Translation Battles: Banu Mushtaq in Focus

In the vibrant literary landscape, a movement is redefining the very essence of literature. Known as Bandaya Sahitya, this literary movement originating from Karnataka, India, views literature as something deeply embedded in life, accountable to the community, and structurally open to other voices.

Emily Apter, a renowned scholar, warns of the global literary marketplace's tendency to operate under a "monolingual paradigm", where English becomes the default medium and measure of value. The translation and dissemination of Bandaya Sahitya works challenge this norm, restoring lesser-known languages like Kannada to their rightful place in the world literary polyphony.

Translating the works of Bandaya Sahitya authors, such as Banu Mushtaq, is not about making them "universal" or "global" in the standard sense. Instead, it's about staging an ethical encounter with otherness, preserving the unique flavours and nuances that make each work distinct. Translating Mushtaq's work, for instance, serves to remind us that translation is not just about what we carry across, but what we allow to remain unflattened, unassimilated, and alive.

Banu Mushtaq's work is a part of the Bandaya literary lineage, enacting resistance through themes, characters, language, and form. Her stories foreground questions of inequality, gender, caste, and power, not just as content, but as constitutive of literary form itself.

Kamalakar Bhat, a bilingual writer, translator, and professor of English, recently published a volume of essays by Kirtinath Kurtkoti, another significant Bandaya author. Bhat's work contributes to the global understanding of Bandaya Sahitya, shedding light on its historical significance and its alignment with radical literary movements worldwide, such as the Black Arts Movement in the US and Dalit literary movements in Marathi and Tamil.

The Bandaya movement is historically significant for challenging the literary canon and demanding entry. This movement aligns with a global push for diversity and inclusivity in literature, ensuring that voices from all corners of the world are heard and valued.

In a political context, the Bandaya movement's influence extends beyond the realm of literature. Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, a former member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was recently expelled and announced the launch of a new "Non-Adjustment Political Party" in Karnataka. Yatnal's move is seen as a response to the party's perceived neglect of regional voices and cultures, a concern that the Bandaya movement has long been addressing in the literary sphere.

As the Bandaya Sahitya movement continues to grow and evolve, it serves as a powerful reminder that literature is more than just words on a page. It is a reflection of our societies, a platform for change, and a testament to the richness and diversity of human expression.