Bengaluru, Aug 22 : The Karnataka government on Friday announced that Booker Prize winner, writer and activist Banu Mushtaq, will inaugurate the world-famous Dussehra festivities in Mysuru this year.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made the announcement at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Friday.

CM Siddaramaiah said, "Banu Musthaq, a writer from Hassan in Karnataka, will inaugurate the world-famous Dasara Mahotsav this year. The festivities will begin on September 22, and Vijaya Dashami will be observed on the 11th day, on October 2."

He further added, "Banu Mushtaq's literary work 'Hrudaya Deepa' won the Booker Prize. It is a matter of pride and joy for us that a woman writer from Karnataka has received this honour. Banu Mushtaq was associated with farmers' organisations, Kannada agitations, and progressive movements. It is significant that a woman has been invited to inaugurate Dasara."

"I have personally spoken to her. The Dasara festivities will commence on September 22 and continue for 11 days in accordance with tradition. Our district administration will extend a formal invitation to Banu Mushtaq with full honours," the Chief Minister said.

He also stated, "An air show has been permitted by the Defence Minister. I had written to Rajnath Singh and invited him as well."

When asked whether he would be going to Bihar for campaigning, CM Siddaramaiah replied, "Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has launched a 16-day 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar against voter fraud, covering 1,300 kilometres. I will also join the padyatra on the 29th of this month for one day, to extend my best wishes to Rahul Gandhi."

Notably, Banu Mushtaq won the prestigious International Booker prize for the short story anthology, 'Heart Lamp'.

'Heart Lamp', consisting of 12 short stories written over three decades from 1990 to 2023, captures the daily lives of Muslim women in southern India.

/IANS