Papers by Pallab Das
Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics, 2020
Ashapurna Devi observes in her inaugural speech delivered at a National Seminar titled Indian Wom... more Ashapurna Devi observes in her inaugural speech delivered at a National Seminar titled Indian Women – Myth and Reality on 9th March, 1989, “Man is the maker of that world, and woman’s duty is to make him a home.” This was obviously her way of using trope or satire on the poignant issue of looking at the male-female binary in an ‘ideal’ Hindu Society from the perspective of a masculine framework, which obviously forms a stereotype and confines the ‘other’ gender within the very parameter of that domain. In search of that stereotype and its influence on the Bengali Hindu women, one may as well end up tracing some interesting findings in one of the most neglected genres of folk literature (or folk-religious literature) – “Broto Katha”, a long and ancient practice by the Indian Hindu Women. There are clear suggestions regarding their wearing habits, food habits and even the way they should voice their desires. These rules are strictly meant for women – in most cases virgins or married. Placed against these, the Partition(1947) narratives, interviews and memoirs by Bengali Hindu women help to build a counter-narrative that offers a more ‘neutral’ gendered conceptualisation of the male-female binary and of the making of the society, if not Nation. Even the very concept of ‘Broto’ seems to have elevated to a gender-neutral as well as secular status. The narratives also point to a more important issue regarding the choice of desire. From these emerges the new role played by these women to unite the private and public sphere of the ‘family’ which was previously strictly restricted to the men. In the present essay, I would like to take into consideration memoirs by three Bengali Hindu women – Riots, Partition and Independence and Partition: Streams of Refugees by Manikuntala Sen, Two Women, One Family, Divided Nations by Meghna Guhathakurta and Trauma & Triumph by Hasna Saha; and also one interview of Phulrenu Guha titled Rehabilitation, East & West (all of them are taken from the anthology titled No Woman’s Land, edited by Ritu Menon and first published in 2017 by Women Unlimited, an associate of Kali for women) to place against the “Broto Katha” narratives to redefine the politics of the making and breaking of stereotypes of the Bengali Hindu Women and to trace how a new ‘gendered’ understanding as a counter-narrative to the masculine understanding of the society (as well as Nation to some extent) emerges out of it.
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Online Research Book Publication, 2018
The comic albums of Tintin have attracted the readers of all ages since its first publication as ... more The comic albums of Tintin have attracted the readers of all ages since its first publication as a comic strip. But the series is meant for the audience of all age groups and they have more to offer than some mere adventures in pictures. One popular side of Tintin is his playing the role of the saviour of the people or the nations he visits during his adventures. The present essay intends to shade some critical light on the framing of his character as the saviour of the Others – the depiction of the Others, the changing situations, changing perspectives, the different flavours in his role of a saviour. It follows the trail of his journey from being the Boula Matiri to a human being.
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Ebong Prantik, 2018
Repetition is one of the central themes of The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh. In the tide country o... more Repetition is one of the central themes of The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh. In the tide country of the Sunderbans tide and ebb occur at regular intervals and this repetition decides everything for the people of the tide country. Even their life and death are decided by it. Chance and coincidence make Nirmal, Nilima, Kusum and Horen face each other. it is the tide country that ultimately decides their fate. Years later when Kanai, Piya, Moyna and Fokir are at the same place, incidents and situations repeat themselves making repetitions one of the central deciding factors.
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Book Chapters by Pallab Das
Amitav Ghosh - A Writer with a Difference (ISBN 978-81-8043-162-3), 2021
20 th May 2020 marks a black day for the people living in the southern part of West Bengal. Post-... more 20 th May 2020 marks a black day for the people living in the southern part of West Bengal. Post-Amphan news reports clearly demonstrate the fragility of any developmental project against a super-cyclone. The worst affected areas are the Sundarbans. The cyclone ravaged the mangroves and exposed the people to vulnerability. Already stampeded under factors like remoteness, impaired connectivity, under-education, poverty, tiger-attacks, water scarcity and lack of basic infrastructure, these people are bereft of their last savings now. In the COVID 19 lockdown scenario, the impact is greater as it is hard to find swift aids. However, COVID 19 has seen a great rise in charity work. Keeping parity with the graph, post-Amphan Sundarbans have seen many relief works by several NGOs and clubs as well as by the Government. In the light of the present situation, this paper will try a re-reading of The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh, to find how he has dealt with the problems of the people of the tide country and whether he has suggested a solution other than the occasional relief works. It will look into if the novel ceases to be a mere literary masterpiece and ascends to the level of being a practical guidebook to the social-scientists as well.
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Indian English Literature Texts and Contexts (ISBN 978-93-89264-01-2), 2019
One of the major Post-Modern issues in respect of India is partition. The partition and the migra... more One of the major Post-Modern issues in respect of India is partition. The partition and the migration in the Bengal side have for long been neglected. Literature related to that in English is hard to find. However, some works may be found in either side of the border written in the vernacular. The society being usually conservative, to trace the narrative detailing the experience of women during partition is a hard nut to crack. However, those who became direct victims of the partition, their experiences, became the main plot of several literary works. But women who remained concerned with family problems and partition never really haunted their thoughts, were also affected by partition. The present essay tends to trace the mention of these women in Bengal Partition Stories, especially during the times of partition riots.
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Indian English Literature Texts and Contexts (ISBN 978-93-89264-01-2), 2019
Works of Prafulla Roy have been translated into several languages, including English. He has rece... more Works of Prafulla Roy have been translated into several languages, including English. He has received national awards but his works are yet to reach the national critical psyche. Though labelled as a Partition writer, his works are often something beyond that. In the present context four short stories are taken into count in order to show the underlying theme of the subaltern invasion in power-politics that often recurrently comes back in his stories.
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Papers by Pallab Das
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