Latest news with #Banu
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
No story is small: Banu Mushtaq to B'luru students
Banu Mushtaq, the first Kannada writer to win the International Booker Prize, earlier this year, visited Bengaluru to meet and greet students and teachers at the Mount Carmel College. During her speech, she shared insights into her life, challenges, and steadfast belief in the power of words. Excerpts: 'I COULDN'T READ A SINGLE ALPHABET TILL THE AGE OF EIGHT' Born into a traditional Muslim family, Banu was initially admitted to an Urdu school but spent two years there without learning to read or write. 'I couldn't read a single alphabet till the age of eight. One of my father's friends who had written my jataka (horoscope) predicted that I would one day be world famous, and my father always held onto that hope. When I was admitted to a government Kannada school, I was told, 'Muslim girls never study Kannada. We'll give her six months, and if she doesn't pick up, we'll issue a transfer certificate'. Within one week, I learnt all the Kannada alphabets. The next week, I was reading and writing. I was encouraged by my father, who supported me throughout my education,' she shared. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru 'I BELIEVED IN MY STORIES, MY LANGUAGE AND MYSELF' Banu recalled the immense pressure leading up to the International Booker Prize ceremony. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bebe una taza cada mañana y descubre lo que pasa una semana después. Té mágico desintoxicante Undo 'I was constantly reminded by people that a short story collection had never won the Booker, and was considered insignificant compared to a novel. The voices never quietened down, and that made me write my acceptance speech because I believed in my stories, in language and myself. I told myself, 'No story is small',' she said. Still marvelling at her win, Banu said, 'People across the world have watched that speech of a small-town woman who once couldn't read a single alphabet.' 'A WOMAN WHO WRITES IS STILL SEEN AS A REBEL' 'There is always some resistance outside the home. Especially for women, writing is seen as an act of rebellion. Our (women writers') thoughts aren't meant to be public, as the patriarchal society believes. According to society, a good woman stays silent. If she writes, especially about religion or injustice, people say she's crossing a line,' said Banu. 'ASKING FOR HELP IS CONSIDERED WEAKNESS BY SOCIETY' 'We speak of motherhood as joyful, but we don't speak of its isolation. If she asks for help, then that is seen as a sign of weakness and she's instantly dismissed as being 'too emotional,' said Banu.
The Print
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Liberals don't want Muslim women to demand rights in Hindutva era
I am not suggesting that Indian women as a whole have attained substantive equality as guaranteed by the Constitution. This appears distant, even eight decades after Independence. But Muslim women additionally bear the brunt of belonging to a religious minority. They have to deal with patriarchal orthodoxy within the community and divisive communal onslaught outside. Unlike Hindu and Christian women, they face legal discrimination in family matters without reformed codified Muslim personal laws. This is an injustice suffered by women alone – even as the whole community lives in poverty, economic and educational backwardness, and political apathy. Rising religious polarisation and hate politics have made matters worse in recent years. Her work also highlights that Muslim women seeking justice are neither a figment of imagination nor a part of some political conspiracy. Rather, they remind us of gaps such as unjust personal laws in our democratic system. Forever, Muslim women seeking justice within family and community have been demonised by conservatives as 'bad women'. Speaking to the media, Banu recalled how she was threatened and attacked for amplifying the voices of women in a conservative society. Banu Mushtaq's Heart Lamp won the 2025 International Booker Prize for poignantly telling stories based on the lived realities of Muslim women in a male-dominated society. The jury lauded her work for its 'astonishing portraits of survival and resilience'. Originally written in Kannada and translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, the stories are universal. The women portrayed can be found across India. Mushtaq's work brings alive the pathos and ingenuity with which ordinary women negotiate the complexities imposed by patriarchy. Muslim women have come under the spotlight since 2014. The women-led movement against instant triple talaq had been going on since 2012, gaining momentum when Shayara Bano approached the Supreme Court in 2016. The Union government then filed an affidavit supporting the abolition of instant triple talaq. Many women survivors of triple talaq, as well as my organisation, joined the petition. We argued that the 'talaq talaq talaq' method of divorce was both un-Quranic and unconstitutional. A major campaign educating the public about the rights of women in Islam was undertaken. Thousands of women joined the movement. The conservative clergy defended the practice and fought for the preservation of the status quo. To them, Shariat is divine and cannot be touched by anyone. Most Opposition political parties kept silent, except some parliamentarians who spoke out in their individual capacity. In 2017, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the practice of triple talaq was invalid. In 2019, the Centre brought a law punishing Muslim husbands pronouncing triple talaq with a jail term. The Narendra Modi government has been accused of using Muslim women as tropes to further its politics. On one