Journal of Bengali Studies Vol.3 No.2

ISSN 2277-9426
Journal of Bengali Studies
Vol. 3, No. 2
K o l k a t a
Jogoddhatri Puo, !4 "arti# !42! $utu%n Issue, ! No&e%'er 2(!4
Journal of Bengali Studies )ISSN 2277-9426* Vol.3, No.2
Pu'lished on the o++asion of Jogoddhatri Puo, !4 "arti# !42!, ! No&e%'er 2(!4
,he the%e of this issue is "ol#ata
ISSN- 2277-9426
Journal of Bengali Studies
Vol. 3, No. 2
! No&e%'er 2(!4
Jogoddhatri Puo, !4 "arti# !42!
$utu%n Issue
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Sho0todina 3edia Initiati&e
79.!, 2ouri0ur >oad, P.8. Birati, "ol#ata-7(((?!, India
6ontents
.ditorial 7
$rti+le
CoordiNation and Deferral of Bengali Nation-Consciousness: Ishwarchandra Gupta in Nineteenth
Century Kolkata
Tamal Dasgupta 16
Kolkata Corporation and Subhas Chandra Bose: Death of a Drea
Chandrachur Ghose 84
!choes fro the "ast: #e$isiting %&ld Kolkata' in Gorosthane Sabdhan
Kallol Gangopadhyay 126
( )esson in )i$ing )ife: *he "ortrayal of Kolkata in Satya+it #ay's Short Stories
Zenth !oy 147
Deographic and Beha$ioral "rofile of Street Children in Kolkata
"tanu Ghosh 164
Cottage and Sall Scale Industries in the Slus of Kolkata: Growth and Constraints in *wentieth
Century
Subrata #and 176
Kolkata,s Intellectual #esponse to Shakespeare: (cadeia- Stage and )ittle .aga/ines
"rndam $u%her&ee 1'1
*racing the 0istorical #oots of Kolkata,s North-South Di$ide
$adhusree Chattopadhyay 22'
4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
>e&ie4
Scanning Kolkata Stage through the !yes of 1i$e Doyens: ( #e$iew of Bratya Basu,s Book of
Inter$iews
Soura/ Gupta 247
Aor#sho0
)o$e and Kolkata: Si2 "oes
Tamal Dasgupta 201
6o%%entar1
Sister Ni$edita in Kolkata: ( Nation (wakens
$ousum *andyopadhyay 267
)i$ing 0eritage: Boats of Kolkata
S1arup *hattacharyya 278
*raditional Sanskrit )earning in Kolkata
Somnath Sar%ar 2'8
/is+lai%er-
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8gniug )Vol.!, No.!*
Bengali 6ine%a- Bengalis and 6ine%a )Vol.2, No.2*
Bengali ,heatre- Bengalis and ,heatre )Vol.2, No.!*
S+ien+e and ,e+hnolog1 in :istor1- 3odern Bengali Pers0e+ti&es )Vol.2, No.2*
Citerature and 3o&e%ents- Bengali 6rossroads )Vol.3, No.2*
.ditorial
" sense o) locaton s mportant across the entre plant and anmal %ngdoms- 2or the human anmal ths
sense o) locaton s e/en more mportant+ because 1e cannot thr/e n a smple state o) nature+ and 1e
ha/e to de/se a culture n a collect/e manner3 ths culture s al1ays locally rooted- 4mportance o)
locaton spreads )rom our physology 5locaton as a bologcal )actor3 as 4 1rte ths edtoral ths year6s
#obel pr7e n physology and medcne s announced to be a1arded to scentsts 1ho ha/e 1or%ed on
the bologcal sgn)cance o) locaton8 to our anthropology+ socal scences and cultural studes
5locaton as a socal+ economc and cultural construct8- The sgn)cance o) Kol%ata )or the hstory and
culture o) the modern *engal people s nonparel-
#umerous boo%s on the hstory o) Kol%ata e9st 1hch ha/e pro/en t beyond doubt that
Kol%ata 1as most certanly not born n 16':+ that t does not ha/e any such date o) brth+ that t s most
certanly older than 16':+ that Kol%ata goes bac% )urther n tme+ a pont that 1as upheld by the
Calcutta ;gh Court n ts /erdct dated 16 $ay 2::. 5)ollo1ng an e9pert report submtted by )/e
reno1ned hstorans8 1here t drected to erase the name o) (ob Charnoc% as the )ounder o) ths cty
)rom all hstory boo%s 5*houm% 8+ and yet t s customary )or a host o) 1rters to relgously repeat
ths myth that one (ob Charnoc% 1as the )ather o) ths cty o) Kol%ata 1ho )ounded t n 16':
5completely gnorng the )act that he came to Kol%ata<Sutanut t1ce be)ore = once n 1686 and then n
16873 t runs l%e a &o%e> Charnoc% already came to Kol%ata t1ce+ but he )ounds Kol%ata on hs thrd
/st n 16':83 1e are rtually remnded that 1here the landmar%s l%e $useum and ,ctora $emoral
stand today earler used to be dense )orest +1th 1ld anmals roamng n the 1oods and brgands
lur%ng behnd e/ery bush 5(oardar 1483 ne/ertheless+ 1hle sayng these+ sometmes the gult?conscous
comprador6s hat s tpped to the drecton o) the ancent Kol%ata that 1as the abode o) medtaton o)
Chourongnath+ the sant )rom the #ath order+ )rom 1hom modern day Cho1rnghee der/es ts name+
or to the mede/al Kol%ata that )nds a menton n the 10'6 C@ entry o) (in-i-(kbari o) "bul 2a7l as a
consttuent part o) the admnstrat/e d/son 5Sarkar8 Satgaon 5Saptagram<Shoptogram on the
;ooghly8+ or to the Kol%ata 1hch s mentoned n $u%undaram6s Chondiongol o) 1440 C@
5$u%hopadhyay 108- Kol%ata 1as a halt )or Guru #ana% 5as all S%h hstores uneAu/ocally attest8
durng hs )rst udaasi bet1een 14'' and 10:6 co/erng entre eastern 4nda 5udaass 1ere &ourneys
D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
#ana% undertoo% to d))erent corners o) subcontnent and mddle east8+ and a S%h shrne named
Gurud1ara *ar Sangat stands to ths day at the place 1here Guru #ana% l/ed durng hs stay n
Kol%ata3 t6s at *urra *a7ar+ stuated on Kol%ata6s /ery o1n arteral thorough)are %no1n as $ G !oad+
as 4 mysel) once )ound out-
"rmenan Church+ Kol%ata
The gra/estone o/er !e7a *b6s tomb dated 16.: n the "rmenan Church o) Kol%ata )rmly
establshes that a settlement o) the "rmenans n Kol%ata e9sted /ery much be)ore the *rtsh came
here- The )act that some o) our hstorans doubt the /eracty o) ths gra/estone and ts nscrpton
establshes less the clam o) Charnoc% than ther o1n comprador status- Be ha/e been told by 1estern
hegemony that only stone and metal nscrptons and cons count as hstorcal e/dences3 our punthis
don6t- The dsco/ery o) Gupta age gold cons at Kalghat n 178. 5at dsplay n the *rtsh $useum
snce then8 s agan someho1 passed under the carpet- *allala Sena6s g)t nscrpton 5Daana Catra8 that
pertans to Kal%hetro 5$u%hopadhyay 68+ 1hch undoubtedly relates to the regon o) modern day
Kol%ata s l%e1se underplayed-
9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The runs o) *ansha *at !a& *ar+ stuated at *ansbera+ 1hch s a part o) "d Shoptogram
Ths s a historical regon 1here Kol%ata stands today+ and t dd not appear out o) a nothngness
as t s sometmes made out to be 5Satya&t !ay6s )amous sleuth6s "nglophlc speech about Kol%ata
beng a 1ld s1amp pror to *rtsh arr/al mmedately comng to mnd8- ;enry Cotton traces the
orgn o) the busy mercantle hub o) Kol%ata bac% to the reno1ned port o) Saptagram<Shoptogram on
the 1est ban% o) ;ooghly r/er 5the Cortuguese called t Corto CAueno8+ that a)ter the sltng o) the
r/er Saras1at someho1 trans)erred ts potental to Kol%ata- Shoptogram 1as the nucleus o) Kol%ata+
Cotton obser/es 528- Cotton ponts out n the same breath that the mgraton o) Setts and *ysac%s )rom
Shoptogram to Gobndopur /llage = they came to Kol%ata n 10.7 C@ 5*houm% 288 = can be
consdered to ha/e )ormally naugurated the busness hub 1hch 1as later to become the cty o)
Kol%ata- 4t s sad that the regon o) Kol%ata became a thr/ng mercantle hub and a centre o) te9tle
ndustry n ne9t hundred years- The te9tle 1or%shop o) the Setts at Gobndopur employed a total o)
20:: 1or%ers n 16.2 5*houm% 88- 4nterestngly+ the hstory o) Gobndopur+ 1hch s normally
consdered to ha/e begun 1th the Setts 51th the /llage der/ng ts )rom the name o) ther )amly dol
o) Gobindo8 can be traced bac% to tenth century C@ 5*houm% .28- Kol%ata 1as an mportant outpost n
the %ngdom o) $ahara&a Cratapadtya 5ascenson 10848+ 1hose )ort stood at modern day *agba&ar on
the Ganges 5*houm% 0'+ 008- 4t sur//ed the ra/ages o) tme and 1as used by *rtsh at the tme o)
Sra&6s sege o) Kol%ata- Crecedng decades already sa1 a burgeonng Kol%ata durng the tme o) the
$aratha e9pedton+ 1hen *engals came to l/e here )rom d))erent parts o) South *engal+ as t 1as
sa)ely ensconced on the eastern sde o) Ganges+ protected by the guns and canons o) the Company-
!(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Ths temple at *ansbera s /ery unl%e other *engal temples and t sho1s the e9tent o) )oregn n)luence on ths busy nternatonal port
Dute mportantly+ Kol%ata shares a glorous lneage o) the c/lsatons 1hch snce ancent
tmes )lourshed n *engal n general and south *engal n partcular+ )rom the days o) the Gangarda
empre and the ancent port o) Tamralpta to the glorous days o) the %ngdom o) (essore under the rule
o) Cratapadtya and the socal+ cultural and ntellectual )loursh o) #abad1p- Kol%ata thus nherts the
legaces o) a number o) llustrous ctes 1hch )lourshed n *engal6s south 1estern parts+ the latest o)
them beng #abad1p<#oboddp by Ganges and Shoptogram by Shoroshshot-
Cror to the *rtsh @ast 4nda Company6s purchase o) the re/enue rghts o) three /llages o)
Kol%ata+ Sutanut and Gobndopur 5the deed s dated 1: #o/ember 16'88+ there 1as a procurement o)
permsson )rom the $ughal court n Delh- Eater n 1717 another $ughal faran enttled the
Company to purchase another .8 /llages ad&onng Kol%ata- *ut *engal6s #a1ab $urshd%ul Khan
too% great care to nstruct the 7amndars o) these /llages not to sell ther lands<re/enue rghts to the
*rtsh 5*asu 218- Surely ) ths regon held no strategc mportance+ ) ths 1as as 1ld+ barren+
!!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
depopulated and s1ampy to1ards the end o) se/enteenth century as t s o)ten meant out to be+ there
1ould not possbly be too many Zamndars loo%ng o/er these lands+ #a1ab too 1ould ha/e not
bothered ) the *rtsh purchased them+ and on the top o) t+ the *rtsh company too 1ould not ha/e
bothered to purchase them at such a great cost to ther treasury n the )rst place 5the actual prce o) the
three /llages+ !s 1.:: 1as a pttance compared to the royal sum o) !s 16::: that 1as pad to the
emperor n Delh )or purchase rghts o) three /llages n 16'8 5*asu 148+ but the Aueston s+ 1ho g/es
that %nd o) money to buy some peces o) 1lderness any1ayF8-
"s 4 ha/e dscussed n my artcle on 4sh1ar Gupta and nneteenth century Kol%ata 51hch
e9plores the de)erral o) naton?conscousness among the *engal people8+ attempts to dengrate our o1n
hertage+ hstory+ legacy and cultural treasures ha/e been systematcally underta%en by many o) us+ and
1e should start to problematse such smplstc postons 1hch thn% o) Kol%ata n such ahstorcal+
amnesac terms- Be ha/e to blast open the debrs o) colonalsm n order to dsco/er the underlyng
contnuum o) the hstory o) Kol%ata 1hch s no1 co/ered beneath a palmpsest o) colonal dsruptons+
dscontnutes and epstemc brea%s- "ny dscusson o) Kol%ata must not dspense 1th ths cultural
unconscous+ that Kol%ata der/es ts name )rom Kal%shetra<Kal%hetro 5$u%hopadhyay 63 $allc% 18+
that the regon )rom *ehala n the south to Do%%hneshshor n the north 1as called Kal%hetro n
Shakti "eethaala 5one o) the most ancent puranc chronologes o) the hstory o) Shakti "eethas all
o/er 4nda3 1e need to remember here that though ts temple s ne1+ Do%%hneshshor tsel) s a /ery old
place8+ as ;arsadhan $u%hupadhyay ponts out 51:?1183 that 1e *engals ha/e a hstory o) our o1n
ma%ng 1rtten n our o1n blood and pus+ bra/ery and betrayal+ /ctores and de)eats- "s 1e ressted
and approprated and sometmes 1elcomed )oregn n)luences+ 1e made a hstory o) our o1n+ and that
s not merely the one haughtly allotted to us by our 4slamc and Bestern conAuerors and a plethora o)
other colonsers l%e communsts+ and our o1n bhadralo% comprador classes-
Spea%ng about our hstory+ ho1e/er+ s not the same as espousng a nostalga )or an organc
past that got lost because o) colonalsm- Terry @agleton supports !aymond Bllams6s /e1 that the
organc socety o) the past s a myth+ and the organc socety has been al1ays lost 50eathcliff 068-
4ndeed+ !aymond Bllams n hs *he Country and the City records that the complant about the loss o)
an organc past s a characterstc lament o) e/ery age 51:?128- The organc past s al1ays n an n)nte
regress+ and there)ore the human sub&ect6s desre to return to that organc past remans nsatable- Terry
@agleton comments satrcally> G;story has been n steep declne e/er snce some ndetermnate
!2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
golden age- The natons best days ha/e al1ays goneH 5(cross the "ond 1.28- There)ore+ 1hle nsstng
on the )act that Kol%ata has a glorous+ substantal pre?colonal past+ 1e must steer clear o) broodng on
a past golden age- The one ma&or purpose o) loo%ng at our past s to gather crtcal resources )or the
present and the )uture o) Kol%ata- 2urther+ 1e do not thn% that the encounter 1th the 1est has not
been )rut)ul n any manner )or the *engal people+ the ghastly )acts o) colonal domnaton
not1thstandng- There s a dalectc o) n)luence and resstance throughout Kol%ata6s hstory+ out o)
1hch the )orces o) transcreaton ha/e emerged durng the modern perod+ 1hch+ &ust l%e /accnes
usng a mcrobal germ tsel) to produce ts antdote+ ha/e str/en to nurture the *engalness o) ths cty
by superannuatng all colonsng attempts-
Be ha/e pre)erred the spellng Kol%ata to that o) Calcutta n ths ssue+ )or reasons ob/ous-
Calcutta renamed as Kol%ata+ at a tme 1hen *ombay and $adras too 1ent on a renamng spree+ could
be thought o) as an e9presson o) a de)erred naton?conscousness 51hch my artcle deals 1th8- The
change n nomenclature s an mportant mlestone n that tra&ectory o) the delayed aspraton o) the
*engal people-
4nstead o) tracng the physcal hstory and geography o) Kol%ata+ ths ssue o) Journal of
Bengali Studies 5(*S8+ ,ol-.+ #o-2+ themed on Kol%ata traces the ntellectual+ cultural+ poltcal+ socal+
economc and lterary hstory and geography o) ths cty- Ths ssue 1ll nterest all Kol%ata
a)conados+ academc and layperson al%e+ and 1ll reman a collector6s tem so long as people study
ths cty and 1onder at t- $y o1n artcle s on 4sh1ar Gupta+ 1ho s )oregrounded to nneteenth
century Kol%ata- 4t argues that 4sh1ar Gupta6s pro&ect can be best understood as a coord#aton+ 1hch
ho1e/er %eeps on gettng de)lected because o) the constant pressure o) colonalsm- Chandrachur
Ghose6s 1ell?researched artcle on Subhas *ose6s assocaton 1th Kol%ata 5then Calcutta8 $uncpal
Corporaton deals 1th a topc that has not been htherto e9plored> Subhas *ose as a c/c admnstrator
o) the cty o) Kol%ata- Subhas *ose the mltant s 1ell %no1n and 1ell researched+ but t s )or the )rst
tme that someone has 1rtten an academc artcle on Subhas *ose the mayor o) Kol%ata+ and
Chandrachur Ghose6s 1or% s poneerng n ths respect- Subhas6s ant?mperal pro&ect led hm to tal%
about muncpal socalsm+ 1hereas t also n/ol/ed e/o%ng close tes 1th the r/als o) "nglo?
