Breaking stereotypes through writings- Mamoni Raisom Goswami

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• Nov 29, 2021 | moderator

Guwahati: Eminent Assamese writer Indira Goswami, popularly known as Mamoni Raisom Goswami, was known for her unique self and thoughts. Apart from being a writer, she has always asked people to remember her as a humanitarian. She was also a voice for breaking walls of stereotypes and odd beliefs through her writings.

Today marks the 10th death anniversary of the prominent writer Mamoni Raisom Goswami. She was born on November 14, 1942. Goswami left this world for a better place on November 29, 2011, at 69. 

She completed her Master's in Assamese literature from Guwahati University in 1963. Raisom had also published her first anthology of short stories, Chinaki Morom, the prior year. She finished her doctorate in 1973.

Defining her would always carry fewer words and emotions. She was a lady with poetic thoughts and an activist voice. Raisom has also worked as a professor at Delhi University.

Mamoni Raisom Goswami was a great professor. Students from Assam often visited her place in Delhi for guidance and support. The writer provided all sorts of homely support from all the students of Delhi University. She was a favorite professor for students.

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Goswami's sister said, "She (Mamoni) was always into her family in an interview. She had a different love for her family. But, towards the later part of her life studies, her passion for writing surrounded her closely. She was very sentimental."

She added, "Mamon was very beautiful during her college days. We both used to read love letters that were written for her."

Life is not full of beds of roses every time. So, the eminent writer Goswami wrote about her depression and struggles in life in her autobiography. Her first marriage, in 1965, ended the same year. Her second husband, Madhaven Raisom Ayengar, died in a car accident just 18 months after they had married in 1966. 

These events further left an unforgettable impression on her. She wrote in her autobiography concerning her self-destructive feelings, and it was her writings that protected her. 

"Writing was never my career. It was my passion …I write to enjoy my life. Without writing, I would have been a dead person," Goswami once shared her passion for writing. 

The pioneer of feminist Assamese literature, Goswami, despite her family privilege, explored the influence of patriarchy and socioeconomic domination on less privileged communities deeply. 

Goswami's writings expressed the world of patriarchy and domination in society extensively. She has also written about the odd practices of animal sacrifices performed for religious beliefs. 

There was a controversy regarding Goswami applying a red dot on her forehead even after the death of her husband. So, Goswami's sister shared, " Mamon used to apply the red dot as a symbol of power and self-confidence."

Mamoni Raisom Goswami has won several honors, including the Sahitya Akademi award, the Jnanpith, the Padma Shri (which she declined to accept). Also, the Asom Ratna, the Katha National Award, the Prince Claus Award from the Netherlands, and many gratuitous doctorates. 

Some of her well-known works include Neelakantha Braja (The Blue-necked God), Tej Aru Dhulire Dhushorito Prishtha (Pages Stained With Blood). The list also includes Jatra (Journey), Chhinnmasatar Manuhto (The Man From Chinnamasta), Adha Likha Dastabej (An Unfinished Document), Datal Hatir Uye Khua Howda (The Moth-Eaten Howdah of a Tusker), etc.

She wrote, "Friends! Be happy where you are...now! Memory never fades, poets say distance only purifies it…"