Sushma Asur was born in the Asur community, a tribe that descends from Mahishasura. The Asurs are a very small Austro-Asiatic ethnic group living primarily in the Indian state of Jharkhand, mostly in the Gumla, Lohardaga, Palamu and Latehar districts. Only around 2,000 people speak Asuri. As per the 2011 census, the tribe has a population of around 23,000.
Sushma Asur is the first poet in her community to write about the Asur Culture and History.
Read more on the adivasis' fight for their religious identity and rights in Outlook's 'Jal Jangal Jameen' issue.