hand, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders talk about the need for a Uniform Civil Code to help Muslim women. On the other, girls and women in hijab cannot be allowed inside schools and colleges in Karnataka. Also read: Indian Muslims must face the truth—Muslim countries don't care about them Muslim women & majoritarian politics Muslim women cannot be immune to majoritarian policies and rising hate crimes. While reform in family law is overdue, women need to be supported in areas such as education, jobs, health and housing. They need safety, security and a life with dignity and freedoms. Women and children are the worst affected when homes are razed during riots or when bulldozers are deployed. It is ironic that no government could protect the rights of Muslim women since Independence, despite constitutional obligations. Only men with overtly religious identities were perceived as leaders. The Shah Bano episode remains a shameful chapter in our history. It seems Indian Muslim women are obligated to live within predefined boundaries demarcated by conservative clergy – which are occasionally readjusted by the dominant politics of the day. In 1986, the Congress government quashed the maintenance given to Shah Bano by the court in 1985 to ostensibly uphold secularism. They surrendered to the patriarchal forces for fear of losing votes. Between 1986 and now, the opportunity for reforming personal laws has not arisen. This speaks volumes about the stranglehold of patriarchy over our polity. Meanwhile, women continue to suffer from unilateral divorces, and archaic practices such as halala, muta marriages, polygamy, denial of guardianship of children, and denial of a fair share in property. Our petition in the Supreme Court listed verses from the Quran, highlighting how Allah created man and woman as equals. In reality, misogynistic interpretations and misinterpretations abound. The unequal status of Muslim women is one of the key enigmas for our secular democracy. By contrast, the Muslim woman herself shows exemplary behaviour. She knows her rights and duties as a Muslim and as a citizen in a democracy. She demands to be an equal Muslim and an equal citizen at once. I have routinely heard women survivors of the 2002 Gujarat riots saying that they want justice and not charity. Women fighting against triple talaq equipped themselves with Quranic teachings as well as knowledge of constitutional safeguards. They saw no contradiction in demanding justice from both sources. Women fighting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) invoked constitutional values of equality, secularism, and non-discrimination as they sat on dharnas with the tricolour in their hands. However, it suited the conservatives to support this women-led agitation, unlike the one against triple talaq. Women can be supported as long as they protest against state institutions and do not challenge the patriarchal status quo within the home and family. Some liberals consider Muslim women's demand for equal rights as inappropriate in times of Hindutva politics. But for women seeking justice within their lifetime, there is nothing called the correct time. Shayara Bano, Aafreen Rehman, Ishrat Jahan, Atiya Sabri, and Gulshan Parveen – all petitioners against triple talaq are living feminine beings. As are the women in Heart Lamp. Zakia Soman is a women's rights activist, columnist, and the co-founder of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. Her X handle is @zakiasomanbmma. Views are personal. (Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Reading culture is growing, says Banu Mushtaq
Mysuru: International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq has pushed back against claims of declining readership and the sidelining of short stories, asserting that the reading culture is thriving. "My experience is the opposite. The reading culture is growing," Banu said during an interaction with the reporters in Mysuru on Saturday. Banu, who won the International Booker Prize for a Kannada short story collection, said her writing is rooted in political consciousness and real life. "Writing is inherently political," she said. "My Muslim women characters represent all women who face oppression in patriarchal societies," she added. She expressed displeasure over scepticism surrounding short story collections. "I was informed that I should not have much hope for the collection of short stories, which angered me. In Western countries, I am asked about the book references and academic references in my stories. My answer for them was I have only true life references," she added. Banu said her writings in Kannada too drew criticism. "When I criticised the silence of Bhishmacharya during the insult to Draupadi, I was criticised by a section of society. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo When I started to write stories in Kannada shedding light on the life and struggles of Muslim women, I received criticism. The critics wanted me to write in Urdu as Kannada writings make the world know the sufferings," she said. On muted responses from some literary circles and no wishes from the PM, she said, "Characters of my stories are always optimistic, and they never give up. Similarly, I am also optimistic that in the coming days, they may congratulate me. I believe Prime Minister Modi will congratulate me. I am hopeful about it." On the controversy surrounding her selection to preside over the 88th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Ballari, she said, "I was not selected by any individual. But the executive committee of the Parishat unanimously selected me. The govt has the power to inquire if there are allegations," Banu said. Asked about inaugurating Mysuru Dasara, she quipped, "I don't stitch the cradle before the baby is born."
