CHAPTER-4

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya and his novels

(i) Rajpathe Ringiyaya (ii) Aai

(iii) Yiaruingam (iv) Sataghni

(v) Nasta Chandra (vi) Pratipad

(vii) Mrityunjay (viii) Sinaki Suti
(ix) Ballari (x) Daini
(xi) Ranga Megh (xii) Munisunir Pohar
(xiii) Kalar Humuniya

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (1924-1997) is a famous Indian writer

and one of the pioneers of modem Assamese Literature. He holds a

significant place in the realm of Assamese literature. He has contributed

immensely to the domain of Assamese literature by writing many novels,

short-stories, poems and essays. He makes the Assamese nation proud by

awarding the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 1979 for his novel Mrityunjay.

It will be worthwhile to mention that Bhattacharyya is the first Assamese

getting this award. He had been conferred the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961

for his another novel Yiaruingam. It is to be noted that Bhattacharyya is

the third Assamese getting the Sahitya Akademi Award.

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya was bom on 14th October, 1924 at

Safrai Tea garden of Sibsagar district. Bhattacharyya, the second child of

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Sashidhar Bhattacharyya and Aaideu Bhattacharyya, first started his study life

at Safrai tea garden. He showed his literary talent at die very early period

of his life by composing a poem ‘Srimanta Sankardev’ in a hand-made

magazine Purabi Artm. He read at Govt. M.E. school of Kakajan and after

that, went to Govt. High School of Jorhat. Gradually, he came into touch

with Amulya Baruah, Munindra Narayan Dutta Baruah, Jati Narayan Sarma,

Rajen Hazarika, some well-known young poets of that time. Their collective

effort gave birth a hand-made magazine ‘Senehf in which Birendra Kumar

/
wrote ids first essay ‘Satra Aru Rajniti’ (Student and Politics). His first short

story named ‘Mahi Aair Sadar’ (The Stepmother’s affection) was published

in his school magazine Jeuti. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya showed his

literary talent at the early period of his life by getting many prizes held

in various competitions in his student’s life. Once he got ‘Aauniaati Gold

Medal’ in an essay competition in his student life. It would be worthwhile

to mention that during his study of high school days he came into contact

with the great figures of the literary field such as Dimbeswar Neog, Mitradev

Mahanta, Trolokyanath Goswami, Maheswar Neog etc. who had inspired him

to that field. Because of this inspiration and the intimacy with these people,

Birendra Kumar started to write in a hand-made daily newspaper named

Bhogdoi. His story named ‘Marahi Para Jiban’ (Faded life), got the best

story writer award during his college life. At that time he was a student

of I.S.C. from Cotton College. Birendra Kumar excelled in his academic

field also. He was a meritorious student. He passed the H.S.L.C. Examination

with letter marks in four subjects in 1941. It may be worthwhile to mention

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that he got the highest marks in Assamese among the examinees of that year.

Birendra Kumar successfully did his I.S.C. and B.S.C. from Cotton College

in 1943 and 1945 respectively. After taking graduation, though he went to

Calcutta in order to study Journalism and then Law, his desire was not'

fulfilled on account of racial conflict occurred in Calcutta in 1946, which

led Bhattacharyya to return back to Assam. In that conflict Bhattacharyya

lost his intimate friend Amulya Baruah accompanied with the manuscript of

his (Bhattacharyya’s) first novel. Though his dream was not fulfilled to read

Journalism and law in Calcutta, he was acquainted with the prosperity of

cultural field of Calcutta as well as with the literary and political

atmosphere.That atmosphere left a deep impact in his life. Bhattacharyya

quenched his thirst by engaging himself in the field of journalism. He even

proved himself as a successful journalist. He started his life of journalism

as an assistant editor in a magazine named Bahi which was published from

Calcutta. At the same time in 1946, he also worked in an English newspaper

named Advance which was very popular at that time. However because of

the racial conflict that occurred in Calcutta, Bhattacharyya came back to

Assam and engaged himself as an assistant editor in a newspaper named Natun

Asomiya in the later part of 1946. Bhattacharyya had a great faith upon

democracy and socialism. Though, at first, he was related to ‘National

Congress Party’, the ideologies of Socialist Party attracted him much. In

1947, Bhattacharyya joined in the ‘Indian Socialist Party’ under the leadership

of Jayprakash Narayan. Later on, Bhattacharyya became the editor of their

weekly mouthpiece Janata, published from the branch of Assam.

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 In 1950, Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya went to Nagaland. He went

to Ukhrul High School of Nagaland as a science teacher. Staying in Ukhrul

was a great significant event in Bhattacharyya’s life. During his service life

of one and half year of staying in Ukhrul, Bhattachryya got enough scope

of studying the Nagas’ lives and cultures as well as their ideologies. The

memorable experience of Nagaland led Bhattacharyya to write one of the

significant novels Yiaruingam which carried the prestigious ‘Sahitya Akademi

Award’ in 1960. Even staying in Nagaland also, Bhattachrayya engaged himself

in the literary activities. He regularly offered many articles and short-stories

to Assamese newspapers and magazines. His Letters of Ukhrul, Aji Biya

Parahiloi Gaon Panchayat were published in the pages of Ramdhenu, one

of the significant magazines of that period.

Returning to Guwahati from Nagaland in 1952, Bhattacharyya took

the responsibility of Ramdhenu as die editor. Bhattacharyya engaged himself

in editing the magazine Ramdhenu from 1952 to 1963, that is, for long

twelve years and it is needless to say that this magazine under Bhattacharyya’s

leadership created a new era in Assamese literature. Ramdhenu became one

of the ways for expanding modem Assamese poems and thought provoking

writings. Ramdhenu was not only a magazine, it was an age itself, it carried

proper modernism to Assamese literature. Many distinguished writers of that

period discharged their thoughts and feelings on the pages of Ramdhenu.

However, because of some unfavourable circumstances he left the work of

Ramdhenu and engaged himself in editing of the weekly Navayug from 1963

to 1966. The great effort and endeavour of Bhattacharyya, raised the standard

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of this magazine. The various columns namely art, literature, politics, cinema,

sports etc. made this magazine volumnious and lively to the readers. However,

because of the lack of finance, this magazine had to be stopped after four

years of smooth ruhning. Already Bhattacharyya tied his marriage knot with

Binita Bhattacharyya in the month of June, 1958. Bhattacharyya got active

support in his creation from his wife. His wife showed proper respect towards

his literary activities.

Though Bhattacharyya engaged himself in literary activities, he also

quenced his thirst for higher knowledge by acquiring the post-graduate degree

in Assamese in 1953 as a private examinee. Later on, Birendra Kumar did

his research work on the topic ‘Humour and Satire in Assamese Literature’

under Gauhati University in 1977. He served as a Reader in the Dept, of

Journalism for many years. Later on, Bhattacharyya was appointed as a

Professor in Kurukhetra University. Jabbalpur University honoured him by

conferring the ‘D.Lit’ title to him.

Bhattacharyya engaged himself with many institutions. He was the

president of writers’ Association, life long member of ‘Institute of Gandhian

Thought and Peace Studies’ of Allahabad University, selected member of

Gauhati University, member of regional research adviser committee. He was

the president of ‘Assam Sahitya Sabha’ held in Bangaigaon in 1983. He

remained the President of ‘Asam Sahitya Sabha’(Assam Literary Society)

from 1983-1985. Bhattacharyya was connected himself with ‘Assam Sahitya

Sabha’ for more than a decade.

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 Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya was a person having political and

social consciousness.though he was not involved himself in active politics.

Bhattacharyya’s political consciousness had been reflected in the pages of

Janata, Ramdhenu and other newspapers and magazines. His political

consciousness had been aroused even in his student life. He was greatly

influenced by the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and Karl Marx, which paved

him the way for establishing a society, based on humanism and socialistic

outlook.

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya was a man of multifarious personality.

As a person Bhattacharyya was a simple person. Simple living, high thinking

was his characteristic traits. Bhattacharyya was a thoughtful person. Because

of his great mental strength, he could dare to leave his regular job of

journalism, and earned his living by writing. He even did not stop writing

at the harsh emergency power of India in 1975. He was a good poet, short

story writer, dramatist, novelist, biographer, translator, lyricist, critic, teacher

and a good journalist. Bhattacharyya started his literary career by writing

poems. He was one of the creators of modem Assamese poems. Sandhya

Swar is the name of his poetry collection. ‘Namhin’, ‘Arghya’, Shillongat

Ratipuah’, ‘Africa’, ‘Sankardev’, ‘Naginir Sithi’, ‘AatmaGyyn’, ‘BishnuRabha

etiya kiman rati’ etc. are his significant poems. A high idealism, humanism,

respect upon people, faith upon justice and equality, dream of creating an

equalistic society-all these aspects have been reflected in his poems.

As a short story writer, Bhattacharyya’s position in the field of

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Assamese literature is significant. Bhattacharyya got recognition as a short-

story writer in his college life. After publishing his first short story eMahi

Aair Sadar’ (1938) in the magazine Jeuti, he had written more than one

hundred short-stories. His story ‘Marahi Para Jiban’ got the first prize in

1941. Kalong Aazio Boy (1962), Saatsari (1963) -these two are his

collections of short story. ‘Maakanar Gosain’, ‘Kalong Ajio Boy’, ‘’Sirala

Aru Sinduin’, ‘Lalita Mami’, ‘Miya Mansur’, ‘Eajoni Japani Sowali’, ‘Pakhilai

Pakhi Salay’ etc. were his successful short-stories, though at the later part

of his life, Bhattacharyya engaged himself in novel writing, which carried

many prestigious prizes to him and made his name famous in the field of

novel writing in Indian literature. Dr. Prabhakar Machwe in his essay entitled

‘The Ever Smiling Cascade from Kamarup’ has said about Birendra Kumar,
i

“....yet he never loses his grip on the reader’s credibility. Herein

lies the excellence of Birendra Kumar as a story-teller and a novelist who

will be remembered for long, and not just read and forgotten.”1

Bhattacharyya’s stories are generally based on idealism and are taken

from file real happenings of life.

As a dramatist and as a translator, Bhattacharyya’s contribution

towards the field of Assamese literature is significant. ‘Baliya Baragi’,

‘Jonali’, ‘Bharati’, ‘Sakuntala’, ‘Jagna’, ‘Mukti’, ‘Sataghni’, ‘Mukha’, ‘Aahalya’

etc. are his significant dramas. He even successfully translated French

1. Prabhakar Machwe, “The Ever Smiling Cascade from Kamarupa”, Hemanta

Kumar Sarma & Rajendra Mohan Sarma, ed., Birendra Bhattacharyyar
Sahitya Kriti (Guwahati : Chandra Prakash, 2008), P. 226.

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dramatist Moliyer’s ‘Turtuffle’ to Assamese entitled ‘Brahmasari’.

Bhattacharyya showed his capability in the field of translation by translating

Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhya’s

Parinita and D.D. Koushambi’s Bharatar Itihas into Assamese.

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya got the opportunity of travelling the

foreign countries for two times. He travelled Russ and Polend. Seemai

Aamani Kare was written on the basis of his Russ journey.

Bhattacharyya’s biographical books upon Sri Aurobindo, Vidyasagar

etc. were very significant. Moreover, he wrote more than two thousand

articles regarding literature, culture, politics, religion and some contemporary

issues very poignantly and those were scattered in various newspapers and

magazines namely Ramdhenu, Navayug, Dainik Assam, Asom Batari etc.

Bhattacharya’s contribution to the Assamese literature was really unforgettable.

This great Assamese author died on 6th August in 1997, at the age of 83.

