Writer in Spotlight: Dr Pratibha Ray

Among the contemporary fiction writings from Orissa, Pratibha Ray is perhaps the best known woman's voice. Winner of the prestigious Central Sahitya Akademi award for her collection of short stories, she is also the first woman to receive the Moorti Devi Award of the Bharatiya Jnanpith Trust (1991).

Sachidananda Mohanty, academic, critic and translator, outlines the major achievements of this widely translated author. She was born on 21 January 1943, at Alabol, a remote village in the Balikuda area of Cuttack district, Orissa state.

Pratibha was destined to be a writer and this was amply proven in her childhood.She found a role-model in her poet father, Late Parashuram Das who gave up a lucrative job in the Tata Iron & Steel Co. and joined the freedom movement. Parashuram established Balikuda High School in 1942 and served as the Headmaster for more than 30 years. Pratibha had her schooling in Balikuda High School.

Pratibha mostly attributes the boldness, revolt and humanism in her literature to the impact of Vaishnavism, her family religion, which preaches no caste or class distinctions and also to the influence of her Gandhian teacher-father on her. The search for a "social order based on equality, love, peace and integration" continues, ever since the novelist and short story writer first weilded her pen at the age of nine.

When she wrote for a social order based on equality without class, caste, religion or sex discrimination, some of her critics branded her as a communist and some as feminist. But she says "I am a humanist; men and women have been created differently for the healthy functioning of society. The specialities women have been endowed with should be nurtured further. As a human being however woman is equal to man".

Pratibha's father's ambition was to see her as a doctor. But from her very childhood, Pratibha nurtured a dream to become a poet. After taking admission in S.C.B Medical College, Cuttack she changed her mind and without informing her parents took admission in Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, Orissa in the B.Sc. course with Botany Honours. Her study was discontinued after graduation, when she married Akshaya Chandra Ray, an Engineer.

When her three children, one daughter and two sons arrived in three consecutive years of marriage, she forgot all about being a writer in the ever-demanding role of a mother. At the end of five years she wondered whether she would be able to resume her writing and post-graduate studies. But the support she received from her husband and inspiration from her parents helped her to pursue writing and post-graduate studies.

She did her Masters in Education and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology after sending her three children to school. Her post-doctoral research was on tribalism and criminology of Bondo Highlanders, one of the most primitive tribes of Orissa, India.

Her works:

Novels

* BARSA BASANTA BAISHAKHA , 1974
* ARANYA , 1977
* NISHIDHA PRITHIVI, 1978
* PARICHAYA , 1979
* APARICHITA (A film made & won best story award from Govt.) 1979
* PUNYATOYA (Tr. To Hindi),  1979
* MEGHAMEDURA , 1980
* ASHABARI , 1980 
* AYAMARAMBHA , 1981
* NILATRISHNA (Tr. to Hindi) , 1981
* SAMUDRARA SWARA (Tr. to Hindi) , 1982
* SHILAPADMA (Orissa Sahitya Akademi Award,1985, (Tr. to Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam,    Punjabi and English), 1983
* YAJNASENI (Moorti Devi Award,1991 and Sarala Award, 1990, Tr. to English,Hindi,Marathi,Assamese,Bengali, Gujarati, Hungerian 1984)
* DEHATIT , 1986
* UTTARMARG (Tr to Hindi & Punjabi) ,1988
* ADIBHOOMI (Tr. to Hindi & English) , 1993
* MAHAMOH (To be published in Hindi, Bengali & Malayalam) ,1998 
* MAGNAMATI , 2004

Short Stories:

* SAMANYA KATHANA, 1978
* GANGASHIULI, 1979
* ASAMAPTA, 1980
* AIKATANA, 1981
* ANABANA, 1983
* HATABAKSA, 1983
* GHASA O AKASHA, 1984
* CHANDRABHAGA O CHADRAKALA, 1984
* Shrestha Galpa, 1984
* ABYAKTA (A tele-film has been made on the title story) 1986
* ITIBUT, 1987
* HARITPATRA, 1989
* Prithak Ishwar, 1991
* BHAGABANARA DESHA, 1991
* MANUSHYA SWARA, 1992
* Swanirvachita Shrestha Galpa, 1994
* SASTHASATI, 1996
* MOKSHA (A feature film has been made on the title story and has got     the best regional film award) 1996
* ULLANGHANA (Sahitya Akademi Award,2000) 1998
* NIVEDANAMIDAM, 2000
* GANDHINKA, 2002
* JHOTI PAKA KANTHA, 2006

Awards & Achievements:

* Awarded by Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Government of   India for a short novel for neo-literates, 1977.
* Best film story award by Government of Orissa  for the film   Aparichita based on her novel with the same title , 1980.
* Orissa Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel Shilapadma, 1985.
* Jhankara Award for best short story writing from Prajatantra Prachar   Samitee , 1989.
* Saptarshi Award for best story writing by Sambalpur University ,   1989.
* Sarla Award for her novel YAJYANSENI, 1990.
* Moorti Devi Award by Bharatiya Jnanpith, New Delhi for the novel   Yajnaseni , 1991.
* Katha Prize for best story writing, Delhi 1994 & 1999.
* Bisuva Award for lifetime literary achievement, awarded by   Prajatantra Prachar Samitee, 1995.
* Felicitated by Bharatiya Jnanpith on their Golden Jubilee     Celebration for her contribution to Indian literature, 1995.
* Outstanding Oriya literary award from Orissa Society of Americas,     USA, 1995.
* Best film story Award by Government of Orissa for her story MOKSH   which also won Best Regional Film Award from   Govt. of India, in   1996.
* Rastriya Ekta Puruskar, from Foundation for Amity and National     Solidarity Committee, New Delhi for National Integration through     literature, 1999.
* KAPILASH AWARD from District Council of Culture, Dhenkanal,     Department of Culture, Govt. of Orissa, 2000.
* Katha Bharati Title by Nandighosh, a Premier Cultural Organisation     of Orissa, 2000.
* Sahitya Akademi Award for story collection ULLANGHAN, 2000.
* Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhawana National Puraskar,2002.
* Honoured by Bharatiya Bhasha Parishada, Kolkata on their foundation    day,2003.
* Honoured by State Bank of India, 2005.
* Chitrapuri Samman, 2006.
* Amrita Keerti Award for total contribution to Indian Literature by     Amritananda Mayee Math, 2006.
* PADMA SHRI award, 2007

Also Read:

Face to Face with Pratibha Ray

Writer's Work: The Waning of the Moon