# *Detailed SUMMARY of the article “Banu Mushtaq’s polyglot India” by Jawed Naqvi, Published in Dawn on May 27th, 2025:* The article celebrates *Banu Mushtaq’s* *International Booker Prize 2025* win for her *Kannada* short story collection *Heart Lamp*, emphasizing the critical role of translation in making *South Asian literature* accessible globally. It highlights the linguistic diversity of India, where even within the so-called *Hindi heartland*, dialects like *Brij* and *Awadhi* create communication barriers, underscoring the need for translation to bridge gaps. *Heart Lamp*, comprising *12 stories* written between *1990* and *2023* and translated by *Deepa Bhasthi*, vividly portrays the struggles of *Muslim women* in *Karnataka* against *patriarchy*, *gender inequality*, *domestic violence*, and *religious oppression*. As a *lawyer* and *activist*, Mushtaq uses her stories to advocate for *women’s rights*, showing how they can demand justice rather than endure silent suffering. The article cites examples like *Mehrun*, who contemplates suicide after her husband’s remarriage, and *Black Cobras*, where twisted religious interpretations deny women education and work. Mushtaq’s work, rooted in *Karnataka’s* progressive *Bandaya Sahitya movement*, reflects universal themes of *marginalized communities* and *resilience*. The article also notes other *South Asian women writers* like *Geetanjali Shree* (*Tomb of Sand*, 2022 Booker winner), *Arundhati Roy*, *Bapsi Sidhwa*, and *Mahashweta Devi*, whose works, translated into multiple languages, amplify regional voices. It critiques *patriarchy* as a cross-religious issue, noting the *BJP’s* influence in Karnataka and Mushtaq’s assertion that women have the *wherewithal* to challenge oppression. Translation, exemplified by tools like *Google Translate* and literary translators, is portrayed as vital for connecting *multilingual* societies and sharing universal human experiences. # *Easy/Short SUMMARY*: *Banu Mushtaq* won the *2025 International Booker Prize* for her *Kannada* short story collection *Heart Lamp*, translated by *Deepa Bhasthi*. The *12 stories* depict *Muslim women* in *Karnataka* fighting *patriarchy* and *oppression*. The article highlights *India’s* linguistic diversity, the necessity of translation, and Mushtaq’s advocacy for *women’s rights*. It compares her to other *South Asian women writers* like *Geetanjali Shree* and critiques *patriarchy* across religions, noting women’s *resilience*. # *SOLUTIONS of The Problem*: ## *1. Promote Translation Initiatives* Fund and support *translation projects* to make regional *South Asian literature* like *Kannada* accessible globally. ## *2. Amplify Women’s Voices* Encourage *women writers* to share stories of *marginalized communities* through literary platforms and awards. ## *3. Combat Patriarchy* Raise awareness about *gender inequality* and support *activism* to challenge *patriarchal norms* across religions. ## *4. Preserve Linguistic Diversity* Integrate *regional languages* like *Kannada* into education and media to preserve *cultural heritage*. ## *5. Support Literary Movements* Back progressive movements like *Bandaya Sahitya* to foster *social justice* through literature. ## *6. Enhance Global Outreach* Promote *South Asian literature* in international forums to highlight *diverse narratives*. ## *7. Educate on Women’s Rights* Use *stories* like Mushtaq’s to inform communities about *legal rights* and *gender justice*. ## *8. Counter Political Exploitation* Challenge parties like the *BJP* that exploit *women’s issues* for political gain in regions like *Karnataka*. ## *9. Develop Translation Technology* Improve tools like *Google Translate* to better handle *regional dialects* for broader communication. ## *10. Foster Cross-Cultural Dialogue* Encourage translations into languages like *Urdu*, *Hindi*, and *English* to connect *India* and *Pakistan* literarily. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the article*: * *Banu Mushtaq* won the *2025 International Booker Prize* for *Heart Lamp*, a *Kannada* short story collection. * *Heart Lamp* includes *12 stories* written from *1990* to *2023*, translated by *Deepa Bhasthi*. * The stories focus on *Muslim women* in *Karnataka* facing *patriarchy* and *oppression*. * *Geetanjali Shree* won the *2022 Booker Prize* for *Tomb of Sand*, translated by *Daisy Rockwell*. * *Arundhati Roy’s* *God of Small Things* was translated into *Hindi*, *Malayalam*, *Marathi*, *Urdu*, and *Punjabi*. * *Bapsi Sidhwa’s* *The Pakistani Bride* was translated into *Urdu* as *Zaitoon*. * Mushtaq began publishing in *1981* and is a *lawyer* and *activist*. