Rita Chowdhury Explained

Rita Chowdhury
Birth Place:Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Occupation:Novelist, Poet, Editor
Education:M.A., LLB, Ph.D
Period:1981–present
Genre:Historical fiction, poetry
Movement:Assamese literature
Notableworks:Deo Langkhui, Makam, Chinatown Days
Spouse:Chandra Mohan Patowary
Children:2
Awards:Assam Sahitya Sabha award (1981)
Sahitya Akademi Award (2008)
Assam Valley Literary Award (2017)

Rita Chowdhury (born 1960) is an Indian poet and novelist who writes Assamese literature and is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award. She is the editor of the Assamese literary magazine Gariyoshi and a former director of the National Book Trust, India.[1] She has been a professor and lecturer at Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam in the Political Science Department and was active in the Assam Movement in the early 1980s.

Early life and education

Chowdhury was born in 1960 to the writer Biraja Nanda Chowdhury at Nampong in Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh. She did her schooling in Upper Haflong L.P. School and higher secondary in Margherita Public Higher Secondary School.[2] She has spoken of the impact of the death of her older sister from cerebral malaria, including "I think my childhood ended the day she passed away," and how she "read obsessively, as if to try to forget the grief that surrounded me." She has described reading the works of Bankim Chandra, Lakshminath Bezbarua, Sarat Chandra, Rabindranath Tagore, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Shankar, and Sankho Maharaj during this time.

Her family moved to Guwahati in 1980, during the Assam Movement; she became involved in the movement and was jailed several times.[2] She was in jail when her first novel was published in 1981.[3]

She holds a postgraduate degree in political science and a postgraduate degree in Assamese, as well as a doctorate in political science and a law degree. She passed her B.A. in political science from Cotton College under Gauhati University in 1982. She is double MA in political science and Assamese from Gauhati University with LLB(1990) and Ph.D. She did Ph.D. from Gauhati University on Comparative Literature in 2005. Her thesis was on Society and Women psychology depicted in Nirupama Borgohain and Ashapurna Devi's Novels: a Comparative Study.

Literary career

Chowdhury began writing in 1981, during the Assam Movement.[4] She wrote her first novel, Abirata Jatra, within three months, and it was published in 1981.[4] She won an award from the Asom Sahitya Sabha for this book.[4] She then married politician Chandra Mohan Patowary and stopped writing until after the birth of her daughter.

Chowdhury then wrote a series of novels, including Tirthabhumi (The Shrine) in 1988, Maha Jibanar Adharshila (Foundation Stone of Great Life) in 1993, Nayana Tarali Sujata in 1996, Popiya Torar Xadhu (Tale of a shooting star) in 1998, Rag-malkosh in 1999, Jala-Padma (Water-Lotus) in 1999, Hridoy Nirupai (The Helpless Heart) in 2003, Deo Langkhui (The Divine Sword) in 2005, Makam (The Golden Horse) in 2010 and Mayabritta (The Circle of Worldly Illusion) in 2012.

Her poetry collections include Xudoor Nakshatra, Banariya Batahar Xuhuri, Alop Pooharar Alop Andharar, and Boga Matir Tulaxi.[5]

She received Sahitya Akademi Award in 2008 for the novel Deo Langkhui which is based on the Tiwas of Assam.[6] She spent four years writing her novel Makam (মাকাম) in Assamese, and it was published in 2010. After Makam was published, she publicly called for greater acceptance of Assamese people of Chinese origin, and met with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in November 2010 as part of her advocacy.[7] In 2015, at a screening of the documentary Wars and Tears that she directed, she advocated for reunification of families separated during the Sino-Indian War in 1962.[8] She also translated Makam into English, and it was published with the title Chinatown Days in 2018.[9]

In 2011, she formed Adharxila, an organisation to support young writers[10] and Assamese literature.[11]

In 2015, she was appointed director of the National Book Trust in India.[12] She resigned in January 2019.[13]

In 2022, she became the editor of the Assam literary magazine Gariyoshi.[14]

Teaching career

Chowdhury started her teaching career as lecturer in political science in Diphu Government College, Karbi Anglong from the year 1989 to 1991. She then worked as lecturer from 1991 to 1996 and as senior lecturer from 1996 to 2001 at Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam in the Political Science Department. She became an associate professor in 2001.