Though Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya exhibited his literary talent

as a poet, short story writer, dramatist, translator, journalist he became more

familiar among the midst of the people as a novelist. As a novelist, he has

a specific place in the realm of Assamese literature. Bhattacharyya was the

creator of almost two dozen novels. His novels sae-Rajpathe Ringiyaya

(1955), Aai (1960), Yiaruingam (1960), Sataghni (1965), Nastachandra

(1968), Bharati (1969), Pratipad (1970), Mrityunjay (1970), Sinaki Suti

(1971), Agnigarh (1971), Kabar Aru Phul (1972), Paribrajak (1972), Eti

Nisha (1973), Ballari (1973), Tab Am Ida (1973), Daini (1976), Ranga

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Megh (1976), Sarat Konwar (1978), Munisunir Pohar (1979), Kalar

Humuniya (1982), Phul Kowarar Pakhi Ghora (1988), Prem Am Mritu

(1992), Budhi Aaitar Puran, Amit Prem (2008), It is to be noted that

Bharati, Tab Am Ida, Paribrajalc, Eti Nisha- these four short novels are
included within one book named Saturanga. In the same way, Prem Am

Mrityu, Agnigarh, Baliya Samay-these three short novels are included within

one book, titled Baliya Samay. Among all the novels, Mrityunjay and

Yiamingam have carried ‘Jnanpith Award’ in 1979 and ‘Sahitya Akademi

Award’ in 1961 respectively. Bhattacharyya’s novels are based upon the real

experience of political and social happenings of Indian society. The freedom

struggle of India and Assam’s contribution towards the independence,
exploitation of the White upon the Indians, the socio-economic condition

of the Assamese village society, the real picture of the tea-garden of Assam,

the strike of the labourers of Digboi tea-garden of 1939- all these scenario

have been portrayed beautifully with the help of high imaginative flavour of

the novelist.

Since Bhattacharyya has written almost two dozen novels, it is not

possible to make a detailed analysis of all his novels. So, here, a short

glimpse of almost all of his novels, has been offered. His first novel,

Rajpathe Ringiyaya was based on only one day events and predominated

by his political and social analysis. The story of the novel is developed on

the conflict of the mind of Mohan, the central character of the novel, on
the day of getting independence of the Indians from the shackles of the

British. According to Mohan, this independence that the Indians have got,

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is not the real independence. It is not the real independence since some

people of India have remained starved and cried in hunger. The real

independence will be possible when all the poor people of India will get

the economic independence. Aai, Bhattachaiyya’s second novel displays the

destructive picture of Assamese villages of that time. The novel has portrayed

how the landless farmers are exploited by the usurer Mahajan. Depicting

the main female character of the novel, on the model of his own mother,

the novelist has added the attributes of affectionate, sympathetic nature to

that character which makes the novel very touching. Yiaruingam , another

novel is the depiction of the Naga society, their customs and traditions,

beliefs and superstitions. The story of the novel is developed on the basis

of Naga-revolution. In Sataghni the novelist has portrayed the hatred and

sufferings of people, carried out by the war between China and India in

1962. There is also the reference of destruction caused by the war in

economic and social field of Assam. Nasta Chandra is a psychological

novel of Bhattacharyya. It is the depiction of the miserable life of the

last years of an old man. After the death of his first wife, the old man

though married, could not give any satisfaction to his second young wife

which led her to go to the company of another man. Pratipad portrays

the incident of the labourer strike and the sufferings of them. Mrityunjay

is composed on the basis of a revolutionary act of some Assamese people

during Indian independence, as well as it shows the conflict of those

people at the fulfilment of their actions. This novel depicts a clear picture

of the struggle and commitments of Assamese people, in 1942, against

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British rale. Sinaia Suti is another psychological novel of Bhattacharyya.

This novel is the revelation of the true nature of the real love of men

and women. Agnigarh is composed on the issue of the Naxalbadis’

movement. Kabar Aru Phul is written on the basis of Bangladesis’s

salvation of 1971. The bad effect of war upon humanity is very distinct

in this novel. Paribrajak is composed on the basis of the experience

of his Russ journey. There is a good depiction of the cultural lives of

India and Russ in this novel as well as it has shown the differences of

the social lives of both the countries. Ballari displays the story of

misunderstanding between a husband and a wife. Eli Nisha is composed

on the issue of medium problem of Assam of 1970. On the same issue,

that is, the medium problem of 1960, another novel named Bharati has

been written. Tab Aru Ida is Bhattacharyya’s satirical novel. In this novel,

he makes a criticism of reformative movement through the story of two

simpanjis. In Daini, Bhattacharyya has depicted man’s usual human

instinct. Another novel Ranga Megh is a reformative and revolutionary

novel. In this novel the novelist has focused the floppery nature of the

leaders who has not any real intention of improving the society. Sarat

Kowar is written on the basis of the folk-beliefs of Mikir society. This

novel specifically has led a deep influence upon the minds of the children.

Munisunir Pohar; another novel of Bhattacharyya is the depiction of the

emergency condition of India, led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

and its bad effect in the country. Some critics want to say that taking

the issue of the emergency condition of India; the novelist has really

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portrayed the socio-economic life of a village society. Kalar Humuniya
is composed on the issue of the tea-garden of upper Assam. This novel

displays the rules and exploitation of the white people upon the Indian

labourers. Phulkowarar Pakhi Ghora is composed on the issue of the

political and social condition of Assam of the pre-independence period.

In Prem aru Mritu , a pathetic picture of the lives of the Nagas created

by the revolutionaries has been depicted. Budhi Aaitar Puran is composed

on the issue of the Assam movement from 1979 to 1983. Through the

conflict between a father and a son, the novelist has depicted the mental

conflict of the Assamese race.

The novels of Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, perhaps may be

segmented into two parts: political novel and non-political novel. Most of

Bhattacharyya’s significant novels are political. It seems that as a novelist,

the field of politics is very familiar to him. However, it is also true that

Bhattacharyya’s non-political novels are also equally significant with his

political novels. Some of Bhattacharyya’s significant political novels as well

as the non-political novels are discussed below:

(i) Raj pa the Ringiyaya

Rajpathe Ringiyaya (1955) is Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya’s first

novel and it is totally political. In this novel, the main character of the novel,

Mohan, has shown displeasure on the issue of the independence that India

has got after the long struggle. Mohan says that this freedom has not carried

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the real freedom to the common people. This freedom only carries freedom

to the owners of the Mills, Jaminders and the rich people. The socialism

as well as the ideologies of Gandhi cannot be fulfilled by the Congress Govt,

of independent India. According to Mohan, this Govt, of independent India

carries only the exploitative nature of the British. Mohan wanted to change

the whole world through his revolutionary attitude. He said in the novel,

“We don’t need false freedom. We need real freedom. Total

freedom. We need the darbar of the people, government of the people. We

2
need rice, clothes, house and immortal freedom of culture.” (trans.)

So, the central character of the novel, Mohan did not involve himself

on the enlightenment programme of the historical day of 15th August, 1947.

Rather, he expressed his own view against that acquired independence. The

novel shows that on that specific day, Mohan kept himself busy in revealing

the real truth to the people and made ready the people for another revolution.

It is seen that Mohan delivered a revolutionary speech in a meeting, that

was organized on the occasion of the celebration of Independence Day. At

that special meeting, the new chief minister of independent India would have

been delivered a speech to the people. For the revolutionary speech, Mohan

was sent to jail. Mohan’s thinking of the acquired independence and real

independence of India, his distribution of the leaflets and his incomplete

public lecture, his socialistic attitude and the inability of establishing the

2. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Rajpathe Ringiyaya (Guwahati: Assam Jyoti,

, 1955),P.ll.

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socialism by the new Govt, of independent India have been focussed in the

novel.

Though, this novel deals with the political issue, still, it gives,

reference to the issue of die love relation of the hero with a girl named

Aaikan. Aaikan was a girl of a capitalist, who did not have any sympathy

towards the poor. Still,both of them loved each other very much. The intense

love between Mohan and Aaikan was seen in the novel, when Mohan even

of his busy schedule on the historical day of 15th August, managed to meet

his beloved and promised to marry her. Aaikan’s interest towards Mohan was

also seen, when, she went to the meeting and listened to the lecture, delivered

by Mohan with care. Even being a capitalist girl also, Aaikan had respect

in her mind towards Mohan. However, the novelist did not emphasize much

upon this issue, which could lead the novel to be termed as a domestic

novel.

The speciality of Rajpathe Ringiyaya is that the action of the novel

is set within a day. The activity of the protagonist Mohan has been started

from the early 5 in the morning and is ended in the evening. Within this

limited time, he has met various types of people, talked with them and thus,

through Mohan, the novelist has portrayed the picture of the society of that

time. The special credit of the novelist is that he has described all the

happenings within a day and has successfully criticised the significant Indian

independence, which is a great event of World History. The independence

that the Indian people have got after the long struggle against the British,

becomes an irony since after independence also, some people have got

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starved. The novelist, even writing a first and a small voluminous novel like

Rajpathe Ringiyaya, very successfully portrays the political thinking regarding

Indian independence.

(ii) Aai

Aai is Bhattacharyya’s second novel. In this novel, the novelist has

depicted an affectionate mother who is able to win the heart of everyone

through her good-natured behaviour and intelligence. The widowed mother

that the novelist has depicted in the novel Aai, has shown her capacity in

performing all the household goods very systematically. Helping the neighbours

at their needs, the mother of Basa has shown her. motherly qualities. The

nature of her helping hands towards the neighbours at their needs, is very

encouraging. Besides, her humble behaviour through which she can satisfy

everybody, is also praiseworthy. The novel shows that Swama, that is, Basa’s

mother had looked after fatherless Basa alone with her utmost patience and

intelligence. Even being a widow, she thought for the education of Basa,

which shows her interest for education and makes her different from the
5 i

ordinary village women. It seems that through this novel, the novelist has

been able to portray the affectionate nature of a mother. It is true that the

affectionate nature of a mother has been portrayed in various art forms. From

Raphel’s Medona to Maxim Gorky’s Mother, everywhere a mother’s significant

role has been portrayed. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya’s depiction of the

character of the widowed mother has been respected by all and called her

‘Aai’. Because of her personality, the village people called her ‘Laksmi’.

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Bholanath Sanyasi of this novel considered her as ‘Mother Jagadamba’. Even

Rajat, the revolutionary character of the novel admitted that the great

mother’s qualities were existed in the character of Basa’s mother.

The novelist with the help of the story of the novel has depicted

the destructive nature of the village society. It seems that at that time, the

villagers were away from education and agriculture. The bad effect of the

town civilization, made some illiterate village youths, rootless. They were

totally indifferent towards doing their household works. The sons of the old

Bhakat, depicted in the novel, were indifferent towards the cultivation in the

lands. Instead of the cultivation in the lands, they were interested for doing

labour works in the house of another person.

In the novel, the novelist has portrayed some landless people who

were not educated. The poverty also kept them aloof from going to school.

The novelist has depicted the character of Rajat as the representative of the

landless people. Rajat is portrayed as a revolutionary character in the novel.

He protested against the act of Indreswar Mahajan. Indreswar Mahajan took

high interest for the money that he lent to the villagers. Rajat was rebellious

about the action of Mahajan. Rajat was seen to pour his anger upon the

exploiter Indreswar by killing him. As a result, Rajat was sent to jail and

finally he was hanged.

The novelist has shown the changing relationship of the village

people because of the changing economic situation. It is reflected through

the relationship of Basa’s family and Mon’s family.

