Indira Goswami (b. 1942, Guwahati, Assam) is an outstanding writer who reveals the lived experience of ordinary people. Her powerful graphic descriptions and haunting images bring to light the centrality of the body in human affairs and the codification of political, religious and cultural systems through the body: the bodily processes of life, the impact of gender and age, and the physicality of poverty, norms and conflicts.
Writing in her Assamese mother-tongue, Goswami highlights the diverse cultural context of this remote region. She depicts contemporary political and social dimensions, avoiding romanticism and anthropological tendencies. Her intimate knowledge of community realities is closely woven into strong narratives that tackle controversial subjects such as the plight of widows (The Blue-Necked Braja, 1976) and the experience of Sikhs in the anti-Sikh riots (Pages Stained with Blood, 1994), as well as examining the impact of the caste system, prostitution and ethnic strife on the human body and psyche. Her Unfinished Autobiography (1988) is remarkable for its utter frankness. An important voice for the marginalised, she also writes about Madhya Pradesh, Kashmir and Vrindavan, bringing local issues to the fore.
Indira Goswami is a scholar of Assamese and Ramayana literature, a former professor and Head of Modern Indian Languages and Literature at Delhi University. She works together with others to translate her works into English, to make English literature available in Assamese and vice versa. She plays a significant role in local literature at a time when much Indian writing is mediated by the West.
A courageous public intellectual, Goswami speaks in defence of disadvantaged and minority groups, and recently, through her mediation of peace talks in Assam, she has worked hard in trying reducing conflict that has caused 10,000 deaths.
A woman of remarkable insight and conviction, Indira Goswami is honoured for the unique quality of her writing, for identifying and expressing the inscription of cultural norms in the body, and for her influential social and cultural activism through literature.
5 Jan 2020 - 2:06pm | AT News
Pro-talks ULFA leader Jiten Dutta, who played a role in spearheading anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest in the state, was released from judicial custody on Sunday.
Dutta was arrested on...
27 Mar 2011 - 5:10am | Syed Miraz Ahmed
The perplexity involving the crisis associated with the privileges of the different communities which form the indigenous Muslim populace of Assam was broadly discussed Thursday at Natya Mandir,...
20 Mar 2010 - 12:05am | bishwajeetsinha
The children of Nagaon locality soon going to offer their mother a proud moment with ‘Baby Show cum competition’ which is surely give them chance to prove themselves feeling of complete...
4 Feb 2018 - 6:36pm | AT News
KOKRAJHAR: In yet another case of secret killing rerun, miscreants killed a priest after he was invited with a phone call in Chirang district on Saturday. According to information, Pradeep Upadhyay,...
Arrested media baron Manoranjana Sinh is undergoing tretment at a local hospital in Kolkata. CBI officials probing Saradha scam rushed her to the hospital when she complained breathing difficulties during the custodial interrogation.She was to be produced before a special court in Alipore on Tuesday as the CBI remand expired. CBI officials were expected to seek her in their remand for a few again.
Assam Don Bosco University and Educational Leadership are hosting a national conference in collaboration with Mizoram University department of Mass Communication. Dr. K. V. Nagaraj, Professor at Mizoram University and Former Pro Vice Chancellor addressed ADBU students of mass communication and educational leadership on Wednesday.The conference is being organized in collaboration with Mizoram University Mass Communication department and ADBU Departments of Educational Leadership and Mass Communication from November 2 and 3.A Pre-conference Colloquium for students and research scholars is scheduled for October 31 on ‘Media, Culture and Society.’
The city based media persons are suffering from various pain related ailments relating to their neck, shoulder and backs. It was found during a daylong physiotherapy camp, which was organized at Guwahati Press Club on 12 September 2015.Organized by the College of Physiotherapy and Medical Sciences Rehabilitation & Research Centre, Bamunimaidam (a unit of Purbanchal Educational Welfare Society), the camp covered more than 50 scribes who were offered on spot treatment and consultancies.Attended by physicians Dr Trailokya Saikia & Dr NN Sarma with physiotherapists Dr Ujwal Bhattacharya, Dr Abhijit Kalita, Dr Pooja Saikia and Dr Kritika Boruah, the camp also helped the scribes to check...
