https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A Book that Gives Voice to Women Fighting Injustice and Indignity

‘Contemporary Cheerharan: Women Fighting Injustice and Indignity’ is Gujarat Administrative Service officer Maitridevi Sisodia’s first book. She has co-authored the book with a writer friend, and it centers around myriad issues faced by women in our society. Within the launch week, the book became the second bestseller under ‘Hot New Releases’ in anthologies genre.
Indian Masterminds Stories

GAS officer Maitridevi Sisodia has come up with her first book, co-authored with a writer friend, that sheds light upon the problems and social malaise faced by women in our society. The book urges a change in the repulsive culture of wronging and blaming women, which has set in like an indelible stain on our social fabric. 

In an exclusive conversation, Ms. Sisodia gave Indian Masterminds some insights into the book.

CONTEMPORARY CHEERHARAN

The name of the book is ‘Contemporary Cheerharan: Women Fighting Injustice and Indignity’, and it is an anthology comprising of poetry, essays, short stories, diary entries, epigrams, and open letters written by the co-authors, centering around myriad issues faced by women, such as dowry, rape, forced prostitution, unequal gender division, domestic violence, acid attacks, etc.

“In our book, you won’t simply find short stories or straightforward open letters; we are here to represent our voice using art and literature in the hope that our country has eyes to gawk the reality,” says Ms. Sisodia. 

Contemporary Cheerharan

FACEBOOK PLAYED A ROLE

Currently posted as the Deputy Collector, Stamp Duty, Vadodara, and Special Land Acquisition Officer, Narmada Project, Ms. Sisodia has written the book along with the co-author, Mr. Gaurav Jukela, a senior manager with Electrolux, based out of Singapore. They were both parts of AIESEC during their college years, with a keen interest in writing. Surprisingly, the idea to write the book sparked from a Facebook conversation between the two writers!

“We were sharing our angst against the plight of women and the countless issues faced by them. We decided we wanted to express our infuriation with words, without sugar-coating anything and expressing reality as it really is – partly from experience and partly from observation,” she told Indian Masterminds.

The book became no.3 best seller within the first week

TOOK 8 YEARS TO PUBLISH

Initially, the co-authors thought of publishing an E-book of their thoughts and collection. They began writing it and the first draft was ready by 2014. As they got more and more invested in writing the piece, they decided to take a chance at publishing a paperback. They submitted the manuscripts to several publishing houses but did not receive a concrete reply from any. 

Furthermore, due to their personal and professional work commitments, the project went on the back burner for a long period of time. But 2019 brought a ray of hope for the book once again when BecomeShakespeare publishing house selected their manuscript.

“In 2019, BecomeShakespeare selected our old submitted manuscript for Wordit Art Fund. This art fund is specifically to encourage new authors, with really author-friendly terms and little direct investment from authors. Due to the art fund, this book got a new lease on life. We rewrote a lot of the old pieces, added some new pieces. And the book ‘Contemporary Cheerharan: Women Fighting Injustice and Indignity’ finally got published,” Ms. Sisodia said.

The officer has received the Sahityakosh Samman award for the book

BOOK’S SUCCESS

Being a civil servant is not an easy job. But the regularity of the officer in setting up a schedule for herself and following it religiously has helped her in balancing her work life and her passion for writing. 

Her book is a hit among book lovers. Within the launch week, it became the second-bestseller under ‘Hot New Releases’ in the anthologies genre. It also came in as the third bestseller in the social welfare and social services genre.

Ms. Sisodia has been awarded Sahityakosh Samman 2022 at Ne8x LitFest for her outstanding work. After the huge success of her first book, the officer is looking forward to other projects in the future, as well.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Tourism Cooperation
Tourism Cooperation Between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Gains Momentum with MoU: Road Show in Lucknow, Focus on Heritage Tourism & Travel Infrastructure
UPSC Image
UPSC to Open Three-Day “Correction Window” for NDA & NA (II) and CDS (II) 2025 Applications
IRS Logo
IRS Manoj Kumar Given Addl Charge as Chief Vigilance Officer at Mumbai Port Authority
ONGC_resized
ONGC Finance Chief Yogish Nayak Takes Over as MRPL Executive Director (Finance)
BPCL_resized
Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) Showcases Zero-Emission Power Tech at Japan Energy Summit 2025 with Innovative ITE System
jharkhand logo-resized
Jharkhand Reels Under Acute Shortage of IAS and State Administrative Service Officers - Know More
Indian_Oil_Rashtriya-Chemicals-Fertilizers-Limited-RCF
Indian Oil and RCFL Set Important Dates for Dividend and NCD Redemption in 2025 - Chcek All Details Here
Project Elephant
21st Steering Committee Meeting of Project Elephant Emphasizes Community Involvement and Conflict Mitigation - Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
Iran Is Weakest Now, Needs a Face-Saver
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
Retired Officers Lead 7-Day Mission to Revive Betwa River with 55 Check Dams | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Social Media
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Tourism Cooperation
Tourism Cooperation Between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Gains Momentum with MoU: Road Show in Lucknow, Focus on Heritage Tourism & Travel Infrastructure
UPSC Image
UPSC to Open Three-Day “Correction Window” for NDA & NA (II) and CDS (II) 2025 Applications
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT