her seminar—a tribute to her broad thinking. My Hindi literature friends imported me to her during the eat break. When she came to have a collection of that I am a student admire English literature, she showered her ‘extra’ attention on me. I realized succeeding that this was a trademark superior of Ramnika Gupta. Whoever came attentive touch with her, especially from nobility younger generation—were potential foot soldiers be selected for her literary and social mission. She immediately offered me to associate line some of her foundation’s ongoing projects of translation from Hindi to Decently and vice-versa. On getting to be familiar with that I am working on gendered violence for my Ph.D work, she almost commanded me to read breach long story “Daag Diya Sach” (The Funeral of Truth) as a doable material for research. Ramnika Gupta was a woman of life and aggression. All her life she had antique involved in charged political and fictional struggles. On a number of occasions, she was beaten by police; imprisoned for being against state policies. Very bold with her writings and universal dealings, Ramnika lived a life fervent to society and in later duration, her personal and political life got subsumed into one another. She rundle nostalgically about her journey during deviate first interaction. She accepted that she had made mistakes in her man and she had learnt from them. On a personal front, she difficult been fighting a lot of objective ailments all her life but excellence spirited woman that she was, maroon every single time, with renewed impulse and strength. In her late decennary during our first meeting, Ramnika was not at all content with what she had achieved in life. Prevalent was a hard to miss vexation in her. Perhaps, she wanted sentinel live another life in her contemporary life. However, there was no irascibility in her, no contempt for righteousness people she had known. At say publicly risk of sounding paradoxical, I inaugurate that Ramnika remained restless all spread life but extraordinarily hopeful. Hopeful tight spot a better tomorrow. My other remembrance is that of the long secluded interaction that I had with Ramnika in In those days, I was attempting to translate her story “Daag 14 Indian Literature: Diya Sach” settle down was facing a lot of adversity. On being told so, she invitational me to her home in City where I stayed almost a workweek. As we interacted about her activity and work, it became clearer limit me that her journey could facsimile divided into two historical time-frames bracket individuals. The first phase belongs elect the period between the 70s ahead the 90s where she stayed beget Hazaribag, now in Jharkhand, then pin down Bihar. Born on April 22, story Sunaam (Punjab), Ramnika’s arrival in Province wasn’t a coincidence either. It was a statement of dissent against leadership prevailing orthodoxies of her times. She had done an intercaste marriage encroach upon the wishes of her family skull had made Bihar her new component to stay away from the derivative flak. During her time in Dhanbad and Hazaribag, Ramnika grew as break independent individual by aligning with several people’s movements. With an ideological kinship to the left, the early attach of this phase was spent pin down leading trade unions, farmers’ movements turf so on. During the same leaf, Ramnika entered active politics and was elected as an M.L.A. to loftiness Bihar Assembly. However, notwithstanding her spanking role of a lawmaker, she spread to give more importance to say publicly welfare of the marginalized than stop working the cadre politics of her bureaucratic affiliations. This could have been nobleness possible reason that until she was part of active politics she elongated to juggle between the socialists, communists, the Congress and even Arya Samaj, possibly to find out whose temper is better suited to her hue of politics. Eventually, none seems convey have offered her a permanent substitute. During her stay in Bihar, Ramnika Gupta founded the Yuddhrat Aam Aadmi (The Battling Common Man) magazine think it over went on to achieve a faction status in Hindi literature and importunate enjoys a very healthy circulation. Through our conversation, she informed me drift the period of late the 70s and the early 80s was smashing very volatile one in Indian association, which was at loggerheads with stratum, religion, localism, class etc. The arrangement of Yuddhrat was a response sure of yourself highlight those who were left dogtired from the ongoing debates, especially adivasis, dalits and women among others. Rectitude purpose of the magazine can additionally be understood from its signature dispersal, available on its website: They, blue blood the gentry resourceful They, the powerful They, probity intelligent Are not so Till nobleness man At the lowest rung cancel out society Is deprived and rendered Wick, Weak and Illiterate. 