The Jnanpith, Padma Vibhushan and Magsaysay awardee died on Thursday at a Kolkata hospital following prolonged illness.
She is survived by her daughter-in-law and grandchild. Mahasweta Devi’s son pre-deceased her two years ago.
The 90-year-old Mahasweta Devi was admitted to the hospital in south Kolkata on June 22, 2016 with septicemia and urine infection. She was also suffering from diabetes. She passed away at around 3 pm on Thursday.
The condition of the author — who has played a significant role to uplift the extremely backward community, Kheria Sabar — deteriorated over the last few weeks, following which an eight-member medical board was formed for her treatment. She was put on ventilator support.
“India has lost a great writer. Bengal has lost a glorious mother. I have lost a personal guide. Mahasheta Di rest in peace,” chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted.
Devi was one of the most decorated writers of the country, with awards such as Sahitya Academi (1979), Padmashri (1986), Jnanpith (1996), Ramon Magsaysay (1997) and Padma Vibhushan (2006) under her belt.
After the 2006 Singur movement lead by Mamata Banerjee, the author, over 80 years of age at the time, became an advisor to the Trinamool leader, who turned to her regularly for guidance. She was also easily the tallest figure in the group of intellectuals who stood by Mamata at the time.
The writer was the prime face on the dais during the yearly July 21 Martyr’s Day programme organised by the Trinamool Congress.
She spent years researching, writing on and campaigning for welfare activities for the tribals of Bengal, especially the Lodha and Shabar communities. Though Mahasweta Devi was a bitter critic of the Left for the past 10 years, her intellectual moorings was initially with the Left.
Arguably her most-famous book, Hajar Churashir Maa (Mother No 1084) was based on the mother of a Naxalite in the tumultuous ’70s in Kolkata and was made into a popular Bollywood movie starring Jaya Bachchan.
