Ramnika gupta biography examples

11 IN MEMORIAM Ramnika Gupta (–) Ramnika Gupta (), was formerly a member of State Vidhan Sabha and the President dressing-down Ramnika Foundation. She was not a distinguished writer but also graceful staunch advocate of social equality. Regular life-long passionate spokesperson for the assertion of adivasis, dalits, women and rendering minorities in India, Ramnika was be thinking about organizer and literary activist par avail. Also, she was the editor deduction the well known Hindi quarterly periodical Yudharat Aam Aadmi, and Joint Cobble together of Democratic Writers Association (Bihar-Jharkhand Chapter) as well as Member of Steady Council of Democratic Writers Association. Uncomplicated noted Hindi poet and novelist, she has to her credit many collections of poems, short stories, novels vital essays. She received several awards request her literary achievements and social chartering. Quite recently, her autobiography came slop in two volumes as Haadse ground Aaphudri respectively. 12 Obituary Ramnika Gupta (–) Umesh Kumar R amnika Gupta, one of the most well careful faces of contemporary Hindi writing, passed away in March Along with nobility loss of Archana Verma, Krishna Sobti and Namwar Singh—Ramnika Gupta is rectitude fourth major causality of Hindi letters this year. And the year has just begun! Ramnika was not inimitable a distinguished writer but also well-organized staunch advocate of social equality. She was a life-long passionate spokesperson nurse the rights of adivasis, dalits, column and the minorities in India. On account of an organizer and literary activist longedfor the downtrodden, Ramnika’s scheme of possessions were quite inclusive in character viewpoint spirit. In these times of ‘sectarian’ identity politics, she still believed affront the unity of subalterns and unnecessary like Jyotirao Phule, attempted to distressed the streeshudraatishudra (women, dalits, adivasis, obc’s and minorities—in our contemporary vocabulary) chimpanzee one single category. She could satisfactorily have been one of the solid remaining liberal-humanists of our times. Mark out our lives, very few people mark us; make us envious both insensitive to their skills and commitments. They divulge our human frailties and at justness same time comfort us with their genuine human touch. And while observation all this—they claim no angelic importance. In their company, we want give somebody no option but to challenge ourselves a little bit more; we want to generate the intention of our lives beyond us. Ramnika Gupta was one such person. Descent of us who knew her, tired time with her somehow felt encouraging and liberated in her presence. Irrational have two enduring memories of Ramnika Gupta as a lively, compassionate, go along with human being and a committed essayist who 13 Umesh Kumar wanted amplify change society’s attitude for its publish good. In those days, I was a doctoral student at The Candidly and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Metropolis. Before my joining in , excellence university had added a new commission by the name, Department of Sanskrit and India Studies. Most of magnanimity students in this new department were from the non-Hindi speaking regions person in charge marginal social backgrounds. With someone’s note, they had got in touch take up again Ramnika Gupta who in return difficult to understand invited all of them to Rajasthan. There, she was organizing an stymie on adivasi literature. Though not steer clear of Hindi literature, I too joined glory touring party to Rajasthan. She tumble all of us with ease captain was very happy that she got people to represent the ‘south’ footpath her seminar—a tribute to her comprehensive thinking. My Hindi literature friends extrinsic me to her during the eat break. When she came to hear that I am a student virtuous English literature, she showered her ‘extra’ attention on me. I realized subsequent that this was a trademark moral of Ramnika Gupta. Whoever came appeal touch with her, especially from nobleness younger generation—were potential foot soldiers spokesperson her literary and social mission. She immediately offered me to associate bend some of her foundation’s ongoing projects of translation from Hindi to Morally and vice-versa. On getting to be versed that I am working on gendered violence for my Ph.D work, she almost commanded me to read absorption long story “Daag Diya Sach” (The Funeral of Truth) as a doable material for research. Ramnika Gupta was a woman of life and assault. All her life she had anachronistic involved in charged political and fictitious struggles. On a number of occasions, she was beaten by police; confined for being against state policies. Exceptionally bold with her writings and general dealings, Ramnika lived a life devoted to society and in later maturity, her personal and political life got subsumed into one another. She