https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

IAS Officer Neha Bansal Becomes the Voice of Unheard Women with ‘herstory’!

IAS officer Neha Bansal has launched her first book, ‘herstory’, which is an anthology of poetry She has included 39 mini narratives in her book, one each from thirty-nine years of her life Her poems highlight a range of feminine issues – biases and dogmas - that are prevalent in society, from body shaming to colour-based discrimination
Indian Masterminds Stories

Coming up with her first book and becoming the voice of many women in the process, IAS officer Neha Bansal’s herstory is about womankind, the feminine experience, and bringing the female experience which is generally silenced to the fore. An anthology of poetry, the book is the voice to those women who are either sidelined or do not speak up for myriad reasons, be it the modern woman, ancient woman, mythological woman, or the women from all walks of life. 

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Ms. Neha Bansal, who is the Commissioner of Food safety, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, spoke candidly about her book, which has been published by Sahitya Akademi.

Ms. Neha Bansal with Dy. CM Manish Sisodia

THE BOOK

herstory is all about the feminine experience and giving a voice to it. “Women are generally sideline as they are the second sex. This book is the voice to different characters and their internal stories. Undoubtedly, women get a chance to speak, but there are women in mythology or in our history who haven’t spoken their bit. They have always been perceived from the male gaze,” Ms. Bansal said. 

Some reviews of book on Good Read and Amazon

In this book, the officer has tried to incorporate every range of feminine experience, though she says that she still must have missed out quite a few. “I have put 39 mini narratives in my book, one each from thirty-nine years of my life.” 

A POET WAS BORN 

“I took up English literature in my graduation. All the Hindi and English reader books had some really beautiful poems in them. Back in those days, I used to think that someday my written poems will also be read to the school children,” the officer recalled. 

In Sahitya Akademi, for a recital in festival of letters

In 1999, Ms. Bansal’s college organised an on-the-spot poetry reading competition. The topic was ‘colour’, and Ms. Bansal interpreted colour as racial discrimination and received the first prize. “That’s when a poet was born inside me. I wrote at least 10-20 poems in my college days. Gradually, I started writing stories in the form of poetry. I intentionally started writing on women-based themes so that thematically I could come up with an anthology.”

FAVOURITE POEM 

On being asked which is her favourite poem out of the 39 mini narratives in her book, she said that the mythology-based poems are the ones. “I have written about Hidimba, Mandodari, Ahalya, Yashodha, Draupadi, Urmila, and Surpnakha from Ramayana. I have been told again and again that these are the most beautiful poems that I have written.” 

Ms. Bansal has also written on body shaming and feminist issues. She added that one such personal favourite is on the parameter of beauty. “It is personally favourite to me because I feel that body shaming, colour-based discrimination is very rampant in our society. It is high time that we moved from the look-oriented perception of people to how they really are.” 

She says that these are the voices of the different women from all walks of life, be it modern women, ancient women, mythological women, women who have everything, women who don’t have anything, women who are migrant laborers, women who are sleeping on the sidewalks, women who are very fortunate and many more like this.

MESSAGE TO READERS AND WRITERS 

Ms. Bansal advises writers to be brave and sensitive to things that are not said. They should be the voice of people who do not speak up. “Writers should be brave to say whatever they want to say without worrying about criticism.”

IAS Neha Bansal Reciting her poetry at Sahitya Akademi

She added that the words should come naturally from within, comparing the flow of words to leaves that come on a tree. “Writing poetry is a difficult process. It’s like giving birth. And as a writer, I would love to appeal to people to please buy and read my book, and, also, review it.”

Excerpt from one of her poems: 

Bandini: The Story of Women in Prison Forgotten by their Families

I am hardly Devaki,

celebrated for the auspicious

womb that carried the divine. 

But incarcerated in these four 

lime-washed walls…

Links to buy her book, herstory:

http://sahitya-akademi.org.in/?product=herstory

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09VGPNSLQ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_29TZJMXZE24VF8CZ680C


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Karnataka High Court
Karnataka High Court Quashes Criminal Case Against MP Dr. K Sudhakar in ₹4.8 Crore Election Cash Seizure
Bihar Police
Bihar Police Reshuffle Ahead of Assembly Elections: 3 IPS, 148 DSPs Transferred; Ashok Kumar Singh Appointed SP Human Rights Commission
FACT
From Finance Head to CMD: Who Is S Sakthimani, the PESB-Recommended Chief of FACT Limited?
Reserve-Bank-of-India_RBI_resized
RBI Proposes UIN-Based System to Simplify Foreign Offices Setup, Eases Approval Norms
NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog Proposes Presumptive Taxation Scheme for Foreign Investors to Boost Certainty and Ease of Doing Business
Bihar Government-resized-IM
Major IAS Reshuffle in Bihar Ahead of Elections: 7 Officers Transferred; Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh Appointed Secretary to CM Secretariat
bureaucracy news
IRS Chandra Madhav Singh Appointed Deputy Secretary in Consumer Affairs; IPS Shika Goel Takes Over as DG Vigilance & Enforcement in Telangana
IAS Shailja Pandey
Who Is IAS Shailja Pandey? Nainital Officer Joins Rajasthan Cadre After Transfer from Bihar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr G K Goswami IPS
Everything you ever wanted to know about e-murder, e-dacoity and data safety
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Ankit MPPSC 2024 Rank 3
From Village Dreams to Deputy Collector’s Chair: Meet Ankit, MPPSC Rank 3 Hindi Medium Topper
Ankit, a Hindi-medium aspirant from Balaghat, secured Rank 3 in MPPSC 2024 and became Deputy Collector...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Karnataka High Court
Karnataka High Court Quashes Criminal Case Against MP Dr. K Sudhakar in ₹4.8 Crore Election Cash Seizure
Bihar Police
Bihar Police Reshuffle Ahead of Assembly Elections: 3 IPS, 148 DSPs Transferred; Ashok Kumar Singh Appointed SP Human Rights Commission
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr G K Goswami IPS
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT