Quote by Mahasweta Devi: “A writer must always be with the oppressed. This is my simple philosophy.”

This quote outlines a moral imperative for writers, asserting their responsibility to champion the marginalized and speak truth to power. It suggests that literature has a crucial role not just in entertainment, but in active advocacy for social justice and human rights.

Devi dedicated her life and work to exposing the systemic exploitation and suffering of tribal people and women in India. Her writing often served as a direct tool for activism, reflecting her belief that literature should serve the cause of justice.

Bengali writer and activist, born in Dhaka in 1926, whose fiction exposed the brutal exploitation of tribal and lower-caste communities in India. She received the Jnanpith Award in 1996 and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for her journalism and fiction, including the celebrated story collection Agnigarbha.