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 The novelist has used the mythical techniques in his novel Aai. The
novelist has used the mythical figures to describe the nature of the

characters. Rajat compared Indreswar with Duhsasan of The Mahabharata.

He even expressed his desire to drink his blood. Just as Bhima in The

Mahabharata drank the blood of Duhsasana, in the same way, he also

expressed his desire of drinking the blood of Indreswar, which showed his

disgust towards the Mahajan and at the same, time, the readers were also

helped to understand how wicked the Mahajan was.

The novelist has tried to portray a true picture of a village society

through the novel Aai. The life-styles of the village people, the poverty, the

jealousy and at the same time, the love and sympathy towards each other,

the disease and death, the changing relationship of the people, the customs

of leading a widowed life in the Brahmin society-everything are tried to

portray by the novelist through his novel Aai.

(iii) Yiaruingam

Yiamingam, the Sahitya Akademi Award winning novel is based on

the Naga lives, their ideologies and simplicity. It would be worthwhile to

mention that Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya engaged himself in teaching in

Ukhrul High School in Nagaland in 1950 and got the scope of studying the

life and culture of the Naga people. Yiaruingam is the reflection of his heart­

felt experience and deep attraction of Naga people. In the preface of the

novel Yiaruingam, Bhattacharyya has said that Nagas are also human-beings,

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but they are some special types of human beings. Behind stoicism, one would

notice the simplicity of their minds. The meaning of ‘Yiaruingam’ is the rule

of people. The novel displays the struggle of Naga people for the separate

land for them, their revolution, natural simplicity and the human values. The

novel has focused on one side, the broad Indian nationalistic and on the other

side, the separate narrow nationalistic outlook for the salvation of the Nagas.

The incidents occurred in the novel, however, have proved at the end, that

the broad nationalistic thinking is more acceptable than that of narrow

nationalism.

A revolution was started on the land of Nagaland at the time of before

and after independence of India. Some of the Nagas during that period wanted

an independent Naga state and with that purpose they started a strong

revolution. Videshelley in the novel Yiaruingam took the leadership of that

revolution and Phanitphang was his companion. As a partnership of ‘Ajad

Hind Phouj’ of Netaji, Videshelley believed in terrorism and Videshelley’s

aim of the revolution was to make India free from the shackles of the British

and tried to make a separate Naga state. But the idea to make a separate

Naga state was revolted by Rishang. Unlike Videshelley, Rishang did not want

only to be a Naga, but true human-being. So in the novel Rishang said to

Videshelley,

“I, Videshelley, don’t want to be a Naga, I want to be a human-being”3

(trans.).

3. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Yiaruingam (Guwahati: Lawyers Book Stal,

1998), P. 235.

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 Though Videshelley wanted freedom for Nagas, he did not have any

clear idea of freedom, he even did not have any idea what he would give

people through freedom. So when Rishang in the novel asked this question

to , Videshelley. Videshelley only replied,

“I have nothing to give people; there is not any thing except

4
freedom.” (trans.)

Though Rishang and Videshelley believed in two different ideologies,

they had respect for each other. Rishang once said in novel,

“You turned out to be much superior to what I thought you to be.”*5

(trans.)

Videshelley also showed his respect for Rishang. He therefore said

that History would look into the truthness of the act of Rishang. Listening

to the sound of the bullet of the armies, ’Videshelley wanted to leave the

place. At the time of departure, both Rishang and Videshelley embraced each

other. Though Rishang earnestly requested Videshelley to come to the midst

of people forgetting all the terrorist works, Videshelley refused the proposal

and entered in the midst of the mountains. Phanitphang, the follower of

Videshelley, however, realized later on that the ideology of Videshelley was

wrong. The man, who could kill people like Jiban, would not be a true Naga.

People like Videshelley would only be able to destroy the Nagas. It would

be a sin of killing people like Jiban. At the end of the novel it is seen that

, 4. Ibid. P. 235.
5. Lop Cit

126
some Nagas wanted compensation for the damages of their houses, their

cows and cattles; their hearts were broken at the hard rules of the time.

Some people under the leadership of Videshelley still carried the violence.

Like Jiban, Phanitphang was also shot dead. The peace, happiness, affection

were lost from the lands. Still, like Rishang, Sarengla also hoped for a

peaceful world. When Khutingla informed Rishang about their coming babies,

Rishang was very hopeful thinking that inspite of his death, a human being

would survive in the world as his representative and in this way, through

future generations, peace would come to people and there would be the

victory of the people. Rishang even thought of the name of the coming baby.

He said that if a boy baby would be bom, he would call his name ‘Yiaruingam’,

which means the ‘rule of the people.’

The novel Yiaruingam is a good reflection of the lives of the Nagas

as well as their likes and dislikes. The Nagas have self-ego in their minds

which is reflected by the novelist through the character of Najek. Najek

persuaded his son Khating to be a Naga. When asked about the meaning of

‘Naga’, Najek said that the meaning of ‘Naga’ was ‘to be independent’. He

again said that the Nagas would first kill themselves, after that only they

would leave the freedom. The novel shows some traditions of Naga
i

society.The Nagas and cultivation are interrelated. The lives of the Nagas

cannot be thought without cultivation. Listening to the songs of the working

girls in the field, Khating thought that the true fives actually lay in the midst

of the working women. Sarengla also thought that the farmers were the souls

of the world; they were the sources of happiness.

127
 The fearful aspect of war has been emphasized in the novel. Sarengla

realized the fearful nature of war very well since because of the war she

had to lose her virginity which is the supreme property of a girl. Loosing

her virginity she was deprived of all the happiness of society. Because of

the war the girls could not move freely. Sarengla was a clear example of

it. The virginity of a girl is given very much importance in Naga society.

It is a good reflection of the novel. Because of the illegal relationship of

Ishawara, a Japanese soldier, Sarengla was pregnant which made Rishang very

angry. He could not forgive his childhood friend, Sarengla for that action,

though, his attitude to Sarengla was bound to be changed later on, in the

novel. The role of a husband in the life of a woman is reflected in the novel

through the words of Sarengla. Sarengla says,

“When a woman adopts a man as her husband, on accordance with

her own wishes or upon some forces, she cannot forget him. That man binds

her in such a way that she forgets her own identity, she lives in society
as a legal or illegal wife of that man.”6 (trans.).

Emphasizing about the necessity of a husband in woman’s life,

Sarengla says,

“She is a woman, a woman’s life is completely meaningless without

a man.”7 (trans.).

Though Sarengla had to give affection to Phanitphang and shared his

6. Ibid, P. 13.
. 7. Ibid, P. 13.

128
bed, she could not forget the memory of Ishewara. Sarengla though had hatred

in her mind for Ishewara for leaving her; she could not even blame him.

Thruogh the novel Yiaruingam, the novelist has displayed the

inherent values and those values have been expressed by some of the

characters like Jiban, Rishang, and Dr. Brook etc. When Rishang hated

Sarengla for her relation with the Japanese soldier, he remembered the

sayings of Jesus Christ who asked people not to hate the sinners, but to

hate only the sins. The references of the Bible, die Gita have increased the

dignity of the novel. Sarengla read the pages of the Bible, where it was said,

g
“Love each other in this way as I like you.” (trans.).

It was also said,

“That love which teaches one to sacrifice one’s life for one’s lovers
9
is the greatest love.” (trans.).

When Rishang felt a kind of hatred in his mind towards his father’s

killer, he remembered Jesus Christ’s sayings, who asked people to iove both

friends and enemies. In the novel Jiban also said that the true love lay in

sacrifice of life. Jiban asked Rishang about the importance of repentance

in course of love. Rishang showed his humanism in the novel when he ran

away to save his father’s killer. He even washed his father’s killer’s eyes

and mouth, fetched some waters to quench his thirst and carried him to

8. Ibid., P. 246
9. Lop Cit.

129
hospital for treatment. Sarengla also taught Phanitphang about the nature of

true love,

“Making love is people’s own thing. You may love someone deeply,

of course, he or she may not love you, still, you should not stop loving

him or her. Rather, you should be ready to do something for him or her
that you can.”10 (trans.).

The deep love of Phanitphang towards Khutingla only made possible

for the safe arrival of Rishang from the clutches of Videshelley since

Phanitphang showed the place where Rishang and his companions were

imprisoned by Videshelley. Through the words of Sarengla, perhaps, the

novelist made to say that the true love in the world does not die, it is scattered

in every heart. There is the reflection of ‘Karmayoga’ of the Gita through

the thinking of Jiban. Jiban thinks that people should do their duty well as

the planets and the stars do their duty on their own orbit. For that noone
should expect praise or blame.”*11 The philosophical realization has been

reflected in the novel when it is said that actually the soul does not die
12
and develop. The novelist has displayed the value judgement through the

sayings of Jiban. Specifically, in the conversation between Jiban and Rishang,

the values are expressed very well. Jiban asked Rishang to ‘spread the
messages of peace to every house since the world wants peace.’13 The novelist

wants to say that the idea of independence is good but it is not the life

10. Ibid, P. 228

11. Ibid, P. 251
12. Ibid, P. 250
13. Ibid, P. 265

130
itself. The successful picture of life is reflected in the light of the permanent

values of love, peace etc. Through Rishang, the novelist wants to say that

with the help of violence or by destroying people like Videshelley, peace

will never come to them. The Nagas due to the servitude of violence for

ages, have not learnt to become human being. They should be inspired to

become human being... for improvement, peace is needed, for love, peace
14
is needed, peace is essential.”

In every society there are some old people who generally do not

want to change their old beliefs and old ideologies. They do not want to

adopt the new ideologies of the changing society. Naga society is also no

exception to that. Najek in Yiaruingam was such a character who wanted

to lead the society with his ideology. Najek was very angry with his son

Khating because Khating turned himself into a Christian. Najek could not

bear the idea of Khating’s decision of marrying Philis, a Khasia girl. Listening

to the news of Khating’s marriage with Philis, Najek cried like a little boy.

In the old Indian society, there were some beliefs which were not

accepted by the people of the later generation. The novel reflects those

conflicting ideas of the people. Looking at the south black clouds in the

sky, Iyengmas, Rishang’s father was very upset since he believed that the

black south cloud carried war to people, however, for educated Rishang, those

were nothing but superstitions. The light of education washed the superstitious

beliefs from the minds of the people.

14. Ibid, P. 274

131

\
 (iv) Sataghni

The story of the novel is based on the attack of China upon India.

This novel is the depiction of the real picture of the bad effect of war upon

humanity. The political situation, depicted in Sataghni is very significant,

since the attack of Chinas left a deep impact not only on the Indian politics,

but also on the world politics. With the advancement of the Chinese soldiers

on the land of India, a terror stricken atmosphere was created in India. The

setting of this novel is Margherita town of Assam. The gathering of the

soldiers created a war-like atmosphere at that small town. The attack of China

increased the political consciousness of the Assamese people and helped

to develop the patriotic feeling in their minds. As a socially conscious

novelist, Birendra Kumar Bhattachaiyya, taking the issue of the real happenings

of the attack of China upon India, depicted a picture of the Assamese society.

