Translating Resistance

The translation of Kannada writer and activist Banu Mushtaq's work is not only an aesthetic act; it is a public intervention

- Kamalakar Bhat IS A BILINGUAL WRITER, TRANSLATOR & PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH. HIS MOST RECENT PUBLISHED WORK IS A VOLUME OF ESSAYS BY KIRTINATH KURTKOTI, WHICH HE EDITED & TRANSLATED

Author-activist-lawyer Banu Mushtaq, whose short story collection Heart Lamp (translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi) won the 2025 International Booker Prize, is the first Kannada writer to be awarded the prestigious award for translated works. The Booker-winner was recently drawn into a controversy with political overtones after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that she would be inaugurating the 2025 Naada Habba (Mysore Dasara) celebration, a popular State festival with a worldwide following. The CM cited Mushtaq's Booker win which has made Karnataka proud, and her work with farmers' movements and women's groups. Mushtaq responded that she was honoured and delighted to be invited, but many Bharatiya Janata Party leaders criticised the government's choice. They argued that Dasara is a Hindu religious festival celebrated according to Hindu traditions.

MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who was expelled from the BJP this March took to X, tweeting: “Her [Mushtaq] inaugurating Dasara by offering flowers and lighting the lamp to Goddess Chamundeshwari seems to be in conflict with her own religious beliefs...” Some social media comments about the government's choice “hurting Hindu sentiments” also surfaced.

Mushtaq publicly clarified that she respects Goddess Chamundeshwari and that she has fond memories of watching the Jambu Savari elephant parade on Vijayadashami with her parents during her childhood. Mysore Dasara, which falls on September 22-Oct 2 this year, has always been an inclusive festival. This grand showcase of Karnataka’s art, culture and diversity attracts people of different faiths. Crowds throng the streets to take in the glittering Navratri processions and cultural programmes.