Book Review 46
Name Of The Book : Restless Waters Of The Ichhamati
Author : Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay translated by Rimli Bhattacharya
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction
Review :
The final novel to be published in the author's lifetime, Ichhamati revolves around life in the Mollahati Indigo plantation - one of the numerous neelkuthis or indigo factories that dotted Lower Bengal under Company rule. Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay did not wish to write an ethnographic treatise, but there is enough in the novel about the coercion that went into indigo cultivation, the intricate nexus between the English manager and the brahman dewan, the peasant subjects, Musalman and Hindu, including episodes from the Indigo revolt, sometimes called the 'Indigo disturbances ' of 1859-1862. Restless Waters Of The Ichhamati is a brilliant translation that evocatively reflects the myriad moods of the original as well as its variations in style. Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay was posthumously awarded the Rabindra Puruskar in 1951 for Ichhamati, his last published novel. The subject of cast plays an important role in this book. Brahmans come in for the sharpest critique. At least thrice in the novel the narrator comments directly on the idle group of landowning brahmans who while away their lives in the chandimandap, smoking and playing board games, gossiping and passing judgement on the hapless in their midst. Alongside this critique, the novelist seems simultaneously to seek redemption from the violence of indigo cultivation and the enmeshed oppression of caste and gender in the figure of the exceptional brahman. Ramkanai Kobiraj traverses the ravages of physical intimidation and social ostracism before he surfaces as an exemplar of dispassionate service in his capacity as the ideal kaviraj - as indigenous healer and passionate lover of god, capable of forgiving even those who would have murdered him. The woman who is 'cast out', Gaya-mem, and Ramkanai establish a special kinship that breaks through taboos of caste and gender. Similarly, (though less dramatically), Bibhutibhushan has Bhabani initiating eldest wife Tilu and their son (and subsequently, Nistarini) into a conscious awareness of Brahman, the Supreme Being. With his intense awareness of the broken dreams and aspirations of most village women, it must have been difficult for Bibhutibhushan to represent with equilibrium both the oppression and the spaces of freedom available to Hindu women in nineteenth century Bengal. It is significant that while several of the male muslim peasants are delineated in rough but powerful sketches, no Muslim woman even makes a fleeting appearance in Ichhamati. The women's world in the novel is essentially of upper and lower caste Hindu communities - brahman and bagdi. Bibhutibhushan shies away from a representation of sati, ubiquitous in colonial accounts, though he alludes to it in passing, when the murdered dewan's wife desires to immolate herself in her husband's pyre but is dissuaded by her sister-in-law. Cutting across caste and class, the women in Ichhamati appear stronger (physically and mentally) than their men, more protective and caring. A few are singled out for their frankness and integrity, as with Tilu, Nistarini and Gaya-mem. Others like Setho Kumudini Jeley (from the fisher-woman's caste) feature anecdotally : Kumudini is sketched almost in mythic proportions for the fierce affection with which she looks after her flock of pilgrims. Iconic figures like the Rani of Jhansi (with whom Kumudini is compared) become part of popular lore through the tales of pilgrim-travelers. More persuasive than these flashes of the archetypal Bengali female as the mother goddess is the casual way in which Bibhutibhushan weaves into the narrative a range of expressive forms - songs devotional/erotic, poems, riddles and proverbs - marking their transactional spaces as peculiarly feminine. The book takes into account the bilingual/multilingual reader who might not know Bangla but would be familiar with the nuances of kinship terms prevalent in much of the Indian subcontinent. Ichhamati is packed with terminology from the revenue system, derived from Persian and Arabic. Sanskrit slokas - both popular couplets as well as well as passages from the upanishads - are embedded in long conversations between Bhabani, Chaitanyabharati and Ramkanai Kobiraj. Like all of Bibhutibhushan's writing, Ichhamati is a celebation of flora and fauna, particularly of the profusion of commonly found plant life that flourishes in most regions of Bengal.
The plot is slow but profound. I was initially reluctant to start this book but once I started reading, I was totally engrossed in the book. The writing style is such that we are able to visualize everything like a movie. The book contains the interpretation of a lot of texts like the Bhagavad Gita in the form of discussions between various characters. The interpretations are spiritual rather than religious. The essence of the story was not lost in translation. We learn a lot about the life during that era. It is not a completely historical novel but facts and fiction have been combined to form a beautiful piece of literature. It is not the story but rather the experience of this book that makes it exceptional. The everyday life has been explained beautifully but without making it feel mundane. The characters have a lot of depth and we will be able to relate to many of their character traits. A lot of research has been done by the translator and glossary at the end provide a detailed explanation of the Bengali words. The history about Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadyay and his life and works is insightful. The book is a must read for all those who are looking for an authentic Indian novel which will make the them fall in love with Indian history and culture.
