
Banu Mushtaq's fight for Muslim women's rights wins International Booker
03:30
Banu Mushtaq: International Booker Prize winner
BENGALURU: A trailblazing writer and activist from Hassan district in Karnataka,
Banu Mushtaq
is a multifaceted personality who has left her imprint across journalism, law, politics and women's rights activism.
But it is her powerful storytelling rooted in resistance, gender justice and social reform that has now earned global recognition.
Mushtaq is a prominent voice of the
Bandaya Sahitya
(rebel literature) movement, which challenged patriarchal and feudal structures through its sharp and socially conscious writing in the 1980s and 1990s. As the state convener of the Bandaya Sahitya Sanghatane, she authored six influential short story collections that expanded the boundaries of
Kannada literature
.
A fearless advocate for women's rights within the Muslim community, Mushtaq was among the earliest voices to demand the right for women to offer namaz in mosques — decades before the hijab debate made national headlines. Her campaign in the 1990s invited a fatwa and social boycott, but she stood firm.
"I was only making a point that even in Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, women are allowed to pray alongside men," she said in an interview.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed!
IC Markets
Start Now
Undo
"But my argument earned the wrath of the community. It led to mental distress. I recovered only because of the support of family and solace I drew from my writing."
Before entering law and politics, Mushtaq began her career in journalism with Lankesh Patrike, where her first report exposed a fatwa against a Muslim girl in Bijapur for watching a movie. She took up the cause, sparking what became known as the Najma Bagi controversy.
She denounces the triple talaq system as un-Islamic and continues to push for internal reform within the community. "Change must come from within," she insists, "free from external political influence."
Her acclaimed short story Kari Nagaragalu (Black Cobras), featured in her award-winning collection Heart Lamp, was adapted into a national award-winning film 'Hasina' by director Girish Kasaravalli.
"I have read many stories by Banu Mushtaq. They are all rich with literary value and powerful in expressing the anguish of oppressed women in the Muslim community," said Kasaravalli. "I'm surprised she hasn't won recognition in the Kannada literary field so far. The International Booker Prize may serve as an eye opener for those who ignored her."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
These 11 years of PM Modi will be written in golden words: CM Dhami
These 11 years of PM Modi will be written in golden words: CM Dhami (Picture credit: ANI) DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's leadership on the completion of 11 years in office, stating that India has emerged as a major global power under his tenure. Speaking at the press conference, CM Dhami said, "Today, India is a major global power. The entire world sees India with hope. These 11 years of PM Modi will be written in golden words..."CM further added, "Post Independence, the people had hope from the government, but to realise that hope, it's PM Modi who has worked in the last 11 years with a motto of 'sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, sab ka prayas'..."PM Modi first took oath as the Prime Minister of India on May 26, 2014, and is serving his third consecutive term. Marking the occasion, the Union government also released a comprehensive e-book detailing achievements across various sectors over the past 11 years. The year 2025 marks 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. The book said that these 11 years have been dedicated to bringing about inclusive, progressive, and sustainable development. "The government under Prime Minister Modi has been steadfast in its commitment to creating equity and opportunity for all citizens," it added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thousands Are Saving Money Using This Wall Plug elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Click Here Undo "PM Modi has brought the politics of development - Vikasvaad - into the mainstream, making it the focal point around which political discourse and policy action now revolve," it reads. The book said that since assuming office in 2014, PM Modi has remained firm in his resolve to keep 'India First' in every policy formulation and action. It added that the resolve is evident in the government's handling of both external and internal security, economic management, empowerment schemes for marginalised groups, efforts at cultural conservation and so on. The book highlighted the government's steps in handling COVID-19: "Prime Minister Modi's government has always believed in setting challenging targets and achieving them before the set deadline. This can be seen across sectors, whether it is in vaccinating the entire eligible population in record time against Covid-19, recording the nation's highest ever exports in history, in the digital revolution which is taking place across India, in achieving monumental targets for rural electrification, in building world-class infrastructure or in providing drinking water facilities across households. "It emphasised that there has been a paradigm shift in public service delivery and the implementation of government schemes using the JAM Trinity - Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile - in the last 11 years." In the last 11 years, there has been a paradigm shift in public service delivery and the implementation of government schemes using the JAM Trinity - Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile. JAM Trinity is the key enabler of India's transformed and well-developed digital landscape. It has removed intermediaries and permits direct transfer of benefits into an intended beneficiary's bank account."Emphasising the government's action for conservation of the environment, it said, "Under Prime Minister Modi, India has championed environmental protection globally, emerging as a leader of the movement. The United Nations declared June 21st as International Yoga Day , an acknowledgement of the global recognition of the heritage. It also mentioned Operation Sindoor , describing it as a demonstration of a new India--resolute, swift, and sovereign in action. "India's assertion on the global stage has also undergone a remarkable evolution. The success of Operation SINDOOR demonstrated a new India--resolute, swift, and sovereign in action."The book is a comprehensive compendium about India's transformation under PM Modi's "visionary leadership across fourteen facets of policymaking, ranging from infrastructure to foreign policy to social justice". The book has 14 chapters, highlighting developmental aspects in different social, technological and educational sectors. It also noted the government's efforts to lift the marginalised class and different sections of society.