"mercan a9s+ and as a result o) that 1e can see that he der/es lessons )rom de/eloped @uropean
countres+ ta%ng nspraton )rom models outsde *rtan and ts sphere o) n)luence+ 1hle
deologcally he had a curous nclnaton to1ards both socalsm and )ascsm 5as Ghose bemusedly
!3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
obser/es8- $ay be 1e should e9plore the possblty that Subhas6s orentaton probably had a lot to do
1th the )act that )ascsm and socalsm used to be the t1o r/al 5and )ormdable at that8 doctrnes
1hch challenged "nglo?"mercan hegemony o) lberalsm-
Kallol Gangopadhyay6s artcle e9plores Satya&t !ay6s Gorosthane Shabdhan 1hch )oregrounds
the colonal cty o) Kol%ata 5!ay6s Charnoc%?conscousness led hm to bele/e that Kol%ata orgnated
1th the *rtsh+ 1hch s not hstorcally accurate+ Gangopadhyay6s artcle mentons the hstorcal
debate n ths regard+ leadng to the ;gh Court /erdct o) 2::.8 1hereas Zenth !oy6s artcle )ocuses
on the portrayal o) Kol%ata n the short stores o) Satya&t !ay- Ths s ndeed a str%ng )eature o) ths
ssue that 1e ha/e t1o artcles on the depcton o) Kol%ata n Satya&t !ay6s )ctonal 1or%s- They spea%
o) the tremendous popularty o) hs *engal )ctons 1hch ha/e Kol%ata as a recurrent mot)-
"tanu Ghosh6s artcle s a much needed e9ploraton o) the dar% sde o) Kol%ata+ an aspect that
the bhadralo%s 1ould not be e/en com)ortable n ac%no1ledgng> the plght o) ts street chldren+ and
the numerous abuses 1hch they are sub&ected to n ths cty- Ghosh has done a neat &ob s data analyss-
Subrata #and6s artcle contnues that emphass on the po/erty?strc%en 5and yet unde)eated and
nde)atgable8 )ace o) Kol%ata+ as t sur/eys the cottage and small?scale ndustres n the slum areas o)
Kol%ata durng a t1enteth century tme span+ and ths artcle ncludes some /aluable nsghts about the
producers<artsans o) some o) our tradtonal art )orms l%e the clay dol ma%ers o) Kumartul and the
potua panters o) Kalghat- 2rom slums to Sha%espeare s Aute a leap+ but Kol%ata had such pogars
5large+ canal?l%e open drans mar%ng the early se1erage system o) *rsh Kol%ata3 a hygenc dsaster+
they g/e us the pro/erbal e9presson pogar-par8 1hch one had to cross3 ne9t n lne s "rndam
$u%her&ee6s artcle on the relatonshp o) Kol%ata 1th Sha%espeare+ 1hch s an nterestng e9ploraton
o) academc+ theatrcal and Etle $aga7nes6 1or%s on Sha%espeare 1hch ha/e been produced n ths
cty> t crtcally n/estgates the role o) colonal hango/er behnd 1hat the author dubs as )alure o) the
*engal response to Sha%espeare- $u%her&ee measures ths )alure n terms o) the nablty to produce
any orgnal creat/e or crtcal nsght on Sha%espeare+ and argues that Kol%ata n ts dealng 1th
Sha%espeare has not been able to come out o) the shado1 o) "nglo?"mercan n)luence- $adhusree
Chattopadhyay6s artcle s a poneerng academc 1or% on the legendary north?south d/de n Kol%ata+
a topc that les /ery close to the )undamental con)lct per/adng the conscousness o) ths cty> hstory
s on the sde o) north+ progress on the sde o) south- #orth s north+ south s south+ and t seems that
ne/er the t1an shall meetI
!4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Soura/ Gupta6s re/e1 s n contnuaton 1th hs 5and ths &ournal6s8 contnued )ocus on
*engal theatre 51e publshed a theatre ssue bac% n 2:1.8 n general+ and *ratya *asu n partcular-
*ratya6s boo% that contans nter/e1s o) )/e legendary theatre personaltes o) Kol%ata theatre s
re/e1ed by Soura/ Gupta- The 1or%shop segment n ths ssue has s9 poems on Kol%ata 51hch 4
authored o/er a perod o) last eght years o) my e9le )rom Kol%ata8 1rtten orgnally n *engal and
then translated nto @nglsh- *oth the orgnal and the translated /ersons appear n ths 1or%shop-
4n ths ssue 1e ha/e three commentares3 $ousum *andyopadhyay has 1rtten on Sster
#/edta6s role n the natonalst a1a%enng that 1as centred n Kol%ata+ that 1as #/edta6s adopted
home and her sacred Karabhui+ seat o) her msson- S1arup *hattacharyya6s pctoral commentary
on the boats o) Kol%ata+ many o) them e9tnct today+ s a /sual delght+ and ths photo?essay 1th a rare
collecton o) mages o) Kol%ata boats does &ustce to hs scholarly reputaton as the )oremost l/ng
authorty on *engal boats- Somnath Sar%ar n hs commentary on Sans%rt studes n Kol%ata
llumnates an other1se o/erloo%ed aspect o) ths cty> the )loursh o) classcal learnng n Kol%ata and+
n ths regard he g/es an o/er/e1 o) the academc nsttutons and un/erstes as 1ell as the
tradtonal catu3p45his 1hch ha/e been seats o) Sans%rt learnng snce tme mmemoral-
Journal of Bengali Studies has remaned commtted to the pro&ect o) de/elopng an
nterdscplnary *engal natonalst dscourse n academa snce 1e started publshng n 2:12+ and n
ths s9th ssue (*S once more rene1s that pledge- The edtoral board 5and the contrbutors8 can be
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)or papers )or the )orthcomng ssues+ and post comments and responses at
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Bi'liogra0h1
*asu+ "&t%umar- Kolikatar #a+poth- Kol%ata> "nanda+ 2::8-
*houm%+ ;arpada- Notun *othther (lokey Kolkata- Kol%ata> Carul+ 2::.-
Cotton+ ;- @- "-- Calcutta- &ld and New- Kol%ata> General Crnters K Cublshers+ 1'0:-
@agleton+ Terry- *he #ape of Clarissa- L9)ord> *lac%1ell+ 1'82-
!?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
???- 0eathcliff and the Great 0unger: Studies in Irish Culture- Eondon> ,erso+ 1''0- Crnt-
???- (cross the "ond- #e1 Mor%> B- B- #orton+ 2:1.- Crnt-
(oardar+ *s1anath- &nno Kolkata- Kol%ata> "nanda+ 2::.-
$allc%+ Cramathanath- Kolikatar Kotha 6(adikando7- Kol%ata> Custo% *pon+ 2::1-
$u%hopadhyay+ ;arsadhan- Kolikata Shekaler o !kaler- Kol%ata> C $ *a%ch+ 2::2-
Bllams+ !aymond- *he Country and the City- 1'7.- #e1 Mor%> L9)ord Nn/ersty Cress+ 1'70- Crnt-
6oordiNation and /eferral of Bengali Nation-
6ons+iousness- Ish4ar+handra 2u0ta in Nineteenth
6entur1 "ol#ata
,a%al /asgu0ta
$'stra+t- Ths paper argues that the course o) the de/elopment o) naton?conscousness n nneteenth
century Kol%ata as obser/ed n the 1or%s o) 4sh1archandra Gupta contnues to get de)lected+ o1ng to
the pressure o) colonalsm and the tendency o) *engal comprador classes to reman supplcant n )ront
o) mperalsm- 4n order to descrbe the structure o) Gupta6s natonalst pro&ect+ the 1ord coord#aton
s coned- Ths paper e9plores ho1 *engal naton?conscousness s both coord#ated and de)erred n
the nneteenth century Kol%ata that Gupta nhabts-
"e14ords- 4sh1ar Gupta+ #neteenth Century Kol%ata+ *engal #aton?Conscousness+ #atonalsm+
Shongb4d "robh4kor+ Kobig4n- Kobiwala8Kobiyal+ "4nch4li+ *oppa- 9khr4i- half- 9khr4i+
*haratchandra !ay+ !amprasad Sen+ !amndh Gupta+ Gon&la Gun+ !am *asu+ Dashu !ay+ ;oru
Tha%ur+ *hola $oyra+ "nthony 2rng+ !upchand Co%%h+ 4sh1archandra ,dyasagar+ *an%m
Chandra Chattopadhyay+ Dnabandhu $tra+ Krshna%amal *hattacharya-
Lur past s a resource that 1e constantly need to rad n order to llumnate our present+ and ths s one
o) the reasons 1hy 4 embar%ed on ths 1or%- Ths paper postons 4sh1ar Gupta 1thn the hstorcal
tra&ectory o) nneteenth century Kol%ata- Bhle 1or%ng on 4sh1ar Gupta = pronounced 4shshor
Goopto3 4 use the spellng 4sh1archandra Gupta throughout ths artcle )or )amlarty6s sa%e+ though
4ssurchunder Goopto 1as ho1 he and hs contemporares spelt hs name n @nglsh+ 1hle "robhakur
1as the standard spellng )or the name o) hs ne1spaper+ as 1e get to %no1 )rom hs Collected :orks
52> 48 = there 1as an rresstble temptaton to dsco/er n Gupta a precursor<)orerunner o) the
natonalst mo/ement- 4ndeed as the mentor o) *an%m and other natonalst 1rters l%e !angalal
!7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*andyopadhyay and Dnabandhu $tra+ and ha/ng hmsel) poneered n authorng a number o)
natonalst poems and ha/ng ntated natonalst pro&ects+ 4sh1archandra Gupta s enttled to that
honour- *ut ths artcle 1ll not do that- ;e 1as not to the natonalst mo/ement and ;ndu re//al n
*engal 1hat *la%e 1as to the !omantc mo/ement- 2or one thng+ the ;ndu re//al o) *engal should
be best thought o) as a Eong !e/oluton 5a la !aymond Bllams8+ 1hch started as a resstance
mo/ement rght a)ter the $ohammedan conAuest and reached ts apogee at the tme o) Chatanya-
Bhen Durga Cu&o 1as beng rentroduced a)ter the )all o) Sra&+ at the behest o) Krshnachandra o)
#ada and #aba%rshna o) Kol%ata+ 1e 1tness another mlestone n that tra&ectory- 4sh1ar Gupta s
part o) that same tra&ectory 1hch 1ll see the ad/ent o) *an%m a)ter1ards- The )rst hal) o) nneteenth
century+ 1hch 1as the old nneteenth century+ 1as culturally domnated by 4sh1archandra 5ded 180'8+
and as that )ormer hal) ga/e 1ay+ ga/e brth to the later hal) o) nneteenth century+ 1hch 1as to be the
new nneteenth century+ *an%m came to assume that role o) the cultural patrarch- ;o1e/er+ though
both 4sh1archandra and *an%m 1or%ed to1ards buldng a process o) naton?conscousness+ the
process tsel) remaned /ery deeply problematc3 t al1ays presupposed a surrender o) *engal to the
*rtsh- 4t 1as 1th the gold )rom the loot o) *engal that @ngland had ts ndustral re/oluton+ but
*engals 1ere too happy )or ha/ng been )ree )rom the shac%les o) 4slamc rule to notce that- *engal6s
;ndu re//al thus got ne9trcably+ ntrcately entangled 1th *engal6s colonsaton by the Best- Bhat
)ollo1ed 1as a dalectc o) collaboraton and con)rontaton 1th the 1est 1hch earmar%ed the pro&ect
o) 4sh1ar Gupta and charactersed the course o) hstory n nneteenth century Kol%ata-
Bhat dd ths collaboraton entalF 4 suggest that t n/ol/ed a hermeneutc damage- Eet us ta%e
an e9ample- 4n a supposedly neutral+ ob&ect/e descrpton o) the nterors o) a house+ *an%m uses the
omnscent narratoral mode to ta%e a potshot at the superstton o) *engal dolatry+ decryng Durga
and Kal+ n hs )rst no/el 1rtten n @nglsh+ #a+ohan,s :ife> GT1o pantngs o) the largest s7e+ )rom
one o) 1hch glo1ered the grm blac% )gure o) Kal+ and on the other o) 1hch 1as dsplayed the crab?
l%e )gure o) Durga+ )aced each otherH 5778- *an%m later on goes )or a huge course correcton+ to such
an e9tent that hs earler hostlty to ;ndusm s today almost un%no1n outsde serous *an%m
scholars- Bhen 1e are compelled to /e1 oursel/es )rom a prsm borro1ed )rom the Best+ t de)lects
our culture+ t dsplaces our dhara- as t delays our naton?conscousness- *ut not subscrbng to that
dscourse o) 1estern @nlghtenment sometmes mples a more un)ortunate regresson nto a )orged pre?
modern /son+ neurotcally and trumphantly obsessed 1th the golden ;ndu past+ complacently
!D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
una1are o) many de/elopments o) modern hstory- So a denal o) the 1estern epstemology can be
eAually troublesome+ ) not more problematc- There can be a golden mean+ and that can be called a
synthess+ and t 1as precsely 1hat 4sh1archandra hmsel) 5and stll later *an%m8 attempted+ but ths
also ne/tably results n a dstorton+ 1here our culture and dentty get de)lected and can ne/er be
dentcal 1th ts pre?n/ason )orm+ as the prsms o) 1estern colonal hegemony end up besmrchng
our perspect/es- Then 1e can only re/st our past as con)used onloo%ers-
The only a/alable mage o) 4sh1ar Gupta on the nternet
Lur argument s that n 4sh1ar Gupta6s oeu/re 1e )nd an emergng *engal naton?
conscousness+ 1here nneteenth century Kol%ata s )oregrounded as the space?tme dmensons o) that
dscourse- Ths dscourse s+ ho1e/er+ contnually shredded+ mutlated+ /olently rearranged and recast
by colonal domnaton- (ust l%e a blac% hole 5or any mass/e ob&ect n the cosmos+ )or that matter8
causes the space and tme that t comes n contact 1th to cur/e+ n a smlar 1ay+ colonal sub&ugaton
has caused a cur/ature n *engal dentty+ culture and hstory+ and all attempts to re?assert them ends
up n/ol/ng )urther dstortons o1ng to the gra/tatonal pull o) the mass/e bul% o) colonal
n)rastructure that contnually a))ects the dmensons o) our e9stence to ths day- *an%m once
)amously told !am%rshna that he became bent 5*an%m n Sans%rt means bent+ cur/ed+ croo%ed3 that
1hch s not straght8 because o) the %c%s o) the *rtsh boots 5*hattacharya .418- 4t 1as not a mere
&o%e3 there s a prophetc truth hdden n *an%m6s utterance+ 1e shall suggest-
!9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The man proposton o) ths artcle s that at the core o) the resstance mo/ement aganst
colonal oppresson 1e can detect a de)lecton+ a de)erral o) *engal dentty n order to accommodate
the tremendous pressure o) colonal domnaton- Ths statement s not a Derrdean nterpolaton n the
*engal natonalst dscourse3 ths s not a deconstructonst artcle n any partcular 1ay+ and 1e ha/e
smply ta%en up the dctonary meanng o) de)erral- Be are not partcularly concerned 1th any
Derrdean differance here n ths artcle- "ll 1e suggest here s that naton?conscousness s de)erred n
ts /ery act o) ncepton because o) colonal pressure- Eet us ta%e an e9ample- D1&endranath Tha%ur
remnsced about a natonal )ar organsed by #abagopal $tra 51ho 1as more popularly %no1n as
#atonal #abagopal+ because he popularsed the use o) the 1ord natonal n hs /arous act/tes8
1here D1&endranath to hs horror dsco/ered that a ggantc deshi pantng 5most l%ely a potchitro8
depcted 4ndans 1th )olded hands supplcatng be)ore *rtanna 5*pn Gupta 2748- 2or #abagopal+
ths mage 1as supposed to con/ey natonal art- Clearly that so called natonal )er/our 1as not ant?
colonal at all3 t 1as submss/e3 /ery o)ten t mtated the patrotsm o) the *rtsh+ modelled tsel) on
1estern?style natonalsm+ and 1as )ull o) an "nglophle re/erence )or mperalsm- #atonal
#abagopal hmsel) 1as a regular /stor to the corrdors o) colonal po1er and too% prde n beng close
to *rtsh 5*pn Gupta 274?2708- So there goes the ncepton o) our natonalsm proper-
The co/er o) ths Sahtya "cademy boo% n ;nd depcts the )ace o) 4sh1ar Gupta Aute d))erently
2(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Be ha/e spo%en o) the hermeneutc damage caused by colonal domnaton 5that contnues to
perpetrate tsel) n our country n spte o) poltcal ndependence+ one may suggest8- Eet us ta%e an
e9ample o) 1hat 4 1ould call nterpret/e /olence+ 1hch happens 1hen a 1estern paradgm s
mposed on *engal culture- " recent crtcal apprasal o) 4sh1ar Gupta done by !osn%a Chaudhur
ttled GCoet o) the CresentH s a case n pont- The man proposton o) !osn%a Chaudhur can be
summed up n ths statement )rom her artcle> G4s1ar Gupta6s oeu/re s l%e the gossp n ;utom6s
Calcutta+ 1hch s consttuted+ as !ana&t Guha descrbes t+ o) an 6mmedacy o) presence6 that 6as a
phenomenon6+ l/es only )or the day+ lterally as ephemeros or adyatana+ n a state o) utter transence6H
51:88-
4n the course o) our artcle 1e shall see that 4sh1ar Gupta6s poetry s deeply concerned 1th the
past and )uture o) hs country and countrymen- 4n an o/er7ealous attempt to mpose the ahstorcst+
amnesac and comprador cult o) the present 5a comprador al1ays l/es n the present+ and celebrates the
transent+ as a comprador shares an Ledpal relaton 1th hs past and )uture3 a comprador %lls hs past
and scre1s hs )uture+ ) 1e are allo1ed a moment o) le/ty here8+ the sgn)cance o) Gupta6s act/ty as
a compler o) old *engal poetry o) Kobig4n s completely mssed by ths crtc+ 1ho although s
nomnally a1are o) 4sh1ar Gupta6s role as collector and edtor o) *engal Kobig4n+ as the notes and
bblography at the end o) her artcle attest- Be shall also see that emboldened by ths subaltern
espousal 5ths artcle appears n an anthology edted by Cartha Chatter&ee et al8+ Chaudhur
enthusastcally goes on to compare Gupta 1th *audelare- 4n due course 1e shall sho1 1hy there can
be no comparson bet1een *audelare and 4sh1ar Gupta- "s an asde+ ths s ndeed un)ortunate that the
subaltern group ne/er Auestoned ther o1n status as comprador ntellgentsa- 4t mght ha/e made them
realse ther o1n poston o) utterance- *ut let us return to the matter at hand-
Eet us remember that the brth o) Kol%ata s smeared n the )lth o) comprador poltcs+ as ths
regon 1as allotted by the $ughal commander $an Sngh to Eo%%h%anto 51hose descendants+ the
Saborno !oy Choudhurs later sold Kol%ata along 1th Gobndopur and Sutanut to the @ast 4nda
Company8 as a re1ard )or ther betrayal to Cratapadtya- Cramathanath $allc% ponts out that Kol%ata
n ths sense 1as born 1th the 7etgest 5KOla Dharma8 o) a )allen age 5Kalyuga8+ 1hch means t 1as
born n shac%les o) sla/ery+ and t 1as someho1 destned to contnue n chans 516?178-
$ore mportantly+ colonal domnaton ensured 5t stll does8 that 1e su))ered )rom an an9ety o)
appro/al+ 1here 1e needed to con)orm to 1estern standards- "s a result+ *engal culture 1as about to
2!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
be brutally splt nto the hgh and the lo1+ as per the 1estern norm pre/alent n the nneteenth century-
The eltst+ bhadralo% dsdan )or our o1n ndgenous culture remaned ob/ous n the atttude o) the
Kol%ata ntellgentsa as the nneteenth century ga/e 1ay to the t1enteth- Be shall e9amne ths
)ollo1ng remar% by Tagore n ths connecton> G4n Greece the plays o) Sophocles and "eschylus 1ere
1rtten and enacted not &ust )or the ,4Cs- The common people there 1ere )ortunate not to ha/e
submtted to some Grecan Dashu !ay3H Tagore thus castgates the /ery dea o) Kobig4n n the
sarcastc epthet GGrsyo Dashu !ay-H ;e s re)errng to the legendary composer?snger o) Kobig4n and
"4nch4li+ Dashoroth !ay here+ n a dengratng 1ay n hs letter to Dlp%umar !oy+ compled n the
latter6s Collected :orks 56248- Dashu !ay+ 1e may note here+ 1as a ma&or n)luence on 4sh1ar Gupta
as he learnt the secrets o) the trade o) poetry )rom the practtoners o) Kobig4n and hal)?9khr4i n hs
adolescence+ as the )ore1ord to Gupta6s Collected :orks ponts out 51> সlত8- 2urther+ Cro)essor
"st%umar *andyopadhyay6s )ore1ord n *pn Gupta6s "uraton "roshongo mentons the pre?*an%m