China attacked India in 1962 and the novelist had shown the rigidity of the

society of that time, its customs and rituals, in the novel. The main character

of the novel Bandhuram Majumdar, at the early period of his life, lost his

mother and after that, he had to bear the step mother’s punishment and rude

behaviour of his father. The novelist has shown the negligence of a man from

the society through the character of Bandhuram. Bandhuram had to be

separated from society, since he married a widow named Pramilla. At that

time, the widow-marriage was not appreciated by the society. Pramilla was
§
a brahmin girl, and was married very tender age with an old man. As a result,

she had to embrace the sufferings of a widowed life very soon. Later on,

she wanted to be self-sufficient and became a nurse. Suddenly, one day she

132
met Bandhuram and gradually,, their relationship had become deeper and

ultimately, they were married with each other. The rigidity of the society

was intense in the novel, when the villagers though were invited, did not

come to Bandhuram’s house at the occasion of his son’s marriage-ceremony

which was held at his house. At the same time, the novelist has mentioned

some old customs which are related to the sufferings of a girl. The issues

that a girl was married at her very tender age, the disapproval of the marriage

of a widow by the society, have been very clearly portrayed by the novelist,

through the characters like Bandhuram and Pramilla. Though, the new

relationship between Bandhuram and Pramilla was not. approved by the

society; Bandhuram had the respect in his mind about the customs existing

in society, and it was seen at the arrangement of the marriage ceremony

of his son. The novelist has shown the relationship of mother-in-law and

daughter-in-law of the Assamese society, through the characters like Pramilla

and Amala. Though Pramilla at first, was very interested to welcome Amala

as her daughter-in-law for his second son Prasanta, later on, showed very

harsh behaviour towards her. In the old Assamese society, the relationship

between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was not satisfactory. It is true

that the daughter-in-law generally has to suffer a lot, specifically from her

mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Generally, the daughter-in-law in the Assamese

society is very submissive. The daughter-in-law generally obeys every order

of the family members without any objection, which is focused by the character

of Amala of Sataghni. In the Assamese literature, from the Jonaki era (1890-

1940) itself, the sufferings of the daugbter-in-law in the hands of her mother-

133
in-law have been portrayed in the history of Assamese literature. Specifically,

in the story of ‘Seuti’ by Lakshminath Bezbaruah, the character Seuti suffered

a lot from her mother-in-law. She was even tried to murder by giving poison

to her. In the novel Sataghni also, Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya had shown

the rude behaviour that Amala had got from her mother-in-law. In Sataghni,

Amala, even after doing all the household works very systematically, had

toi listen to the harsh words from her mother-in-law, Pramilla. Amala did

not make any protest at the behaviour of Pramilla. The novelist has shown

the contrast of characters between Amala and Bimala. Amala did not dare

to protest against the injustice that was done to her, but, Bimala had shown

her courage through her actions. When Bimala knew that her husband was

terribly connected with the conspiracy of her own country, she decided to

divorce him. After that, Bimala decided to open a school and to teach the

boys and girls of the dead soldiers. Since the soldiers sacrificed their lives

for the motherland, she wanted to help their children by teaching.

In the novel, the novelist has shown the mental conflict of Amala.
i ’

Amala faced mental conflict, when Rajat, the fiancee of Amala returned

home after a long gap. Actually, Rajat was arrested in the Chinese war and

no clues had been found about him for many days. Suspecting Rajat to

embrace death, his beloved Amala was welcomed to Rajat’s house as the

wife of his brother Prasanta, But surprisingly, one day Rajat returned home.

The return of Rajat to his home was like a storm in the life of Amala. Rajat’s

return to his home made complicated the life of Amala, the triangular relation

between a woman and two male persons had lost the happiness of the family.

134
Amala was misunderstood by the family including her husband Prasanta and

father-in-law Bandhuram Majumdar. Finally, Rajat left the house. The novelist

has beautifully portrayed the mental turmoil of Amala.

The novelist has shown that the society of Sataghni, was not rigid;

at the same time it was not also well developed to give due respect to women.

Amala’s wishes were not given importance by the family.The novelist has

also depicted the character of Beli as a symbol of women exploitation. At

that time, the marriage of a girl was fixed at the wishes of the guardians.

The wish of the girl to choose her life-partner, was not counted. So Beli,

though her admired person was Bandhuram Majumdar, unwillingly had to

marry a man whom was selected by her guardian. But the marriage did not

last long. However, returning her father’s home, Beli felt miserable and for

the hope of financial engagement, entered into the life of a Bihari man. But

unfortunately, one day, that man who was already married and came to Assam

for his business purpose only, left Beli, and the daughter Amala. Birendra

Kumar Bhattachaiyya revealed the tragic truth existing of that time through

his novel. Ultimately, Beli, the exploited woman had to lead a solitary life

with her daughter Amala. Moreover, through this novel the novelist wanted

to show that the society of Sataghni was not totally reserved. It was
*
somewhat developed because of which Beli could dare to adopt the second

husband; Bimala could also dare to give divorce her husband and thought

to open a school. The women in the society of Sataghni wanted to become

self-sufficient, which was focused by the action of Bimala. The novelist has

portrayed another fact of helping the soldiers by Indian women by donating

I 135
many valuable things to them, which has shown their helping minds as well

as the patriotic feelings. History shows that during the attack of Chinas, the

Indian soldiers had to fight in the winter season and many Indian women

saved the soldiers from cold by knitting sweters for them and by donating

gold, money etc. for them. In the novel Sataghni, it is seen that Pramilla

and Bimala helped the soldiers by knitting sweters for them, Bimala wanted

to repent of the guilty action of marrying the Chinese man, who cheated

her own country, by donating her own property with free hand for the welfare

of the country.

(v) Nasta Chandra

Nasta Chandra is Bhattacharyya’s psychological novel. In this novel,

Bhattacharyya has shown how an aged person, not abling to satisfy the sexual

urge of his young wife, bears mental sufferings and his young wife has to

go to another person for fulfilling her sexual needs and at the same time,

she also bears the mental sufferings for her immoral action. The novel has

shown the relation between an aged husband and his young wife, as well

as the natural outcome of their relation and the psychological relation

\

between male and female. The novelist is very successful in delineating all

the issues in the novel. Bipul, an old man, after the death of his first wife,

married a young girl named Suwanikan. Bipul had two sons, who had already

married and. a matured ummarried girl, from the side of his first wife.

Suwanikan, however, did not get any child or sexual fulfillment from Bipul.

Unknowingly, Suwanikan felt a kind of attraction towards Durlav, the brother

136
of Bipul’s first daughter- in-law. Suwanikan created an illegal relationship

with Purlav. She, however, felt very unhappy for her illegal relationship with
Durlav and for cheating man like Bipul who was very sympathetic to his

wife. The significant point was that Bipul was also aware of his inability
to , give pleasure to his young wife and felt very unhappy for the injustices
done to Suwanikan. Bipul’s unhappiness had been raised because of the

unhappiness of his two sons and for the wrong doing action of his unmarried

daughter. Jiban, the first son of Bipul, was an idealistic youth and fought
for the freedom of the country. However, after independence, Jiban was

defeated in the election of the country and was unable to lead his family
for the financial crisis. His father Bipul was also not able to help him
financially. Still, Bipul had faith upon his son. Bipul sadly said to Manju,

Jiban’s wife,

“Don’t be afraid...nobody will understand him except me.”15 (trans.)

Manju, the wife of Jiban also said to her husband,

“Your party is a very exploiter.”16 (trans.)

/

However, finding a job in a newly established college, Jiban left the

house. Ajit, the second son of Bipul, was a meritorious student of the science

stream and had an earnest desire to do research work in the foreign countries.

His dream, however, was not successful since he could not go to foreign
countries for doing research and his research work could not be done in
‘ ................... . ,) , n ' i ■ , ■ i i. ' ,i)i. ■ , t i ' >iii, ......... j —

15. Birendra-Kumar Bhattacharyya, Nasta Chandra (Calcutta, Sri Bhumi Publishing

Company, 1968), P. 10
16. Ibid, PP 34-35.
!

137
his own country alsQ.Bipul had sympathy for Ajit. Ajit did not get mental

happiness since his wife Anita forced him to leave that house and proposed

him to live separately in another house. In the novel, she offered the reason

of leaving the house in this way,,

“In this house, on one side, are the scarcity and die other side, the
17
immorality of the people.” (trans.)

■ Anita saw the immorality in her sister- in- law Madhuri and step

mother- in- law Suwanikan. Madhuri had a love relation with Hiren, an

unemployed lower-casted boy. When the marriage of Madhuri was fixed with

Gunajit, a boy from a well to do family, Madhuri eloped with Hiren. The another

illegal relationship that Anita had seen in that house, was the love relation

between Suwamkan and Durlav. Bipul along with the other family members,

though were aware of that relationship, did not say anything to Suwanikan

since Bipul knew his inability to give proper dues of a husband to his wife.

The novel shows that hearing the news of the death of Durlav in a motor

accident, Suwanikan did not show any abnormality in her behaviour. Rather,

at that time also, she showed very normal behaviour by engaging herself in

helping Anita who was suffering at her delivery pain. After that, Suwanikan,

wearing the gifted saree by Durlav, was seen to go to the airport to welcome

her step son Jiban and grand child Bijoy. She, however, did not return to the

house. The novel shows that the pregnant Suwanikan embraced death. The

novelist successfully develops the subject matter of the novel. Bipul felt very

unhappy at the death of his second wife; he did not consider his wife as the
, ,.................... ,........ ......... ................................ .............. ........ . t----- - t ■ ■■■ r\ ■ j i i J . ii i i i—i . I . ,T-y—........

17. Ibid., P. 49.

138
exploiter. Suwahikan, inspite of maintaining her illegal love relation with

E)urlav, showed proper respect towards her aged husband, Bipul. Likewise,

Bipul also did not show the traditional male domination in the novel towards

his young wife. Rather he was very sympathetic to his wife since his wife

could not lead a normal life because of the inability of his old age. The novelist

has shown his creativity in portraying the characters like Bipul and Suwanikan

and depicting the mental conflict that has been aroused in their minds for

their wrong-doings. The novelist has successfully shown the mental world i.e.,

the psychological world of the characters through this novel.

(vi) Pratipad

Pratipad (1970) is another significant novel of Birendra Kumar

Bhattacharyya, through which he portrays a true picture of the neglected

eommon people, their lives and aspirations and their revolt against the British.

A picture of the last phase of Indian independence has also been reflected

in this novel. Though the time of sunset of the British rule arrived in India,

still, the exploitation of the owners of Digboi Refinery was visible and made

the lives of the labourers unbearable. The society depicted in the novel

Pratipad consisted of the British employers and the labourers and the

workers, belonging to the mixed races and castes. The labourers and the

workers, comipg from different states of India, had to satisfy themselves

in working under the exploitation of the British employers in the veiy low

wages. '

139
 The novelist, in Pratipad, has successfully portrayed the political

happenings of India through the revolutionary; attitude of the labourers of

Digboi Refinery. The plot of the novel develops on the basis of the labourer-

strike of the labourers in the oil-city of Digboi in the pre-independence

period. On the one side, the. labourers and workers and the other side, the

white employers- the conflict of these two classes as well as the labourers’s

hope for better society, their despair, sufferings all are beautifully portrayed

in the novel. Though the novelist has referred to different casted people like

Ismail, Giasuddin, Jebennisa, Sandi, Baruah, Chatterjee, Durga, Bodhan,

Malsing, Lasmi, Panna, Nayanmani etc. and their conflicts and quarrels, still,

the importance of the novel has been given to the collective attempt of

creating ‘labour-revolution’ bravely against the conspiration and the exploitation

of the British. In the preface of the novel, Bhattacharyya has said that no

heroes and heroines are there in Pratipad. The lives of the labourers are

imagined in collective form here.

