Banu Mushtaq talks about Ambedkar, Babri demolition at Bengaluru lit fest on December 6

International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq directed audiences’ thoughts to the poignancy of the date, December 6, in her keynote address at the Bangalore Literature Festival which opened on Saturday. 

"December 6 is remembered for two different events in this country. On one hand, it is the day of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar's ‘parinirvana’. On the other hand, this day is a reminder of the demolition of the Babri Masjid which hurt the sentiments of people,” said the lawyer, activist and writer, who delivered the address in Kannada and English. 

She highlighted the values Ambedkar lived by, its influence on the law and moral values of the country, and also elaborated on how the demolition 36 years later, spelt the end of pluralism in India. 

"This time it is essential for us not only to see history from the point of destruction or pain it caused. But we must also think of what moral values to foster among people in the future," she stated, adding, “Therefore, December 6 is the day that sends a message to our collective consciousness that we must walk the path of humanity, pluralism, equality and brotherhood. The dark incidents in history should not weaken us, but they must remind us to guard the lights carefully".

In a conversation with moderator Prateeti Ballal following the address, Banu offered insight into the conceptualisation of some of her short stories in the Booker winning short story collection 'Heart Lamp'. 

A devotional song she overheard a woman singing while travelling “haunted her for days” until she recognised it for its patriarchal undertones. 

In the short story ‘High-Heeled Shoe’, a husband wants his pregnant wife to wear pencil heels, to match the fashion of a sister-in-law he admires. Despite the wife’s protests, the shoe is bought and she is forced to wear it. But her foetus is uncomfortable and she intentionally breaks the heel while walking down the street. “I wanted to show how the woman chose to resist patriarchy strategically, and with dignity,” she explained.

She recounted an episode of being hauled into a police van during a protest in her hometown Hassan. “My family was shocked, but the male members of my family supported and understood me,” she said.

The session concluded with a story about how her tale ‘Karinaagaragalu’ landed a film deal.

“When I was grieving the loss of my father and struggling with suicidal thoughts, my husband got me a book 'The Power of Your Subconscious Mind'. It taught me the technique of manifestation. And for three months, I would manifest Girish Kasaravalli calling me with an offer to turn one of my stories into a film. When he finally called me, my first response was 'Which story do you want to turn into a film?'," she recalled.

‘Hasina’, the 2004 film adaptation of the story, tackles the themes of love, marriage, abuse and gender discrimination.