By Nilanjana Sarkar
Banu Mushtaq is a famed Indian pen and activist known for advocacy for women’s rights and social justice. She made history by getting the first Kannada pen to win the International Booker Prize for her short story collection “Heart Beacon”, which explores themes of women’s gestation, faith, estate, and systemic oppression. Mushtaq’s jottings are deeply informed by her engagement with marginalised communities and her own experiences as a woman in a patriarchal society. Her work has been honoured with several awards, including the Karnataka Sahitya Academy and Daana Chintamani Attimabbe awards. Mushtaq’s palm is anticipated to promote Kannada literature encyclopaedically and inspire unborn generations of pens.
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a plea challenging the Karnataka government’s decision to invite Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq as the principal guest for the Mysuru Dasara jubilee induction. The supplicant had argued that a non-Hindu shouldn’t be allowed to perform pujas inside the tabernacle, citing implicit hurt to Hindu sentiments. Still, the Supreme Court bench, comprising judges Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, upheld the Karnataka High Court’s ruling before, emphasising that the Dasara jubilee is a state-patronised event, not a private religious form.
The court’s decision highlights India’s temporal nature, representing the Preamble to the Constitution. The bench noted that the state cannot distinguish based on religion and that distinguished guests from colourful backgrounds have been invited to the jubilee in history. The court also observed that no religious denomination had complained of a violation of its rights, and thus, Banu Mushtaq’s participation in the jubilee would not offend indigenous rights.
The Karnataka government had argued that the event’s association by the government, rather than a religious body, meant that there was no demarcation grounded on religion. With the Supreme Court’s redundancy, Banu Mushtaq will inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara jubilee as planned. This decision reinforces the principle of inclusivity and denomination in state-patronised artistic events, setting a positive precedent for unborn fests. By upholding the values of denomination and inclusivity, the court’s decision promotes a more different and accepting society. The redundancy of the plea allows the jubilee to do without interference, celebrating the rich artistic heritage of Karnataka.