era as the age o) Gupto%ob 5ths 1as ho1 4sh1ar Gupta 1as popularly %no1n8 and Dashoroth !ay
5পlচ8+ mplyng that the age sa1 a Dyarchy+ 1here both 4sh1archandra Gupta and Dashoroth !ay ruled-
#o1+ Tagore not only dengrates Dashu !ay3 here he seems to ha/e a haughty 5and hstorcally
ncorrect8 /e1 o) the e/oluton o) popular per)ormat/e art )orms across the 1orld- 4t s su))cent to
say here that Tagore dsplays a characterstc *rahmo and ,ctoran dsdan )or *engal ndgenous art
)orms o) "4nch4li and Kobig4n 51hch are rustc+ uncouth and ndecent )or colonal standards8 that
spo%e o) our day to day e9perence 1th a sturdy materalsm+ 1thout ta%ng any recourse to+ say+ the
/ague mystcsm o) a Ealan 2a%r or sophstcated romantcsm o) a Tagore- Kobig4n o)ten tends to
challenge the so)t lyrcsm o) Tagorean *engal poetry- 4t ndulges nto ra1 human aesthetcs 1thout
the n/enton o) romantc or sprtual lo/e- 4t too had ts relgous and de/otonal lyrcs+ but most o) the
tmes+ t spo%e n a straght)or1ard and materalst manner+ 1thout any myst)caton- 4t 1as there)ore
popular among the masses+ 1ho lo/ed ts substantal entertanments-
Copularty 1as agan a matter to be suspcous o)+ and one reason 1hy Dashu !ay 1as lo1 1as
that he 1as popular+ an artst o) the masses- Copular culture+ )or a /ery long tme+ 1as lo1 culture 5pror
to the uphea/al staged by !aymond Bllams called cultural studes+ a 1estern phenomenon that no1
encourages numerous 4ndan crtcs l%e Chaudhur to re)ocus on popular culture a la the 1estern
)rame1or% that )or Aute some tme no1 has been n /ogue8- ;o1e/er+ our comprador ntellgentsa can
scarcely mo/e out o) ther hegemonc+ holer?than?thou+ lberal?humanst pety e/en 1hen they are
22@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
supposedly 1or%ng on lo1+ popular culture+ and there)ore 4sh1ar Gupta s lambasted by Chaudhur n
these terms> G4t s the language he uses aganst the $uslms that s most o))ens/e--- Such sentments+
e9pressed 1th an appallng coarseness o) language+ n the conte9t o) $uslms+ are repeatedly present
n poemsH 5'78- Ths prescrpt/e approach o) poltcal correctness and hgh?mnded secularsm o) a
necessarly elte+ bhadralo% perspect/e+ 1hen m9ed 1th a Best?nspred+ ne1ly )ound+ neophytc 7eal
)or the popular culture+ together g/e brth to a mulsh hybrdty- There s mutlaton and there s crtcal
mal)ormaton )or us- 4t does not occur to ths crtc that Gupta mght smply ha/e been re)lectng the
popular sentment o) hs readers 1hen he s spea%ng aganst $uslms+ because such an dea 1ould
unsettle Aute a number o) haloed lberal humanst assumptons-
The contnuum bet1een the past and the present s there)ore doubly threatenng )or colonalsm-
#ot &ust the past o))ers a resstance to the domnant 1est?n)luenced dstortons 1hch ha/e become
commandments )or those under the spell o) lberal humanst amnesa+ the past s n league 1th the
present 5ho1e/er out o) &ont that present may be8 as they secretly+ sub/ers/ely hatch a conspracy
together to brng about ther o1n guerrlla readngs aganst the gran o) rece/ed standards- The
poltcally ncorrect art )orms can l/e on n an underground manner- "n obtuary 1rtten n poetry by
Sr&ato 5publshed n a maga7ne on 10 #o/ember+ 2:12+ shared on hs )aceboo%-com page8 a)ter Sunl
Ganguly6s death not &ust e/o%es Kol%ata+ t 5un1ttngly8 e/o%es the tradton o) the brds 5"akhi8+
1here those young poets 1ho 1ere close to Sunl are compared to brds- Ths partcular pece by
Kol%ata6s popular poet?lyrcst Sr&ato+ t seems+ s a))ected by a hstorcal unconscous 1here the
"okkhis o) nneteenth century Kol%ata seem to )orm a contnuum 1th a group o) poets o) t1enty?)rst
century-
The poetc obtuary )or Sunl 1rtten by Sr&ato 1hch compares young Kol%ata poets to brd<pa%h
23@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Bell+ 1hle tal%ng o) Kol%ata+ and Kobig4n 5as 1e shall presently e9plore n detals 4sh1ar
Gupta6s collaton o) the l/es and 1or%s o) Kobiyals7- one cannot escape the recent phenomenon o) the
*engal mo/e named ;atishshor 1hch s a narraton o) the l)e o) "nthony 2rng+ the *engal
Kobiyal per e9cellence 1ho 1as not a *engal by brth+ but 1as a *engal by choce- ;ere let us note
that throughout ths artcle 1e use the tradtonal 1ord Kobiwala 5as used by 4sh1ar Gupta hmsel) n
hs poneerng studes o) Kobig4n8 nstead o) Kobiyal- The 1ord Kobi n the conte9t o) Kobig4n meant
a pece o) song+ and not 1hat the 1ord s con/entonally ta%en to mean+ 1hch s poet- *an%m ponts
out that n Kobir )orai+ t 1as the composton that 1as called Kobi 57168+ hence the orgn o) the term
Kobiwala+ 1hch meant a stoc%st<seller<dealer o) Kobi+ denotng the person 1ho composed and<or sang
n Kobir )orai- *ra&endranath *andyopadhyay a))rms that 4sh1ar Gupta 1as the pioneer o) collectng
Kobig4n and obser/es that all anthologes o) the compostons o) the Kobiwalas 1hch ha/e appeared
snce the days o) Gupta are ndebted 1holly to Gupta and all ha/e borro1ed )rom hs collecton 51>
4678- Sadly+ Gupta s almost ne/er ac%no1ledged-
" stll )rom the mo/e ;atishshor
The present researcher obser/ed Kabr Suman6s 5the musc drector o) the mo/e ;atishshor8
castgaton o) Tagore n an nter/e1 ared on "*C "nanda on 16 "prl 2:14+ retelecast on 17 "prl
2:14+ bet1een 1: pm and 11pm- 2urther+ n a )aceboo% status update dated 17 "prl 2:14 Kabr Suman
attac%ed the 6landed?gentry6 aspect o) Tagore 1hch arguably led the #obel Eaureate to denounce the
margnal culture o) Kobiyal-Kobig4n< Ths s a con)used applcaton o) $ar9an noton o) class 1ar to
24@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
the economc stuaton o) nneteenth century *engal+ because that class o) landed gentry+ )ar )rom
sho1ng a 1holesale hostlty to Kobig4n+ 1as /ery o)ten ts che) patron+ as 1e shall see- Suman6s s
not a hstorcally /ald obser/aton+ but then lberal humansm does not care )or hstory+ and s solely
dr/en by an amnesac nd/dual6s grandstandng declaratons- ;o1e/er+ 1e cannot deny that
redsco/erng the tradton o) Kobig4n s one ma&or contrbuton generated by the phenomenal response
e/o%ed by ths a1ard 1nnng )lm+ ;atishshor< Eet us no1 ha/e a loo% at Kabr Suman6s statement>
4t 1as not Kabr Suman 1ho got the a1ard- 4t 1as *engal6s musc- The great te9ts 1rtten by
the 1onder)ul Kabyals o) *engal+ 1hose 1or% and contrbutons ha/e al1ays been belttled by
the *engal gentry+ ther stupendous command o/er our language+ ts mo/ement+ ts te9ture+ ts
po1er+ ts SLN#D+ ts abundance and o/er meter made me compose the melodes )or the 1.
songs- 4 1onder 1hy not e/en !abndranath Tha%ur tred to assess the Kabyals6 contrbutons-
B"S 4T *@C"NS@ T;@ K"*4M"ES !@C!@S@#T@D T;@ CL$$L# C@LCE@ "#D #LT
T;@ E"#D@D G@#T!MF 4n my 1or% 4 1as n)luenced by *engal6s Krtan+ !amprosad tunes+
*angla Caala tunes and mo/ements+ *harab baul+ d))erent modes o) Shyamasangeet+
;ndustan raagas+ *angla PboTho% gaanP--- $y o1n songs are a contnuaton o) *angla
"dhun% Gaan 1hch+ agan+ has al1ays used raagas+ *engal )ol% musc+ Krtan and @uropean
musc- Lut o) all these d))erent elements the 4D4L$S o) $odern *engal Songs 1ere created- 4
than% Sr&t $u%her&ee and the producers once agan )or g/ng me ths opportunty to e9pose at
least some aspects o) *engal6s $usc to the 1orld- 5)aceboo%-com+ 17 "pr 2:148
#o1+ *ra&endranath *andyopadhyay6s anthology attests that Kobig4n 1as mmensely popular as the
che) medum o) popular entertanment n early nneteenth century Kol%ata 1th the 1ealthy *engals
as ts patrons3 a Kobir )orai bet1een t1o troupes )rom (orashna%o and *agba&ar s narrated n a report
o) 182'> the competton 1as held at the house o) Gurucharan $ullc% at Doyehata 51> 1448- *habatosh
Dutta n)orms us that 4sh1ar Gupta 1as the songma%er 5badhondar8 o) the *agba&ar troupe n ths
competton 5Ishwarchandra Gupta #ochito Kobi+iboni Q
Q
R o8-
$any other contemporary reports establsh that the rch people 1ere the patrons o) Kobig4n and
used to organse these sorSes at ther resdences- Kobig4n 1as uprooted not because o) the hostlty p)
the landed gentry 5n )act 1e see that the patronage o) the landed gentry 1as ts l)elne and 1as 1hat
allo1ed Kobig4n to sur//e8+ but because o) the Bestern n)luence among the bhadralo% *engals-
Kobig4n caused that an9ety o) appro/al+ as the ,ctoran norms gra/ely e9pressed ther dsappro/al o)
2?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
ths )orm- Ths genre o) songs+ assocated 1th *engal6s pre?*rtsh past+ came to mean regress+ and t
too% superhuman e))orts on the part o) 4sh1ar Gupta+ as 1e shall soon see n ths artcle+ to rescue
Kobig4n and the Kobiwalas )rom obl/on- Gupta 1as ne/er ac%no1ledged by anyone )rom the team o)
;atishshor n the mdst o) ths entre )an)are+ 1hch once more establshes ho1 past becomes
suppressed+ censored and dstorted n the trumphant march o) colonal+ lberal modernty- Kobig4n as
an ndgenous art )orm came to be assocated 1th an uncouth+ uneducated+ rustc+ un?enlghtened+ non?
,ctoran+ ndecent mleu 1hch had to be )orgotten and annhlated ) *engals needed to mo/e
)or1ard n a colonally appro/ed telos o) modenrty- Bhen *an%m hea/es a sgh+ “খখখটট বখঙখটল কটব
আর জনখয় নখ - জটনবখর উপখয় নখই – জটনয়খ কখজ নখই” 5Cure *engal poets are no longer born =
there6s no 1ay they can be born = there6s no use n ha/ng them born 8 57:68+ 1e detect the trauma o) an
nsu))erable nostalga )elt by a generaton mutlated and alenated by progress+ loo%ng bac% as%ance at
an organc past that s no1 )ore/er lost-
Chtpur+ neghbourng *agba&ar- Cantng by (ames *alle 2raser+ 1826
26@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
;o1e/er+ the one aspect o) Tagore 5that Kabr Suman completely msses out8 that ma%es hm
hostle to Kobig4n s that Tagore represents the enlghtened 1estern lberal un/ersalsm+ and Kobig4n
stands )or a 6regress/e6 *engal parochal lo1ly art )orm- 2arther+ Kobig4n as a collect/e art )orm
5there 1ere al1ays teams and troupes and ne/er sngular+ standalone poets n ths genre8 mght ha/e
been n&urous to Tagore6s predomnantly nd/dualst sensblty- Tagore also dsplays a dsmss/e
atttude to 4sh1ar Gupta hmsel) 1hen he spea%s o) *an%m6s awkward apprentceshp o) language
under the tutelage o) 4sh1ar Gupta+ a suggeston 1hch s ncdentally challenged by noted *an%m
scholar "mtrasudan *hattacharya 5118- *hattacharya obser/es that 4sh1ar Gupta n hs edtoral
comment )ollo1ng *an%m6s publshed pece n Shongb4d "robh4kor ponted out that the 1rter
should not burden hs poetry 1th an e9cess/e dependence on le9con3 *hattacharya )urther bele/es
that 4sh1ar Gupta6s regme 1as not responsble )or 1hate/er 1ea%ness e9sted n *an%m6s )rst
publshed prose+ as G4sh1ar Gupta hmsel) n hs prose 1as ahead o) hs tmeH 51.8-
Eet us return to Kobig4n- !edsco/ery o) Kobig4n has someho1 been ln%ed to the *engal
lberal humanst )an)are o/er baul+ but our progress/e secular?lberal un/ersal humansts 5n a 1ord+
bishshoanob as 1e call n *engal8 rarely note that there are strong d))erences bet1een these t1o
genres- *aul 1as an n/erted 1ay to celebrate 1estern lberalsm+ an ndgenous art )orm moulded and
reshaped and adeAuately santsed to sut an nd/dualst sensblty- Kobig4n+ n Suman6s /erson
ho1e/er+ tres to %eep up 1th largely the same lberal?mperal mot) o) the mar%et o) ohailon or
the "nanda *a7ar Catr%a "bbey+ 1here 4ndc *engals are reAured to surrender each one o) ther
unAue c/lsatonal hertages n )a/our o) some bogus hybrdty 5bogus+ because the moment 1e stop
ta%ng t at )ace /alue+ t 1ll re/eal tsel) as a )aTade behnd 1hch the systematc aggresson o) Best+
4slam and other colonsng )orces aganst the ndgenous culture o) *engal s hdden8- The tra&ectory o)
Kobig4n as an art )orm remans recalctrant and obtuse /s?a?/s all hegemonc attempts o)
standardsaton+ and does not yeld to appropraton as easly as the myst)caton o) baul yelded to
1estern hegemony- Ths ne1 nterest n the deeply parochal genre o) Kobig4n 5the sprt o) 1hch s
captured n the message o) 4sh1ar Gupta> embrace the nat/e dog+ )orsa%ng )oregn god8
1
mght later
embarrass those Bestern lberals among us 1ho are tryng to dealse the )gure o) the Kobiwala on the
model o) the appro$ed )gure o) baul+ ) they get to %no1 more about the ndspensable assocaton o)
the hstory o) Kobig4n 1th 4sh1ar Gupta-
27@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
4t has been customary to underestmate 4sh1ar Gupta+ the man 1ho ruled *engal lterature n
the pre?*an%m+ pre?$adhusudan era- ;e s our ma&or )gure 1ho curously remans more obscure than
a host o) mnor )gures- Bhle !omesh Chunder Dutt n hs *he )iterature of Bengal obser/es 4sh1ar
Gupta6s strategc poston 1thn a socety n transton+ and hs role as a ln% bet1een the poetry o) the
past and the present+ he does not assgn any sgn)cant place to 4sh1ar Gupta as a poet> G"s a poet
4s1ar Gupta does not ran% /ery hgh++ as a satrst he stands )rst among the 1rters o) *engalH 51018-
Clearly the o/ert post?romantc mleu nter)eres 1th a proper e/aluaton o) 4sh1ar Gupta+ because he
1as the poet o) G&aha aacheH 5that 1hat s present8+ as *an%m put t so succnctly 57178+ yet
msta%enly+ as 1e shall see- "s the mood o) the 1est?nspred romantc 7etgest )a/oured that 1hch
1as not there+ that 1hch could only be accessed through a )lght o) magnaton+ creat/e 1rtng
su))cently dsplaced the e/eryday to pont 1here t resembled the e9otc+ 1arded o)) the /ulgar to the
pont 1here poetry became /enerable- Ths !omantc sensblty s also at 1or% n *an%m+ 1ho says
that there6s no use n ha/ng a pure *engal poet any more- " poet l%e 4sh1ar Gupta 1ho can only
1rte about those thngs 1hch are here and no1 becomes there)ore a lablty- Snce *an%m sad ths+
ths became an ultmate shortcut n the crtcsm o) 4sh1ar Gupta- The best 1ay to )orm an opnon
about Gupta 1thout readng hm+ t seems+ s to read ths partcular phrase o) *an%m-
So t s /ery con/enent to )orget that 4sh1ar Gupta s the )rst chroncler o) the l/es and 1or%s
2D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
o) *engal poets and songma%ers o) pre?colonal and early colonal past- 4t s eAually e9pedent to
gnore that Gupta 1as deeply concerned about the )uture o) *engal lterature+ too- Ths gnorng
atttude s e/dent n !osn%a Chaudhur6s artcle- Be should obser/e n all )arness that as Kol%ata 1as
preparng to stage ts lterary and cultural renassance+ t 1as Gupta 1ho dd the 1or% o) masonry )or
that stage- 4n $arch 180.+ 4sh1ar Gupta n hs Shongb4d "robh4kor organsed a Gcollegate battle o)
poetryH 5Kale+iyo Kobita+uddho8+ 1here *an%m 5then a student o) ;ooghly College8+ Dnabandhu
$tra 5then a student o) Cresdency College8 and D1ara%anath "dh%ary 5then a student o)
Krshnanagar College8 partcpated n 1hat 1as a perodcal6s /erson o) Kobir )orai 5lterally+ battle o)
poets+ t meant the competton o) Kobiwalas n )ront o) an open audence8 5*hattacharya 168-
Dnabandhu $tra *an%m Chandra Chattopadhyay
D1ara%anath 1as a1arded the )rst pr7e+ and hs early death ensured that he remaned the only
un%no1n )gure among these three- The other t1o entered the status o) mmortalty n *engal
lterature- D1ara%anath ded /ery young+ and *an%m later remnsced about D1ara%anath n these
terms> G;s 1rtng method 1as some1hat smple and transparent l%e 4sh1ar Gupta = he used to
e9press nat/e )eelng n nat/e 1ords- ;e ded n tender age- 4) he l/ed+ perhaps he 1ould ha/e
become an e9cellent poetH 5*hattacharya 178- *an%m6s poetry 1as )rst publshed n Gupta6s Shongb4d
"robh4kor on 20 2ebruary 1802 5*hattacharya 248- *hattacharya Auotes *an%m n ths regard>
*engal lterature 1as then n a bad shape- "robhakor then 1as the most superor ne1spaper-
4sh1ar Gupta used to rule sngle?handedly o/er *engal lterature- Moung men ha/ng been
mpressed 1th hs poetry 1ere eager to get ntroduced to hm- 4sh1ar Gupta 5too8 1as specally
nclned to encourage young 1rters- 0indu "atriot rghtly obser/ed that many among the
modern 1rters are dscples o) 4sh1ar Gupta- U &ust as the e9cellent 1rters l%e Dnabandhu
$tra+ ths small 1rter s also ndebted to 4sh1ar Gupta- 5208
29@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Dute nterestngly+ 4sh1ar Gupta n hs edtoral ad/ce re/e1ng *an%m6s poetry as%ed the latter to
a/od the Gdear 1ords o) the old poetsH l%e G এবd+ করব§+ ছ¯ন¸ + V  ছAন¸ 5*hattacharya 20?268+ 1hch not only
establshes Gupta6s progress/eness as an edtor?ad/sor n dscouragng archac )orms o) 1ords+ but
also ponts to1ards an underlyng trend n *engal poetry snce then> ts attempt to stay as close to the
l/ed speech as possble- Gupta ntated ths trend n *engal lterature+ ta%ng hs cue )rom Kobig4n
1hch as a tradton de)ntely contra/enes aganst all arcane lterary methods and myst)catons o)
archacsm- 4sh1ar Gupta champons that ndgenous tradton o) smple+ colloAual+ l/ely speech-
The )ormaton o) naton?conscousness s ntated by a collage o) d))erent materals ta%en
together+ and 1hch can be the better place )or such a mscellany than the concatenaton o))ered by a
daly ne1spaperF Gupta 1as the edtor o) 1hat 1as to become the )rst *engal daly+ Shongb4d
"robh4kor+ 1here he attempted a synthess o) d))erent threads o) *engals e9perence n order to )orge
a common net1or%- "s an edtor o) a daly+ he certanly 1as not e9clus/ely con)ned to matters o)
lterary sgn)cance+ and he partcpated n d))erent socal and cultural act/tes- "n 18.7 ne1spaper
report stands testmony to Gupta6s attachment to the *engal natonalst cause as he partcpated n a
meetng o) Bongobhasha "rokashika Shoa+ that resol/ed to protest aganst the go/ernment6s ne1
polcy o) e9tractng re/enue out o) lands 1hch used to be unta9ed earler 5*ra&endranath
*andyopadhyay 2> 4:4?4:08- Clearly ths re)ers to the places o) 1orshp+ 1hch tradtonally ha/e been
unta9ed-
Gupta tred to ache/e a consoldaton o) *engal dentty as the readershp o) hs ne1spaper
contnued to gro1> ths could be thought o) a centrpetal mo/ement that proposed to ntate a space and
tme coordnaton o) the *engal people 1hch 1ould ultmately brng )orth a consoldaton o) naton?