A NDFB-S rebel identified as Buddhiram Basumatary alias Birkw of Amteka Debrabil in Chirang district was apprehanded from Karigaon area in Kokrajhar by security forces belonging to the Army on Sunday morning. One factory made 7.65 mm pistol with three live rounds amunitions was recovered from him. He was later handed over to Kokrajhar police.
Congress is gearing up to form the Tiwa Autonomous Council after the ruling party won 15 out of 31 seats. The party is trying to get the support of one candidate to complete the formality. “We are in touch with several candidates who have assured us support to form the council,” said a senior Congress leader. The party needs 16 seats to formally form the council. The ruling party falls short of one seat. A senior party leader told ne24 that it would be a problem for the party since several candidates are in touch with them. The ruling party got 15 seats while the Ramakanta Deori-led Tiwa Aikya Manch got 10 seats. BJP had to remain satisfied with only 3 seats while AGP got 2 seats.
The Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) in association with Indian Women’s Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists, Press Club of India (New Delhi), Mumbai Press Club and Indian Federation of Working Journalists have organized a two day national consultation on media freedom and the law on 8 & 9 August next.To be held at New Delhi Press Club, the national meet is expected to highlight the burning issues relating to the frequent attacks on journalists, sexual harassment and criminal defamation cases against the media persons and also appropriate response to those attacks on press freedom including legal measures.Senior journalist and media commentators like Paranjoy Guha Thakurtha, Bharat...
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam passed away at Shillong on Monday. He collasped at a function in Indian Institute of Management Shillong duering a lecture. He was rushed to the ICU of Bethani Hospital where he was declared dead. He was 83. Condolence from variuosusection of people and leaders are pouring in.Deeply saddened at the sudden demise of the former president of India Dr. APAJ Abdul Kalam. He was an inspiration to an entire generation.— Rajnath Singh (@BJPRajnathSingh) July 27, 2015Death of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is a great loss to the country. He was a common men's President and an icon of the young generation...— Tarun Gogoi (@tarun_gogoi) July 27, 2015RIP #APJ...
A non resident Indian (NRI) has taken upon himself the mission of paying back to society by spending his annual vacation and home visit giving motivational lectures to school and college students. He has been doing this for the past 33 years.“I do not do it for the money. It is my way of paying back to society for the many blessings which I have received over the years,” confessed Dr. George Kallingal a Professor Emeritus at University of Guam (USA) who visited East and northeast India spending time in schools and colleges in Bengal, Assam and neighbouring Meghalaya.His hour-long presentation combined academic achievement, spirituality, and realities of young people into sharp perspective....
As many as 3600 BJP leaders and workers are waiting to be contested from 126 assembly constituencies early next year. State BJP president Siddharth Bhattacharya on Wednesday submitted before the party’s central leadership the list of the ticket aspirants in New Delhi.BJP sources told Assam Times that the state unit has forwarded all applications to the party leadership for finalizing 126 candidates. The party leadership is believed to have been deploying a panel of top leaders to study the winning ability of the applicants.
Prime minister Narendra Modi is facing flak across the state for not appointing Rupsikha Bora as OIL chief. Even after the public enterprises selection committee shortlisted the name of the senior finance director three months back, the prime minister’s office did not prefer the first one chartered accountant from the north east as OIL chairperson and managing director.In his letter, Chief minister Tarun Gogoi urged prime minister Narendra Modi to confirm Bora’s appointment in the helm of OIL.Many local organizations in the state staged dharna in front of the OIL headquarters in Duliajan alleging PMO’s discrimination.A section of the protesters further burnt the effigy of the prime...
Indira Goswami (b. 1942, Guwahati, Assam) is an outstanding writer who reveals the lived experience of ordinary people. Her powerful graphic descriptions and haunting images bring to light the centrality of the body in human affairs and the codification of political, religious and cultural systems through the body: the bodily processes of life, the impact of gender and age, and the physicality of poverty, norms and conflicts. 
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