Rating : 4.7/5
Name Of The Book : Restless Waters Of The Ichhamati
Author : Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay translated by Rimli Bhattacharya
Publisher : Rupa Publications
Year : 2018
Category : Fiction
Review :
The final novel to be published in the author's lifetime, Ichhamati revolves around life in the Mollahati Indigo plantation - one of the numerous neelkuthis or indigo factories that dotted Lower Bengal under Company rule. Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay did not wish to write an ethnographic treatise, but there is enough in the novel about the coercion that went into indigo cultivation, the intricate nexus between the English manager and the brahman dewan, the peasant subjects, Musalman and Hindu, including episodes from the Indigo revolt, sometimes called the 'Indigo disturbances ' of 1859-1862. Restless Waters Of The Ichhamati is a brilliant translation that evocatively reflects the myriad moods of the original as well as its variations in style. Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay was posthumously awarded the Rabindra Puruskar in 1951 for Ichhamati, his last published novel. The subject of cast plays an important role in this book. Brahmans come in for the sharpest critique. At least thrice in the novel the narrator comments directly on the idle group of landowning brahmans who while away their lives in the chandimandap, smoking and playing board games, gossiping and passing judgement on the hapless in their midst. Alongside this critique, the novelist seems simultaneously to seek redemption from the violence of indigo cultivation and the enmeshed oppression of caste and gender in the figure of the exceptional brahman. Ramkanai Kobiraj traverses the ravages of physical intimidation and social ostracism before he surfaces as an exemplar of dispassionate service in his capacity as the ideal kaviraj - as indigenous healer and passionate lover of god, capable of forgiving even those who would have murdered him. The woman who is 'cast out', Gaya-mem, and Ramkanai establish a special kinship that breaks through taboos of caste and gender. Similarly, (though less dramatically), Bibhutibhushan has Bhabani initiating eldest wife Tilu and their son (and subsequently, Nistarini) into a conscious awareness of Brahman, the Supreme Being. With his intense awareness of the broken dreams and aspirations of most village women, it must have been difficult for Bibhutibhushan to represent with equilibrium both the oppression and the spaces of freedom available to Hindu women in nineteenth century Bengal. It is significant that while several of the male muslim peasants are delineated in rough but powerful sketches, no Muslim woman even makes a fleeting appearance in Ichhamati. The women's world in the novel is essentially of upper and lower caste Hindu communities - brahman and bagdi. Bibhutibhushan shies away from a representation of sati, ubiquitous in colonial accounts, though he alludes to it in passing, when the murdered dewan's wife desires to immolate herself in her husband's pyre but is dissuaded by her sister-in-law. Cutting across caste and class, the women in Ichhamati appear stronger (physically and mentally) than their men, more protective and caring. A few are singled out for their frankness and integrity, as with Tilu, Nistarini and Gaya-mem. Others like Setho Kumudini Jeley (from the fisher-woman's caste) feature anecdotally : Kumudini is sketched almost in mythic proportions for the fierce affection with which she looks after her flock of pilgrims. Iconic figures like the Rani of Jhansi (with whom Kumudini is compared) become part of popular lore through the tales of pilgrim-travelers. More persuasive than these flashes of the archetypal Bengali female as the mother goddess is the casual way in which Bibhutibhushan weaves into the narrative a range of expressive forms - songs devotional/erotic, poems, riddles and proverbs - marking their transactional spaces as peculiarly feminine. The book takes into account the bilingual/multilingual reader who might not know Bangla but would be familiar with the nuances of kinship terms prevalent in much of the Indian subcontinent. Ichhamati is packed with terminology from the revenue system, derived from Persian and Arabic. Sanskrit slokas - both popular couplets as well as well as passages from the upanishads - are embedded in long conversations between Bhabani, Chaitanyabharati and Ramkanai Kobiraj. Like all of Bibhutibhushan's writing, Ichhamati is a celebation of flora and fauna, particularly of the profusion of commonly found plant life that flourishes in most regions of Bengal.
The plot is slow but profound. I was initially reluctant to start this book but once I started reading, I was totally engrossed in the book. The writing style is such that we are able to visualize everything like a movie. The book contains the interpretation of a lot of texts like the Bhagavad Gita in the form of discussions between various characters. The interpretations are spiritual rather than religious. The essence of the story was not lost in translation. We learn a lot about the life during that era. It is not a completely historical novel but facts and fiction have been combined to form a beautiful piece of literature. It is not the story but rather the experience of this book that makes it exceptional. The everyday life has been explained beautifully but without making it feel mundane. The characters have a lot of depth and we will be able to relate to many of their character traits. A lot of research has been done by the translator and glossary at the end provide a detailed explanation of the Bengali words. The history about Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadyay and his life and works is insightful. The book is a must read for all those who are looking for an authentic Indian novel which will make the them fall in love with Indian history and culture.
Rating : 4.7/5