Google Doodle pays tribute to Mahasweta Devi

KOLKATA: Google on Sunday dedicated its doodle to noted author and social activist Mahasweta Devi on her 92nd birth anniversary.
Google India wrote on Twitter, “With courage flowing through her pen, she created powerful prose. Celebrating writer and social activist Mahasweta Devi on her 92nd birth anniversary.”
The acclaimed writer and social activist had died at the age of 90 in July 2016.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee also paid her tribute. She said, “Remembering Mahashweta Di on her birth anniversary. We miss her very, very much.”
The author had lent her support to Banerjee with the call for ‘Poriborton’ (change) ahead of the 2011 assembly polls in Bengal which brought an end to the three-and-a-halfdecade of Left rule.
The doodle, incidentally, depicted Mahashweta Devi’s contribution to literature and her work with the tribal community.
Apart from her literary work, Devi was also known for her social work for the rights of tribal communities in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
The multiple award winner was best known for her works like ‘Hajar Churashir Maa’, ‘Chotti Munda Evam Tar Tir’, ‘Rudali’ and ‘Jhansir Rani’. With over 100 novels and over 20 short stories collections, Mahasweta Devi’s work primarily focused on social issues and common people.
Born in 1926 in Dhaka to well-known poet Manish Ghatak and Dharitri Devi, also a writer and social worker, Mahasweta Devi grew up in a political and literary environment.
After graduating in bachelor of arts (hons) in English from the Patha-Bhavana Vishvabharati University, Santiniketan, she also completed her Master's degree in English from Calcutta University.
Interestingly, Google also released three sketches — drafts — of the doodle before firming up the one appearing today. All drafts chose to highlight Devi’s work for the downtrodden, among others.
Google had in 2017 similarly celebrated iconic Bengali artist Jamini Roy’s 130th birth anniversary. On April 14, 2017, doodle marked Pohela Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali Calendar. Later in the same year the doodle celebrated the life of prolific Bangla writer Humayun Ahmed.