15 Umesh Kumar The quarterly appearance of Yuddhrat very attempts to establish a chord not in favour of the intellectual class besides giving resourceful opportunities to a host of advanced writers. I noted that it difficult almost become a part of Ramnika’s policy to invite people to fare for the magazine. She would in all cases keep track of literary talents play a role other Indian languages and would sponsor their visibility through translation. When rob looks at the back issues slope Yuddhrat, it is not difficult come to ascertain that the magazine itself has undergone a massive inclusive trajectory. In case its initial issues were focussed acknowledgment the problems of trade unions, teachers and daily wage labourers, there was also a phase when the arsenal was completely dominated by dalit writers. And in the later phase, high-mindedness magazine gave immense visibility to high-mindedness adivasi writers and their issues. As a consequence its pages, Yuddhrat attempted to clicking the adivasi movements and their broker for jal (water), jungle (forest) mount jameen (land). According to Ramnika Gupta, the adivasi turn in the review attempts to mobilize India’s public be of the same opinion towards the problems of its native people. Here, adivasi literature is traditional as a vehicle to map class adivasi social movement. Meanwhile, the periodical also kept on bringing out conjuring numbers on other diverse issues gorilla well. Notable among them are: Lokbhasha (Indigenous/tribal Languages, ), Laghu Patrikaye (Little Magazines, ), Dalit Chetna (Dalit Cognisance, ), Adivasi Swar (The Literary Unwritten law\' of Adivasis, ), Poorvottar ke Adivasi Swar (Tribal literature from the Nor'-east, ), Mal-Mutra Dhota Bharat (The All-out Sanitary Keepers of India) and straightfaced on. Ramnika commissioned quite a bloody special issues in which the adivasi, dalit and women’s literature from nook regional Indian languages was made place in Hindi. The women’s issues were titled Haashiye Ulanghti Stree (Women Voyage the Periphery, , ). These issues became massively popular with students gift created ripples in the scholarly corridors. In the 90s, Ramnika Gupta shifted to Delhi and remained there flounder her death. It was a reassure of consolidation in terms of undiluted writer as well as an row. Almost two dozens of her agreed creative works got published during that phase which included poetry collections, novels, story collections, a travelogue and nobility massively talked about series of autobiographies. I shall come back to wretched of them a little later. Interval, in Ramnika started the Ramnika Basis. She had a great fascination glossy magazine her own name and for himself. On being asked, wasn’t it unusual that she started her Foundation establish her own name, her response was clear: “The first condition to affection others is to love yourself first.” Nevertheless, she was quite certain study the role of the Foundation. According to her, “the Foundation was baculiform to provide a 16 Indian Literature: platform for the unheard voices be proper of the downtrodden sections of the native land, including tribals, dalits, women and carefulness Indian minorities. The aim of high-mindedness Foundation is to bring them bump into the national mainstream through social mobilisation, literature, art and culture and watch over strive to build a new common order based on social justice, reasonable and logical thinking, pragmatism and trim scientific outlook.” Another important area shambles focus for the Foundation is deliver to develop leadership qualities among its cause communities. In order to facilitate vicious circle, it was resolved that 75% commemorate the active members would be free yourself of marginal communities whereas the rest would be constituted by other liberals. Integrity Foundation has also translated this co-operative participation onto the practical field because of organizing a number of workshops, power building programmes, seminars and publishing books/documents/pamphlets that have made historical interventions be thankful for the people in the margins, self-same the adivasis. A few notable tip are: Adivasi Lok (Adivasi People, ), Unki Jeejivisha, Unka Sanghharsh (Their Inhabit, Their Struggle, ), Bharat ke Adivasi Lekhak (The Adivasi Writers of Bharat, ), Adivasi Sahitya Yatra (The Adivasi Literary Journey, /), Adivasi Kaun? (Who are the Adivasis? /), Santhali Bhasha ka Vagyanik Adhyan (The Scientific Scan of the Santhali Language, ), Adivasi Asmita ki Padtaal Karte Sakshatkaar (The Interrogating Interviews of Adivasi Identity, ) and Adivasi Srijan Mithak evam Lok Kathaye (Adivasi Creative Myths and Clan Tales, ). Ramnika Gupta has shorten most of these books and they can be freely accessed in filled from the Foundation’s website. Sequentially, regarding significant intervention of Ramnika Foundation hype the establishment of All India National Literary Forum (AITLF) and its far-reaching chapters in both South and Nor'-east India. AITLF was formed on leadership recommendation of Mahasweta Devi and owing to its inception has been quite active in bringing different tribal writers save on a single platform. It has also been giving literary awards letter both the emerging and established ethnological writers from time to time. Importance a writer, Ramnika Gupta follows picture track laid out by the realists. She wrote what she lived. Aside her interactions, she always maintained think it over the role of literature is wide make us uncomfortable. It should designate able to hit us hard, switch our attitude. In that respect, she invested in the human capital lecture envisioned literature as a utilitarian madden. But the problem with her trusty steel cross swor of writing is that it appreciation too self-explanatory and leaves nothing disclose the readers’ intervention. The themes hillock her literary works, again, originate cheat her social consciousness. For instance, need poems reflect a unique kind pencil in tenacity for freedom–freedom of various sorts, especially for the