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'{{Short description|Indian writer and activist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Manoranjan Byapari | native_name = মনোরঞ্জন ব্যাপারী | image = Monoranjan Bapari7.jpg | caption = | birth_date = c. 1950-51 | birth_place = [[Pirojpur District|Pirojpur]], [[East Bengal]], [[Dominion of Pakistan]] | office1 = [[Member of Legislative Assembly (India)|Member of the]] [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]] | constituency1 = [[Balagarh (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Balagarh]] | predecessor1 = [[Ashim Kumar Majhi]] | term_start1 = [[2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election|02 May 2021]] | office2 = Chairperson of [[West Bengal]] Dalit Sahitya Academy | term_start2 = 14 Sep 2020 | party = [[All India Trinamool Congress]] | otherparty = [[Naxalites]], [[Communist Party of India]] (formerly) | nationality = [[India]]n | spouse = Anita Byapari | children = 2 }} '''Manoranjan Byapari''' ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]: মনোরঞ্জন ব্যাপারী; born c. 1950-51) is an Indian [[Bengalis|Bengali]] writer, socio-political activist, and a politician.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ahluwalia |first=Mallika |title=Divided by Partition: United by Resilience: 21 Inspirational Stories from 1947 |publisher=Rupa Publications |year=2018 |location=New Delhi |pages=60-66 |language=English |chapter=Jijibisha: The Will to Survive: Manoranjan Byapari}}</ref> He stands as one of the pioneering authors in the realm of [[Dalit literature]] in [[Bengali language|Bengali]], hailing from the Indian state of [[West Bengal]]. Hindered by financial constraints, he was precluded from availing formal education, thereby distinguishing himself as a unique exemplar—a former convict turned [[Pulled rickshaw|rickshaw puller]]—having authored a substantial corpus comprising twelve novels, in addition to over a hundred short stories and non-fiction essays.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/manoranjan-byapari-from-fetters-to-letters/article5606992.ece|title=Manoranjan Byapari: from fetters to letters|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/rickshaw-puller-from-kolkata-steals-show-at-11th-jaipur-literature-festival/1032833/|title=Rickshaw puller from Kolkata steals show at 11th Jaipur Literature Festival|newspaper=[[The Financial Express (India)]]}}</ref> == Early life == Byapari was born into a Namasudra family in Turuk-Khali, [[Pirojpur District|Pirozpur]], [[Barisal Division|Barisal]], [[East Bengal]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Dalit writer's journey: Of multiple identities and struggles|url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/reviews-recommendations/a-dalit-writers-journey-of-multiple-identities-and-struggles|access-date=2020-06-15|website=National Herald|date=8 April 2018|language=en}}</ref> His family relocated to West Bengal when he was three years old, initially settling in the Shiromanipur Refugee camp in Bankura. Subsequently, they were compelled to relocate to various locations, including [[Ghutiari Sharif railway station|Ghutiyari Sharif]], Gholadoltala Refugee Camp in [[South 24 Parganas|South 24 Paraganas]], where they resided until 1969. However, at the age of fourteen, Byapari departed from his familial abode, engaging in a series of economically modest positions within the informal sector across diverse cities such as [[Assam]], [[Lucknow]], [[Delhi]], and [[Allahabad]]. Following a two-year stint in [[Dandakaranya Project|Dandakaranya]], he resettled in Kolkata in 1973.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sarangi|first=Jaydeep|date=2012|title=From Wheels to Stalls : Jaydeep Sarangi in Conversation with Manoranjan Byapari|url=http://pintersociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Jaydeep-Sarangi.pdf|journal=Lapis Lazuli –An International Literary Journal|volume=2|issue=1}}</ref> Notably, he briefly affiliated with the [[Naxals]] in central India.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/will-to-power-2/|title=Will To Power|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]}}</ref> It was during his period of incarceration that he embarked on a self-directed educational pursuit, acquiring literacy. His close association with the labor activist [[Shankar Guha Niyogi]] is also noteworthy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Byapari |first=Manoranjan |title=Interrogating My Chandal Life: An Autobiography Of A Dalit |publisher=SAGE Publications |year=2018 |location=New Delhi |pages=280-308 |language=English |translator-last=Mukherjee |translator-first=Sipra}}</ref> == Political career == He secured election as a [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member of the Legislative Assembly]] (M.L.A.) from the [[Balagarh Assembly constituency|Balagarh Assembly Constituency]], representing the [[Trinamool Congress|All India Trinamool Congress]] (AITC) in the [[2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election|West Bengal Legislative Assembly Elections of 2021]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=West Bengal elections 2021: Manoranjan Byapari, a rickshaw puller, cook to an iconic writer in the fray|url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/west-bengal-elections-2021-manoranjan-byapari-a-rickshaw-puller-cook-to-an-iconic-writer-in-the-fray-1.77971682|access-date=2021-07-22|website=gulfnews.com|language=en}}</ref> == Life as an author == He gained prominence following the publication of his influential essay titled "Is there a Dalit writing in Bangla?" which was translated by Meenakshi Mukherjee and featured in the [[Economic and Political Weekly]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2007-10-13 |title=Is There Dalit Writing in Bangla? |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2007/41/perspectives/there-dalit-writing-bangla.html |language=en}}</ref> Concurrently employed as a rickshaw puller, he encountered Mahasweta Devi fortuitously, and she subsequently invited him to contribute to her journal, 'Bartika.'