In 2016, Chitra Mudgal created a stir in the world of Hindi literature, with the publication of her transformative novel, Post Box No. 203 Nala Sopara. The gripping story of a son, writing to his mother about pain, longing and bereavement became a poignant milestone in the depiction of queer identity, winning Mudgal the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2018. Madhu Sriwastav is now ensuring that Mudgal’s work finds more readers, with an English translation of the text. The Intercultural Poetry and Performance Library (IPPL) gathered at Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on May 25, for the book launch and a panel discussion based on its nuanced themes. My Kolkata was in the audience.
In addition to Sriwastav, the assistant professor of English and Head of Department of English at Bamanpukur Humayun Kabir Mahavidyalaya in Kushangra, North 24 Parganas; the panel comprised Chaiti Mitra, an associate professor in the Department of English at Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Vivekananda Vidyabhavan College, Dum Dum; Nandini Bhattacharya, the head of Department of English & Culture Studies at the University of Burdwan; and Sanjukta Dasgupta, former Head of Department of English and former dean of the faculty of arts at Calcutta University.
‘When I look back upon this project, the most profound feeling I have is of gratitude,’ said Madhu Sriwastav
Dasgupta spoke about first meeting Mudgal in 2002, when she was blown away by her unfiltered confidence. “In 2002, she had the courage to say, ‘women write with confidence only after menopause.’ I regretted not being able to read her because she wrote in Hindi, until a few years ago, when she asked me to recommend someone to translate her book. I asked Madhu, and the result is out for everyone to see,” beamed Dasgupta. She also lauded Sriwastav for focusing on the text’s readability and language, while retaining the power and emotion when translating from Hindi to English.
Bhattacharya reflected on how she had seen Sriwastav grow over various stages of her life, remarking how that itself could be the subject of a compelling book. “Post Box No. 203 Nala Sopara requires very immersive reading, and adapts to a form of epistolary writing, which seemed to have died with Samuel Richardson. The anguish within this novel captures how sex and gender isn’t something to be fixed or hidden, and demands that identity be recognised as plural and fluid.” She also lauded the book for invoking the hope for a more human, accessible and inclusive world.
Panelists lauded the book for invoking the hope for a more human, accessible and inclusive world
Mitra confessed to reading the book in one go, and being equally engrossed and disturbed. “While I was immersed in the anguished letters the son wrote to his mother, I was even more moved by the book’s inherent politics. It critiques identity and gender, while speaking with emotion, reflecting the times we live in,” she said.
Sriwastav recalled how she first declined the translation opportunity due to her PhD, heaving a sigh of relief at finally undertaking it. She also recalled crying when she read it for the first time, relating to both the central characters. “Every time I got a notification to make a correction in the book, I ended up editing the whole book! I think this is the only way to ensure that the book doesn’t read like a translation,” she said. She also explained how the book was born from a true story and reflects the need for society to be more sensitive.
‘The term hijra comes from a beautiful Arabian word, which evokes the time between dawn and dusk. Unfortunately, society uses it in derogatory ways,’ said chef guest Megh Sayantani Ghosh
The evening also featured the felicitation of Megh Sayantani Ghosh, the first transwoman advocate from Bengal. In her stirring talk, Sayantani reflected upon the fight for acceptance, adding how she related to the book because her mother was her only source of comfort in a hostile world. “In school, most of my teachers and peers mocked me. My mother supported me when no one did. It has been a year since her passing, and I stand here only because she stood by my side against the world,” she said. Sayantani also expressed hope for the book to be translated into Bangla, so that it would percolate to a new range of readers.
The event ended with a stirring poetry reading session from members of IPPL, which called for a more inclusive world.
You can buy a copy of the book here.