The plot of the novel Pratipad is based on the labour strike of 1939

in Digboi. The British people kept the labourers away from the minimum

priviledges of life; they could not get the treatment for disease, could not

even get leave in one’s death-all of which made the labourers angry and

frustrated. If they made any complaint against the British employers, they.

were threatened to discharge from their jobs. But the souls of the labourers

cried to get their actual shares. So they were attracted by the ‘Trade Union’

which already thrilled, the whole India. The labourers believed that through

the activities of the Union, the British rule from India would be abolished

140
and the labourers’ socio-economic condition would be developed. The British

employers considered the Union unreasonable. They took various strategies

to abolish the Union, sometimes by dividing the unity of the people with

the help of starting a quarrel among them in the name of religion, sometimes

by discharging the people who were involved in the Union, from their jobs

and sometimes by giving promotion to some selected people who believed

die employers’ ideologies, and the employers engaged those selected people

to abolish the Union. The novel Pratipad shows that the British employers

engaged the corrupted Birbhadra Singh to divide the people in the name of

religion and to lessen the strength of the people in doing work for Trade Union.

The novel focuses a glimpse of the Second World War which carried

a bad effect on India. Taking the issue of the Second World War, the British

employers refused to accept the demands of the labourers. Rather, the

employers chased the old labourers and appointed some new labourers in

place of the old labourers. The labourers, without thinking of their own lives,

attacked a truck which was used to carry the chasing labourers and as a

result, many labourers had to sacrifice their lives, the place was filled with

blood. With the advent of the Second World War, the whole Digboi town

was announced as a ‘protected area’ and the reason behind that announcement

was to arrest the labourer leaders with the purpose of stopping the strike.

The powerless Congress Government was also unable to help the labourers

in continuing the strike. People like Giasuddin were very frustrated for

their unsuccessful attempt in doing the labourer strike. Giasuddin realized

the fact that unless the British people were chased, the success of labourer

141
revolution or the dream of getting Indian Independence would not be possible.

So when soft-hearted British woman Mrs. Flemming praised labourer strike,

Giasuddin in the novel said in a loud voice,

“This strike would not have been broken illegally if we had our

independent Government. What will happen chasing us from here? We will

18
start chasing this British Government.” (trans.)

The novel thus displays the political scenario of India very poignantly.

Under the political happenings of India, the novelist also throws light

of the social atmosphere of that period. The exploiters and the exploited-

these two classes of people have been vividly portrayed in the novel. The

novel shows that against the poor condition of the labourers, the British

people lead very luxurious lives. The British people also lead immoral lives.

The labourer girls did not have any safety. They had to lose their virginity

in the hands of the white people. Those victimised girls or women did not

get any sympathy from society, rather they were considered as untouchable.

Jebunnisa is the representative of such women who had to bear the negligence

of society. The society of Digboi Refinery was consisted of various people,

coining from different parts of India. Though this novel has displayed

different traditions, customs and behaviour of different people belonging to

different castes and religions, still, it has focused that these people are of

only one caste and that is the labourer class. The lives, aspirations and social

system of this labourer class have been collectively displayed by the novelist

18. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Pratipad (Guwahati: Banalata, 2007), P. 206

142
in Pratipad. The labourers had to spend their lives in poverty. The poverty

stricken lives of the labourers have been displayed in the novel very

touchingly. At the very, beginning of the novel the novelist has referred to

the poverty stricken life of Sandi Aahir. At the last stage of Sandi Aahir’s

wife, the doctor did not arrive since he was busy for the treatment of a

British woman.

' Inspite of the poverty, the labourers had great faith on the customs

and rituals. They enjoyed by engaging themselves in various occasions like

the Holy or Dolyatra, Idd, Ourunanak Jayanthi etc. The labourers were very

religious; they had great faith on spirituality. Inspite of the poverty, the

labourers were very enthusiastic to perform different festivals. They enjoyed

in taking part of different dances like Jumur, Bihu dance and forgot their

own poverty stricken lives. It has been mentioned in the novel, that with the

help of financial support of Birbhadra Singh, Kali Puja was held in the house

of Sandi Aahir. The novel shows that people observed some rituals. One such

ritual related to birth was that Baruah at his son’s birth distributed fish among

the people.

The labourers’ minds were loaded with many superstitions. Some

labourers in the novel Pratipad, for recovery of their illness, preferred to

observe some pujas instead of better treatment. The superstitious minds were

reflected in the novel when Sandi, losing two children consoled his daughter

Pannu in this way- ’

“Pannu, don’t cry. What will happen by crying? The Kali mother has

143
got dissatisfied. What will you do? Kesaikhaiti wants puja. Puja has to be
19
performed,” (trans.)

The novel shows that there is the unity among people of different

castes and religions. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain-all these people lived in the

small town very peacefully. Though these people had their own religious

traditions, still they were not rigid. Sandi’s son Durga married Nepali people

Pradhan’s daughter Nayanmani; Dimbeswar Baruah married Jahanara; Lasmi

married Ismail. However, it would be worthwhile to mention that they got

hindrance from society in performing their tasks.

Bhattacharyya’s women were not passive. The novel Pratipad focuses

the activeness of the women by portraying characters like Lasmi and Pannu.

Pannu had the courage to say to her father about opposing Ramu who was

very much aged, as her life partner. Even bom in an ordinary labourer house,

she wanted to become self dependent with the help of learning. Like Pannu,

another woman character Nayanmani also engaged herself in learning,

imparted her by Mrs. Flemming. Even after marriage also, she thought to

learn music. She also showed her courage by selecting her life partner in

accordance with her own choice, though, she got hindrance from her

guardians. Lasmi, the daughter of an ordinary labourer Bodhan, also chose

her life partner. She even made unsuccessful all the bad attempts of

contractor Birbhadra of seducing her. Her mental strength was the inspiring

factor for the other men and women. Inspite of marrying Ismail, the other

casted people, Lasmi did not lose her individuality. She wanted to show that
______

144
the females were also equal with male. Lasmi had the courage to criticize

the male characters for showing their disappointments.

Though the novel has displayed the free women, still, it would be

worthwhile to mention that some people were not interested in the education

of the girls. They thought that marriage was the prime thing for the girls.

Sandi Aahir in the novel showed total indifference towards girls’ education.

That people like Giasuddin were also unable to understand the mental
I

condition of women was proved by his action of chasing his first wife

Madhuri since Madhuri could not give him any child. In this respect the

novelist made to say, “The women are always exploited in this way in the
20
society of men.” However, the novel has shown that the female classes

depicted in the society of Pratipad were very much of improved nature.

The female characters in Pratipad were very much inspired by the female
\ ' .

white characters like Mrs Flemming. The close connection with the white

people’s society also had a great effect in the removal of illiteracy from

the labourer society. It has been referred to in the novel that Jebunnisa learnt

English from one Governess and could fluently read the English book written

in simple language.

(vii) Mrityunjay

The story of Mrityunjay is based on the political happenings of India.

It reflects the impact of the ’42 movement on Assamese society. The novelist,

20. Ibid, P. 33.

145
in the preface of the novel has said that the happenings of the novel belongs

to the time of 1942 though the characters, here, are imaginary. The

memorable incidents of real happenings of the last phase of Indian

independence has been depicted in the novel since the novelist himself has

seen, felt and engaged with that great movement of India.

Like the other parts of India, the wave of the struggle of Indian

independence touched in Assam also. Like the other people of different states

of India, the Assamese people also tried a lot to save their motherland from

the clutches of the Red people. The Indians under the leadership of Gandhi

took resort of non-violence in the fight against British though some of them

were not interested in the process of non-violence. They believed that India

would never get independence through the process of non-violence. The

limitless torture and exploitation of the British led them to adopt the ways

of violence. Those people were ready to fight with the British with the help

of violence under the leadership of Subhash Chandra Bose. The call also

came from Jayprakash Narayan and Rammanohar Lohia to continue the

attempts to impede British war activities with guerilla tacties. The novel

Mrityunjay shows how the characters like Rupnarayan, Dhanpur, Aahina

Konwar, Bhibhiram, Mahada Gosai etc. were involved in the derailment of

the train which took lives of many Red soldiers. Though they were successful

in taking the lives of the English soldiers, they felt unhappy. Their act of

violence, however, made them restless. Repented Gosain therefore said that

it would be very beautiful if they could have fought without killing people.

At the same time, consoling his own mind, he wanted to justify his own

146
act of killing people, thinking that he and his fellow people had done then-

duties only for the sake of their country. In order to justify his act of killing

people, Gosain said that Lord Krishna also killed many demons with the

help of his ‘Chakra’. Still, the question of value judgement made him restless.

He sometimes thought that the history would not pardon him. Rupnarayan

who was adamant in taking violence against the English, who exploited the

Indians a lot, did not get any mental happiness after killing the English

soldiers by derailing the train. Though Rupnarayan wanted to convince his

mind by putting various arguments in favour of his job that the English

soldiers also made a great crime by killing the innocent Indian people, even

the history shows that in France, Russia, China, Yugoslovia, Barma-eveiywhere

people have done revolution with violence, empty hands with non-violence

can never be a step of chasing the English from the lands of India, still

he was not happy. The heart-broken shout in pain from the soldiers, had

shattered Rupnarayan’s heart. Though they were successful in their aim of

killing the English soldiers by derailing the train, later on, Rupnarayan, Gosain

etc. were forced to think that they would have felt very happy if they could

achieve their goal by the strength of love. This novel raises the question

of violence and non-violence as instrument of political struggle. In Mrityunjay,

Bhattacharyya has not only depicted the attempt of people of chasing the

British from the lands of India by adopting the way of violence, but also

has made a great focus of the mental conflict of the characters. Through
i
the conflict, that has been displayed in the novel, the novelist wants to focus

upon humanism. He perhaps wants to say that revolution should be based

147
upon humanism. The people doing revolution, also should display the basic

human qualities through their acts. The passive tone of humanism is the

philosophy of Mrityunjay and this philosophy has made the novel dignified.

Birendra Kumar Bhattachaiyya has depicted the socio-economic

scenario of pre-independence India through the novel Mrityunjay. Society

and literature are interrelated. Mrityunjay also reflects the real scenario of

Assamese society ; its customs and rituals, beliefs and manners, myths and

value system, superstitions and casteism etc. are vividly displayed which have

made it a social document. In the pre-independence time, casteism prevails

in Assamese society. When Gosain was ready to take and have the tea

prepared by Dimi, a Garo girl, Aahina Konwar hesitated to have the tea

prepared by Dimi. In return, Gosain answered Aahina Konwar, “Even Rama

21
ate in the home of Guhak Sandal.” However, Aahina Konwar was dissatisfied

and expressed his doubt that if they could not maintain the rules, they would

not be able to go to heaven. Bhibhiram raised arguments against the aspect

of false casteism,

“If Lord Krishna can eat rice at the home of Kuji gardener, if Sita

can lead his life eating the food boiling by Rakhyasas in Ashok Bana, why

don’t we keep our race having foods prepared by Dimi?...the true sign of
22
a human-being lies in his work.” (trans.)

Through the words of Dhanpur also, the novelist has shown the evil

21. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Mrityunjay (Guwahati: Sahitya Prakash, Tribune Buildings,
1992), P. 92
22. Ibid, P. 94

148
 I

scenario of casteism. Dhanpur said that everywhere, even to enter in the temple

also, Gosain, Mahanta people got priviledged. Brahmin people had enjoyed

in the name of religion. Though Dhanpur hoped that after getting Swaraj, the

differences of rich and poor and casteism would be abolished, Dimi, however,

was not sure. So, she said to Dhanpur that even after getting Swaraj also, the

aspects of Brahmin-Bhakat, Garo-Kasari, rich-poor would exist in society. A

note of self-criticism was also focused between the conversation of Dhanpur

and Dimi. Dhanpur said to Dimi,

“You are a girl of Mikir; I am Kasari, Dili Garo. Rupnarayan is a

Kaibarta man. We are not even Assamese, when will we become human being?

