New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) Google today paid tribute toeminent Bengali writer-activist Mahasweta Devi on her 92ndbirth anniversary with a doodle depicting her contribution toliterature and her work with the tribal community.
The Padma Vibhushan awardee was best known for her worksincluding "Hajar Churashir Maa", "Chotti Munda Evam Tar Tir","Rudali", and "Jhansir Rani".
With over 100 novels and over 20 short storiescollections, Mahasweta Devi's work primarily focused on socialissues and common people.
Born in 1926 in Dhaka to well-known poet Manish Ghatakand Dharitri Devi, also a writer and social worker, she grewup in a political and literary environment.
After graduating in Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Englishfrom the Patha-Bhavana Vishvabharati University, Santiniketan,she also completed her Master's degree in English fromCalcutta University.
For her work in the literary field, she received SahityaAkademi Award for "Aranyer Adhikar" in 1979, Jnanpith Award in1996, Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1997 and was shortlisted forMan Booker International Prize in 2009.
Apart from her literary work, Devi was also known for hersocial work for the rights of tribal communities in WestBengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
She had also taken active part in Nandigram agitation andheaded the movement against the earlier CPI (Marxist)government's industrial policy.
She was awarded Padma Shri for social work in 1986, PadmaVibhushan in 2006 and Banga Bibhushan in 2011.
Devi passed away in July, 2016 following a heart attackand other age-related illnesses. PTI MAHMAH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.