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures out of the article*: * *Heart Lamp* is the first *Kannada* work and first *short story collection* to win the *International Booker Prize*.[](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c308qjpz9y2o) * The prize, worth *£50,000*, was equally shared between *Mushtaq* and *Bhasthi* on *May 20, 2025*.[](https://www.thehindu.com/books/international-booker-banu-mushtaq-heart-lamp-deepa-bhasthi-indian-regional-literature/article69600154.ece) * Mushtaq, born in *1948* in *Hassan, Karnataka*, faced a *fatwa* in *2000* for advocating *women’s mosque access*.[](https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/who-is-banu-mushtaq-the-indian-winner-of-the-2025-international-booker-prize-1.500134858) * *Kannada* is spoken by *tens of millions* in *Karnataka*.[](https://www.npr.org/2025/05/24/nx-s1-5407872/indian-writer-banu-mushtaq-wins-international-booker-prize) * Mushtaq’s earlier compilation *Haseena and Other Stories* won the *2024 PEN Translation Prize*.[](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c308qjpz9y2o) * The *Bandaya Sahitya movement* in the *1970s-1980s* opposed *caste* and *class oppression*.[](https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-is-banu-mushtaq-indian-author-wins-international-booker-prize-5-things-101747798126246.html) # *MCQs from the Article*: ### 1. *What language is Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp originally written in?* A. Hindi *B. Kannada* C. Urdu D. Malayalam ### 2. *Who translated Heart Lamp into English?* A. Daisy Rockwell *B. Deepa Bhasthi* C. Rakhshanda Jalil D. Geetanjali Shree ### 3. *Which South Asian writer won the Booker Prize in 2022?* A. Arundhati Roy *B. Geetanjali Shree* C. Bapsi Sidhwa D. Mahashweta Devi ### 4. *What is a key theme in Mushtaq’s stories?* A. Urban development *B. Women’s struggles* C. Political revolutions D. Technological advancements ### 5. *Which movement influenced Mushtaq’s writing?* A. Swadeshi movement *B. Bandaya Sahitya movement* C. Quit India movement D. Naxalite movement # *VOCABULARY*: 1. *Polyglot* (کثیر اللسان) – Multilingual or speaking several languages 2. *Cliché* (فرسودہ) – Overused expression or idea 3. *Non sequitur* (غیر منطقی) – A statement that does not logically follow 4. *Erudite* (عالم) – Having or showing great knowledge 5. *Cogent* (معقول) – Clear, logical, and convincing 6. *Pedigree* (شجرہ نسب) – Lineage or distinguished origin 7. *Corpus* (مجموعہ) – A collection of written works 8. *Tribulations* (مصائب) – Difficulties or troubles 9. *Wherewithal* (وسائل) – Means or resources to accomplish something 10. *Malaise* (بے چینی) – A general feeling of discomfort or unease 11. *Myriad* (بے شمار) – Countless or numerous 12. *Legion* (کثیر تعداد) – A large number of people or things 13. *Traverse* (گزرنا) – To travel across or through 14. *Patriarchy* (مردانہ نظام) – A system dominated by men 15. *Regressive* (رجعت پسند) – Returning to a less advanced state 16. *Advocacy* (وکالت) – Public support for a cause 17. *Resilience* (لچک) – Ability to recover from difficulties 18. *Colloquial* (عام بول چال) – Informal, everyday language 19. *Excoriating* (شدید تنقید) – Harshly critical 20. *Nuance* (باریکی) – A subtle difference or distinction --- 📢 *Attention Please!* We appreciate your commitment to acquiring knowledge through our summaries. 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It discards the cliché about the meaning getting lost in translation and helps strangers to connect in a naturally multilingual world. Many Indians who love Urdu poetry can do so because it was translated into English or reset in the Devanagari script. Same with Persian and Latin classics, not to speak of Russian literary treasures. The way some Indians talk knowledgeably about Helen of Troy often sounds as though she was kidnapped by an island king in the neighbourhood. I asked Graham Earnshaw, my news agency’s Asia editor in the 1990s, to let me cover the raging Islamist insurgency in Tajikistan, but he tossed me a disarming question. “Do you speak Russian or Tajik?” As I could speak neither of the amazing languages, how was I hoping to report, say, an assault on the women of a minority community in a remote Tajik village? There’s always another way of seeing the problem though. Most foreign journalists assigned to South Asia, for example, speak little or no local language. Graham’s question, therefore, was a non sequitur. Besides, there was a larger point at stake. The editor seemed surprised when he learnt that I used translators anyway even to cover a story in Delhi’s neighbourhoods — not the stories journalists pick up along the highways, where dhabas and paanwallahs deal with assorted clients via a handy mishmash of connecting phrases and languages. One