conscousness+ and attempt a net1or% )ormaton n geographcal+ cultural and hstorcal terms- #aton
)ormaton n modern perod through the prntng press s not a no/el concept+ t 1as suggested by
*enedct "nderson n Iagined Counities 5ths boo%+ by the 1ay+ s one o) the most msunderstood
1or%s on natonalsm3 "nderson s generally sympathetc to natonalsm+ 1hle ant?natonalsm crtcs
ha/e made hs concept to appear to suggest a )cttous nature o) natonalsm3 "nderson suggests that a
naton s an magned communty+ not an mmedate communty l%e+ say+ the one consttuted by
members o) a commttee+ or neghbours n a housng estate 1here e/eryone personally %no1s other
members o) one6s communty3 the nternatonal 1or%ers6 mo/ement s also an magned mo/ement+ or

3(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
a huge rally o) a mllon people s also an magned processon+ because someone present there does not
%no1 e/erybody else8-
There s a poetcs o) coordiNation n 4sh1ar Gupta+ as 1e shall see- " portmanteau o)
coordnaton and naton+ ths term 4 1ant to con n order to e9plan the 1or% o) 4sh1ar Gupta- ;a/ng
a meanng that t sel)?e/dently con/eys+ ths 1ord captures the sprt o) Gupta6s pro&ect 1hch 1anted
to ache/e a consoldaton o) the *engal people+ an algnment o) the past 1th the present+ brngng
together d))erent nterest groups and d))erent strata o) socety3 t 1as ths pro&ect that 1as hstorcally
underta%en n Shongb4d "robh4kor- 4n hs pro&ect o) coord#aton+ Gupta s crtcal o) mperalsm but
s ne/er rebellous aganst t+ there)ore hs coord#aton smultaneously posts and de)lects *engal
naton?conscousness- 2urther+ t )reAuently undercuts /arous )orms o) the 1aste)ul+ d))us/e
!omantc un/ersalsm 5*hadralo%?sh+ *rahmo+ educated+ Tagorean8 1hch s already becomng
promnent n nneteenth century Kol%ata and 1ould later come to characterse and domnate *engal
socety and culture- Gupta6s coord#aton s decdedly urban 1thout beng cosmopoltan+ as opposed to
the lberal?humanst emphass o) a bhadralo% ethos that 1ants to de)er the lo1lness o) the real n
)a/our o) the e9otc magnary o) the deal+ 1ants to dsplace hstory by gettng con)ned to an amnesac
present+ 1ants to de)lect the ndgenous by centrng the un/ersal+ and ultmately 1ants to de)er the
communty by upholdng the nd/dual- Coord#aton s notably blasS too+ as t s more concerned
1th an arrangement o) a/alable elements o) realty than 1th any )lghts o) )ancy- Coord#aton s
also more nuanced and accommodat/e n ts approach to the past+ and s not prescrpt/e l%e the elte+
bhadralo% outloo%- Gupta6s coord#aton becomes a regster o) the ctyscape o) the nneteenth century
Kol%ata+ delneatng the dalectcs o) naton?conscousness that 1as n ma%ng- 2nally+ Gupta6s pro&ect
o) coord#aton sub/erts colonalsm at the strategc )aultlnes-
Eberal humanst un/ersalsm remans a )orce o) collaboraton+ and plays ts part by rallyng ts
bul% behnd the colonal po1er+ )urther )acltatng the de)lecton and de)erral o) the tas% o) 1ea/ng
together d))erent aspects and dmensons o) *engalness- Gupta hmsel) belonged to the urban )ol%
tradton o) Kobig4n and hal)?9khr4i+ but 1e shall see that contrary to popular perceptons+ he mastered
the colonal standards eAually 1ell- ;e partcpated n /arous lterary and phlosophcal socetes+ and
mo/ed n erudte+ 1estern?educated company+ yet he 1as an GuneducatedH )ello1+ bere)t o) 1estern?
style school and college educaton- ;e 1as assocated 1th the *rahmos and 1e 1ould see that *an%m
consdered that Gupta o))cally con/erted hmsel) to *rahmosm- Gupta6s God 1as characterstcally
3!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*rahmo+ as 1e can see n hs 1rtng 51> 28:))8- Though "robhakor 1as support/e o) tradtonal
;ndusm at the tme o) ts ncepton+ durng the course o) ts ntal year o) publcaton t slo1ly
gra/tated to *rahmosm3 another contemporary perodcal made ths obser/aton 5*ra&endranath
*andyopadhyay 2> 1808- Gupta6s treatse on the nature o) God+ also e9plorng the relaton o) human
bengs 1th the d/ne+ 1rtten n the )ormat o) a Aueston?ans1er sesson bet1een a )ather and hs son+
1hch also ncluded long de/otonal poems+ came to consttute the te9t "robodh "robhakor that had a
dstnctly paternalst noton o) God 51> 2'1))8- *ut nterestngly+ as commentator Trpurashan%ar
Senshashtr ponts out n the ntroducton to the second /olume o) Gupta6s Collected :orks+ the scheme
o) theology Gupta o))ers here s also hghly n)luenced by San%hya phlosophy 52> পবনবরl8- There s truth
n ths obser/aton+ though Gupta6s treatse s thest to the core 5unl%e San%hya8- San%hya has remaned
the domnant phlosophcal system n *engal+ n)ormng both Sha%tosm and *oshnobsm+ and ths
1as one o) the core arguments n my artcle n the pre/ous ssue o) (*S 5,ol- . #o- 18- Gupta6s
synthess o) *rahmo phlosophy and San%hya phlosophy brngs together d/erse elements )rom
d))erent spheres o) nneteenth century Kol%ata+ &onng polythestc dolatry 1th monstc 1orshp-
Ealba&ar+ Kol%ata- (ames *alle 2raser+ 1826
32@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
;o1e/er+ Gupta6s o/ert submsson to an dea o) a sngular male God subscrbng to the *rahmo
paradgm 51hch n turn not &ust der/ed ts n)luence )rom Npanshada but also )rom the Semtc+
(udeo?Chrstan?4slamc conceptons o) God8 sometmes made hs poston as%e1 to Sha%t Borshp+
the most mportant ndgenous relgous tradton o) *engal+ *engal6s Boishnobis remanng a dstant
second n terms o) n)luence- 4nterestngly+ n Gupta6s play Bodhendu Bikash Goddess Saras1at s seen
to ad/se a de/otee to dedcate hmsel) to the 1orshp o) the dol )orms o) Shr ;ar or Durga ) he s
unable to contemplate on the 1orshp o) the nd))erent+ )ormless "araaBraha 5Collected :orks 2>
.4'8- Ths mght as 1ell be a Kol%ata bhadralo%6s red?)aced compromse 1th the supersttous systems
o) Shakto and Boishnob dolatry ree%ng hea/ly o) maternal 1orshp 5be t Kal or !adha8 1hch hs
paternalst bosses )rom 4slamc or Chrstan or lberal?ratonal or communst orders ha/e al%e despsed
do1n the ages- *ut ths n/ests Gupta precsely 1th that bhadralo% respectablty 1hch s other1se
arguably lac%ng n some o) hs poems- 4t s nterestng to note that hs Collected :orks e9clude some
o) hs so called obscene poems+ but nclude those 1or%s 1hch are respectable by bhadralo% standards+
e/en ) they are borng+ and carry lttle or no lterary substance- Bodhendu Bikash s one such play
1hch s dsastrous as a 1or% o) lterature but s measured hgh n terms o) eltsm+ respectablty and
chaste language 5t s an adaptaton o) a Sans%rt play named "rabodha Chandrodaya8-
;msel) 1thout an @nglsh educaton+ Gupta remans remar%ably recept/e to1ards the
colonal system o) studes+ and spea%s o) the students o) the three colleges o) Kol%ata+ Krshnanagar
and ;ooghly as the e9emplary ones+ 1ho are )t )or emulaton )or the young *engals else1here 51>
28'8- Clearly ths s an ndrect prase )or Dnabandhu+ D1ara%anath and *an%m- $ore mportantly+
ths establshes Gupta6s algnment 1th colonal educaton+ though he 1as not hmsel) a product o) t-
Though Gupta contnued to spea% o) God n dstnctly *rahmo terms+ yet he remaned an dolatrous
;ndu to the core+ occasonally re/ellng n the Shakto 1orshp o) Durga and Kal- Gupta 1as a pure
*engal poet+ *an%m )amously states+ )orgettng that 4sh1ar Gupta 1as also the )rst ma&or *engal
1rter to ha/e used @nglsh 1ords n *engal poems- These are not nsurmountable contradctons> the
deal nd/dual sub&ect o) lberal?humanst thought may be an nteger+ but n real socal practce+ a
human sub&ect s al1ays an assemblage o) d/erse cultural and hstorcal currents+ 1hch are o)ten
cross?currents- 4sh1ar Gupta s an e9emplary proponent o) ths assemblage+ ths collage o) the
ndgenous and the )oregn- The ma%ng o) the modern *engal dentty s )ull o) contradctons 1hch
nneteenth century Kol%ata embodes- Some o) the ndgenous components o) ths collage later get
33@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
suppressed+ and many o) the 1est?nspred elements get hghlghted+ as the colonsaton o) the *engal
people attan greater proportons+ )urther de)errng the ma%ng o) naton?conscousness-
Lne aspect o) ths colonsaton s a gro1ng eltsm+ another s a dsregard )or the local n )a/or
o) a grandose /son o) the Global- #aturally+ 4sh1ar Gupta6s )amous poetc proclamaton to embrace a
country dog )orsa%ng the )oregn God became an anathema )or the later ages steadly bred on a det o)
un/ersal humansm or bishshoanobota- " routne condemnaton o) Gupta6s narro1ness has there)ore
become mandatory on the part o) all commentators+ as the )ore1ord to hs collected 1or%s does the
same 51> ন§8- ;o1e/er+ such lberal crtcs o) Gupta6s narro1ness rarely notce that ths a))ecton
other1se o))ered to the dog o) nat/e country s not 5n a rather dscrmnatory manner8 o))ered to the
nat/e cro1I Gupta6s hostlty to1ards the leaders o) 1807 great 1ar o) ndependence s recorded n one
o) hs poems+ 1here !an (hans s compared to a cro1 1th chopped lps 5mplyng that she emts
harsh sounds n a bra7en manner8 5Atd- n 1> পবনবরl8- The comprador )eatures o) *engal ntellgentsa
pre/aled here- 4n any case the rebels aganst the !a& 1ere perhaps more )oregn to the *engal babus
than the *rtsh rulers themsel/es- The nascent naton?conscousness+ mortgaged to *rtsh mperalsm+
remans bent and de)lected snce ncepton-
#neteenth century Kol%ata s e9posed n all ts ra1ness n Gupta+ 1ho s )reAuently crtcsed
by later generatons )or the )ault o) obscenty and also )or lac% o) sophstcaton3 the ntroducton to hs
collected 1or%s does that+ )or nstance 52> উননশ8- 4t s true that there s no cra)t o) concealment n hs
1rtngs+ and that hs 1rng s bare- ;s superstructure readly betrays ts )oundaton+ and hs artstc
de/ces reman unco/ered+ as ) n a *rechtan theatre- Bhat mght str%e an honest crtc 51ho does not
dsmss Gupta n an o))handed manner as a mere cog n the nneteenth century Calcutta 1heel e/o%ng
lttle more than archaeologcal curosty8 as a plethora o) contradctons s actually the organc
)rame1or% o) a 1rter6s 1or%s as ths 1rter n Aueston s re/ealed to be a representat/e o) the
natonalst a1a%enng o) *engal 1th all ts promses and problems- Sadly+ that has not been the case+
and Gupta has been a /ctm o) neglgence+ smpl)catons and s1eepng generalsatons- That 4sh1ar
Gupta s a 1rter o) tr/alty+ temporalty+ tendentousness and terrble allteratons has become a
crtcal commonplace- ;e s consdered to ha/e become Auc%ly outdated+ as crtcs and commentators
snce *an%m routnely pont out- Gupta s charged 1th obscenty by an age that 1ants to purge the
last /estges o) any non?bhadralo% sensbltes- ;s classcst+ realst+ satrst sensblty soon became
out o) &ont n an age domnated by post?!omantc slumber o) ,ctoran petes+ and so the lo)ty+ hgh?
34@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
mnded+ noble?ntentoned+ elte poets l%e #abnchandra+ $adhusudan and ;emchandra soon replaced
hm 1th ther turgd dealsm 1hch thoroughly smac%ed o) !omantc sloppness+ ,ctoran prudery+
appro/ed colonal standards o) lterature and hgh culture+ 1hle *engal socety began ts long+ noble
tre% to1ards Tagore- Snce then no one e/er tred to rescue 4sh1ar Gupta )rom the n)amy 1hch s
customarly heaped on hm- Gupta as the de)ender o) the ndgenous has been largely neglected by
subseAuent generatons 1ho remaned embarrassed not &ust 1th Gupta6s lac% o) 1estern?style
educaton+ but also 1th Gupta6s bra7en espousal o) pre?modern+ pre?*rtsh styles o) *engal poetry+
thus contnually postponng a proper e/aluaton o) 4sh1ar Gupta- Eet us e9amne here 1hat *an%m
sad about 4sh1ar Gupta 5rather harshly and unsympathetcally+ but he s beng typcal o) ths ne1
generaton o) 1estern educated ntellgentsa8>
;e 1as a /ery remar%able man- ;e 1as gnorant and uneducated- ;e %ne1 no language but hs
o1n+ and 1as sngularly narro1 and unenlghtened n hs /e1s3 yet )or more than t1enty years
he 1as the most popular author among the *engals- "s a 1rter o) lght satrc /erse+ he
occuped the )rst place+ and he o1ed hs success both as a poet and as an edtor to ths specal
g)t- *ut there hs merts ended- L) the hgher Aualtes to a poet he possessed none+ and hs
1or% 1as e9tremely rude and uncult/ated- ;s 1rtngs 1ere generally ds)gured by the
grossest obscenty- ;s popularty 1as che)ly o1ng to hs perpetual allteraton and play upon
1ords- Be ha/e purposely notced hm here n order to g/e the reader an dea o) the lterary
capacty and taste o) the age n hs a poetaster l%e 4s1ar Chandra Gupta obtaned the hghest
ran% n publc estmaton- "nd 1e cannot e/en say that her dd not deser/e to be placed n the
hghest ran% among hs *engal contemporares+ )or he 1as man o) some lterary talent+ 1hle
none o) the others possessed any- ;o1 much 1e may lament the po/erty o) *engal lterature+
the last ))teen years ha/e been a perod o) great progress and hope3 1thn that tme at least a
do7en 1rters ha/e arsen+ e/eryone o) 1hom s mmensely superor n 1hate/er s /aluable as a
1rter+ to ths = the most popular o) ther predecessors-
Strange as t may appear+ ths obscure end 5sc8 o)ten mmoral 1rter 1as one o) the
precursors o) the modern *rahmsts- The charge o) obscenty and mmoralty manly apples to
hs poetry- ;s prose s generally )ree )rom both /ces+ and o)ten ad/ocates the cause o) relgon
and moralty- 5Atd- n *hattacharya 2:4?2:08
3?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Bhat 1e obser/e n *an%m6s statement s a censurng> Gupta s apprecated only so )ar as hs 1rtng
con)orms to the norms and standards appro/ed by nneteenth century colonal sensblty- @/en today+
as 1e ha/e seen+ Gupta contnues to be msnterpreted and abused by the standard?bearers o) the
1estern lberal?humanst order-
*ut t s 1orse 1hen Gupta comes to be colonsed and approprated+ because 1e tend to thn%
that a 1rter l%e hm s mmune )rom lberal appropraton- " proud declaraton adorns the )ore1ord o)
the posthumous edton o) Shottonarayoner Brotokotha 5)rst publshed n the *engal Mear 1.1'+
reproduced n the second /olume o) Gupta6s Collected :orks8> G$adhusudan s *engal6s = $lton-
;emchandra = Cndar- #abnchandra = *yron- !abndranath+ Shelley3 U *ut 1hat s 4sh1ar Gupta to
*engalF 4sh1ar Gupta s *engal6s 4sh1ar GuptaH 51448- There used to be ths assurance among *engal
natonalsts that 4sh1ar Gupta 1as nonparel+ that at least he could not be tagged 1th a Bestern
dentty l%e other 1rters- *an%m hmsel) ga/e such an mpresson n hs essay on Gupta- Bell+ that s
no longer the case- That assurance su))ers a termnal onslaught 1hen 4sh1ar Gupta s compared to
*audelare by !osn%a Chaudhur n her artcle+ albet completely dsregardng the )act that 4sh1ar
Gupta had a traumatc colonal e9perence to deal 1th+ unl%e *audelare- 2rance 1as already a naton
per e9cellence+ *engals 1ere yet to )orge ther dentty- 4sh1ar Gupta dd not en&oy the lu9ury to
become a rootless nd/dual delberatng on the angst o) urban e9perence+ )ree)loatng l%e the )laneur
)rom *audelare6s 1or%s+ as Chaudhur suggests 51:48- Chaudhur proceeds to obser/e n Gupta a
5*audelare?l%e8 moton o) popular+ mass poetry n the bac%drop o) the gant cty o) Kol%ata>
Keepng n mnd the essentally urban character o) 4s1ar Gupta6s poetry+ t should be possble to
see+ n *en&amn6s )oregroundng n *audelare o) the metropoltan masses that nhabt 6gant
ctes6+ the publc as t 1as ta%ng shape n md?nneteenth century Calcutta- The /erse o) 4s1ar
Gupta+ so d))erent n )orm )rom hs 2rench contemporary+ 1as smlarly nhabted by the
pressure o) a publc made up o) 6the people n the street6 U 2or 4s1ar Gupta+ these are the
readers o) a poetry 1hch+ both n ts physcal ncarnaton and ts content+ 1as essentally poetry
that 1as desgned to be sold n the streets- 5Chaudhur '28
4n support o) ths /e1+ Chaudhur Auotes )rom Shbnath Shastr> GBhen the "rabh4kar 1as publshed+
ne1spaper?sellers 1ould stand at the cross?roads and read aloud )rom the poetry n t and n no tme at
all a huge number o) papers 1ould be soldH 5'2?'.8- ;o1e/er+ as the present researcher n/estgated
the l)e and 1or%s o) Gupta+ t became e/dent that Gupta dd not herald a poetry mo/ement )or the
36@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
people on the urban streets n a *audelarean )ashon+ n the /en o) some $ar9st telos that depcts the
progress o) bourgeose- Gupta 1as necessarly addressng the educated mddle and upper class
*engals through hs ne1spaper- "t the most+ Shastr can be deduced to be clamng that Gupta 1rote
)or the people on the cross roads+ and not really )or the people on the street n the manner o) some
Carsan poet- Eteracy le/el and colonal crcumstances o) Kol%ata 1ould scorn at Chaudhur6s )ar?