You have stayed with the people belonging to Garo community for many

days, still, you have not forgotten that you are a Mikir, and they also have
23
not forgotten that.” (trans.)

Though casteism prevailed in Assamese society, still at the time of

danger, people were bound to forget their differences. The same thing

happens in Mrityunjay also. At the time of the freedom struggle of India,

as depicted in the novel, people including Gosain, Aahina Konwar, Dhanpur,

Bhibhiram, Dimi etc. though belonging to different castes, forgot their own

identity and they submerged themselves in the identity of totality.

Assamese society is loaded with many folk-beliefs which are focused

in Mrityunjay very beautifully. At different times, these beliefs have

displayed different attitudes; sometimes the beliefs have shown the religious

23. Ibid, P. 104

149
outlook of Assamese people, sometimes it shows the supernatural attitude

and at other times, these have shown the different tradition of Assamese

society. In the novel, Dhanpur felt a kind of attraction in his heart towards

Dimi. In order to fulfil his desire, he offered black goat to the Budha-Budhi

Than. Another belief prevailing in Assamese society was that Tirtha (Mandir)

going people had to leave their favourite thing. Aahina Konwar had a bad

habit of taking snuff which made him lazy. Konwar was suggested that since

the freedom struggle for the sake of their own country, was like a temple

and for the sake of it, one had to leave one’s favourite thing, which was

snuff in case of Konwar who was not ready to leave it.

The village people because of the lack of education, had many

superstitious beliefs. The novel focussed all those beliefs. It was believed

by some villagers that many evil spirits dwelt, on a big tree and Subhadra,

one of the female characters of the novel had to leave the worldly happiness

because of the evil shadow of one of the spirits. However, Gosain was free

from such supernatural beliefs. He was sure that the unlimited sorrows only

bound Subhadra to kill herself.

Assamese society is loaded with many folk-beliefs. Sometimes,

these beliefs are related to the animals and birds. When Gosain and

Rupnarayan decided to go to see the caves where they would shelter at

the time of danger, Gosain suggested Aahina Konwar to be very careful.

Looking at the flying vultures in the sky, Gosain was afraid that perhaps they
i * •

would get some bad news since, it was believed that flying vultures m the

150
sky carried bad news to the people. Those traditional beliefs, however, were

neglected by the educated Rupnarayan who thought that vultures only had

flied to eat something. The novelist, in this way, has shown the differences

of thinking of the educated and uneducated people of the society. He also

has shown the changing scenario of society since society is not static; it

grows and develops with the advent of time.

Mrityunjay is enriched with the depiction of mythical stories. The

stories of Rama-Sita, Ajamil have been described in the novel. The mythical

stories have enriched the dignity of the novel. In order to console Subhadra,

whom was rapped brutally by ten soldiers, Phukan has referred to the mythical

story of Rama and Sita. Rama, even after rescuing Sita from the hands of

Ravana, like an ordinary man, hesitated to adopt Sita suspecting that perhaps

Ravana had corrupted her body. Phukan also added saying that Sita, however

replied that though Rakhysas had touched her body, they were unable to touch

her soul. Subhadra, being unable to bear the mental agony had committed

suicide. Again it was said that afflicted with mental agony Sita entered into

the lap of her mother, at the same way, the unbearable pain bound Subhadra

to leave the love and affection of the world. The mythical story of Aajmal

has been referred to in the novel by Manik Bora, one of the characters of

the novel. It was said that Aajmal, at the time of his death called the name

of ‘Narayana’ which mitigated all the sins committed by him. It was seen

in the novel that when Dhanpur, Madhu etc. were going towards their

destination, that is, to derail the train, Madhu was restless. His heart trembled

with the fear of killing many people by the incident. The fear that arises

151
in his mind, has been compared with the fear of Arjun, one of the mythical

characters of the Gita. The mental agony of Arjuna has been referred to

in the Holy Gita in this way:

“Dristemong swajjanang Krisna uuthsung samupasthitam.

Sidanti mama gatrani mukhang saparisuswati.

24
Wepathussa sarire me romaharsaswa jayate”

; It means,when Arjun was ready to kill the people, he had seen his

relatives everywhere. Looking at them, he was restless. His heart trembled,

his face faded. Arjuna said to Lord Krishna,

i

; “Etanna hantumissami ghnatohapi madhusudana.

25
Api trolokyarajyasya hetoh king nu mahikrite”

It means that Arjuna was not ready to kill the people for the sake

of the kingdom. He said that he would not be able to kill them, not only

for the kingdom of the earth, but also for die kingdom of the three worlds

even.

Like Arjuna, Madhu also felt hesitation in his mind to fulfil his job,
■i ‘

though ultimately he was ready to do his job just as Arjuna was ready to

fight against his relatives and the Gurus.

24. Kiran Sarma, Sri Madbhagawadgita, (Translated into Assamese),

(Gorakhpur : Govind Bhavan-Karyalaya,2002), P. 31
25. Ibid., P. 33

152
 The inherent values that make people as well as society dignified

have been prevalent in Mrityunjay. The values have been expressed by the

words of different characters at different times. When Bhibhiram, Jayram

were discussing about the different ways of religion about Sankardev,

Chaityanyadev, Gosain clarified them by saying that the goals of them or

the goals of different religions were same, inspite of having the different

ways among them. It has been referred to in the novel about the sayings

of the great saints that in the soul of the dog, the fox, and the ass- everywhere

God dwells and so people should respect them all. The novelist has made
i 1
to say through Gosain that cowards have no religion. The Assamese race

has turned into cowardice which has to be removed by the process of

sacrifice. The inherent values are displayed by the sayings of Bhibhiram, when

he says that woman, cow, rice, moon of the sky -all are only illusion, one

has to come to the world alone and also has to leave the world alone. This

spiritualism of Indian society has made dignity to the novel. The ‘Karmayoga’

of the Gita has been reflected in the novel. Kali, one of the characters in

the novel has asked Gosain and some other characters to do their duty well.

In ,the course of their action, they should not even think of their lives. Gosain

persuaded his companions to do their duties very attentively. He said that

doing the duty was the true religion of human-being. At different times, the

same ideology has been expressed by different characters. In the Holy Gita

Lord Krishna persuaded Arjuna again and again to do his duty. Krishna even

tried to give knowledge to Aijuna by citing his own example. In the Gita,

Krishna said to Aijuna in this way:

153
 “Na me parthasti kartabyong trisu lokesu kinsan.

Nanawapta mawaptawayong warta eba sa karmani.” 26

Through this sloka, Lord Krishna told Arjuna that in this universe he

has nothing to do and there is no any object that he has not achieved. But

still he is working.

Bhattacharyya has depicted the socio-economic condition of people

of that period through his novel Mrityunjay. At that time, the socio-economic

condition of people was not very satisfactory. Mahada Gosain, inspite of

being a Satradhikar was very far from leading a life of economic prosperity.

The economic condition of other characters like Dhanpur, Bhibhiram, Madhu

i

Keot, Dadhi Bardoloi, Kali Baideu, Subhadra, Ratani, Rasaki, the representatives

of different categories of people were also not developed. Afflicted with

economic poverty, Dhanpur could not take higher education. Aahina Konwar

also faced economic poverty for which he could not provide good treatment

to; his diseased wife. The Second World War, which led for the increasing

of the prices of the things, was also responsible for the economic degradation

of the people. It was reflected in the words of Dimi when she said that
27
the clothes of eight annas had to be paid eight rupees. On the otherhand,

taking the issue of World War, people like Layram had become very rich.
✓
The novelist, in this way, has portrayed the true scenario of village society

in Mrityunjay.

26. Ibid., P. 72
27. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Mrityunjay (Guwahati : Sahitya Prakash,
Tribune Buildings), P 107

154
 The village people of that period paid little attention for the
education of their children. Through the words of Dadhi Master, the novelist

has portrayed a nacked scenario of village school of Assam of that period.

“Dadhi Master remembers the L.P. school of Mayang. That has

become closed for four months...what will happen by reading?-this is the
28
attitude of the guardians” (trans.)

The negligence for women education is reflected very clearly in the

pages of Mrityunjay. Dadhi Master says in the novel,

“.. .there is no habit of the people of sending girls to schools.. .what

the girls will do by reading; they are resting bees, today they are staying

here and tomorrow they will go to another house, after that they will be
29
mothers” (trans.)

Though Dadhi Master and Gosain tried hard to convince the people

to send the girls to school, their efforts were useless. So it is said in the

novel that the condition of literate person among the illiterate villagers were
30
like the white crows. However, the characters like Arati and Anupama have

shown that there was the provision for women education in some of the

families. Some old people did not consider the English education fruitful

for the students. They rather thought that these types of education had

destroyed the students.

28. Ibid, P. 177

29. Lop Cit.
30. Ibid, PP. 177-178

155
 : The women’s contribution in the freedom movement of India, was

very significant. History shows that women were not passive; they engaged

themselves in the freedom struggle of India. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya

also has focused the contribution of Assamese women in the freedom

struggle through the characters like Dimi, Kali Baideu etc. They involved

themselves in sending or keeping the important documents related to freedom

struggle. Kali Baideu inspired the volunteers to engage themselves in the

struggle without even thinking of their lives. She tried hard to make the

struggle succeed. These women without having the formal education had

shown their courage, intelligence, responsibility towards their country.

i

Moreover, the novelist has shown another picture of Assamese women and

it was the picture of exploitation and sufferings. The women from the

primitive ages, had to bear the sufferings in life. Bhattacharyya also at the

very beginning of the novel, has shown the sufferings of women through

the character of Subhadra. Subhadra was wrapped brutally by ten soldiers;

t
the unbearable mental agony and the negligence from the society made her

to commit suicide. At the time of pre-independence, many girls like Subhadra

had to lose their virginity. Bhattacharyya has depicted the character of

Subhadra as a symbol of exploitation. The novelist has also referred to some

traditions of Assamese society of that period which are related to the

sufferings of women. At that time, the girls specifically the Brahmin girls

had to be married before puberty. In this respect, the novelist has referred

to Kasanmati. Kasanmati, the poor Brahmin girl was married to an old man

before puberty. But, for the natural death of that old man, Kasanmati was

made responsible, she was neglected by the society and at last Kasanmati

156
had to be the second wife of Layram. The miserable life of a widow has

been explicit in the pages of Mrityunjay through Anupama. It has been said

in the novel,

> . ' 31
“The widow of a Brahmin and the death are same.” (trans.).

, The widows had to spend the whole life in negligence from society.

In the old Assamese society, the girls had not any right to choose their life-

partners. Dimi, the main female character of Mrityunjay and another female

character Arati also did not get their life-partners of their own choices.

Assamese women were very adept in weaving. Even Mahatma Gandhi

was very much impressed by the art of weaving of the Assamese women. When

he came to Assam in 1921, he praised the women. In this respect, Gandhi

wrote an article named ‘Lovely Assam’:

. j

“Every woman of Assam is a bom weaver... she weaves fairy tales

i i ,,32
m cloth.

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya also reflects the weaving capacity of

Assamese women through Kali Baideu. By weaving clothes, she tried to make

economic development as well as self dependent in society.

Through the novel Mrityunjay, the novelist has shown the love and

respect, in other words the good bond between wives and husbands which

is: one of the important characteristics of Assamese society. About the

relationship of husband and wife, it has been referred to in the novel,

31. Ibid, P. 239

32. Mahatma Gandhi, ‘Lovely Assam’, Keshab Narayan Dutta, Landmarks of the
Freedom Struggle in Assam (Guwahati : Lawyers Book Stall, 1969), P. 58

157
t
 “What the relationship of husband and wife is! One thinks for other
in; this way! This thinking is the symbol of humanism.”33 (trans.)

