CM Siddaramaiah calls Banu Mushtaq ‘bold, progressive voice for Muslim women’

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah felicitated International Booker prize-winning Kannada author Banu Mushtaq and her English translator Deepa Bhasthi at a programme organised by the Kannada and Culture department on Monday.

Banu Mushtaq’s translated work, ‘Heart Lamp,’ won the International Booker prize recently. 

On the occasion, Siddaramaiah said, “Literature has the power to bind society”.

“Literature should unite, not divide us. Banu Mushtaq has brought pride to Kannada by winning the Booker Prize. This is a moment of collective pride for the entire Kannada-speaking world,” he said. 

“As a bold and progressive voice for Muslim women, Banu Mushtaq has stood against orthodoxy and fulfilled the responsibility of delivering a humanistic message through her literature,” the chief minister said. 

He announced a Rs 10-lakh award each for Mushtaq and Bhasthi, along with government support for translating Banu Mushtaq’s other works into English.

A visibly moved Mushtaq said, “Karnataka helped me grow roots, form ideas and inspired my creativity. Winning the Booker was a dream. But the encouragement I received online kept me going. This honour from the state means more to me than any award I’ve received.”

She emphasised Kannada’s spirit of inclusivity and harmony and noted, “No other language lives as harmoniously as Kannada”.

To young writers, she said, “Believe in your voice. This award belongs to every writer, poet, storyteller and singer in Karnataka. There are countless stories to tell — let’s tell them all”.

Bhasthi spoke of language as a living, evolving force.

“Kannada has not been elevated by the Booker. Instead, the award has elevated the status of English and English thrives because it absorbs cultures. Let us not bend Kannada to fit English. Instead, stretch English to suit Kannada’s music, tempo and accent,” she added.

She called for “decolonisation of English,” asserting, “No one can take away our language rights”.

Bhasthi emphasised the need for continued dialogue on language, identity and translation to ensure the Booker prize recognition has lasting significance.  

A fan clicks a selfie with the celebrated writers.