)etched attempt to compare bet1een *audelare6s Cars and Gupta6s Kol%ata- ;o1e/er+ Chaudhur s
rght to pont out some o) the poneerng 1or%s done by Gupta n Shongb4d "robh4kor>
The Sab4d "rabh4kar 1as perhaps the )rst 4ndan regonal language ne1spaper to carry a
lterary supplement = )rom the *engal #e1 Mear o) 180. t publshed a monthly supplement
that pro/ded a much more substantal space than the daly ne1spaper )or the publcaton o) a
/arety o) occasonal /erse+ as 1ell as an eclectc range o) prose and magnat/e 1rtng+
pro/dng 4s1ar Gupta 1th more space n 1hch to ndulge hs creat/e output than 1as
a/alable n the ne1s?orented daly ne1spaper- 5Chaudhur '.?'48
Nse o) the term Gregonal languageH s hghly ob&ectonable+ but there s lttle doubt that beng the )rst
/ernacular daly ne1spaper n the subcontnent+ t 1as ndeed the )rst to carry a lterary supplement-
The monthly lterary supplement o) Shongb4d "robh4kor that 4sh1ar Gupta started s /ery hghly
prased by Krshna%amal *hattacharya+ 1ho also mentons Gupta6s repute as an acclamed badhondar
or composer o) kobig4n n the same /en 5*pn Gupta 008-
4nterestngly+ though Gupta could not sng hmsel)+ as he had a hus%y /oce+ but songs
composed by hm used to be sung n all the /llages o) *engal 5বসকlব¬ তlহlর Alন dlঙ¬lর পলîবত পলîবত Aîত
হইত8 5*pn Gupta 008- 2urther+ Krshna%amal remnsces that the orgnal+ pre?*rtsh method o)
1rtng *engal+ that 1as unspolt by 1esternsaton and at the same tme 1as not burdened 1th undue
Sans%rtsaton could be )ound n *haratchandra+ Dashoroth !ay and 4sh1archandra Gupta 5*pn
Gupta 068- 4sh1ar Gupta commanded a )ol% popularty that 1as unparallelled+ and he held a
tremendous appeal )or the educated upper and mddle classes too- 2urtherng the consoldaton o) hs
people through the /ehcle o) lterature 1as crucal to Gupta6s pro&ect o) coord#aton> G2rom 1801
on1ard+ 4s1ar Gupta began to organ7e a lterary )est/al n Calcutta on the day o) the *engal #e1
Mear on the 10th o) "prl at hs prntng pressH 5Chaudhur '48- Ths may be an e9ample o) Gupta6s
ngenuty to n/ent a ne1 tradton 5another process that s central to natonalsm8- The customary rtual
o) 0alkhata o) the #e1 Mear 5begnnng o) )resh boo%?%eepng at the busness establshments8 1as
37@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
creat/ely trans)ormed nto a celebraton o) *engal poetry- !eno1ned poet #abnchandra Sen6s
account o) the recepton o) 4sh1ar Gupta6s poetc+ &ournalstc and other 1or%s durng hs chldhood
and youth n Chttagong n the 180:s s Aute sgn)cant> G4n those days+ *engal6s Saras1at De/6s pale
and poor mage 1as to be )ound nstalled at the ba5tal4- There+ 1hate/er 1as brthed by the $other on
the poorest paper n llegble prnt = 4 read t all- Gradually+ 4s1archandra Gupta and the god?l%e 5deb-
prati8 4s1archandra ,dyasagar began to da1n upon the s%y o) *engal lteratureH 5 Atd- n Chaudhur
'48- @ncouraged by #abnchandra6s &u9taposton o) Saras1at and bot-tola+ Chaudhur goes on to trace
a )uson o) the hgh and the lo1 n Gupta> GThe sel)?d/son o) *engal modernty+ at odds bet1een the
ba5tal4 and Saras1at De/X+ )ound a )uson o) )orm and )gure n the personalty o) 4s1ar Gupta n md?
nneteenth century *engalH 5'08-
" #neteenth Century *ot?tola mprnt o) Goddess Saras1at
;o1e/er+ the present researcher 1ould mantan that t s an error to thn% o) 4sh1ar Gupta n
terms o) )uson 5o) the hgh and the lo18+ because he champoned a culture that e9sted pror to that
)ssure 51hch separated the *engal eltes )rom the *engal masses8 brought about by colonalsm- To
call that culture a )uson s to serously msnterpret t+ because that culture stll held ts nternal
coherence+ no matter ho1 great the e9ternal dsturbance 1as- Gupta hmsel) emphasses a certan
ablty o) the Kobiwalas to appeal to the eltes and the masses al%e+ and recounts one anecdote 1here
#ta *orag s sho1n to ha/e seamlessly pleased the eltes and masses al%e by sngng songs )rom hs
mpress/e repertore 1hch had )ast+ rhythmc songs )or the masses as 1ell as slo1+ romantc songs )or
3D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
the eltes 51>1678- Some may suggest that ths e/entual segregaton o1ed to an ncreased
Sans%rtsaton+ but as *an%m ponts out+ ;ndu sages ne/er held any pre&udce aganst the use o) so?
called lo1 languages+ and e/en ndulged n t 1hle ma%ng a pont or 1hle /entng ther anger n hgh
debates and scholarly dssensons 571'8- !osn%a Chaudhur comments that 4sh1ar Gupta 1as censured
by *an%m )or obscenty 5'883 the )act o) the matter s that *an%m n hs essay de)ended Gupta on ths
pont+ snce *an%m realsed that the nuances o) our tradton should not be collapsed and de)lated n
order to con)orm to 1estern norms- *ut other1se t s true that *an%m too 1as helpless n )ront o) ths
tde o) 1esternsaton- "n an9ety to secure respect )rom )oregn rulers )orced nneteenth century
*engals to adhere to ,ctoran standards+ )rea%ng at the obscenty o) ther ndgenous tradton- "
paper ttled G*engal CoetryH that 1as 1rtten and read by ;orochondro Dutta+ an "nglophle+ at the
*ethune Socety on 8 "prl 1802 /ery hea/ly crtcsed ts sub&ect matter+ -e- *engal poetry )or beng
/ulgar and pro)lgate+ as *habatosh Dutta n hs edtoral commentary to Ishwarchandra Gupta #ochito
Kobi+iboni ponts out 518-
Ntpal Dutt n hs Girish .anosh repeatedly emphasses the role o) 4sh1ar Gupta n )osterng a
nat/e+ )ol% sensblty that also n)luenced the theatre o) Grsh Ghosh- Dutt says that Grsh actually
1orshpped 4sh1ar Gupta 5.18+ and obser/es that not only Grsh 1as an admrer 5gunougdho8 o)
4sh1ar Gupta+ Grsh hmsel) 1as a practtoner o) the per)ormat/e )orm o) hal)?9khr4i+ a )orm much
)a/oured by Gupta hmsel) 5.8- Bhle Tagore 1as summarly dsmss/e o) Kobig4n+ and n a rather
eltst manner loo%ed do1n upon t as /ulgar and de/ant+ not con)ormng to proper aesthetcs
5+othartho shahittorosh8+ ,dyasagar once Aute )amously made a statement n )a/our o) the Kobiwalas+
1hen he sad that n order to %eep the *engal socety al/e+ the ad/ent o) Kobiwalas l%e *hola $oyra
s essental 5Atd- n Ntpal Dutt .08-
#oted actor "st*aran as *hola $oyra3 a stll )rom NttamKumar?starrer "nthony 2rng 51'678
39@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
,dyasagar6s espousal o) Kobig4n+ 1ho 1as one o) the greatest Sans%rt scholars 1ho e/er l/ed
n 4nda+ representng the best o) the *rahmncal scholarly tradton o) *engal+ perhaps s a case n
pont> the )ssure that s brought about n the 1a%e o) colonalsm has not yet been able to segregate the
hgh )rom the lo1+ the respectable )rom the /ulgar+ the decent )rom the obscene+ the elte )rom the
masses n the nneteenth century Kol%ata that 4sh1ar Gupta belongs to- 4sh1ar Gupta s a
representat/e o) the same sensblty 1hch ,dyasagar seems to ha/e shared and 1hch by the tme o)
Tagore came under se/ere assault- ;o1e/er+ t 1ould be 1rong to assert an unproblematc stance o)
,dyasagar n )a/our o) *engal naton?conscousness- Ln one hand+ he stood )or Sans%rt College+ an
nsttuton 1here he studed and later became the Crncpal- That nsttuton 1as started by Lrentalsts
5those 1estern scholars 1ho had a paternalstc+ patronsng atttude to 4ndan culture8+ but later came
under assault )rom the "nglcsts 51ho 1anted the mperal admnstraton to aggress/ely promote
@nglsh language and culture at the cost o) Sans%rt and /ernacular8- $acaulay+ the arch?"nglcst
1anted to abolsh San%s%rt College tsel) 5*pn Gupta 1188+ and then a Sans%rt shlo%a 1as 1rtten by
(oygopal Tor%alon%ar 5,dyasgar6s teacher8 addressed to the che) patron o) ths college+ ;orace
;eyman Blson+ that translates l%e ths> hs Sans%rt Cathshala s l%e a la%e+ and the pundts 1ho ha/e
been placed by you here are l%e s1ans+ but a )e1 cruel hunters ha/ng come near ths la%e are no1
about to %ll them- 4) you protect the s1ans )rom these hunters+ your deed 1ll be mmortal 5*pn
Gupta 118?11'8- Clearly+ ,dyasagar too must ha/e su))ered )rom that nsecurty as a scholar o)
Sans%rt 1hch Sans%rt as a sub&ect su))ered under ncreasng momentum o) cultural colonalsm-
,dyasagar con)ded n Krshna%amal *hattacharya+ hs close dscple+ to1ards the end o) hs
l)e> GBhate/er else 4 do or not to the %ds+ 1ll certanly ne/er agan teach them @nglsh- Such a path
to become empty 5অসlর 8 and o/er?smart 5বT বপl 8IH 5*pn Gupta 1178- *ut on the other hand+ the same
,dyasagar roncally ntated a number o) pro?@nglsh re)orms n Sans%rt College 1hen he became
the Crncpal3 he made @nglsh compulsory n the hgher classes+ he stopped Sans%rt as a medum o)
learnng $athematcs as tradtonal Sans%rt te9ts )or learnng mathematcs 1ere also 1thdra1n+ and
n ther stead @nglsh te9tboo%s 1ere ntroduced 5*pn Gupta1'8- Be %no1 )rom other sources that
,dyasagar stopped the teachng learnng o) a number o) 4ndan phlosophcal tradtons+ ncludng that
o) San%hya and ,edanta+ on the ground that they 1ere G)alseH systems o) thought 5Sumt Sar%ar /anly
de)ends ,dyasagar on ths ground n hs essay 11'?12: 8- $acaulay already stopped the teachng?
learnng o) "yur/eda n Sans%rt college by a go/ernment order dated 28 (anuary 18.0- 4n
4(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
)act+ there 1as a coordnated attempt to dssocate Sans%rt )rom scence-
2urther+ $arshman6s ;story o) *engal+ 1hch 1as a deeply mperal te9t dengratng the
*engal people 1as translated by ,dyasagar and the same 1as ntroduced as a te9tboo% o) *engal
5*pn Gupta 1'8- ,dyasagar 1as con/nced o) the holstc superorty o) the @nglsh people+
Krshna%amal tells us 5Gসব  টবষয়য়ই  ইইরখজ  শশষ”8 5*pn Gupta 268- $oreo/er+ ,dyasagar 1as
admred by *engals because he 1as close to the colonsers+ as Krshna%amal+ ,dyasagar6s close
dscple tells us3 a sorry state o) colonal po1er system s corroborated as ,dyasagar6s perennal
an9ety about hs poston s re/ealed by Krshna%amal 1ho tells us that ,dyasagar 1as a)rad o) hs
possble compettors among hs )ello1 nat/es 1ho could outdo hm n beng a )a/orte o) the *rtsh+
and dd not 1ant any other *engal to become close to the colonal admnstraton 5সয়য়  সয়য়
আ!"খ  #ই$  শ%+ পখয়&  আর  শকখন'  বখ(খল)র  6সখয়#বয়*র6 কখয়&  $খখ#খর  শ+য়য়'  শব!)  ,ট$পট-  #য়8
5*pn Gupta 408- So+ as a part o) the go/ernment machnery+ ,dyasagar 1as sub&ected to a colossal
pressure o) colonalsm+ and there)ore+ hs poston 1as )ar more complcated than Gupta+ 1ho 1as not
on the pay o) the go/ernment+ or dd not depend o) the colonal system 5o) educaton+ as n ,dyasagar6s
case8 )or l/elhood-
4nterestngly+ Krshna%amal *hattacharya suggests that the common nd))erence sho1n by the
modern day *engals about 4sh1ar Gupta s because he 1as not )amlar or close to the colonal
go/ernment 5ট$টন  ./য়0য়1র  টনকট  ব2  3কটখ  জখটন$  ট&য়লন  নখ8+ *engals beng guded n ther
choce by 1estern stamps o) recognton3 Krshna%amal *hattacharya )urther obser/es that not a sngle
mage o) 4sh1ar Gupta s a/alable any1here+ o1ng to ths lamentable nd))erence 5*pn Gupta 078-
"ny1ay+ to return to the matter at hand+ !osn%a Chaudhur6s tal% about 4sh1ar Gupta beng a )uson s
anachronstc+ because a )sson s yet to happen n the sensblty that Gupta represents- The rch and
the poor are yet to ha/e an nsurmountable cultural gap bet1een them n the Kol%ata that Gupta+ as one
o) the last o) the $ohcans+ represents- *ut ) ths )uson s conce/ed to be al1ays already there+ and
the socal coheson 5the lac% o) any other name )or 1hch tempts us to call t an organc ntegrty8 1th
a seamless e9change o) the hgh and the lo1 1hch charactersed pre?"nglcst sensblty o) *engal
socety+ s to be dubbed as )uson+ then some serous &eopardy s commtted to le9con as 1ell as
hstory- 2uson presupposes segregaton- #o1+ 4slamc sub&ugaton and mposton o) Cersan as o))cal
4!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
language n the mddle ages could not ache/e that segregaton on such a grand scale 1hat mposton
o) @nglsh language and culture later dd- Compared to 4slam6s general epstemologcal and
phlosophcal 1ea%ness+ *rtsh colonsaton 1ent )ar deeper+ ts machnatons had )ar?reachng
conseAuences3 4slam had $ohammad but dd not ha/e ts $acaulay- 4t mght ha/e had ts enraged
Ga7s 5slayers o) %a)rs8 and (hads 5crusaders8 but dd not ha/e ts @nlghtenment and ts schools and
colleges- ;egemony 1as to ache/e 1hat blatant coercon could not do )or centures> *engals 1ere
about to be sub&ected to the mld?alterng e9perence o) colonal modernty- #o1+ durng 4sh1ar
Gupta6s tme+ ths colonal process ndeed begns+ and that s 1hy Gupta repeatedly laments )or the loss
o) older )orms o) *engal culture+ but that process s yet to gan such momentum 1hch s reAured to
/olently splt the *engal geeinschaft 5the older communty+ based on custom and tradton8 n order
to produce a contractual socety o) gesellschaft- Gupta there)ore s stll able to use an un)ractured
language and stll has at hs command an un)ractured ethos 1hch are not yet d))erentated nto the
d))erent lngoes and 1orld?/e1s o) the enlghtened?1estern?eltes and the regress/e?nat/e?masses-
Sadly+ not only ths mpendng splt derals naton?conscousness to a /ery great e9tent+ but t 1ll also
ensure tragc conseAuences )or the natonalst mo/ement n *engal+ 1hch 1ll ne/er agan be able to
)ll up n the gap bet1een the elte bhadralo%s and the rustc masses- Be need to be a1are o) ths
hstorcal tra&ectory 1hle studyng nneteenth century Kol%ata+ 1hch s sub&ected to an anachronstc
smpl)caton ) 1e dub 4sh1ar Gupta6s lterary and &ournalstc oeu/res as )uson-
Chaudhur also thn%s o) Gupta as the )ounder o) 6e/eryday6 n *engal poetry 51hch htherto
1as depr/ed o) the Auotdan8 1hle uncrtcally and non?conte9tually reproducng a )ragment )rom
*an%m6s commentary on Gupta n support o) her clam> G4s1ar Gupta brought somethng nto the
*engal language U that 1as not there be)ore hm+ 1hch had g/en the *engal language strength-
4s1ar Gupta6s poems n the "rabh4kar sho1ed )or the )rst tme ho1 e/eryday busness+ poltcal
e/ents+ and socal e/ents = all ths can become the sub&ect matter o) poetry6H 5''8- Lnly a complete
gnorance o) Kobig4n can )acltate such a statement+ commttng a /olence aganst our nat/e hstory+
culture and hertage- Bas *an%m capable o) dong thatF Nn)ortunately+ !osn%a Chaudhur msAuotes
*an%m here n a 7eal to establsh the poneerng nature o) 4sh1ar Gupta6s poems n portrayng the
e/eryday l)e )or the first tme n *engal poetry+ 1hch s really 1hat her artcle6s argument s all about-
4) 1e n/estgate 1hat *an%m orgnally 1rote n hs essay on Gupta+ 1e see that *an%m s actually
tal%ng about Shongb4d "robh4kor as the poneer n )oregroundng the Auotdan+ not 4sh1ar hmsel)-
42@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*an%m 1as )amlar 1th Kobig4n and he %ne1 /ery 1ell the nspratonal n)luence o) that genre on
Gupta6s poetry about e/eryday l)e- *an%m actual statement s hereby Auoted> G!outne matters+ royal
ncdents+ socal ncdents+ that these can be sub&ect o) humorous poetry 1as sho1n )or the )rst tme by
"robhakor< Today the S%h 1ar+ tomorro1 Coush )est/al+ today mssonary+ tomorro1 sycophancy+ that
these matters e9st under the pur/e1 o) lterature 1as e9hbted by none other than "robhakorH 57118-
4sh1ar Gupta 1as busy n runnng ths ne1spaper establshment+ he 1as runnng the /ery )rst
*engal daly+ the )oremost perodcal o) hs days+ 1here he e/entually rose to become the edtor
propretor o) that /enture- ;e encouraged ne1 1rters+ and he rescued many deceased poets belongng
to eghteenth and nneteenth centures )rom obl/on+ hs beng the )rst recorded attempt at chronclng
the hstory o) these reno1ned *engal poets and kobiwalas+ 1thout 1hom modern *engal lterature
1ould ha/e become completely rootless- 4sh1ar Gupta thus nter/ened to mpregnate hs tmes 1th a
naton?conscousness- "s ths naton?conscousness 1as beng made n the 1omb o) hstory+ 4sh1ar
Gupta became a turnng pont n the tra&ectory o) the so called ;ndu re//al o) *engal that 1ould
)loursh n the later hal) o) nneteenth century-
Gupta6s dent)caton 1th *audelare by !osn%a Chaudhur s no slly msta%e+ there s a
desgn behnd that colonsng statement- Ths s a case o) mposed sgn)cance+ 1hch characterses the
readng o) our te9ts by 1estern parameters- The comprador ntellgentsa 1anted to bele/e n an mage
o) tsel) 1hch s at par 1th the 1est+ as a measure o) com)ortng tsel) nto the global dscourse+
mo/ng abo/e and beyond the local n that process- The trauma o) beng a colony+ 1hch s the local as
)ar as the *engal e9perence goes+ there)ore must be relegated to the pont )rom 1here t can no longer
be assessed- #o1+ Chaudhur6s proposton s that 4sh1ar Gupta occupes a space 1hch s smlar to
*audelare3 *audelare 1as a Gpanter o) modern l)eH and Ghere n Calcutta n the 180:s t s
unmsta%ably 4s1ar Gupta 1ho occupes that space- Such an artst s a flaneur+ a tra/eller+ a
cosmopoltan+ but he has a lo)ter am- *audelare says+ 6he s loo%ng )or that Aualty 1hch you must
allo1 me to call 6modernty6H Chaudhur declares+ nsstng on a rather unproblematc asserton o)
modernty n Gupta6s 1rtng 51:48- ;o1e/er+ Chaudhur begns her artcle by statng> Gthe )urther
*engal tra/elled the road o) natonalst modernty+ the )urther a1ay t 1ent )rom any understandng o)+
or sympathy )or+ the 1or%s o) 4s1archandraH 5878- #o1+ apart )rom the )act that natonalsm ne/er
shares a lnear+ non?problematc+ non?dalectcal relatonshp 1th modernty+ and there)ore the