Ratani even after bearing the unbearable sufferings from police in

her state of pregnancy also, thought for the safety of her husband. It was

seen in the novel that once she was very hungry, still she could not eat and

waited till her husband to come. The novel shows that Gosani, the wife of

Gosain cared a lot to suppress the cough her husband.

The traditional food-items of Assamese people have been very

beautifully portrayed by the novelist in Mrityunjay. It is said in the novel,

in this way: '

“.. .kankan jaha saular bhatar dhowa ahi ataire nakat lagilhi. Dhanpurar

mukhat lelawati olal. Pataloi sai dekhile, ‘khariya maser anja patar datit baki

dise. Bilahi-bengena dise, kaldilar bhaja, petur bhejayo eta batit mok kha,
34
mok kha kari ase.”

, At another time, it is said in the novel in this way,

s . - '

“Matikaduri aru narasinghar jol alapo randhi thoise. Pabha mas

bhajiseo aru tare akhan tenga jolo karise. Barit nemutenga ase, tare sarita

sepi dise. Tikowe pabha maser tenga jol bar bhal pay. Dekiya sakar bhaja
35
aru mati mahar jol aakano jogar kari thoise.”

The novel focuses the food habits of Assamese people as well as

33. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Mrityunjqy (Guwahati : Sahitya Prakash,

Tribune Buildings, 1992), P. 72
34. Ibid., P. 31
35. Ibid., P. 222

158
it shows the real picture of family life of Satradhikar’s family. It shows the

life style and rituals of tribal people. The society of Mrityunjay's time is

loaded with people consisting of different tribes. The important and

significant thing is that all of them were united for the salvation of their

country forgetting their own limited identity and it exhibited the inherent

glory of the novel

, (viii) Sinaki Suti

Sinaki Suti is another significant novel of Bhattacharyya, in which

he has portrayed the human emotion, the relation between a male and a female

and the real nature of love in the lives of the male and female very beautifully.

Unlike other novels of Bhattacharyya, Sinaki Suti is totally free from the

hints of the political matters. Through a triangular love story among Arpana,

Anath and Pamela, the deep relation between a male and a female and the

position of women in the lives of a man has been explored. Arpana, the main

character of the novel is a highly educated unmarried girl; she met Anath,

a young architect. Anath was deeply attracted by the physical beauty as well

as* the intelligence of Arpana. The attraction of Arpana’s beauty had aroused

a desire in Anath’s mind to go very close to her, though Arpana prevented

him from doing that. Anath, before meeting Arpana, loved a Panjabi girl named

Pamela and their marriage was almost fixed. Pamela, knowing the attraction

of Anath towards Arpana, showed natural jealousy to Arpana and tried to

snatch her would be husband Anath from Arpana’ The novelist has depicted

the character of Arpana in this way that she does not want to bind Anath

159
by her beauty. She even falsified Anath’s previous notion regarding women
t

that every woman was the animal and if secrecy could be maintained, every
36
woman would be ready to enjoy sexual pleasure with men.” Arpana said

about the philosophical aspects regarding God, science and love, that where
37 V
there is no love, there is no God.. Anath did not have any idea that a female

could be so philosophical. Arpana as shown in the novel, had a deep attraction

towards Jiban Dasgupta who was a married person and the father of two sons.

Jiban lived separately from his wife. Though, Arpana and Jiban loved each

other very much, they did not marry because of their different outlook

regarding love and marriage. Arpana wanted a child from Jiban, through

marriage, though Jiban did not want the bondage of marriage. Jiban

emphasized upon the free love. According to Jiban, marriage does not reveal

the normal picture of the sexual relationship between male and female.
' 1 ,

According to him, without marriage, a true relation can be created with the

help of free love. Since Jiban had the experience of marriage, he had seen

the bad effect and the problems of marriage, for which, he was not ready

to be connected his life with the marriage. Gradually, a mental distance

between Arpana and Jiban had been developed. Arpana confessed in the novel
f

that there was not any institution excluding marriage, through which a man

and a woman could socialize themselves with each other. At the end of the

novel, Arpana became a sanyasi and donated her belongings to the child of

Pamela and Anath, though Pamela did not want to accept it, for her natural

36. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Sinaki Suti (Calcutta : Sri Bhumi Publishing
; Company, 1988), P. 49
37. Ibid., P. 64

160
jealousy towards Arpana. She even forced Anath to return the belongings to

Arpana. Arpana shed her attraction towards Jiban also. In the novel, she said

that she handed over Jiban Dasgupta in the hands of his wife.

Through this novel, Bhattacharyya has shown the role of a woman

upon the life of a male. By giving prominence upon the female characters,

the novelist has shown that though the physical attraction between a male

and a female cannot be overlooked or ignored, still, that relation should be

morality bound. This morality led Arpana in the novel, to leave Dasgupta and

Anath from her life. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya has been successful in

delineating the idealism in the relationship between a male and a female.

(ix) Ballad

Ballari is another non-political novel of Birendra Kumar

Bhattacharyya. The subject matter of this novel is developed with die

misunderdtanding of the married life of Nalin Duwara and his wife AH. Nalin

Duwara was a high ranked officer of Assam Oil Company of Digboi. On

the otherhand, Ali, though an, educated girl, was brought up in a village
i

atmosphere, because of which Ali could not manage to suit herself in an

aristocratic atmosphere. Nalin Duwara went to club to maintain the aristocracy

of his job, took wine and engaged himself in dancing with the beautiful

women. He also took Ali to that atmosphere. Unknowingly, Ali felt a kind

of attraction in her heart towards Sengupta, the Geologist of the company.

Soon, the news was spread in the whole city of Digboi. Nalin was very

161
 ashamed of the news of his wife and sent Ali to her father’s house. Ali,

though was successful to lead an honest life in her father’s house, became

very sad, since her husband misunderstood her. Ali was a mother of a child.

Her mothership and growing up in a reservative family prevented her from

going very near to Sengupta. Ali’s second pregnancy emphasized Nalin to

suspect the purity of her character. Ali, however, said to her husband that

her love towards Sengupta was not physical. Nalin did not believe his wife

and afflicted with mental agony, she, finally committed suicide. Before the

commitment of suicide, she wrote a letter. In her letter she revealed,

“I loved Sengupta for his poetry. The mind goes to very high.... You
38
don’t bear this little happiness” (trans.)
i ' > * ' - -

Ali confessed in her letter that she loved Sengupta only for his

poetry. The death of Ali, finally changed Nairn’s mind. At last, Nalin had

understood his mistakes and repented for his action. The mental unhappiness

was faced not only by Ali and Nalin, but also some other characters. Ali’s

father, Dutta was seen in the novel to suffer from mental unhappiness because

of the action of his daughter as well as his deep attraction towards wealth.

However, Ali’s mother was shown in the novel as a very religious woman.

She had not any interest in the matter of wealth. Though she had to go to

town with her husband, her behaviour was not changed like her husband and

her daughter. She was the only character in the novel, who had not changed

her bahaviour till the end of the novel. Dutta, though previously was familiar

■ I Jl I I 1 ■ | ) I I|| , Lawers
38. Birendra Kumar Bhattachaiyya, Ballari (Guwahati: I. Book Stall, 1973),
I I....... . ................................... .. ................................. ............ . ............. ...... . ........... ,.......... I...... .... . ........................ ..................................... —..... ............... ■

P. 164 '

162
as; an honest person, gradually changed his behaviour. He was attracted with

the matter of wealth. However, the death of his daughter turned Dutta to
die root of the true religion. He then shed his attraction of wealth.

The novel is enriched with the mythical figures of Sita and Ravana.

Ali, in order to support her relation with Sengupta referred to the mythical

stories of Ravana and Sita. She said that just as Sita had depicted the picture
i

of Ravana on the floor, Ali also depicted the picture of Sengupta. The novel

Ballari is enriched with the moral disorder of the affluent person.

Moreover, the influence of the western like civilization upon the Indian lives

and its bad effect have been explicit in the novel. The reference of the mythical

elements has enriched the grandeur of the novel.

(x) Daini

Daini is Bhattacharyya’s another novel, through which he has

analysed the relationship of male and female. Though, the issue of politics

has entered into this novel, the novelist has not given much emphasis on

the issue of politics. In the novel, Apurba Chaliha and Malati were the

lecturers in a college and gradually, a love relationship was developed among

them. Suddenly, Malati changed her decision to marry Jiban Kalita. Apurba

was not very much surprised at the decision of Malati, since Apurba did

not go forward to many Malati. However, the story turned another mode

when Apurba was invited to a village for campaigning in election, in favour

of his friend. Thus, politics has entered into this novel though, the novelist

163
has not given much emphasis on this issue. Apurba stayed at the house of
■ v %

Ambika Bora, whose daughter was Padumi. Padumi was known as ‘Daini’

since, she could challenge the naughtiest boy in the village. The issue of

politics has been disappeared in the novel when Apurba was suffering from

typhoid fever. Since Ambika Bora, the owner of the house could not stay

at'home, Padumi had to take care of Apurba. Thus, a deep intimacy had been

created between them. Apurba confessed his previous love relationship with

Malati, though Padumi did not care of it. Soon, the marriage between Apurba

and Padumi was fixed. Hearing the news of the marriage between Apurba
i

and Padumi, Malati rushed to the village and expressed her love towards

Apurba. Malati felt sorry for Padumi because she thought that Padumi would

be the guest in the life of Apurba. The novel shows that Padumi though was

not intellectually equal .with Apurba; they tied their marriage knot with each
i

other. It is significant to point that at the time of Apurba’s illness, though

! . ,

the doctor was also not sure of his cure, Padumi cured him with the help

of her simple religious belief and her utmost devotion towards him. The

novelist through this novel, perhaps wants to show that for a successful

marriage, it is not necessary that the bridegroom and the bride would be

equally intellectual, which was shown in Bhattacharyya’s novel Sinaki Suti.

In this novel, the novelist perhaps wants to show that a marriage can be

successful between an educated, rationalistic, intellectual boy and a

religious, simple-minded girl. A marriage can be successful between a boy

and a girl having different outlook.

164
 (xi) Ranga Megh

Ranga Megh is a political novel of Bhattacharyya, through which

he wants to establish Marxian socialism in the society. Through this novel,

the novelist wants to say that after the independence of India, though the

greedy politicians cheated the common people for many years, in future,
there would be no place for those powerful, greedy politicians who won

several times in the election. The novel shows that those politicians actually

did not have any good will for the country. The novelist hopes that the red

clouds will be visible in the sky. The novelist hopes that in near future, the

reign of the country will be shifted from those powerful, greedy political

leaders to the people who do not have any attraction towards wealth and
power and, not economically and socially prosperous and, have earnest

eagerness to establish a new society in the real sense. Choudhury in the

novel is the representative of those greedy, selfish political leaders and

educated youth Ananda is the representative of the future leader of the

country. Ananda had a desire to change the country for bettement and for

that purpose, he felt the necessity of a good administrator. So he said in

the novel,

“We must not depend on secretaries or back-benchers. We must do

39
things ourselves.” (trans.)

He again said in the novel,

39. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Ranga Megh (Calcutta, Sri Bhumi Publishing
Company, 1976), P. 103

165
 i

“Now- a -days every minister has one secretary. Get rid of them.
This extra people should be engaged in cultivation...You are afraid of the
changes, want to avoid revolution. That is why, you have not done anything”40

(trans.).

Ananda was seen in the novel, as a free-frank and courageous youth.

