5th Shillong Literary Festival
By Our Reporter
Shillong, Nov 20: International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq captivated audiences on the opening day of the 5th Shillong Literary Festival on Thursday, engaging in a compelling conversation with Padma Shri Patricia Mukhim.
The discussion revolved around her writing journey, feminist activism, and the personal battles that shaped her acclaimed book Heart Lamp. She emphasised that emotional depth forms the foundation of every short story she writes.
“Without emotion, a short story cannot make an impact,” Mushtaq said, explaining that the 12 stories featured in Heart Lamp were selected from over four decades of her literary work. These stories, she noted, emerged from specific moments and needs of their times.
“Each is like my child. I cannot choose one over another,” she added.
Reflecting on the recognition she received after winning the International Booker Prize, Mushtaq said the Karnataka government had organised a grand celebration in her honour at Vidhana Soudha.
She added that the Chief Minister later announced her selection to inaugurate this year’s Dasara festival, one of Karnataka’s most prominent cultural events. Some radical groups, however, opposed this and took the matter to the High Court and even the Supreme Court but it was thrown out.
Speaking about her early life, Mushtaq shared how growing up as the eldest of eight siblings exposed her to social restrictions that later shaped her writing.
“I faced many limitations — how to dress, when to return home, even how to carry a handbag. These experiences shaped my writing,” she said.
She encouraged young women to continue resisting injustice and to utilise education and digital platforms as tools for empowerment.
Recalling her advice to Muslim students during the hijab controversy, she said, “Do not discontinue your studies because of patriarchal politics. Education must go on.”
She also spoke about the significant influence of her late father, whom she described as her greatest source of strength. “He always believed I would create my own destiny,” she said.
Reaffirming her love for the short story form, Mushtaq said the genre demands discipline and artistic precision. “A short story is a small canvas. You must use very few words to create lasting impact,” she remarked.
Mushtaq did not shy away from discussing the themes of patriarchy and misogyny that frequently appear in her works. She pointed out that mosque committees and youth bodies traditionally remain male-dominated, leaving no room for women’s voices. “I only write what I see. And many times, I have been punished for raising these issues,” she said.
She recounted the time when a mosque committee had issued a fatwa against her after she publicly stated that Islam does not prohibit women from entering mosques and that such restrictions stem from patriarchy, not religion.
“They said I should not be invited to marriages or Eid celebrations, and that I would not be buried in the community kabristan,” she recalled, adding that such threats did not intimidate her.
She further revealed that committee members once tried to make her sign an affidavit declaring she would stop writing. “I tore it into pieces and told them, even if you hang me in the town square, I will not stop writing,” she said.
The session was followed by several questions from the audience with Mushtaq answering them with precision and clarity.