smplstc use o) a phrase l%e Gnatonalst moderntyH can con)use and &ar any readng o) *engal6s
43@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
comple9 tra&ectory 5t1stng the )act that modernty n *engal has been largely colonal+ not
natonalst8+ here 1e encounter a contradcton n Chaudhur> Gupta s a modernst+ a panter o) modern
l)e+ Chaudhur says3 Chaudhur also proposes that Gupta s under/alued and deprecated by the same
modernty- Surely Chaudhur )als to obser/e the real )orce behnd the eclpse o) Gupta> an ncreasngly
per/as/e colonalsm+ and comprador desperaton to con)orm to the $acaula/an standards+ that
ncluded ,ctoran prudery+ snobbery+ eltsm and dsregard )or precolonal )ol% sensblty- Bhle
4sh1ar Gupta s thought to possess n)eror educaton by colonal standards 51hch counts as Gupta6s
demert )or all the success/e ages8+ 1e notce that the bhadralo% an9ety )or colonal appro/al 1hch
orgnated n the colonal tmes s 1ell carred o/er to the 6postcolonal6 tmes 1hen Gupta6s
GuneducatedH status becomes a rallyng pont )or hostle commentators and crtcs- " commentator
obser/es that though Gupta 1as the )rst to comple poet *haratchandra6s 1or%s+ Gt s to be doubted
1hether he actually understood the real meanng o) *haratchandra6s poetry- ;e and hs contemporary
song?1rters dd not ha/e ha/e the educaton+ understandng+ or magnaton to ha/e ta%en n
*haratchandra6s re)ned and dense language+ educated sensblty+ easly?learned 1tH 5Atd- n
Chaudhur 888- *an%m hmsel) probably started ths onslaught on Gupta6s n)eror educaton 1th 1hat
1as probably meant to be hs rather sympathetc pronouncement on Gupta> G4) there s one great truth
that 1e mbbe )rom an analyss o) 4s1archandra6s l)e+ then t s ths = talent cannot reach ts )ullest
apotheoss 1thout good educatonH 5Atd- n Chaudhur 888- *an%m6s scathng remar%s aganst 4sh1ar
Gupta n an @nglsh essay on *engal lterature 51hch 1as one o) *an%m6s earlest 1rtngs8 are )ar
more un%nd than ths+ as 1e ha/e already seen- Bas *an%m+ the )rst graduate o) the $acaula/an
Nn/ersty o) Calcutta+ here oedpally rebellng aganst hs Guru+ 4sh1ar GuptaF *an%m ndeed spea%s
o) 4sh1ar Gupta as a credtor o) *engal lterature 1ho s hurredly )orgotten by hs debtors 1ho e/en
cease to utter hs name as soon as he s gone+ and *an%m counts hmsel) as one o) the debtors o) Gupta
57118- #o1+ though *an%m does not ac%no1ledge ths+ but hs condemnaton o) Gupta 1as surely
done under the pressure o) colonalsm- L) course *an%m 1ould later resst that pressure- "s 1e ha/e
obser/ed+ one 1ho 1ould later compose =ande .atara 1as the same person 1ho once 1rote about
the crab l%e appearance o) Durga and the dsgustng appearance o) Kal n #a+ohan,s :ife-
4sh1archandra Gupta6s )amly surname 1as Das 5Dasgupta8+ hs parents 1ere ;ornarayon Das
and Srmot Deb+ as *an%m n)ormed us 57:78- 4sh1ar mght ha/e resorted to the surname Gupta n
order to blend 1ell 1th hs Kol%ata surroundngs+ as Dasgupta as a surname s totally %no1n to be a
44@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
6*angal6 5belongng to east *engal8 surname that 1as not held n hgh esteem n 1estern *engal-
"ccordng to *ra&endranath *adyopadhyay+ 4sh1archandra Gupta 1as born on 6 $arch 1812 at
Kanchrapara- ;e ded at the age o) 47 on 2. (anuary 180'- ;e came to hs maternal home n Kol%ata at
a tender age- ;s maternal grand)ather 1as a )rend o) the Tha%urs o) Cathuraghata+ and he thus
became )rends 1th (ogendramohan Tha%ur+ 1ho 1as o) same age as 4sh1archandra and an admrer o)
hs poetry3 ther )rendshp les at the root o) the ncepton o) Shongb4d "robh4kor-
Gupta6s publshed boo%s as recounted by *ra&endranath *andyopadhyay are>
1- Kalikirton Grontho by )ate #aprasad Sen- 18..-
2- *he )ife of Bharatchandra 1800-
.- "robodh "robhakor- 1808-
4- 0it "robhakor+ 1861
0- Bodhendu Bikash+ 186.-
6- Shottonarayoner Brotokotha 1'1.- 52> 7.8?'8
The co/er o) Gupta6s )ife of Bharatchandra+ 1800
4?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Be can see here that hal) o) these publcatons are posthumous3 Gupta6s &ournalstc 1or% mght ha/e
pre/ented hm )rom authorng more boo% length te9ts- *ut undoubtedly+ Shongb4d "robh4kor 1as
Gupta6s greatest contrbuton+ )or 1hch alone hs name deser/ed to be 1rtten n gold n the hstory o)
the *engal people- Some detals o) ths ne1spaper are pro/ded by Chaudhur>
The Sab4d "rabh4kar 1as the )rst daly ne1spaper n *engal+ startng as a 1ee%ly n 18.1+
de/elopng nto a thrce?1ee%ly publcaton )rom "ugust 18.6+ and )nally morphng nto a
daly )rom 14 (une 18.'- " notce at the end o) the last column n the ne1spaper o) 0 "prl
184'+ proclamed> 6Ths "rabh4kar ne1spaper s publshed e/eryday e9ceptng Sundays )rom
house #o- 44<. stuated n the lane on the southern end o) the open road appearng on the south
sde o) Calcutta6s Smulya ;endua pond- Mearly ad/ance s /alued at !s 1:-6 ")ter 4s1ar
Gupta6s death n 180'+ t contnued to be edted by hs brother+ !amchandra Gupta+ crculatng
tll the 188:6s 5sc8+ a)ter 1hch t became rregular and )nally ceased operatons- 5'28
"robhakor publshed some 6' odd ssues durng ts )rst phase o) publcaton+ be)ore 1ndng up n
18.2 5*ra&endranath *andyopadhyay> 2> 17.8- Gupta 1as &ust 2: years old at that pont o) tme+ and he
1as already reno1ned )or hs poetry- The present researcher 1ould argue that Gupta6s attachment 1th
the cultural hstory o) hs spatal domans s dscernble )rom the )act that the three man locales o)
Gupta6s Kobiwalas are Kanchrapara and ad&onng areas 5Gupta6s nat/e place8+ (orashan%o 5Gupta6s
maternal home n Kol%ata8 and Shmulya 5the place o) "robhakor6s operatons8- The relatonshp
bet1een Gupta and the cultural nhertance o) Kol%ata 1as ntensely ntmate+ personal- Gupta6s
nonchalance about school educaton and hs propensty )or Kobig4n s Aut urban+ and n ths he s an
archetypcal spolt boy 5bokhate chele8 o) Kol%ata 1ho cares lttle )or studes and )reely pursues hs
6lo1ly6 nterests- Gupta6s pro&ect to collect and collate the 1or%s o) *engal poets startng )rom the late
mede/al 1rters 1as naugurated n Shongb4d "robh4kor on 10 (uly 1804+ as he ssued an open appeal
to hs countrymen to contrbute n ths process o) documentaton- The appeal made t a collect/e
ntat/e+ and t turned out to be a steppng stone o) naton?conscousness+ 1th a %een sense o) hstory+
tme and locaton-
The dea o) tmelessness s not e9actly an n/enton o) lberal modernty+ but t has made an
ample use o) ths dea- Certan ages are more an9ous to transcend the barrers o) tme+ and accordngly
they search )or that lterature 1hch s not o) an age+ but o) all ages- The )ore1ord to the )rst /olume o)
4sh1ar Gupta6s collected 1or%s ttled GKob 4sh1archandra Gupta L *angla ShahttoH 1rtten by
46@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Trpurashan%ar Senshastr begns 1th a customary dsclamer to ths e))ect> 4sh1ar Gupta dd not
possess a tmeless genus 5G%alo&oy protbhaH8+ the )ore1ord dlgently obser/es n the /ery )rst
sentence 5সlত8- "n age that s an9ously asprng )or the status o) tmelessness s generally the one that
1ants to erase ts past- Bhen *uddhsm 1as uprooted by *rahmansm n *engal durng the ele/enth
century+ a smlar erasure o) the past 1as done- T1enteth century *engal+ home to the Tagorean cult o)
un/ersal humansm+ 1as enamoured 1th the deas o) tmeless truths+ eternal lterature+ e/erlastng
aesthetcs and as a drect endea/our to mpose ts /ery o1n temporal standard+ no1 promoted to an
eternal status as the trans?hstorcal deal+ goes on dsmssng any lterature that palpably de)ends the
local and temporal concerns- Such lterature s narro1+ outdated+ archac- The sheer ahstorcty o) ths
6tmeless?genus6 theory s an enemy o) any ob&ect/e+ materal analyss-
4sh1ar Gupta6s seres on the l/es+ tmes and 1or%s o) the *engal poets<songma%ers conssted
o) bographcal s%etches+ commentares+ collectons o) poems<lyrcs o) e/ery nd/dual author+ and
anecdotes 5they 1ere publshed n the lterary supplement o) Shongb4d "robh4kor+ and ths last
component betrayed a &ournalstc style o) 1rtng8- 4n hs essay on *haratchandra+ Aute sgn)cantly
Gupta castgates the colonal present+ and longngly+ nostalgcally spea%s o) the pre?*rtsh tmes+
lamentng )or the loss o) an organc past>
The tmes 1hen 1e ha/e been born as humans ha/e been our undong+ our termnaton- These
tmes on behal) o) our *rtsh rulers 5the shorthand )or *rtsh used by Gupta s 6the !ed
coloured6+ রlঙl8 became gant 1ngs spread out to e9tngush the lght o) ths s1arthy country-
Bhere s that )reedomF Bhere s that happnessF Bhere s that ethcs 5dharma8F Bhere s that
1or% 5%arma8F Bhere s that %no1ledgeF Bhere s that dr/ng )orceF Bhere s that
scholarshpF Bhere s that sprt o) poetryF Bhere s that apprecatonF Bhere s that honourF
"nd 1here s that enthusasm+ that passonF Bth the murder o) )reedom+ tme has de/oured
e/erythng- 51> 88
4t s pertnent to obser/e here that 4sh1ar Gupta s not spea%ng o) the loss o) )reedom o) the ;ndus
)ollo1ng the $uslm conAuest n the remote past- ;e does not dsplace the current trauma o)
colonsaton n the manner o) *an%m to the 4slamc conAuest- ;e categorcally e/o%es the tme o) !a&a
Krshnachandra o) #ada as the age o) )reedom+ thereby parado9cally portrayng a tme 1hen ;ndus
had been 6ndependent6+ not sub&ugated by the *rtsh 5ths s parado9cal on t1o counts> )rst+ ;ndus
really had a lmted )reedom because *engal at that pont o) tme 1as under the rule o) a $uslm
47@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
#a1ab and secondly+ Krshnachandra 1as one o) the man archtects o) the cessaton o) the rule o) Sra&
1hch heralded the rule o) the *rtsh3 n other 1ords+ !a&a Krshnachandra hmsel) brought about the
do1n)all o) ths so?called )reedom 1hch 4sh1ar Gupta dsco/ers n the !a&a6s golden+ e9emplary rule
pror to the ad/ent o) 1estern domnaton8- Gupta laments the loss o) an age 1hen *engals 1ere )ree
and 1rote such poetry as be)tted a )ree people 1hch they no1 no longer can 1rte as the present tmes
ha/e depr/ed them o) that )reedom 1hch s a necessary condton )or all substantal creatons+
accordng to Gupta- The collecton o) the poetry o) hs predecessors s )ull o) hs sghs )or a lost age to
1hch those poets belonged-
Gupta 1as not ha/ng an e9ceptonal+ solated+ uncharacterstc bout o) ant?colonal )eelng
here- Ntpal Dutt n hs Girish .anosh s )ull o) prase )or Gupta6s ant?*rtsh satrcal poetry+
ostensbly commemoratng the ascenson o) Dueen ,ctora to the throne o) 4nda+ 1rtten )rom the
perspect/e o) the *engal nat/e sub&ects+ 1ho are compared to posha goru 5domestcated co1s8+ 1ho
not beng able to tolerate an odd punch+ %c% or blo1+ 1ll be happy to che1 )odder 5.18- Gupta ndeed
1rote some poems celebratng *rtsh /ctory o/er 4nda+ but+ that mght ha/e o1ed to a pressure )rom
hs subscrbers+ sayng 1hch o) course does not absol/e hm o) the charge o) compradorshp- Gupta6s
bra7en support )or the *rtsh n the a)termath o) the great rebellon o) 1807 n hs poems has dra1n
many crtcsms- *engal educated classes n d))erent parts o) 4nda unanmously sded 1th the
*rtsh- Calcutta *abus beng the ran% and pllar o) *rtsh c/l admnstraton 1ere caught n the
/orte9 o) 1807+ as t has entered nto the )ol%lore o) Sepoy mutny+ the rebel Sepoys used to attac%+ and
o)ten mprson *engal *abus a)ter they 1ere done 1th the *rtsh 5(osh branchcollect/e-org+ ;usan
9998- Nnder such crcumstances+ 4sh1ar Gupta had to cater to the sentments o) these Calcutta *abus+
many o) them readers o) Shongb4d "robh4kor> GThe dasporc *engals l/ng n northern and 1estern
4nda 1ere subscrbers o) "robhakor and they regularly sent updates about local mportant matters-
Durng the Sepoy $utny these correspondents rendered a specal ser/ce to "robhakorH 5*an%m 7128-
" celebraton o) Kol%ata as the archetypcal e9presson o) *engalness s /ery o)ten
ndstngushable )rom a celebraton o) the empre n the lterary and cultural products o) the nneteenth
century- !upchand "okkhi6s reno1ned song about Kol%ata s a case n pont 5)ully reproduced n Catrea
'?148- 4t begns 1th a chant o) 6glory to the cty o) Kol%ata6+ and calls Kol%ata a celestal cty 56elder
sblng o) hea/en68- Then the song rapdly degrades nto a catalogue o) the ache/ements o) the *rtsh-
Ths celebrated song comes across as a pece o) sycophancy at 1orst+ and publc relaton )or the 1hte
4D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
rulers at best 1hen 1e read t today- *ut *engal dentty n ma%ng 1as n many respects a
contrbuton o) the ne1)ound poston o) sgn)cance 1hch *engals en&oyed under the *rtsh+
)ollo1ng the success)ul conspracy leadng to the remo/al o) the last $uslm so/eregn o) *engal-
Gupta6s de)ence o) the *rtsh must be seen n ths respect- Npper and mddle class *engals thr/ed as
an ally o) the *rtsh durng ths perod 1hch 1as yet to 1tness any ma&or clash o) nterests bet1een
them- 4t s nterestng to note that a general current o) "nglcsaton led !upchand "okkhi to al1ays
g/e hs name as !- C- *rd+ -e- !oop Chund *rd as the edtor6s )ore1ord n *pn Gupta6s "uraton
"roshongo n)orms us 5সবতর8-
The trauma o/er a loss o) the past s ntegral to all ma&or re//al mo/ements+ as the hstory o)
4rsh re//al also attests- 4sh1ar Gupta attrbutes a 1ant o) hstorcal sense among the *engals to the
lac% o) record?%eepng and una/alablty o) bographes o) the great people born n *engal- "n elated
reader6s letter to Shongb4d "robh4kor obser/es that 4sh1ar Gupta6s ntat/e 1ll brng the great poet?
snger !amprasad 5creator o) de/otonal songs o) Kal %no1n as Shyamashongeet8 to the pur/e1 o)
#obbo Shomproday 5#e1 Socety+ a shorthand )or the 1esternsed *engals8 1ho 1ere htherto
gnorant o) hm 5Collected :orks 1> 208- The same letter also pansta%ngly and anachronstcally
attempts to establsh !amprasad6s credentals as the 1orshpper o) a sngle godhead+ rather n the /en
o) *rahmo eltsm+ Kal beng a mere name )or that godhead 5the letter 1rter goes on to muse> 1hat s
n a name a)ter all+ and a rose beng called by any other name 1ould smell &ust as s1eet8- !amprasad6s
e/ocaton o) Kal s lttle more than a mere lp ser/ce to dolatry+ the letter obser/es 51> 26?278- 4sh1ar
Gupta hmsel) later states> 1hom the non?dolatrous 1orshps under the name o) *rahma+ !amprasad
1orshps the same God under the name o) Kal 51>4:8-
!amprasad Sen
49@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
" de)lecton o) our o1n hertage o) Sha%to 1orshp s thus conscously or unconscously
underta%en by 4sh1ar Gupta- *ut ths de)lecton s not 1thout bene)ts to the naton?ma%ng+ as
Gupta6s attempt o) consoldaton s apparent n hs dent)caton o) dolatrous Kal o) the ;ndu masses
1th the non?dolatrous *rahma o) the *rahmo eltes- "s Gupta stated 1hat !amprasad Sen
1orshpped as Kal 1as 1hat the *rahmos 1orshped as *rahma 51> 1.8+ he 1as pursung
coord#aton-
#orth Kol%ata+ near the reno1ned temple o) Chtteshshor+ )rom 1hom Chtpur der/ed ts name- (ames *alle 2raser+ 1826
;o1e/er+ Gupta6s pro&ect s also mar%ed by a sense o) urgency+ as the rapd eroson o) the old
socety caused by the ad/ancement o) colonalsm made t ncreasngly d))cult to carry out the process
o) documentng the past- Gupta speculated that n another )/e years all records o) the 1or%s o) these
poets 1ould be lost as the ancent people 1ho stll 1ere al/e and could o))er testmones and
manuscrpts and transcrpts )rom memory 1ould be no more+ and the contemporary young men comng
out o) 1estern educaton system 1ould ha/e been )ore/er depr/ed o) ths legacy 51> 068- Gupta
appeals to the G#obbo Shobhbho ShomprodayH 5#e1 C/l Socety+ the 1esternsed eltes8 to read the
l/es and 1or%s o) the old poets n order to apprecate the 1ealth o) *engal language and lterature 51>
06?078- Bhle g/ng the detals o) the mechansm o) patronage 1hch helped the old poets sur//e and
thr/e n socety+ 4sh1ar Gupta clearly desred a smlar mechansm n nneteenth century Kol%ata-
@/dently+ Gupta 1ho hmsel) 1as dependent on the /agares o) mar%et and other nterest lobbes
loo%ed bac% longngly at the older patron?poet relatonshps and net1or%s> GLhI Bhat pleasurable
tmes that 1ere lost- #o1 that Kng Krshnachandra s no more+ that patron?encourager+ that )ortune6s
?(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
)a/ourte s no more+ that *haratchandra s no more+ that !amprasad Sen s no more+ "nythng o) ther
%nd s no more to be )ound- Ths age no1 s a )alse age-H 51> 768- Be should as% oursel/es here> s
4sh1ar Gupta a 1rter 1ho remans obsess/ely con)ned to 1hate/er he )nds around hmF 4s he &ust a
poet o) +aha aache as *an%m put t so eloAuentlyF !eadng Gupta6s 1or%s con/nces us other1se-
;ere t s mportant to note that Gupta6s collecton o) l/es and 1or%s o) *engal poets s not a
hagography3 )or e9ample+ he s )arly crtcal o) *haratchandra6s reno1ned mongol%abbo
&nnodaongol 1hch+ as Gupta says+ lac%s n most o) the nne classcal rasas e9cept that o) the erotc
5Shirng4ra rasa8+ 1th a lttle bt o) heroc 5$eera rasa8 thro1n n to compensate3 &nnodaongol s a
testmony to *haratchandra6s scholarshp+ %no1ledge+ dlgence and care+ 1hle t also e9poses a lac%
o) 1hat Gupta thn%s as d/ne+ creat/e nspratonal )orce 51> 80?868- 4sh1ar Gupta6s chosen
dmensons o) space 1hch de)ned these poets?predecessors clearly re)lect a larger pattern o) the pre?