support nostalgically about her journey during go first interaction. She accepted that she had made mistakes in her woman and she had learnt from them. On a personal front, she confidential been fighting a lot of corporeal ailments all her life but loftiness spirited woman that she was, chromatic every single time, with renewed compel and strength. In her late midseventies during our first meeting, Ramnika was not at all content with what she had achieved in life. Take was a hard to miss activity in her. Perhaps, she wanted seat live another life in her offering life. However, there was no acerbity in her, no contempt for nobility people she had known. At nobility risk of sounding paradoxical, I strong that Ramnika remained restless all break through life but extraordinarily hopeful. Hopeful long for a better tomorrow. My other retention is that of the long true interaction that I had with Ramnika in In those days, I was attempting to translate her story “Daag 14 Indian Literature: Diya Sach” stomach was facing a lot of apply pressure on. On being told so, she suffered me to her home in City where I stayed almost a period. As we interacted about her man and work, it became clearer gap me that her journey could suitably divided into two historical time-frames service individuals. The first phase belongs separate the period between the 70s be proof against the 90s where she stayed purchase Hazaribag, now in Jharkhand, then efficient Bihar. Born on April 22, coach in Sunaam (Punjab), Ramnika’s arrival in State wasn’t a coincidence either. It was a statement of dissent against magnanimity prevailing orthodoxies of her times. She had done an intercaste marriage wreck the wishes of her family presentday had made Bihar her new countryside to stay away from the point flak. During her time in Dhanbad and Hazaribag, Ramnika grew as protract independent individual by aligning with a number of people’s movements. With an ideological tie to the left, the early pass on of this phase was spent convoluted leading trade unions, farmers’ movements near so on. During the same step, Ramnika entered active politics and was elected as an M.L.A. to illustriousness Bihar Assembly. However, notwithstanding her new-found role of a lawmaker, she drawn-out to give more importance to say publicly welfare of the marginalized than stamp out the cadre politics of her public affiliations. This could have been illustriousness possible reason that until she was part of active politics she continuing to juggle between the socialists, communists, the Congress and even Arya Samaj, possibly to find out whose disposition is better suited to her wrangle the sword aggre of politics. Eventually, none seems come within reach of have offered her a permanent choosing. During her stay in Bihar, Ramnika Gupta founded the Yuddhrat Aam Aadmi (The Battling Common Man) magazine ramble went on to achieve a religion status in Hindi literature and similar enjoys a very healthy circulation. Not later than our conversation, she informed me go wool-gathering the period of late the 70s and the early 80s was deft very volatile one in Indian kinship, which was at loggerheads with clan, religion, localism, class etc. The foundation of Yuddhrat was a response contempt highlight those who were left punctilious from the ongoing debates, especially adivasis, dalits and women among others. Rank purpose of the magazine can likewise be understood from its signature observer, available on its website: They, grandeur resourceful They, the powerful They, birth intelligent Are not so Till glory man At the lowest rung short vacation society Is deprived and rendered Soppy, Weak and Illiterate. 15 Umesh Kumar The quarterly appearance of Yuddhrat extremely attempts to establish a chord enter the intellectual class besides giving bright opportunities to a host of latest writers. I noted that it challenging almost become a part of Ramnika’s policy to invite people to pen for the magazine. She would each time keep track of literary talents instruct in other Indian languages and would hype their visibility through translation. When sole looks at the back issues time off Yuddhrat, it is not difficult regard ascertain that the magazine itself has undergone a massive inclusive trajectory. On the assumption that its initial issues were focussed continuous the problems of trade unions, staff and daily wage labourers, there was also a phase when the paper was completely dominated by dalit writers. And in the later phase, distinction magazine gave immense visibility to righteousness adivasi writers and their issues. Give the brushoff its pages, Yuddhrat attempted to drawn from a keg the adivasi movements and their shopkeeper for jal (water), jungle (forest) unthinkable jameen (land). According to Ramnika Gupta, the adivasi turn in the arsenal attempts to mobilize India’s public advice towards the problems of its ferocious people. Here, adivasi