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Banu Mushtaq brought honour to Karnataka: Prakash Raj
Mysuru: Actor-activist Prakash Raj on Friday hailed Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq for bringing laurels to Kannada by winning the first International Booker Prize for Kannada. It was an honour for the Kannada intellectual who also brought pride to Karnataka, he said. He was speaking after Banu was felicitated at a function organised in the city by Abhiruchi Publications which celebrated its 30 years. Raj recalled that he came to know Banu when she was writing for Kannada tabloid Lankesh Patrike. Mushtaq wrote stories in Kannada depicting women-centric struggles, injustice and discrimination against women and explained her inner voice in her writings. Kannada writer Latha Mysuru highlighted the resistance from some Muslim community members during Banu's initial years of writing. Her family not only faced ostracism but was also boycotted, prevented and restricted by her writings. However, the writer overcame such struggles and penned more than 40 books, including fiction, novels, and collections of short stories during her 40-year literary career, she said. Banu thanked the International Booker Prize selection committee jurists for selecting her short stories. Recalling her Mysuru connection, Banu said she studied in a primary school in KRS, where her father served as a health inspector. She also stressed the need to protect the heritage buildings of Mysuru like the United Kingdom protected its heritage structures. There are a lot of similarities between London and Mysuru, like its palaces and its salubrious environment. Banu said she would continue to fight against injustice and inequality as a writer and advocate. Historian PV Nanjaraje Urs, state information commissioner Harish Kumar and publisher BN Sriram were present.
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Major terror bid foiled in Rayachoti, IEDs seized
KADAPA: In a major breakthrough against terror activities, police in Annamayya district conducted raids on the homes of two terror suspects arrested in Rayachoti town for their links with the banned terror outfit Al-Ummah, and seized a large cache of explosives and materials used for making IEDs. During the searches, the suspects' wives-Saira Banu (wife of Abu Bakr) and Shaikh Shameem (wife of Mohammad Ali)-allegedly tried to obstruct the raids and even attacked the women police personnel. Accused married local women, living with fake names for over 2 decades Both were arrested and remanded to Kadapa Central Jail. Their possible involvement in the terror plot is currently under investigation. Kurnool Range DIG Dr Koya Praveen, addressing a press conference alongside Annamayya District SP V Vidya Sagar Naidu at the district police headquarters on Thursday, informed that the two men - Abu Bakr Siddiq alias Amanullah and Mohammad Ali alias Mansoor - had been living in Rayachoti with fake identities for the past 20 years. The accused had married local women and ran small businesses while living under false names in Rayachoti for over two decades, the police officials added. Two cases have been registered at Rayachoti Urban PS under BNS Sec.132, Explosives Act (1908 & 1884), UAPA Act (Sec. 13,15,18), Arms Actand also for additional charges under UAPA and Explosives Acts. Police seized highly dangerous materials capable of causing large-scale destruction, including ammonium nitrate mixed with fuel oil (for use in IEDs), slurry explosives (suspected to contain nitroglycerin or TNT), a 20-kg suitcase bomb packed with PETN, another suitcase and a box suspected to be IEDs, potassium nitrate, chlorate, permanganate, gunpowder, daggers, cleavers, and other sharp weapons.