*rtsh c/lsatonal hertage that 1ent nto the ma%ng o) Kol%ata- The locaton o) *haratchandra s
crucal here+ as Gupta puts t> GThe %ng as%ed> Bhch place under my domnon that s stretched )rom
#abad1p to Kol%ata do you 1sh to nhabtFH 51> 688- The %ng n ths sentence s Krshnachandra+ and
the GyouH n ths sentence s poet *haratchandra+ 1ho comes to choose $ula&or as hs pre)erred place
o) resdence 5modern day Shyamnagar on the Ganges+ 20 %m )rom Kol%ata8- *haratchandra6s orgn s
traced bac% to *urd1an+ 1hle he )lourshed n Krshnanagar n the royal court o) Kng Krshnachandra
and settled to l/e n $ula&or+ thus mo/ng progress/ely closer to Kol%ata- Ths s not conscously
suggested+ but a care)ul reader can decpher n ths tra&ectory the epcentre sh)tng slo1ly to Kol%ata as
) n a cultural?hstorcal mappng 1hch go/erns 4sh1ar Gupta6s lterary unconscous- 2urther+
!amprasad Sen l/ed at Kumarhotto+ 5modern day ;alshahar on the Ganges+ not )ar )rom Shymnagar
agan8- Ths must be mentoned that these areas are not /ery )ar )rom 4sh1ar Gupta6s o1n brth place at
Kanchrapara on the Ganges- They consttute a common cluster-
!amndh Gupta+ more popularly %no1n as #dhubabu+ durng hs chldhood 1as reared at
Kumartul+ Kol%ata- ;e s the thrd poet 1hom 4sh1ar Gupta dscusses a)ter !amprasad and
*haratchandra- Bth !amndh+ 4sh1ar not &ust comes to Kol%ata proper+ he also del/es nto the sub&ect
o) eghteenth century *engal songs 1hch ncluded /arous popular and urbane )orms l%e Kobig4n< 4n
connecton 1th !amndh+ 4sh1ar spea%s o) the "okkhis+ a close?%nt countercultural mo/ement o)
nto9cated sngers+ hea/y smo%ers o) cannabs 1ho dressed to appear l%e brds and spo%e n a coong
manner 5hence the name+ "okkhi8- " place at Shobhaba&ar 1as the )a/ourte den o) the "okkhis 1hch
?!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1as also )reAuented by !amndh+ 1ho as a snger 1as much admred by the "okkhis 51> 8'?':8- 4sh1ar
Gupta o))ers a /ery l/ely s%etch o) the "okkhis6 1ays o) l)e n connecton 1th the bography o)
!amndh- 4t s Aute nterestng to note that the 1ealthy patron o) !amndh as 1ell as the "okkhis
named !amchandra $tra+ the aatchala 5arena 1th a typcal eght?sded roo) as can be seen n
*engal6s temple archtecture8 o) 1hose Shobhaba&ar resdence used to host these muscal sorSes+
amassed hs rches by /rtue o) beng an Gagent o) an "mercan CaptanH 51> 8'?':8- The comprador
economy o) *engal s seen to be capable o) promoton o) *engal culture+ pro/ded the latter does not
clash n any mmedate manner 1th the )ormer-
4sh1ar Gupta /entures nto a bre) s%etch o) 9khr4i songs+ the man proponent?practtoner o)
that genre beng !amndh Gupta6s maternal uncle Kulu Chandra Sen 51> '18- !amndh had hs o1n
)oray nto 9khr4i musc3 he had organsed an 9khr4i competton bet1een t1o teams+ belongng to
*agba&ar and Shobhaba&ar respect/ely+ 1here he hmsel) composed musc and lyrc )or the *agba&ar
team+ the lead snger o) 1hch 1as $ohonchand *ose- Ths e/ent too% place n the *engal year 1211
51> '18- Eater+ a more popular /erson o) 9khr4i de/eloped by !amndh6s close assocate $ohonchand
*ose came to be %no1n as hal)?9khr4i 51> '28- Bhle 4sh1ar Gupta 1as 1rtng ths artcle+
$ohonchand 1as stll al/e+ and 1as a l/ng legend+ albet n )ral health+ a shado1 o) hs )ormer sel)-
4nterestngly+ one o) the ma&or d))erences bet1een the )ormats o) 9khr4i and hal)?9khr4i seems to be
that n the )ormer genre+ the snger stands n the )ashon o) Kobig4n 1hch s also per)ormed by
standng poets 5দlড়l কনd8 5though 9khr4i dd not employ an e9change o) challenges and reples n the
/en o) Kobig4n and here /ctory and de)eat 1ere solely determned by popular /erdct on the
per)ormance o) the teams8+ 1hle n hal)?9khr4i the snger actually seats n the )ashon o) *oppa 51>
'.8- *oppa 1as the )orm o) musc poneered by !amndh Gupta 1hch re/olutonsed *engal songs
and e/en today+ a)ter t1o hundred years+ the genre s )ondly sung and heard- G/en the sad demse o)
9khr4i > t 1as already dead )or thrty years by the tme Gupta 1as 1rtng hs essay 51> '08 = as 1ell
as the passng a1ay o) Kobig4n+ "4nch4li- "okkhi and most other )orms o) our ndgenous musc+ the
sur//al o) *oppa s sgn)cant-
4sh1ar Gupta6s choce o) the )rst three poets n ths seres on the poets and songma%ers o) the
past age s ndeed sgn)cant+ as the 1or%s o) these three ha/e sur//ed the 1eatherng o) tme3
!amprasad6s de/otonal songs addressed to $a Kal 5Shyamashongeet8+ *haratchandra6s te9t
&nnodaongol and !amndh6s *oppa ha/e managed to nterest *engals steadly throughout the
?2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
modern perod- They stll str%e a chord because the creatons o) these three 1rters ha/e gone nto the
ma%ng o) the cultural legacy o) the *engals o) Kol%ata- Lther1se+ the steady loss o) older )orms o)
entertanments as tme and mentalty change s an ne/table )act o) cultural hstory that 4sh1ar Gupta
bemoans 51> '08+ and n that conte9t+ 1e may obser/e that Gupta6s pro&ect o) coord#aton has
succeeded to a certan e9tent- ;e nstlled a lo/e )or some o) these older )orms o) *engal poetry n the
mnd o) the ncreasngly 1esternsed *engals as the *engal !enassance 1as about to da1n+ and
Gupta ensured that they 1ould ne/er agan be lost by ma%ng ther appeal dscernble )or the ne1ly
ascendant class o) un/ersty educated *engals- The pre?colonal roots o) a colonsed people 1ere
restored+ ne/er agan to be easly lost-
4nterestngly+ *rahmo mo/ement seems to ha/e encouraged a seamless e9change bet1een
9khr4i and ts o1n de/otonal repertore- Gupta obser/es that a noted snger o) 9khr4i 1as also a
regular per)ormer o) *rohmoshongeet at !ammohan !oy6s meetngs 51>'48+ 1hereas the )ormless
5nirakara8 untary god o) the *rahmos became a topc o) the 9khr4i songs 51> '.?'48- 4t sho1s that the
popularty o) ths medum o) 9khr4i 1as such that the *rahmo mo/ement )elt a need to approprate t+
1hereas 9khr4i too )elt a necessty to algn tsel) to the ntellectual and phlosophcal currents o)
*rahmosm+ 1hch became pre/alent n the educated socety- 9khr4i had a geographcal tra&ectory that
once more e9hbted a mo/ement to1ards the epcentre o) Kol%ata> t orgnated at Shantpur+ then t
started beng per)ormed at Chnsurah3 per)ormers )rom Chnsurah used to come to Kol%ata6s
*urraba7ar 5*oroba&ar8 )or 9khr4i sorSes at the )loral garden 5phoolbagan8 o) a rch patron named
Kashnath+ Gupta n)orms 51>1:.8- @/entually+ (orashan%o o) Kol%ata became a centre )or 9khr4i
musc+ 1th ts o1n local breed o) per)ormers- Eater+ Shyampu%ur also boasted o) the honour o) an
9khr4i team o) ts o1n- Ths Kol%ata?bound mo/ement o) 9khr4i also changed ts generc )ormat3 the
orgnal /erson per)ormed n Shantpur had t1o segments+ namely Kheur 5argument8 and "robhati 5o)
the mornng8 but Chnsurah and Kol%ata teams o) 9khr4i added an ntroductory part 1hch sang o) the
sub&ect o) Durga 5Bhobani bishoy8- 2urther+ 9khr4i 1as purged o) those elements 1hch 1ere
consdered to be uncouth+ rustc and obscene as t mo/ed to1ards an urban+ metropoltan sensblty+
1hch s e/dent n Gupta6s commentary 51> 1:.8- Ths s ob/ous that Kol%ata tended to mo/e a1ay
)rom all )ol% rustcty+ as the cty stro/e )or sophstcaton and a certan bhadralo%saton- 4sh1ar Gupta
apprecates that tendency+ not realsng that hs o1n poetry 1ll later )all /ctm to that /ery trend as hs
poetry 1ll )all short o) the sua/e standards o) colonal urbanty+ *an%m6s ad/erse comments comng
?3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
mmedately to mnd-
Commttng the entre oral tradton o) *engal musc nto 1rtng+ haunted by a sense o)
urgency on the )ace o) a Auc%ly /anshng past that s becomng ncreasngly d))cult to be accessed by
the colonsed *engals+ 4sh1ar Gupta6s oeu/re s mar%ed by a tenson+ an apprehenson> Gupta
repeatedly says that 1th the possble mpendng demse o) all the old tmers+ *engal 1ll be )ore/er
mpo/ershed+ depr/ed o) ts hertage 51> 1:78- Gupta s 1orred that the ne1+ 1esternsed generaton
1ll )ore/er reman msn)ormed about the glorous hertage o) *engal musc and poetry ) ths pro&ect
s not carred out and past 1or%s are not retre/ed>
;o1 can some young men+ 1ho+ 1th practsng 1estern %no1ledge and 1estern poetcs ha/e
only learnt 1estern connosseurshp+ be apprecat/e to1ards *engal poetryF *ecause they
ha/e no cult/aton 5অন¸ শî¬ন8+ they ha/e not heard anythng- They sco)) at and dsl%e 5*engal
poems and songs8 upon hearng a /ulgar poem or t1o n mar%etplaces )rom mere actors-
There)ore 1e cannot accuse the ne1 lot 5Nobbogon8 as callous+ because ho1 they can 5be
e9pected to8 apprecate unacAuanted matters 51> 1:'8-
Gupta e9presses hs hope that once the 1esternsed youth o) hs day gets a glmpse o) ths treasure o)
*engal musc+ the atttude o) nd))erence 5or that o) contempt8 1ll yeld to that o) an apprecaton o)
tradton- ;ere he s concerned about Kobig4n n ths partcular statement-
The so called lo1er castes played a huge role n the per)ormance and recepton o) ths genre+
1hereas the rch classes+ comprsng o) upper and lo1er castes al%e+ patronsed kobig4n< 4sh1ar Gupta
rescued Kobiwala Gon&la Gun )rom obl/on+ 1ho belonged to the lo1er stratum o) socety- 4sh1ar
Gupta attempted to retre/e ths tradton o) Kobig4n 1hch had Gun at ts orgn- 1hle ths che)ly
oral tradton 1as at a substantal rs% o) beng )ore/er lost- Sadly+ the t1enteth century ;ungryalsts+
masAueradng ther 1esternsaton n the guse o) subaltern sensblty+ dd not e/en care to menton
4sh1ar Gupta n ther re/olutonary proclamatons n/ol/ng the name o) Gon&la Gun and other
Kobiwalas 5#ach%eta *andyopadhyay 1':?1'18- Gupta n)ormed us> G4t had been 14: or 10: years
snce Gon&la Gun set up hs pro)essonal troupe that used to sng at the sorSes held at the resdences o)
rch people3H Gun le)t behnd three pupls> Ealunondolal 1ho l/ed at 2orashdanga 5Chandannagar8+
!oghu and !am&3 ;oru Tha%ur 1as a dscple o) !oghu+ *hobane *ene o) !am& and #tey *oshnob
o) Ealunondolal3 )urther+ Keshta $uch 5a cobbler by caste8 1as a )earsome opponent and de)eated
;oru Tha%ur 51ho 1as a *rahman8 a number o) tmes 51>1:'8- The orgn o) Kobig4n s traced bac% to
?4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Gon&la Gun by Gupta+ 1ho o))ers hs obesance to Gun n these 1ords> GL Gun+ 1ere you a mere
human bengF Lne 1hose e9panse s l%e that o) the cosmos+ s named Gon&la 5the term means a pnt o)
alcohol8I Can one measure ths pnt 5Gon&la8 1th a palm6s o))erng 5"an&la8FH 51> 11:8- Ths 1or% o)
collectng old *engal poetry 1as a 1or% more d))cult that medtaton on a corpse 5Shob Shadhon8+
accordng to Gupta+ 1ho nter/e1ed more than t1o hundred odd old?tmers )or ths pro&ect 51> 1118- 4t
s ndeed a measurement o) the de)lecton o) naton?conscousness o) the *engal people that the
;ungryalsts ha/e been allo1ed to ma%e a song and dance about the Kobiwalas o) *engal+ l)tng them
straght )rom Gupta6s 1or%s 1thout botherng to ac%no1ledge ths man6s hard labour- Surely+ Gupta
dd not sut the temperament o) the 1esternsed ntellgentsa+ and he had to be assgned to obl/on-
The l)e o) Kobiwala !am *asu once more depcts the Kol%ata?bound mo/ement- ;e 1as born
n the /llage o) Shal%ha 5modern day Shal%a8 o) ;o1rah dstrct+ and as a chld came to (orashan%o
to l/e 1th *anaras Ghosh+ hs uncle 5pshemosha8+ Gupta tells us 51> 1118- ;e 1as a lyrcst and
1rote )or many noted Kobiwalas 5ncludng *hobane *ene+ #lu Tha%ur+ $ohon Sor%ar+ Tha%urdas
Sngha8 snce hs early adolescence+ be)ore comng to don the hat o) Kobiwala hmsel)+ launchng hs
o1n troupe o) Kobig4n- Eater+ under hs tutelage+ a troupe o) Kobig4n also came nto e9stence at
*ho1anpore 1hch regularly per)ormed hs songs- !am *asu ded at the premature age o) )orty t1o+
1hle 4sh1ar Gupta hghly prases !am+ besto1ng upon hm a cro1nng glory among all Kobiwalas>
GBhat Kaldasa s to Sans%rt Coetry+ 1hat *harat Chandra and !am Crasad are to *engal poetry+ !am
*asu s to the poetry o) KobiwalasH 51> 11.8-
!am *asu ded n the *engal year 12.0<12.6+ Gupta tells us3 *asu returned n ll health a)ter
per)ormng at the Durgapu&o held n the resdence o) !a&a ;arnath !ay o) $urshdabad 51> 1128- Ths
bre) n)ormaton probably tells us t1o mportant thngs- 2rst+ Kol%ata 1as steadly emergng as a
beacon )or the dstrcts 1hch loo%ed )or1ard to hearng )rom the songma%ers o) Kol%ata+ as the
dstrcts got drectly e9posed to the culture o) Kol%ata- Kol%ata artsts per)ormng n dstrcts thus
begns as a steady cultural practce+ partcularly durng Durgapu&o )est/tes- Secondly+ 1hle the rch
people constantly patronsed hm+ !am *asu 1as probably o/er?e9hausted o1ng to the demands
placed on hm by the lo/ers o) Kobig4n+ and that such per)ormances probably too% a toll on hs health-
Gupta )urther obser/es that snce the death o) !am *asu+ no one s enamoured o) hearng the songs o)
the Kobiwalas anymore 51>1.:8- Bhle dscussng !am *asu+ Gupta ta%es good care to nclude the l)e
and 1or%s o) some o) hs reno1ned contemporares> !asu #rshngho+ ;oru Tha%ur+ #lu Tha%ur+
??@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
#tadas *orag 51> 1.:?1.18- ;e thus e))ect/ely records that mleu n 1hch a plethora o) talents
)lourshed durng a perod 1hch 1as the pea% o) the art?)orm o) Kobig4n-
Durgapu&o at the resdence o) a 1ealthy *engal- (ames Crnsep+ 184:-
"s Gupta 1as carryng out hs pro&ect+ he 1as also beng engul)ed n that mo/ement o) colonal
urbanty 1hch 1ll /ery soon clam hmsel) as a casualty- Colonsaton 1as an ongong process- Ths
1as the bg crunch+ here 1as the )ormaton o) the metropols as ts perphery broadened and the e/er
e9pandng cty contnued to s1allo1 ts /llages- 2ol% sensblty contnued to shrn% as the colonal
cty enlarged- Ths happened n terms o) space+ and n terms o) hstory and culture- @9empl)yng that
colonal progress+ #rad C Chaudhur n the t1enteth century rdcules the remnants o) rural
superstton among the people o) Kol%ata>
4n the narro1 lanes o) Calcutta 1ere to be )ound+ sur//ng and spnnng out an unnatural
e9stence+ rtuals and bele)s+ practces and supersttons+ U The people o) Calcutta 1orshpped
the GGoddess o) #o CrospertyH together 1th the Goddess o) Crosperty3 they 1orshpped the
Goddess o) S%n Dsease and o) Cholera3 the Goddess o) Smallpo9 1as one o) ther ma&or
detes- Ther men)ol% 5sc8 1ere e9tremely a)rad o) gong nto the 1ater closet 1th ther har
let do1n+ and they al1ays ted ts ends n a %not be)ore gong n+ because they bele/ed the
B-C-s to be the )a/ourte haunts o) e/l sprts 1ho 1ould possess them unless ther har 1as up-
54:2?4:.8-
?6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The @nlghtenment haughtness 1th 1hch #rad C- po%es )un at Llo%%h 5Goddess o) #o Crosperty8
and Eo%%h 5Goddess o) Crosperty8+ Goddess o) Cholera 5LlaChond8 and Goddess o) Smallpo9
5Shtola8+ though he does not menton the orgnal *engal names o) these goddesses+ s a
characterstcally male and mperal dengraton o) one6s o1n nat/e Sha%to hertage- #rad C- 1ants to
ma%e t doubly dsreputable+ and there)ore con&ures up a separate Goddess o) S%n Dsease+ 1hereas
*engals only ha/e a Goddess o) Smallpo9+ Shtola+ 1hose hstory by the 1ay s more than a thousand
years old and s at least traced bac% to the *uddhst perod- 2urther+ mposton o) :estern standards
o)ten resulted n dubous systems o) analyss- BC o) the 1est cannot be compared to the 4ndan style
tolets+ 1hch 1ere o)ten a long 1al% )rom one6s house+ n/arably al1ays outsde one6s man resdence
5o1ng to reasons o) purty8+ usually at the perphery o) one6s premses+ under the open s%y+ /ery o)ten