Hindustan Times
29 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
What is Brigade 313? Al-Qaeda-linked group in focus after Pakistan senator's Sky News interview
In a now-viral interview, Pakistani senator Sherry Rehman admitted to Pakistan's past with terrorism as she referred to the Brigade 313 group. During an interview with UK-based Sky News, the PPP leader evaded questions regarding the al-Qaeda linked group, referring to it as the "past" of the country. Responding to Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim, the PPP senator evaded questions on Pakistan's record of harbouring extremist entities, especially Brigade 313, and stated that Pakistan as a country has "changed." "You keep on talking about the past because it was. We are fighting terrorism. Pakistan is a changed country now," said Rehman. READ | Pakistan's Sherry Rehman grilled by Sky News anchor over Pahalgam terror attack, Brigade 313 Brigade 313, is often referred to as al-Qaeda in Pakistan by intelligence analysts. The group serves as an umbrella for several other extremist groups operating in Pakistan. As per the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium, Brigade 313 is a Pakistan-based terror outfit tied to al-Qaeda. TRAC further adds that this group has members from groups such as the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. Some other reports say Brigade 313 is al Qaeda's military organisation in Pakistan. As per reports, Brigade 313 oversees terrorist activities along the Afghan-Pakistan border and along the Indo-Pak border. The '313' in the name serves as a form of Islamic symbolism. It refers to the companions who fought with prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Badr. As per The Long War Journal, US intelligence officials have stated that Brigade 313 is interlinked with Pakistan's faction of the Taliban. The group also often recruits members from the Pakistani military and intelligence services. The al-Qaeda linked group is led by Ilyas Kashmiri, who is the leader of the Shadow Army, al-Qaeda's military organisation. Several scholars and intelligence experts have cited Brigade 313 as al-Qaeda's most "dangerous and effective" formations in South Asia. Following the Pahalgam attack in India's Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif also acknowledged the country's involvement and support for terror groups in the past. In several interviews, the Pakistani leader was heard stating that Islamabad did "dirty work for the United States, and the West, including Britain," for the past 30 years.


India Today
34 minutes ago
- India Today
Kerala ruling party slams Opposition for ‘communal' Welfare Party alliance
The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala hit out at the United Democratic Front (UDF) over the support of the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Welfare Party of India to the Congress-led candidate Aryadan Shoukath for the upcoming Nilambur bypolls. The CPI(M) called it an alliance with 'communal forces.'Meanwhile, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), led by Abdul Nasar Madani, has announced its support for the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the same the Welfare Party's support to the UDF an alliance with 'communal forces,' CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said, 'Jamaat-e-Islami is a communal force which is there worldwide. Their stand is that there should be a religious country. Like RSS says, they are a party which says the counterpart of that.' Justifying the CPI(M)'s acceptance of PDP support, Govindan claimed that PDP and Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be equated. 'PDP does not have such a stand,' he of Opposition VD Satheesan questioned the CPI(M)'s double standards.'When the Welfare Party gave support to the UDF in Nilambur, CPI(M) called the Jamaat-e-Islami communal. But in 2009, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said Jamaat-e-Islami was a Muslim organisation with a clear political stand and welcomed their support.'He accused the Left of hypocrisy, saying, 'When they [Welfare Party] gave support to CPI(M), they were secular. When they support UDF, they are communal. This is their stand.'advertisementSatheesan also questioned CPI(M)'s comfort with the support of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose leader Abdul Nasar Madani was arrested in connection with terror cases.'The Left government's own PRD release praised the arrest and handover of Madani to Tamil Nadu police. Yet they now accept support from his party,' he Nilambur assembly seat falls under the Wayanad parliamentary constituency and will be going to polls on June 19. Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi will be arriving in Nilambur later this week. IN THIS STORY#Kerala