ABSTRACT
The essay, originally written in Bengali, provides a detailed overview of Mahasweta’s reception in Bengal from 1957 to 1997 and after. The author reminds us of Mahasweta’s early, rather conventional writings, before her “rebirth” in the 1960s, when she began to focus on social realities in post-Independence India and eventually became a champion of the Adivasis and a sympathiser of political revolutions. The essay includes citations from a range of critical responses to her writings, from the 1950s to the present day, highlighting the attention she received for her important works in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and also the reservations expressed by some critics from different groups, until she achieved worldwide fame and received several major awards, leading to a celebration of her work by reputed Bengali critics. In this account, Mahasweta Devi emerges as an author and activist who made her mark with her unique genius, although she remained at odds with the Bengali literary mainstream.
