Pratibha Ray

Pratibha Ray is an Indian academic and writer. She was born on 21 January1943, at Alabol, a remote village in the Balikuda area of Cuttack district, Orissa state.

She is one of the famous commercially popular fiction writers in contemporary India. She writes novels and short stories in her mother tongue Oriya.Her first novel "Barsa Basanta Baishakha", 1974 , proved itself as a best seller for its readability among rural female half literate readers. Later Pratibha developed the tendency to attribute the boldness, the revolt and humanism in her literature to the impact of VaishnavismWho|date=February 2008, her family religion, which preaches no caste, no class and also due to the influence of her Gandhian teacher-father, Parashuram Das.

The search for a "social order based on equality, love, peace and integration", continues, since the novelist and short story writer first wielded her pen at the age of nine. When she wrote for a social order based on equality without class, caste, religion or sex discriminations, some of her critics branded her as a communist and some as feministVerify source|date=February 2008. 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".

She is married to Sri Akshaya Chandra Ray, an Engineer. When her three children, one daughter (Adyasha) and two sons (Anwesh and Ayaskant), arrived in three consecutive years of marriage, she forgot all about being a writer in bringing them up. 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 Highlander, one of the most primitive tribes of Orissa, India.

Career

She started her professional career as a school teacher and later she taught in various Government Colleges in Orissa for thirty years. She has guided doctoral research and has published many research articles. She took voluntary retirement as a Professor of Education from State Government Service and joined the post of Member, Public Service Commission of Orissa State, a prestigious constitutional post.

Memberships

She is a member of a number of learned societies. She is connected with Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Central Board of Film Certification, Indian Red Cross Society, India International Centre, National Book Trust of India, Central Academy of Letters etc. She has travelled extensively in India and abroad to participate in various Literary & Educational Conferences. She has won a number of National and State awards for her creative writing.

Other activities

She has active interest in social reform and has fought against social injustice on many occasions. One important incident in her life is protesting against colour (Caste/ religion) discrimination by the high priests of Jagannath Temple at Puri. Now she is fighting a defamation case lodged by the priests against her for her newspaper article in which she wrote against the undesirable behaviour of the priests, titled "The Colour of Religion is Black" (Dharmara Ranga Kala). She works tirelessly in the cyclone-affected areas after the Orissa's Super Cyclone of October,1999 and she is working for rehabilitation of the orphans and widows of Cyclone affected areas.

Travel

Travelled extensively within India to participate in various National literary and educational conferences. Visited five republics of U.S.S.R in 1986 in a cultural exchange programme sponsored by ISCUS. Had represented India as an Indian Writer in the India fare in Australia " India to-day 94" sponsored by Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi in 1994. She gave readings and talks on Indian literature and languages in several Universities of Australia. She visited USA, U.K and France on speaking tours. She represented India as an Indian writer in the India Festival in Bangladesh in 1996. Attended 7th International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women in University of Tromsoe, Norway in June 1999 as an Indian delegate. Visited Norway, Sweden, Finland & Denmark on speaking tour in 1999. Visited Zurich,Switzerland in 2000 to present a paper in the third European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education.

elected works

NOVELS
*"Barsa Basanta Baishakha", 1974
*"Aranya", 1977
*"Nishidha Prithivi", 1978
*"Parichya", 1979
*"Aparichita", 1979. (A film was made & won best film story award from State Govt. Culture Deptt.)
*"Punyatoya", 1979. (Tr. To Hindi)
*"Meghamedura", 1980
*"Adhibari", 1980
*"Ayamarambha", 1981
*"Nilatrishna", 1981. (Tr. to Hindi)
*"Samudrara Swara", 1982. (Tr. to Hindi)
*"Shilapadma", 1983. (Orissa Sahitya Akademi Award, 1985; Tr. to Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Punjabi and English)
*"Yajnaseni", 1984 ((Moorti Devi Award,1991 and Sarala Award, 1990. Tr. to English, Hindi, Marathi,A ssamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hungerian)
*"Dehatit", 1986
*"Uttarmarg, 1988. (Tr. to Hindi & Punjabi)
*"Adibhoomi" (Tr. to Hindi & English)
*"Mahamoh", 1998 (To be published in Hindi, Bengali & Malayalam)
*"Magnamati", 2004

Travelogue
* Maitri Padapara Shakha Prashakha (USSR), 1990
* Dura Dwividha (UK, France), 1999
* Aparadhira Sweda (Australia), 2000

Short Stories
*SAMANYA KATHANA - 1978
*GANGASHIULI 1979
*ASAMAPTA 1980
*AIKATANA 1981
*ANABANA 1983
*HATABAKSA 1983
*GHASA O AKASHA
*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

External links

*http://www.pratibharay.org/
* [http://www.india.gov.in/myindia/Padma%20Awards.pdf Prof. (Smt.) Pratibha Ray receives Padma Shri award in 2007 for Literature and Education, Orissa]