Hajaar Churasir Maa  (Bengali, Hardcover, Debi Mahasweta)

Hajaar Churasir Maa is a literary masterpiece, first published in 1974, by the noted author and social activist, Mahasweta Devi. Having closely worked with the under-privileged tribes and been actively associated with causes to help the socially oppressed and restricted strata, Mahasweta Devi weaves the saga of a mother’s journey to social awakening and enlightenment from a dormant and expressionless life originating from the unfortunate and untimely death of her youngest son and a Naxalite, Brati. Sujata, the mother, visits the police station to claim her son’s body, that is no longer defined by a mere casket number, 1084. In her quest to understand the drive behind her son’s association with the Naxalites and his perceptions and beliefs regarding the hypocritical social and political structure, Sujata comes across discovering and asserting her own identity as a mother, wife, and social being.

Mahasweta Devi is a social activist and a writer. Many other notable works by her include Shikar Parba (Bengali), Aranyer Adhikar, and Dust on the Road. Born on January 14, 1926, in a highly literary family, Mahasweta Devi obtained her Masters in English from Calcutta University. Currently, she is leading movements in her native state that aim to restrict the industrialization policies from confiscating the agricultural lands belonging to the poor.