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Mallika Sengupta (Bengali: মল্লিকা সেনগুপ্ত; 1960–2011) was a Bengali poet, feminist, and reader of Sociology from Kolkata, known for her "unapologetically political poetry".[2]

Mallika Sengupta
Born(1960-03-27)27 March 1960
Nadia district, India
Died28 May 2011(2011-05-28) (aged 51)[1]
Kolkata, India
NationalityIndian
Known forPoet
SpouseSubodh Sarkar

Biography


Mallika Sengupta was the head of the Department of Sociology in Maharani Kasiswari College, an undergraduate college affiliated with the University of Calcutta in Kolkata.[3] She was much better known for her literary activity. The author of more than 20 books including 14 volumes of poetry and two novels, she was widely translated and was a frequent invitee at international literary festivals.

For twelve years in the 90s she was the poetry editor of Sananda, the largest circulated Bengali fortnightly (edited by Aparna Sen). Along with her husband, the noted poet Subodh Sarkar, she was the founder-editor of Bhashanagar, a culture magazine in Bengali.

English translations of her work have appeared in various Indian and American anthologies. In addition to teaching, editing and writing, she was actively involved with the cause of gender justice and other social issues.

A victim of breast cancer, she was under treatment since October 2005 and died on 28 May 2011.


Activism and literary themes


Sengupta was also active in a number of protest and gender activism groups. Her fiery, combative tone is noticeable in many poems, e.g. "While teaching my son history":

Man alone was both God and Goddess
Man was both father and mother
Both tune and flute
Both penis and vagina
As we have learnt from history.
 – from Mallika Sengupta, Kathamanabi, Bhashanagar, kolkata, 2005, (tr. poet)

often dealing with women's marginalised role in history:

after the battle said chenghis khan
the greatest pleasure of life,
is in front of the vanquished enemy
to sleep with his favourite wife.
  – Juddha Sheshe Nari   – from Mallika Sengupta, Kathamanabi, Bhashanagar, kolkata, 2005, (tr. amitabha mukerjee[4])

Particularly evocative is her feminist rendition of the legend of Khana, a medieval female poet whose tongue was allegedly cut off by her jealous husband:

In Bengal in the Middle Ages
Lived a woman Khana, I sing her life
The first Bengali woman poet
Her tongue they severed with a knife
Her speechless voice, "Khanar Bachan"
Still resonates in the hills and skies
Only the poet by the name of Khana
Bleeding she dies.
  – Khana, tr. amitabha mukerjee [5]

Awards and honours



Works



Poetry



Poetry in English translation



Novels



Books on sociology of gender



Translation



Bengali poetry anthology



References


  1. "Noted Bengali poet Mallika Sengupta dead". thehindu.com. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. [dead link]
  4. Chheleke history paRAte giye (5 translations)
  5. unsevered tongue, 2005




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