In 2016, she left her position as associate professor to become the director of the National Book Trust in India.[15]

Selected works

Novels

Poems

Other works

Honours and awards

Research

Personal life

She is married to the politician Chandra Mohan Patowary.[5] She has a son and a daughter.[5]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Zahan . Syeda Ambia . Regional Literature Needs Quality Translators: Assam Poet Rita Chowdhury . 8 May 2023 . . 13 June 2022.
  2. News: The heart yearns for days of yore . 17 June 2021 . The Telegraph India . 17 January 2009.
  3. News: Deka . Kaushik . The power couple . 8 May 2023 . . 10 March 2017 . en.
  4. News: Das . Guarav . Assam Agitation gave me fodder for my book: Rita Choudhury . 8 May 2023 . . 29 October 2012.
  5. Book: Raimedhi . Indrani . My Half of the Sky: 12 Life Stories of Courage . 2014 . . 9789351504740 . 8 May 2023.
  6. News: NBT gets first Assamese chief . . 18 July 2015.
  7. News: Call to embrace people of Chinese origin . . 7 November 2010.
  8. News: 'Initiate steps to reunite Indian Chinese with families' . . 19 May 2015.
  9. Web site: 9 January 2019. Chinatown Days by Rita Chowdhury: Tales from a lost town. 4 July 2020. Purple Pencil Project. en-US.
  10. News: Konwar . Rajiv . Naga life through eyes of a militant . . 8 November 2015.
  11. News: Forum boost to Assamese - Author launches Adharxila to elevate literature, culture & society . 9 May 2023 . . 25 July 2011.
  12. News: Chowdhury new NBT Director . 7 May 2023 . . 17 July 2015 . en.
  13. News: Dr Rita Chowdhury resigns from National Book Trust (NBT) . 8 May 2023 . India Today NE . 11 January 2019 . en.
  14. News: Rita Chowdhury takes charge as Editor of Gariyoshi . . 1 April 2022.
  15. News: Rita Chowdhury quits as NBT Director . 8 May 2023 . . 11 January 2019 . en.
  16. Web site: The Assam Tribune Online. www.assamtribune.com. 16 October 2019.
  17. Sarma . Jasnea . Makam . Asian Ethnicity . January 2013 . 14 . 1 . 117–120 . 10.1080/14631369.2012.722450. 214614489 . SocINDEX with Full Text.
  18. Changmai . Manashi . REMEMBERING PAST: A NEW HISTORICAL STUDY OF RITA CHOWDHURY'S MAKAM . International Education and Research Journal . 15 July 2017 . 3 . 7 . 2454-9916.
  19. News: A tale of illusions and experiences - Mayabritta may be Chowdhury's last novel . 7 May 2023 . . 3 January 2013 . en.
  20. News: Kire . Easterine . This novel is the untold tragic history of Chinese settlers in Assam (and of love and separation) . 7 May 2023 . . 25 February 2018.
  21. News: Doctor . Geeta . Chinatown Days by Rita Chowdhury reviewed by Geeta Doctor . 7 May 2023 . . 17 February 2018 . en-IN.
  22. Web site: Borbora . Reeta . 2024-02-16 . Revenge and Redemption . 2024-02-27 . Open The Magazine . en-GB.
  23. News: Assamese of Chinese origin facing severe identity crisis . 8 May 2023 . . . 17 May 2015.
  24. Web site: Meet Dr Rita Chowdhury – Assamese Author and Director of National Book Trust of India. G Plus. en. 16 October 2019.
  25. Web site: Chowdhury, Narzary given Akademi award. 18 February 2009. The Assam Tribune. 22 October 2009. 19 February 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120219170112/http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=feb1809%2Fat05. dead.
  26. News: Literary feats lauded . . 29 December 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120219170116/http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=dec2908/City2 . 19 February 2012.
  27. Web site: Sahitya Adademi Awards for Choudhury, Narzary. https://web.archive.org/web/20121026061213/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1617166911.html. dead. 26 October 2012. 23 December 2008 . 8 July 2009.
  28. News: Talukdar . Sushanta . Assamese of Chinese origin can visit State: Gogoi . 9 May 2023 . . 8 November 2010.
  29. News: Sengupta . Avishek . Honour for Assam's finest stalwarts . . 28 October 2016.
  30. News: Assam Valley Literary Award presented . . 25 March 2018.
  31. News: Ranangan Sanman-2021 presented to Rita Chowdhury . . 4 December 2021.
  32. News: Rita Chowdhury to receive Birangana Mulagabharu Award . 8 May 2023 . . 17 February 2023 . en.
  33. News: Basu . Anjan . The author describes the customs and traditions of the Assamese Chinese, and the lives of the so-called 'tea tribes' minutely . 8 May 2023 . . 3 April 2018.

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