Mahasweta Devi

Mahasweta Devi (14 January 1926 – 28 July 2016) was an Indian writer in Bengali and an activist. Her notable literary works include ''Hajar Churashir Maa'', ''Rudali'', and ''Aranyer Adhikar''. She was a leftist who worked for the rights and empowerment of the tribal people (''Lodha'' and ''Shabar'') of West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states of India. She was honoured with various literary awards such as the Sahitya Akademi Award (in Bengali), Jnanpith Award and Ramon Magsaysay Award along with India's civilian awards Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan. Provided by Wikipedia