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• 1 2025-08-03T22:56:39+00:00 Damayanti Beshra (1962- ): Author Profile 4 Author Profile of Damayantu Beshra (दमयंती बेसरा) Santhali plain 2025-08-03T23:34:51+00:00 This profile was written by Srishti Raj. 
  Community: Santal people
  
  Damayanti Beshra is a Santali writer, scholar, and educator who has transformed the Santali literary landscape through her literary and social work. She was born on February 18, 1962 in Bobeijoda village in the Mayurbhanj district of Jharkhand. Her early years were marked by the struggle to receive a formal education; the village she was born in had no school. However, with the support of her aunt and uncle, she went on to complete her schooling, eventually receiving a Ph.D. in Odia from North Odisha University. Her doctoral thesis was titled Mayurbhanja Santhala Eko Samajika Sanskrutika Adhyayan ("Mayurbhanj Santals: A Socio-Cultural Study").
  
  In 1994, Beshra published an anthology of poetry titled Jiwi Jharna, becoming the first Santali woman poet to do so. Dedicated to furthering the expression of Adivasi women's voices, in 2011 Beshra founded Karam Dar, the first women's magazine in Santali. 
  
  Damayanti Beshra is a prolific writer, having published several books in both Odia and Santali. These range from essays and criticism to biographies and Santali grammar books. She has also translated the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam as well as the classical Sanskrit text Gita Govinda into Santali, expanding the language's literary field. 
  
  Apart from writing, Beshra worked as an educator and mentored several students, championing the cause of education for the Adivasi community. In 2009, she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Say Sahed, a Santali poetry collection. In 2020, she received the Padma Shri (the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India) for her contribution to literature.
  
  Further reading on Damayanti Beshra
  
  Meet the Author: A Profile on Damayanti Beshra (Sahitya Akademi, 2013)
  "Dr. Damayanti Beshra is one of the most prominent Santali writers who is also a poet of considerable repute. Her writings not only inspire butalso touch the hearts of both the young and the old. Eminent Santali poet Sri Arjun Charan Hembram remarks on her that— *Damyanti, a mainstream writer in the area of Santali Literature and a woman poet of magnificent substance: who combines richness of culture, joy of living, sorrow and suffering of common people with element of divinity in her intellectual images popularly known as poetry.’"
  
  A Profile on Damayanti Beshra (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, 2020)
  "Before Beshra’s interventions, Santali literature was predominantly male-dominated, with limited platforms for female voices. The absence of dedicated publications for Santali women meant their stories, poems, and perspectives were largely unheard. The translation of classical works into Santali was also minimal, restricting the community’s access to broader Indian literary heritage. After Beshra’s pioneering efforts, there was a significant shift."
  
  ‘प्राचीन भाषाओं और साहित्य के वंशज अपनी ही धरती पर विस्थापन का दंश झेल रहे हैं’ by Atut Santosh ("The descendants of ancient languages and literature are facing the pain of displacement from their own land", FORWARD Press, 2024)
  A quote from Damayanti Beshra: "भाषा हमारी पहचान है और साहित्य हमारी सामुदायिक चेतना की अभिव्यक्ति है। हमें कभी भी नहीं सोचना चाहिए कि हम छोटे या कमजोर लोग हैं। हम आदिवासी ही देश के मूल निवासी हैं। हमसे ही बाकी दुनिया ने सब कुछ सीखा है। हमारी भाषा, संस्कृति और सभ्यता इस धरती पर सबसे पुरानी है।"
  
  Translation: "Language is our identity, and literature is the expression of our collective consciousness. We should never think of ourselves as a small or weak people. We, the Adivasis, are the original inhabitants of this country. It is from us that the world has learnt everything. Our language, culture, and civilization are the oldest on this earth."