Malvika's paintings are not just pictures, they are a silent but powerful resistance against caste discrimination prevalent in the society. She has not only given a new social perspective to the Madhubani style, but has also turned it into a document of Bahujan history and self-respect.
New Delhi. “In childhood, when school children do not share tiffin with you just because you are a Dalit, that pain stays with you for life,” – these are the words of Malvika Raj, who hails from Samastipur in Bihar and is living in Patna and carving her identity through Madhubani painting. Malvika, who is writing a new chapter in the world of art with her skills, is not only an artist, but is also a strong voice against casteism. In a conversation with ‘The Mooknayak’, she told that she showed the way to make colours and brushes a weapon against social injustice.
Malvika is not just an artist, she is one of those voices who are keeping alive the struggle, history and self-respect of Bahujan heroes through art. She has made Madhubani art a symbol of social justice. Today she has made more than 200 paintings, which bring the thoughts and life of great men like Gautam Buddha, Mahatma Phule, Savitri Bai Phule, and Constitution maker Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar in colours.
A journey from struggle to colours
Malvika Raj’s father Ramchandra Ram has retired from the rank of DSP in Bihar Police. She says, “My father’s struggle, his honesty and his support have been my biggest strength. It is because of him that I have reached here today.”
Malvika is the second child among four siblings. This family of three sisters and one brother did not give up the path of education and self-respect even in the midst of caste discrimination. Talking about the discrimination she faced while studying in a Hindi medium government school in Patna, she said, “When I was a child, children used to insult my community, not share their tiffin with me, and used to say ‘you don’t look like SC/ST’, I didn’t understand much at that time, but as I grew up, all this used to break me from within, but I made it my strength.”
Worked in a private company
After completing her fashion designing studies from Chandigarh, she worked in a designing company in Delhi, but due to health problems, she had to leave the job and return to Patna. This is where her art journey began. In 2011, she took up Madhubani painting, but her outlook was traditional.
It was different from stories. Madhubani art has often depicted Krishna, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Shivpuran etc.
Why are there no paintings of Buddha on the land of Gautam Buddha?
When Malvika started to study Madhubani paintings in depth, she was shocked to know that in Bihar, which is considered the land of Buddha, no Madhubani painting of Gautam Buddha can be seen. “If the stories of Ramayana can survive in Madhubani paintings, then why not the legacy of great men like Buddha, Phule and Ambedkar?” — this question gave direction to her art.
Malvika had decided then that she would make such paintings, which are not only beautiful, but also give a social message. Each of her works brings alive the identity, struggle and thoughts of the Bahujans.
Resistance and identity through art
Malvika’s paintings are not just pictures, they are a silent but powerful resistance against the caste discrimination prevalent in the society. She has not only given a new social perspective to the Madhubani style, but has also transformed it into a document of Bahujan history and self-respect.
Her paintings are now on display across the country and her art is being collected by many universities and people associated with social movements. Her art reflects the compassion of Buddha, the social conscience of Phule, the torch of education of Savitribai and the Constitution of Ambedkar.
Discrimination is still alive
Malvika says that caste discrimination still exists in states like Bihar. “When people know my caste, their behavior changes. Some of my friends distanced themselves from me just after knowing my caste.” She also told that many people, looking at her dress and mannerisms, say, “You don’t look like SC/ST,” which is a kind of taunt. The question is, how do those people want to see the people of backward, exploited, deprived society?
An artist creating a new legacy
Malvika’s journey is proof that no matter how many social barriers there are, if a person has determination and self-confidence, he can change history. She has brought Madhubani painting to a new level, where art is not just decoration, but has become a medium of social justice.
Her story is not just an inspiration, it is a living picture of the Bahujan society that is trying to make its mark even amidst discrimination, neglect and struggle every day.
What is Madhubani painting?
Madhubani painting, also known as ‘Mithila painting’, is a traditional folk painting style of the Mithila region of Bihar. This art has been created by women since ancient times on the walls of the house, courtyard, and on special occasions such as marriages, festivals. The mythological belief of its beginning is that the tradition of this painting started when King Janak ordered to decorate the city at the time of his daughter Sita’s wedding. This painting is mainly done with natural colors and fingers, wooden pen, or cloth bundle. In this, trees, plants, gods and goddesses, animals, birds, marriage, myths and folklore are depicted in a symbolic style.
When the walls of houses collapsed after an earthquake on the Nepal-Bihar border around 1947, these paintings were discovered and this traditional art was brought to the world. After this, in the 1960s, the women of Madhubani were taught to paint on paper, due to which this folk art reached the global level. Today it is not only a cultural heritage but has also become a medium of socio-cultural movements.
Courtesy : Ankit Pachauri, Hindi News