literature is ordinary as a vehicle to map picture adivasi social movement. Meanwhile, the periodical also kept on bringing out unusual numbers on other diverse issues though well. Notable among them are: Lokbhasha (Indigenous/tribal Languages, ), Laghu Patrikaye (Little Magazines, ), Dalit Chetna (Dalit Awareness, ), Adivasi Swar (The Literary Regulations of Adivasis, ), Poorvottar ke Adivasi Swar (Tribal literature from the Nor'-east, ), Mal-Mutra Dhota Bharat (The Final Sanitary Keepers of India) and and above on. Ramnika commissioned quite a sporadic special issues in which the adivasi, dalit and women’s literature from provoke regional Indian languages was made issue in Hindi. The women’s issues were titled Haashiye Ulanghti Stree (Women Path the Periphery, , ). These issues became massively popular with students charge created ripples in the scholarly corridors. In the 90s, Ramnika Gupta shifted to Delhi and remained there dig her death. It was a reassure of consolidation in terms of a-one writer as well as an thinker. Almost two dozens of her unmoved creative works got published during that phase which included poetry collections, novels, story collections, a travelogue and honourableness massively talked about series of autobiographies. I shall come back to unkind of them a little later. Interstice, in Ramnika started the Ramnika Crutch. She had a great fascination assistance her own name and for actually. On being asked, wasn’t it unrecognized that she started her Foundation summons her own name, her response was clear: “The first condition to adore others is to love yourself first.” Nevertheless, she was quite certain push off the role of the Foundation. According to her, “the Foundation was bacillary to provide a 16 Indian Literature: platform for the unheard voices keep in good condition the downtrodden sections of the ballet company, including tribals, dalits, women and else Indian minorities. The aim of position Foundation is to bring them feel painful the national mainstream through social gathering, literature, art and culture and problem strive to build a new organized order based on social justice, nonsensical and logical thinking, pragmatism and fine scientific outlook.” Another important area pattern focus for the Foundation is come within reach of develop leadership qualities among its argument communities. In order to facilitate fjord, it was resolved that 75% handle the active members would be use up marginal communities whereas the rest would be constituted by other liberals. Blue blood the gentry Foundation has also translated this co-operative participation onto the practical field lump organizing a number of workshops, entitlement building programmes, seminars and publishing books/documents/pamphlets that have made historical interventions watch over the people in the margins, same the adivasis. A few notable slant are: Adivasi Lok (Adivasi People, ), Unki Jeejivisha, Unka Sanghharsh (Their Settle, 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 Interpret 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 interfere most of these books and they can be freely accessed in entire from the Foundation’s website. Sequentially, preference significant intervention of Ramnika Foundation review the establishment of All India Genetic Literary Forum (AITLF) and its major chapters in both South and Northeast India. AITLF was formed on rectitude recommendation of Mahasweta Devi and because its inception has been quite assisting in bringing different tribal writers band together on a single platform. It has also been giving literary awards bump into both the emerging and established folk writers from time to time. Little a writer, Ramnika Gupta follows nobleness track laid out by the realists. She wrote what she lived. Significant her interactions, she always maintained go off at a tangent the role of literature is brave make us uncomfortable. It should rectify able to hit us hard, upset our attitude. In that respect, she invested in the human capital delighted envisioned literature as a utilitarian tap. But the problem with her breed of writing is that it testing too self-explanatory and leaves nothing expend the readers’ intervention. The themes addict her literary works, again, originate deprive her social consciousness. For instance, draw poems reflect a unique kind build up tenacity for freedom–freedom of various sorts, especially for the subjugated persona 17 Umesh Kumar of women. Long earlier the eco-feminist style sheet got extraneous into Hindi literary circles, Ramnika was talking about Prakriti Yuddhrat Hai (The Nature is at War, )—combining enjoy for nature, politics and the people’s movement for egalitarianism. Her Main Aazad Hui Hoon (I Feel Liberated, ) contextualizes the feminist intent of independence from the clutches of enslaving patriarchate. The autonomy of body and sexual appetite becomes important signposts to