Daak Weekly: Mahasweta Devi and Humaneness in the Face of Brutality
One of the necessary conditions for living an intentional and compassionate life is familiarity with life’s brutalities. For only this familiarity can breed true compassion and spur us to action. Mahasweta Devi (1926–2016) embodied this philosophy in both her art and activism.
Her writings on the “culture of the downtrodden” have shed light on the plight of the marginalized, especially women. She wrote, “I cling to the belief that for any culture as old and ancient as ours to have survived over time and in time, there could only be one basic common and acceptable core thought: humaneness. To accept each other’s right to be human with dignity.” Although grim in their subject matter, it is this humanness that her stories advocate.
One of her collections, “Breast Stories,” is particularly unsettling but crucial in advancing a nuanced understanding of the issues women have faced and continue to face. We bring you two stories from this collection: the first, "Standayini" (Breast Giver), illustrates Devi’s contemplation of humaneness and dignity through the life of Jashoda, a "professional mother" who suckles the babes of the wealthy Haldar household, only to meet an ironic end when all her “milk-sons” grow up, leaving her breasts redundant and rankled with cancer. This story lays bare the socio-cultural dilemmas faced by women in post-colonial India (and perhaps today as well?), where worship and idolization are bittersweet, as Jashoda's revered role ultimately leads to neglect.
The second story, "Draupadi," embodies the indomitable spirit and resilience of a tribal woman, Dopdi (named after the fiery, vengeful queen from the Mahabharata), who has chosen the life of guerrilla warfare — a profession rife with grave risks. Led by the ruthless Senanayak, the special forces finally catch Dopdi and cruelly violate her but fail to turn her into a docile victim. “Draupadi” is gruesome but empowering at the same time, making it a story worth reading.
Through these hard-hitting stories, Mahasweta Devi created powerful vessels of her enduring legacy, inspiring continued advocacy for social justice and humaneness.
Love,
Team Daak
Want to read some weird, supernatural, futurist and magical realist fiction by Dalit writers? We’re thrilled to bring you the Daak x The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste SF!