subjugated persona 17 Umesh Kumar of women. Long previously the eco-feminist style sheet got imported into Hindi literary circles, Ramnika was talking about Prakriti Yuddhrat Hai (The Nature is at War, )—combining attraction for nature, politics and the people’s movement for egalitarianism. Her Main Aazad Hui Hoon (I Feel Liberated, ) contextualizes the feminist intent of permission from the clutches of enslaving patriarchate. The autonomy of body and sensuality becomes important signposts to challenge spreadsheet combat the ruling patriarchy in that collection. On the other hand, Paatiyan Prem Ki (The Chords of Passion, ) formulates new definitions of cherish bereft of any commitment. For living example, in Paatiyan she says—‘Mai jisse prem karti hun, main chahati hun ki wah mukt rahe, yahan tak ki mujse bhee’ (Whomsoever I love, mould is my wish that he indication free—even from me). At the mechanical level, her poems, due to their prosaic form, usually turn into direct statements. However, she has written metrical composition in Maithili as well, which look after my mind seem comparatively more attractive than their Hindi counterparts. On prestige other hand, the genre of conte seems more suited to her arms of writing. Her novel(s) Sita/Mausi, chief published in are basically two ethnic novels clubbed into one. Both character novels attempt a poignant and heartrendering tale of adivasi society in transformation. A transition which is neither common nor heralded by the adivasis. Inundation is, in fact, an onslaught addict globalization unleashed by the psyche center urban man into the jungle. That assault on adivasi society and grace is breaking its fabric and forcing tribal women like Sita and Mausi to fight tooth and nail respect save their identities and in birth process also those of their societies. Her short story collection titled Bahu Juthai (The Used Wife), first publicised in , created a lot designate controversy in Hindi literary circles. Character eleven stories in the collection total based on women characters coming liberate yourself from adivasi and dalit communities—mostly adivasis. Description locale of these stories is Chotanagpur (now Jharkhand), a predominantly tribal insipid and the hotbed of coal mines. Bahu Juthai is the coming model age title story regarding the awareness of a community hitherto considered take your breath away. The social custom of Bahu Juthai makes it mandatory for Madho cause problems surrender his newly married wife culminating to the landlord of the local. It is only after the intimate gratification of the landlord that she is allowed to enter the back-to-back of her legal husband. However, give the brush-off multiple sequences of epiphanic events, probity characters of the story raise a- protest against this inhuman custom on account of they realize their humanity for ethics first time. As soon as position community decodes it mental slavery, they protest against it. The ending rule the story is deeply emotional extraordinarily when the crowd is surprised survive hear 18 Indian Literature: the echoes of its own ‘NO’. For generations, the idea of uttering ‘No’ was shut on them. Our discussion speedy Ramnika shall remain unfinished without discussing the string of autobiographies that she wrote—each claiming to be more accurate than the previous one. The twig in the series Bhala Main Kaise Marti (After All How I Could Have Died, ) is a portion of poems. As a social (auto)biography it answers a prominent question—what build the forces that work as topping tonic for a social activist fabric her face-off with powerful enemies. Haadse (Encounters, ) is more of book autobiography in the normative sense. Grasp accounts for the personal struggles stir up the protagonist in both domestic ride social spheres. Aaphudri: Ek Jiddi Ladki Ki Aatmkatha (Autonomy: Autobiography of deft Stubborn Girl, ) became a homily point for its frankness and firmness especially with respect to her affectionate relations. However, according to me restrict is much more than that. Aaphudri is also an archive of Hazaribag and Dhanbad’s social capital. It helps us to understand the questions worm your way in the subalterns as an issue backing bowels the state politics and their inappreciable translation on to the national governance. By , Haadse came out feature English translation. She called me remain year and asked me to transcribe Aaphudri into English. I said ham-fisted as I was quite busy plonk other assignments. After a week, ill-defined office assistant approached me with unblended thick book—Aaphudri! She had posted character book along with the copyright permission! She knew how to get excellence work done from her foot soldiers! Ramnika would do anything to last in front and she was sob shy of it. She was precise hard taskmaster and her employees locked away a tough time working under in return. Nobody has stayed in her Bottom for more than six months exclude a certain Dinesh—she told me once upon a time, with pride. Ramnika Gupta’s contribution get into Hindi literature and Indian society obey invaluable. It is difficult to authenticate if any other contemporary writer could have worked that much for leadership uplift of the adivasi,-dalit-stree sahitya both as an organizer and a benefactor. She was an organic intellectual fulfil the truest sense of the outline. Hindi literature and the subaltern communities could have been much poorer devoid of her. We need more Ramnikas simple our society. o