could argue that an exceptionally erudite scholar of Hindi would perhaps feel challenged traversing India’s sprawling ‘Hindi heartland’, also called the ‘cow belt’. Try to connect conversations from, say, the areas bordering Pakistan in western Rajasthan to the eastern flank of Maithili-speaking Bihar, both notionally Hindi-speaking states, and come back with a cogent narrative. Prof Higgins would struggle. It’s difficult to imagine a ‘Hindi heartland’ in which a Brij-speaker from a Mathura village in UP can communicate her story to an Awadhi-speaking village belle in Ayodhya, also in UP. It’s a tricky proposition at the very least. Women writers in South Asia are legion. They write in myriad languages but are read in many more. And this is what makes the award of the Booker Prize last week to Banu Mushtaq so important. Her collection of short stories was written in Kannada, a South Indian language with a dazzling cultural pedigree. It was crucial that the 12 stories selected from a corpus stretching over three decades of writing were published as Heart Lamp in English, the translation done by a scholar of Kannada and English. Deepa Bhasti, too, thus became a worthy co-recipient of the Booker. In 2022, Geetanjali Shree, a Hindi writer from Mainpuri in UP, won the prize for her novel on Partition after Daisy Rockwell translated it into English as Tomb of Sand. Geetanjali has authored three novels and several story collections, and her work has been translated into French, German, Serbian and Korean. Arundhati Roy joined the surge of award-winning women writers from South Asia and underscored the need for translation when her Booker-winning God of Small Things was published in several Indian languages, including Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Urdu, and Punjabi. Her other works have also been translated for domestic and foreign readers. Pakistan-born Bapsi Sidhwa’s The Pakistani Bride was translated into Urdu as Zaitoon, and made it to the prestigious Rekhta collection of Urdu prose and poetry. Mahashweta Devi, the ardent feminist from the left, won the Magsaysay Award for her work in Bengali and celebrated in different languages. Women writers in South Asia are legion. They write in myriad languages but are read in many more. Rakhshanda Jalil has become a literary bridge between India and Pakistan with her translations of Urdu writings from both countries. According to early reviews of Mushtaq’s 12 short stories selected from her vast collection, they traverse religion, patriarchy, oppression, gender inequality and violence, and vividly capture the everyday trials and tribulations of Muslim women in Karnataka. I liked the review in The Hindu. In the story about Mehrun, the mother of three decides to end her life after her husband takes a second wife. But her daughter Salma rushes to her mother with her baby sister and begs her not to make them orphans. As a lawyer and social activist as well as a writer, Mushtaq has been publishing stories since 1981. “Can stories change things, the way a legal case can?” The Guardian asked her. “Of course, because people will not know what rights they have got, and how silent suffering is not the solution. They can fight back. That insight is given through my stories.” In the story ‘Black Cobras’, a woman is informed that Islam does allow women to be educated and to work, but the message is “twisted” by scholars for their own benefit. “Do not beg,” she is told. “Demand justice.” She told The Guardian: “Human beings and their basic nature are the same everywhere. That is the intention of my writing. The theme is woman; the theme is marginalised people; the theme is to be a voice to the voiceless community.” Heart Lamp, according to several excellent reviews, represents powerful accounts of the lives of Muslim women in Karnataka, portraying terrible experiences — domestic violence, deaths of children. In the final story, quoted by a reviewer, a woman is glad she gave birth to a boy instead of another girl. “At least we had not created another helpless prisoner of life like me.” Do these stories reflect how things still are for women in the region? “Yes,” says Mushtaq. “Even today. It starts from the home itself.” There’s something instructive about Mushtaq’s work. She is writing in a rare southern Indian state where the patriarchal and socially regressive BJP has made inroads, occasionally pretending to be saviours of Muslim women. The translated stories of Mushtaq affirm that patriarchy is a universal malaise, cutting across religions. And women, she says, have enough wherewithal to defeat it. The writer is Dawn’s correspondent in Delhi. [email protected] Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2025