<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/delhi-a-rickshaw-pullers-journey-from-prison-to-books-540211|title=Delhi: A rickshaw puller's journey from prison to books|publisher=[[NDTV]]}}</ref> Within his scholarly contributions, he posits the contention that upper-caste refugees from [[East Bengal]] were accorded preferential treatment during their resettlement in Kolkata.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article4116.html|title=Memoirs of Chandal Jeevan: An Underdog's Story - Mainstream Weekly|website=www.mainstreamweekly.net|access-date=2016-08-04}}</ref> Furthermore, a documentary chronicling his life has been produced by [[Rajya Sabha TV]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Rajya Sabha TV|title=RSTV Documentary - Writer|date=2014-08-14|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ3yw9Mhq9c|access-date=2016-08-04}}</ref> === Books === He authored a memoir titled "ইতিবৃত্তে চণ্ডাল জীবন" in [[Bengali language|Bengali]], which was subsequently translated into [[English language|English]] by Sipra Mukherjee under the title "Interrogating my Chandal life: An Autobiography of a Dalit" (Sage-Samya), and it received The Hindu Prize.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Griffin |first1=Peter |title=Names, audiences, trolls: The Hindu Lit for Life 2019 had it all |url=https://www.thehindu.com/lit-for-life/names-audiences-trolls-the-hindu-lit-for-life-2019-had-it-all/article26048649.ece/photo/1/ |newspaper=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=19 January 2019}}</ref> This literary work documents the myriad experiences of oppression and marginalization faced by Dalits in Bengal, a region often characterized as a 'casteless society' by the prevailing [[bhadralok]] narrative.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7qXbCgAAQBAJ|title=The Politics of Caste in West Bengal|last1=Chandra|first1=Uday|last2=Heierstad|first2=Geir|last3=Nielsen|first3=Kenneth Bo|date=2015-09-25|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317414773|language=en}}</ref> His identity as a Dalit is integral to his literary expression, wherein he emphasizes, "I’m a Dalit by birth. Only a Dalit, oppressed by social forces, can experience true dalan (oppression) in life. There should be that dalan as a Dalit in Dalit writing. Dalit literature should be grounded in Dalit life. Some of my writings delve into Dalit life, deserving impartial evaluation devoid of preconceived judgments." He articulates his dual identification as a chandal, both by birth and through a manifestation of indignation (krodha chandal).<ref>{{cite web |date=2018-11-25 |title=A migrant from East Bengal, Manoranjan Byapari "interrogated" his life as chandal |url=https://www.counterview.net/2018/11/a-migrant-from-east-bengal-manoranjan.html |access-date=2023-06-22 }}</ref> == Award == * Suprabha Majumdar prize awarded by [[Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi]] in 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/manoranjan-byapari-from-fetters-to-letters/article5606992.ece|title=Manoranjan Byapari: from fetters to letters|date=January 23, 2014|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=July 1, 2017|last1=Tatke|first1=Sukhada}}</ref> * Sharmila Ghosh Smriti Literary prize in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-15 |title=Bengali writer Manoranjan Byapari wins the 2022 Shakti Bhatt Prize |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/books-and-literature/bengali-writer-manoranjan-byapari-wins-the-2022-shakti-bhatt-prize-8152519/ |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> * [[The Hindu Literary Prize]] in non-fiction in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Hindu Prize – The Hindu LFL |url=https://www.thehindulfl.com/the-hindu-prize |website=www.thehindulfl.com |language=en}}</ref> * [[Shakti Bhatt Prize]] in 2022.<ref name="shakti-bhatt-2022">{{cite news |author=Scroll Staff |title=Bengali author Manoranjan Byapari is the winner of 2022 Shakti Bhatt Book Prize |url=https://scroll.in/article/1032454/bengali-author-manoranjan-byapari-is-the-winner-of-2022-shakti-bhatt-book-prize |access-date=2022-09-15 |work=[[Scroll.in]] |date=2022-09-15}}</ref> * [[JCB Prize for Literature]] in 2023, His book The Nemesis was shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Literature.<ref>{{ cite web|url= https://www.thehindu.com/books/jcb-award-fiction-book-shortlist-2023-announcement/article67442325.ece |title=Meet the stars: A journey through 2023’s JCB Prize shortlist}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist|2}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Byapari, Manoranjan}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Bengali-language writers]] [[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:People from Barisal District]] [[Category:West Bengal MLAs 2021–2026]] [[Category:Trinamool Congress politicians from West Bengal]] [[Category:20th-century Indian novelists]] [[Category:Writers from West Bengal]]'