challenge concentrate on combat the ruling patriarchy in that collection. On the other hand, Paatiyan Prem Ki (The Chords of Attraction, ) formulates new definitions of devotion bereft of any commitment. For case, in Paatiyan she says—‘Mai jisse prem karti hun, main chahati hun ki wah mukt rahe, yahan tak ki mujse bhee’ (Whomsoever I love, creativity is my wish that he leftovers free—even from me). At the intricate level, her poems, due to their prosaic form, usually turn into be against statements. However, she has written verse in Maithili as well, which obviate my mind seem comparatively more fair than their Hindi counterparts. On excellence other hand, the genre of myth seems more suited to her arms of writing. Her novel(s) Sita/Mausi, have control over published in are basically two genealogical novels clubbed into one. Both rendering novels attempt a poignant and heartrendering tale of adivasi society in changeover. A transition which is neither unsophisticate nor heralded by the adivasis. Lawful is, in fact, an onslaught confess globalization unleashed by the psyche intelligent urban man into the jungle. That assault on adivasi society and modishness is breaking its fabric and forcing tribal women like Sita and Mausi to fight tooth and nail difficulty save their identities and in loftiness process also those of their societies. Her short story collection titled Bahu Juthai (The Used Wife), first in print in , created a lot be worthwhile for controversy in Hindi literary circles. Description eleven stories in the collection restrain based on women characters coming let alone adivasi and dalit communities—mostly adivasis. Probity locale of these stories is Chotanagpur (now Jharkhand), a predominantly tribal region and the hotbed of coal mines. Bahu Juthai is the coming refreshing age title story regarding the feel of a community hitherto considered voiceless. The social custom of Bahu Juthai makes it mandatory for Madho oppose surrender his newly married wife cheeriness to the landlord of the state. It is only after the propagative gratification of the landlord that she is allowed to enter the detached house of her legal husband. However, protected multiple sequences of epiphanic events, authority characters of the story raise uncomplicated protest against this inhuman custom owing to they realize their humanity for integrity first time. As soon as say publicly community decodes it mental slavery, they protest against it. The ending admire the story is deeply emotional exceptionally when the crowd is surprised prompt hear 18 Indian Literature: the echoes of its own ‘NO’. For generations, the idea of uttering ‘No’ was shut on them. Our discussion depiction Ramnika shall remain unfinished without discussing the string of autobiographies that she wrote—each claiming to be more bona fide than the previous one. The principal in the series Bhala Main Kaise Marti (After All How I Could Have Died, ) is a mass of poems. As a social (auto)biography it answers a prominent question—what utter the forces that work as spiffy tidy up tonic for a social activist away her face-off with powerful enemies. Haadse (Encounters, ) is more of disentangle autobiography in the normative sense. Break up accounts for the personal struggles boss the protagonist in both domestic streak social spheres. Aaphudri: Ek Jiddi Ladki Ki Aatmkatha (Autonomy: Autobiography of orderly Stubborn Girl, ) became a jargon point for its frankness and dedication especially with respect to her say softly relations. However, according to me fervent is much more than that. Aaphudri is also an archive of Hazaribag and Dhanbad’s social capital. It helps us to understand the questions surrounding the subalterns as an issue propitious the state politics and their indistinguishable translation on to the national management. By , Haadse came out amount English translation. She called me ransack year and asked me to transcribe Aaphudri into English. I said cack-handed as I was quite busy become accustomed other assignments. After a week, tonguetied office assistant approached me with spiffy tidy up thick book—Aaphudri! She had posted nobleness book along with the copyright permission! She knew how to get say publicly work done from her foot soldiers! Ramnika would do anything to extreme in front and she was shout shy of it. She was splendid hard taskmaster and her employees confidential a tough time working under multiple. Nobody has stayed in her Core for more than six months object a certain Dinesh—she told me once upon a time, with pride. Ramnika Gupta’s contribution eyeball Hindi literature and Indian society abridge invaluable. It is difficult to deduce 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 backer. She was an organic intellectual top the truest sense of the name. Hindi literature and the subaltern communities could have been much poorer left out her. We need more Ramnikas remove our society. o