So, after talking with the politicians, Ananda said to them,

“After reading much about your party for many days and after

examining it, I have seen that each of you is a counter revolutionary. Counter

revolutionaries are those who raise fires and instil poison. I don’t want to
: 41 ' '

include myself in this party” (trans.)

Listening to Ananda, Choudhury decided not to nominate his name

I

in the coming election. He had the realization in the novel that like the

appearance of the ‘Ranga Megh’ in the sky, the inevitable revolution was

coming very soon and Choudhury was seen as the escapist. The novel shows

that he had not the dare to face the revolution. In the novel, he said to his

companion,
i #

“...terrible revolution will come, what will you do then? So I want

42
to! leave” (trans.)

The idea that Choudhury would not feel unhappy if Ananda took

his place, was not believed by Mahajan.The political leaders’ sayings cannot

40. Ibid, P. 104

41. Ibid, P. 104
42. Ibid, P. 108

166
be believed easily specifically at the eve of the election- this realistic picture

has been depicted beautifully by the novelist. Choudhury’s realization that

Ananda would do something to the society, was focused in the novel in

this way, ^

“Surely he knows that this poor boy from Kaibarta class will only

honestly bear the responsibility of this ........ He stays with them; he has

spent his time with their sorrows. He too cannot mitigate their sorrows,

but he is the light of this area. He will bring the message of hope to the

area; he can bring a kind of self-respect to the lives of these poor, diseased,
deprived people”43 (trans.).

' Though the sudden realization of Choudhury seems inappropriate, the

novelist tries to make it realistic by some events. The novel shows that once,

the honest, simple fisherman Priyaram asked Choudhury why the sorrows

of Priyaram had been raised inspite of Choudhury being a membor for many

years. Choudhury felt hesitated to answer the simple question of Priyaram.

Choudhury admitted in the novel that Priyaram’s question had sweated him.

He said that the answer could be given, but he could not say how their sorrows

would have been mitigated. Another incident also made Choudhury to think

about his new realization. Choudhury, going to his own village, had seen that

his childhood companion and intimate friend Janardan Bapu did not visit him.

Even the villagers also did not come to visit him. The villagers previously

at his arrival at the village, visited him. Actually, they visited him for the

43. Ibid, P. 62

167
hopes of the fulfillment of their dreams such as, getting jobs, advantage of

reading and contract etc. When their hopes were not fulfilled, they neither

caine to him nor interected with him. In the novel, Janardan Bapu said to

Choudhury,

“My wife has died. She is suffering from unknown stomach-pain.

The sin of the kings is the sufferings of us. You people are the responsible
44
of killing these people” (trans.)

He again said to Choudhury,

45
“Day-by-day, the symbol of Kali Yuga has been seen” (trans.)

Afflicted with mental turmoil,Choudhury thought for. retirement from

L

politics. This mental conflict was clear through the dialogues of Choudhury.

Choudhury said,
•i

“The heart is not only filled with repentance, but also with scandal.

This scandal is the scandal of the soul. His conscience tells him to serve
46
people not by the power of polics. It is, the order of the God” (trans.)

However some critics want to say that this repentance of Choudhury

that occurred in a day seems inappropriate. However, it can be said that

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya has been able to portray the political scenario

of independent India through the novel.

Besides displaying the political happenings, Bhattachaiyya has shown

44. Ibid, P. 50 ' :

45. Lop Cit. - ■
46. Ibid, P. 62 , . . ,

168
some other pictures of Indian society. The picture of the responsibility of

a father towards his daughter, the elopement of Rumi, the daughter of a

Brahmin widow who worked in the house of Choudhury, with Ratan, the son

of Kaibarta Priyaram and their marriage, performed at Kamakhya temple,

the preparation for the marriage between Ananda and Kasanmati, the picture

of poverty stricken village life etc. are cleverly included with the main story

of the novel. Like Bhattachaiyya’s first novel i.e., Rajpathe Ringiyaya, this

novel also includes the happenings within a day. The unities of time, place

and action of the Greek drama are tried to maintain in the novel.

Like the other novels of Bhattacharyya, the language of this novel

is also very simple and straight forward. However, in some cases, the novelist

has used some indicative and pictorial languages in order to suit or explain

the subject-matter of the novel. The novel is enriched with the similes and

metaphors and images which have helped to enrich the grandeur of the novel.

The description of Choudhury is given in this way,

“The man, though not white, the face is bright. His eyes look like

the eyes of ‘Rou’ fish. The colour of the body is also like the colour of
47
‘Rou’ fish, only the skin is smooth like ‘Pabha’ fish” (trans.).

At another time, the novelist has given the description of Priyaram

and Padumi in this way,

“Though Priyaram is an aged person, his body is fresh like the banana
tree, she (Padumi) is also not faded like the cutting bamboo.”48 (trans.).

47. Ibid, P. 4
48. Ibid, P.P. 12-13

169
 (xii) Munisunir Pohar

Munisunir Pohar is another political novel of Bhattaeharyya. This

novel has depicted another problem of the time of post-independent India.

The disgusting picture of the emergency, declared at die reign of then Prime

Minister Indira Gandhi during the middle part of 1975, die provocation

against the emergency are the subject matters of this novel. Taking the issue

of emergency, the novelist has also depicted a socio-economic scenario of

the villages of Assam.

i At the time of the emergency in India, the political condition was

so severe and dangerous that the voices of the true patriots were tried to

stop and instead of that, some showy false patriotic people took the

leadership of the country. The subject-matter of the novel has been developed

with the help of the married life of Mindhar and his wife Alaka. The novelist

has tactfully analysed the issue of the emergency held in 1975-76 in India.

The novel shows that die married life of Mindhar had not become satisfactory

since his ideology and choices were different than that of his wife. Alaka

did not have any respect for his village people. For her, the ideal people

were the owners of the industry or the managers or the high-ranked

servicemen. For his materialistic wife, Mindhar after getting the prestigious

job of a principal at a college, which was established at his own village,

had to leave that job and had to go to Guwahati. Alaka, without informing

Mindhar, managed the upper level officers for getting a job of social welfare

for herself, though, the irony was that she did not have any wish for the

170
welfare of the society. She even tried to become a candidate of the ruling

party. During the time of emergency, the power of the ruling party was

scattered to a group of people and Alaka did not have to try much to get

the candidature and she, though did not have any good feeling towards the

village people, selected the village of Mindhar as her own political

constituency. Alaka after marriage, showed her aversion to stay at village

and went to Guwahati, but ironically, she selected the same village to fulfil

her high ambition. The novelist has shown in die novel that because of the

time of emergency Alaka, though was not selected with the help of the votes
'i

of the villagers, had established herself as the powerful leader. The villagers,

. for doing anything in the field of political agenda, had to take permission

from Alaka. The desires of the villagers would be fulfilled at her wish only.

The situation became so worsened at die time of the emergency that the

true patriots of the country had to suffer a lot. It was seen that Mindhar,

the true patriot at the end of the novel, went to Guwahati to resign the post

of lecturership in order to stay at his own village permanently and do

something good for the society. But the arrest warrant was prepared against

Mindhar because of the charge of involving himself with the Farmers’

Association and because of the instigating people against the emergency. The

novel shows that at the time of going to Guwahati, though Mindhar was tried

to arrest, the attempt was not successful because of the intelligence of

Aaidhan, the former beloved of Mindhar. The novelist has shown in the novel

that at the time of emergency, many honest people were sent to jail, which

made their family lives unbearable. At that time, many disorder happened

171
in the preparation of the lists of the landless people, in the distribution of

the farmers’ loans. Educated Mindhar tried to make conscious the simple

villagers by distributing leaflets among them against the disorder of the

emergency time.
1

Besides portraying the political scenario, the novelist has shown the

socio-economic picture of a village life. In this novel, the novelist has shown

the custom of marriage relating to the matching of the horoscopes of the

bridegrooms and the brides. The guardians became the hindrance in the

marriage of Mindhar and Aaidhan though they loved each other very much.

The novel shows that Mindhar could not marry Aaidhan since their horoscopes

did not agree. So Mindhar had to marry Alaka with whom his horoscope

matched. However, the novelist is very sarcastic at this point, because the

married life between Mindhar and Alaka was not happy and satisfactory. Alaka,

the highly materialistic girl did not , try to adjust herself with the village

atmosphere. In the same way, Aaidhan was also married to another person

with whom her horoscope agreed. Ironically, the novelist has shown that

Aaidhan became a widow at her young stage. Talking the issue of the matching

of the horoscopes between the boys and the girls, the novelist wants to show

that instead of matching the horoscopes, the emphasize should be given upon

the similar ideological beliefs between the boy and the girl. The novelist’s

scientific attitude has been clearly explicit at this point.

172
 (xiii) Kalar Humuniya

Kalar Humuniya is composed on the settings of the tea garden of

Shillong of Safrai, under the ownership of the British people. The time

depicted in the novel is 1921, the country was still under the domination

of the British and the tea garden was under the reign of the British. These

two issues are referred to at the very beginning of the novel. The labourers’

displeasure because of the harsh behaviour of the owners of the tea garden,

i.e., the red people and their rebellion against the owners are the subject

matters of this novel. The characters who revolted against the domination

of the owners of the tea garden were- Begal Budha, Kahni Budha, Rukmini,

daughter of Sita, Lasia, the daughter of Kahani Budha, Baka, the son of Arjun.

Taking the advantage of the displeasure of the labourers against the white

owners, the workers of the Congress, extended their field of work to the

inner side of the tea garden and their action helped the labourers. Lalit and

Bhuban Gogoi were the two Congress workers, who frequently went to the

tea garden and investigated about the displeasure and difficulties of the

labourers. However, the white owners got the hints about it. The labourers,

who stood against the owners, got unbearable sufferings from them.

There are basically two revolutions occurred in the novel. The first

revolution started at the beginning of the novel regarding the issue of the

attempt of sexual harassment of Rukmini by Douglas, which made the

labourers angry and forced the owner of the tea garden for resignation of

Douglas from work, though-the owners did not comply with the demand of

173
 the workers. Later on, it is seen that Douglas was sent to another tea garden

by getting promoted to him which made the labourers dissatisfied. The

labourers, because of the unfulfillment of their demands, took the path of

revolution though the Red people strictly dominated the revolution. The

labourers were wounded, because they were beaten severely by the police.
Basa’s father, because of the charge of writing the application, was called

' ‘instigator’ and was beaten heavily. Baka, the son of Arjun and the husband

of Rukmini was also beaten severely. Both of them were ordered to leave
their job. The other labourers, hearing the announcement of chasing their

two companions from their works, did not go to their works. But they were

also beaten severely. At the same time, the announcement was made that
the labourers who were not willing to do their works, would be given

resignation from work and the other labourers from another tea garden would

be appointed in their places. The labourers, being unable to gather strength

' ^ ' - /
to unite themselves, finally decided to join in their works. Thus, the novelist
i

has .shown the domination of the British people upon the Indians.

; Besides depicting the domination of the owners of the tea garden,

the novelist has also depicted the cultural lives of the labourers. The Jumur

Dance of the labourers has been successfully depicted by the novelist.

Moreover, the pictures of the love relation between Baka and Rukmini, the

British character Henry’s wife Sara’s love of India and sympathetic attitude
towards the Indian people, the sexual harassment of the British upon the

female labourers are also. portrayed in the novel. The fact of sexual

174
harassment was shown by the characters like Rukmini and Sita. Rukmini was

tried to rap by Douglas though his attempt was not successful. On the

otherhand, it is shown in the novel that Rukmini’s birth was the result of

the destruction of virginity of Sita by Mecpherson Sahib.

175