Amrita Pritam: The poet who dared to live and write unfettered

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-09-06 11:04:47 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-06 13:43:35

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Poet, novelist, essayist, memoirist, broadcaster, feminist, and iconoclast, Amrita Pritams life and work defy categorizationand represent a unique fusion of Bengali and Punjabi culture, as well as countless influences from her travels worldwide.

Born in 1919 into a prosperous family in Lahore, then part of British India, Amrita Pritam was an unlikely feminist icon and writer. Yet, she became one of the most versatile and influential writers of the 20th century, known for her poetry, novels, essays, memoirs, and broadcasts. Her work often focused on the Partition of British India in 1947 and the resulting refugee crises. She was also a feminist and wrote extensively about the oppression of women in Indian society.

Pritam's life was as tumultuous as her work suggests. She openly lived with her husband, a fellow writer, for only four years, parting ways amicably to live separately and maintain their respective freedoms. She also had a lengthy affair with a poet and politician and mentor to many, Rabindranath Tagore, an influential Bengali artist.

Her most famous poem, "Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu," is a heartfelt tribute to the 18th-century Punjabi poet, Waris Shah. This poem, like much of her work, broke stereotypes and norms of feminine behavior.

Amrita Pritam died in 2005, leaving behind a formidable body of work and a legacy of courage, resilience, and brilliance. Her life and writing encourage women to live unfettered, despite the risks and challenges.

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