near bushes and 1oods+ )t places )or magnng the hauntng o) ghosts- #rad6s mposton o) the
yardstc% o) BC on 4ndan style tolets only ser/es to condemn our cultural realtes-
"nother depcton o) Chtpur+ the typcal *engal Kol%ata+ 1th the temple on the bac%ground- Charles D6Lyly+ 18.:-
Kol%ata+ as the second cty o) the empre 1as encouraged to lose ts o1n dentty+ tradton and
hstory n a deluge o) colonalsm- 4sh1ar Gupta s )ghtng aganst that tde 1hch s about to clam
hmsel) as ts prey+ but be)ore that+ he s capable o) dong hs bt> he resusctates *engal6s )orgotten
glory o) Kobig4n- "nd he s dong ths precsely at a tme 1hen *engal6s past s gettng /olently
?7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
uprooted o1ng to the machnatons o) colonalsm> Gupta laments that e/en those cultural )orms 1hch
1ere pre/alent only 2: or .: years ago are gettng lost no1adays+ 1th no hopes )or retre/al+ and the
young *engals are beng )ore/er depr/ed o) the glorous legacy o) Kobig4n- ;e reterates that unless
young people are acAuanted 1th the nuances o) these ndgenous cultural )orms+ apprecaton o) these
art )orms s not possble 51> 1.18- ;o1e/er+ at tmes Gupta /oce resonates 1th the certanty and
con)dence o) a seer3 Ghence)orth these poets 1ll roam mmortal n the 1orld+H he proclams 1th an
authorty a)ter publshng the collectons o) the l/es and 1or%s o) these pre?*rtsh *engal poets
51>1828- 2urther+ 1e should note that as he recorded the chroncle o) *engal poetry o) se/enteenth+
eghteenth and nneteenth century+ he 1as actng as a connosseur+ as an nsder+ not &ust as a
conser/atonst+ 1hch s e/dent e/ery1here n hs commentary on these poets- ;e consdered t a
plgrmage+ not a pansta%ng tas%- Commttng oral tradtons to 1rtten dscourse s o) sngular
mportance as naton?conscousness begns to assume de)nte shapes and )orms+ and Gupta6s
contrbuton n ths regard s Cromethean- Lne oral song a)ter another comes to hm n ncomplete and
)ragmentary shapes+ but Gupta ne/er g/es up+ and he rene1s hs reAuests to all old?tmers to come
)or1ard and help n ths pro&ect 1th 1hate/er that can be e9ca/ated )rom ther memory-
#ta *orag 1as born n the *engal year 1108 at Chandannagar+ south o) Chuchura- ;s man
song1rter Gour Kobraa& 1as an nhabtant o) Shmula 5Shmla8 o) Kol%ata+ and Gour Kobraa& 1as a
regular 1rter )or a number o) other Kobiwalas+ ncludng Eo%ey (ug 5Eo%%h%anto+ 1ho 1as a (ug by
caste8 and #lu Tha%ur- #ta *orag 1as called by hs ardent )ollo1ers Crobhu #tyananda 5a)ter the
name o) #tyananda+ the legendary relgous leader and socal re)ormer o) the *oshnob mo/ement8+
and Gupta notes that hs sphere o) n)luence ncluded Kumarhotto+ *hatpara+ Kanchrapara+ Trben+
*al+ 2orashdanga and Chuchura 51> 1678- These locales 51hch nclude Gupta6s o1n nat/e place
Kachrapara8 spea% o) a cultural map that 1ent nto the ma%ng o) Kol%ata- The )act that #ta too met
the same 1ay o) death as !am *asu dd 5he returned ll )rom a per)ormance durng Durgapu&o at the
house o) the %ng o) Kashmba&ar and ded e/entually8 51> 1678+ spea%s /olumes about the predcament
o) a Kobiwala and the crss o) the cultural practce o) Kobig4n 1hch 1as an absolutely e9haust/e
per)ormng art+ 1th a reAurement o) a tremendous amount o) mental and physcal labour-
Coord#aton as a pro&ect n order to be carred out needed the best possble contrbutons )rom
Gupta6s countrymen+ 1ho once lamented that hs pro&ect could succeed only ) there 1as a synthess o)
Gthe ntellect o) the *engals and the physcal strength o) the Khotta 5a derogatory *engal term )or the
?D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
people )rom the part o) upper 4nda ncludng modern day *har and NC 1ho are consdered to be
physcally robust8+ rches o) the 1ealthy and the mndset o) an enthusastH on the part o) the *engal
people 51> 1818- #ot to be deterred by d))cultes+ Gupta contnued to chroncle the lterary hstory o)
Kobig4n< !eno1ned Kobiwalas !asu and #rshngho 1ere brothers+ 1ho l/ed at a /llage near
2orashdanga- They per)ormed together 5hence ther names 1ere al1ays ta%en together as !asu
#rshngho+ as ) they 1ere one8 and 1ere contemporaneous 1th or slghtly senor to ;oru Tha%ur+ as
Gupta records 51> 18.8- Eo%ey Kana 5not to be con)used 1th Eo%ey (ug8 1as another reno1ned
Kobiwala based at Thonthon+ Kol%ata- ;s real name 1as Eo%%h%anto *s1as+ he 1as an e9cellent
composer and snger+ he specalsed n "4nch4li+ and accordng to Gupta he 1as reno1ned as a great
humorst- Eegendarly ready?1tted+ he 1as )reAuently compared 1th Gopal *hanr 51> 2:78- ;s man
opponent 1as Ganganarayan #as%ar o) Shobhaba&ar- Eo%%h%anto 1as admred by hs 1ealthy patrons
1ho also )eared the sharpness o) hs 1t- ;e 1as sur//ed by hs son *oddonath 1ho carred on hs
troupe+ and stll later Eo%%h%anto6s grandson 5by hs daughter8 Dorponarayan contnued that tradton3
he ded some thrty )/e years be)ore Gupta 1as recordng Eo%%h%anto6s l)e and 1or%s 51> 2:'8- Gupta
re)rans )rom reproducng Eo%%h%anto6s most 1or%s because o) the hgh )reAuency o) obscene 1ords
n them3 Gupra uses the 1ords pro)ane 5অপনd¯8+ unchaste 5অসlh¸ 8 to descrbe Eo%ey Kana6s lyrcs 51>
2:7?2:88-
4sh1ar Gupta 1hle tracng a hstory o) Kobiwalas g/es us /aluable nsghts nto the cultural
en/ronment o) the old+ tradtonal Kol%ata and ad&onng dstrcts o) south *engal- The )act that he
hmsel) belonged to ths regon 1hch 1as no1 )ormng the nucleus o) a consoldated *engal dentty
and usherng the *engal re//al s sgn)cantly algned 1th Gupta6s pro&ect> he s a nat/e nhabtant
o) ths regon 1hch no1 ser/es as the epcentre o) *engal6s naton?conscousness+ and t g/es hm an
nsder6s pr/lege n collectng the lost chroncles o) these *engal poets at the rs% o) beng completely
)orgotten as colonal modernty contnues t trumphant march- Consstent 1th Gupta6s cultural
mappng+ ;oru Tha%ur 1as a nat/e o) Kol%ata6s Shmula agan+ and l%e a ma&orty o) other
Kobiwalas he 1as nether educated n @nglsh or Sans%rt+ nor he 1as partcularly decent by the
,ctoran standards 1hch 1as ncreasngly becomng the norm o) the day n 4sh1ar Gupta6s Kol%ata-
Gupta6s collecton there)ore had to censor and suppress some segments o) Kobig4n 1hch are not
commensurate 1th mperal c/lsatonal standards- Gupta says>
?9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*ut the sad part s that some too debased+ too hated+ non?audble+ unspea%able 1ords used to )ll
5ther poetry8+ there)ore publshng them s not legtmate- U @arler our most e9alted
noblemen+ that ncluded $ahara&a Krshnachandra+ #obo%rshno and others used to be /ery
sats)ed 1th such pecular slangs 5Sho?%ar+ *o?%ar+ as Gupta puts t3 n *engal that means
unspea%able /ulgar e9plet/es+ mostly begnnng 1th Sh and *8+ ther entertanment ha/ng no
bounds- Surrounded by cousns+ relat/es+ %nsmen+ good people+ they heard 1th glad mnds-H
51> 1':8-
Gupta adds n the same breath that !a&a #aba%rshna 1as an ardent admrer o) ;oru Tha%ur 1hereas
Krshnachandra6s )a/ourte 1as Eochon Khor% o) Shantpur- 4t s sgn)cant that Gupta e9tens/ely
spea%s on ;oru+ but Eochon Khr% o) Shantpur )nds &ust a cursory menton+ pro/ng that Kol%ata and
ts surroundngs are beng pr/leged n hs dscourse- 2urther+ here 4sh1ar Gupta s seen to be
completely a))ected by the current standards o) decency+ callng those parts o) Kobig4n obscene 1hch
do not con)orm to those standards+ thus purgng those elements out o) hs chroncles 1hch embarrass
the mperal metropoltan sensblty-
Be ha/e seen that the eltst cult o) ,ctoran prudery 1rea%ed ha/oc n the )eld o) culture-
*engal Kobig4n came to be consgned to the 1asteland o) hstory by stal1arts l%e Tagore- 2urther+
there 1as manpulaton+ censurng and complete o/erhaulng o) lyrcs n order to secure respectablty
and acceptance- Comprador classes 1ere eager to con)orm to the standards pro/ded by colonal
masters- Lne nterestng e9ample o) ths bhadralo% manpulaton o) te9ts o) can be )ound ) 1e
compare the te9ts o) the Kobir )orai 5*attle o) Coetry+ the standard competton n publc bet1een t1o
r/al Kobiwalas8 bet1een *hola $oyra and "nthony 2rng as recorded by Kaldas !ay6s "rachin
Bongo Shahitto and Curna Chandra Dey6s 1or% on "nthony- Bth the recent republcaton o) Curna
Chandra Dey Ndbhatsagar6s te9t+ Kobi (nthony Shaheb+ ths Kobir )orai has been depcted n
numerous stage adaptatons and )lms 1hch are made on the l)e o) "nthony- #o1+ there s a place
1here *hola responds to "nthony+ sayng that "nthony s con)usng hm 1th Eord *holanath 5Eord
Sh/a8 and *hola says 5n Curna Chandra6s /erson8> G4) 4 am that *holanath+ then 1hy t s so that
e/eryone searches )or the )eet o) *holanath+ but ne/er searches )or my )eet 5to pay obesance8FH Ths
lne also )eatured n the lyrc o) Nttam Kumar?starrer (nthony 1iringi- 4nterestngly+ Kaldas !ay omts
ths partcular lne 5that )ollo1s G4) 4 am that *holanath8+ sayng that ths part 1as obscene 56678- 4t
seems that Curnachandra Dey pro/ded an altered /erson+ because there s no obscenty there- There s
6(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
no 1ay 1e can %no1 )or sure ho1 that 6obscene6 lne 1ent orgnally- Though+ ths s probable that the
orgnal /erson someho1 1ent l%e ths> 4) 4 am that *holanath+ then 1hy t s so that e/eryone
searches )or the phallus 5lingo8 o) *holanath+ but ne/er searches )or my phallus 5to pay obesance8F
2urther+ the ne9t )our lnes 1hch )ollo1 are pro/ded n !ay6s 1or% but )nd no menton any1here
else+ as these lnes+ belongng to the segment o) Kheur 5Auarrel8 1here the Kobiwalas attac%ed each
other n e9plet/es 1th some Slan and gusto+ 1ere also ndecent by the bhadralo% standards- #o1+ ths
s one e9ample 1here a *hadralo% sensblty s success)ul n de)lectng an orgnal lyrc 1hch no1
e9sts only n the manpulated /erson and can no1 only be heard 1thn the colonally appro/ed
)ormat o) decency-
@9change bet1een "nthony 2rng 5NttamKumar8 and *hola $oyra 5"st*aran8- " stll )rom (nthony 1iringi 51'678
L1ng to NttamKumar6s stellar per)ormance+ *engals thn% o) "nthony 2rng 1hene/er they hear a menton o) Kobig4n
6!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
#neteenth century Kol%ata+ as the colonal cty+ 1as sub&ected to a Gs1eepng mperal sense o)
metropoltan enormtyH 5;unt 1878- 4t 1as nsde ths enormty o) a colonal headAuarter that 4sh1ar
Gupta 1as producng a nat/e cultural counter1eght by runnng the )rst /ernacular daly n the
subcontnent+ 1here he tred to )oster a sense o) nat/e rootedness+ 1hch later acted as the strongest
mot) n the *engal renassance- Gupta6s pro&ect o) coord#aton s about reco/erng an dentty that
one can call one6s o1n- Gupta 1anted to rescue the tradtonal dentty and culture o) ths cty that 1as
ncreasngly at a rs% o) beng de/oured and approprated 51hch these days s sutably glor)ed as
hybrdty and )uson and cultural dalogue n lberal?humanst parlance8 n a $acaula/an manner that
omnously resonates throughout ;unt6s boo%> GKplng hmsel) had once 1rtten o) Calcutta+ 6Bhy+ ths
s EondonI Ths s the doc%s- Ths s 4mperal- Ths s 1orth comng across 4nda to seeI6H 518'8- The
cty called Calcutta 1as the headAuarter o) *rtsh 4nda and 1as n the /orte9 o) 6modernty6 1hch
ncreasngly became synonymous 1th a steady loss o) hertage> Gattorney Bllam ;c%ey commented
on ho1 durng the 177:s the old *engal style o) mud houses 1as 6beng replaced by 1ell?constructed
sold masonry6 5;unt 1'88- 2urther+ Ga )ercely @nlghtenment noton o) progress and mpro/ement+
crucal to @uropean sel)?approbaton+ 1as e/dent n the de/elopment o) Calcutta- Lut o) the dense
&ungle o) *engal and the thc% s1amps o) the ;ooghly there arose a glstenng trbute to Bestern
c/l7aton protected by the mght o) 2ort BllamH 5;unt 1'88- #o1+ ths myth has been perpetuated
ad nauseu than%s to a certan amnesa on the part o) the gullble *engals+ 1ho 1ould al1ays readly
come to bele/e that Kol%ata rose out o) barren lands+ that t rose out o) &ungle and s1amps- Lur
colonsers 1anted ths mpresson+ that nothng at all e9sted here mmedately pror to ther arr/al-
Bhate/er past glores that 4nda could boast o) must be sutably pushed bac% to ancent tmes 5o1ng to
the "ryan n/ason theory+ the *rtsh too could bas% n the glory o) ancent 4nda8- Colonalsm
&ust)es tsel) precsely on these terms o) an a priori blan%ness or bac%1ardness o) the colonsed
people-
Bhle Gn Calcutta+ there too% place a sustaned process o) cultural "nglc7atonH 5;unt 21'8+
the attempt to &ust)y the /olaton o) *engal cultural tradtons also came n a pac%agng o) pluralty
and multculturalsm+ cross?cultural dalogue and coe9stence o) communtes- Eberalsm ne/er )als to
ser/e the long?term purposes o) mperalsm n a colony- Sample ths statement> GCalcutta 1as+ l%e
Cape To1n+ an e9pressly multcultural cty- 6Chnese and 2renchmen+ Cersans and Germans+ "rabs and
Spanards+ "rmenans and Cortuguese+ (e1s and Dutchmen+ are seen m9ng 1th the ;ndoos and
62@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
@nglsh+ the orgnal nhabtants and the actual possessors o) the country+6 as $ara Graham recounted
tH 5;unt 2:28- $ultcultural Kol%ata s home to e/erybody+ 1th no superor clam or prorty o) the
*engals- "s colonal standards presde o/er ths multcultural doman+ e))ect/ely the status Auo o) the
most po1er)ul prncple o) domnaton 5that o) colonal authorty8 remans supreme+ because any
ndgenous po1er can ne/er challenge that authorty by sta%ng ts o1n clam to rule ts o1n land
1thout n )act unsettlng the )undamental premses o) multculturalsm- "cceptance o) ths
multculturalsm s habtually done by a bhadralo% lberal?humanst sensblty that remaned one o) the
most potent )actors behnd the de)erral o) naton?conscousness-
;o1e/er+ as opposed to the multcultural and cosmopoltan Kol%ata+ there 1as another Kol%ata
that 1as not embarrassed o) ts *engal characterstcs- Gupta 1as rooted n the nat/e 5and not the
multcultural8 Kol%ata- *an%m 1rote about an anecdote that relates to 4sh1ar Gupta6s chldhood years
n Kol%ata6s (orashan%o- 4t conssts a rhyme o) t1o lnes that later acAured a legendary status>
4t s sad that 1hen 4sh1ar Gupta 1as three years old+ once he )ell ll a)ter comng to hs
maternal home n Kol%ata- ;e 1as bed rdden n that llness- Kol%ata n those days used to be
Aute unhealthy+ and there 1as too much menace o) mosAutoes and )les- " bed rdden 4sh1ar
Gupta one day composed and rected the )ollo1ng
$osAutoes by nght+ )les by day
Shoong these n Kol%ata 4 stay
5বরবত Xশl নদবন Xlন¯
এই তl} ব§ ক¬ বকতl§ ¯ন¯8
!eallyF $any may not bele/e ths = 1e don6t %no1 1hether to bele/e or not- *ut snce the
legend about (ohn Stuart $ll learnng Gree% at the age o) three has spread throughout the
1orld o) letters+ then let ths 1ord ha/e ts spread too- 57:88-
#o1+ Gupta6s chldhood composton 1as a typcal nneteenth century celebraton o) nat/e Kol%ata+ n
the mdst o) all the drt and drudgery- 4t could 1ell ha/e been a characterstc pece )rom the genre o)
Kobig4n- 4ndeed Gupta6s pro)cency n ths genre 1as notced by people around hm durng hs
chldhood- *an%m e9tens/ely Auotes )rom a letter 1rtten by a chldhood )rend o) 4sh1ar Gupta
publshed a)ter Gupta6s death+ n the Shongb4d "robh4kor Eterary supplement o) 1 *osha%h 1266
*engal Mear+ 1hch n)orms us o) the )ollo1ng>
1- That Gupta+ 1hen he 1as 11<12 years old+ started dong e9tempore composton )or pro)essonal
63@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
teams o) Kobiwalas 1hen they came to per)orm at Kanchonpoll 5orgnal name o) Kanchrapara8-
2- That Gupta 1as al1ays a g)ted poet+ and could easly compose /erse snce early chldhood-
.- That he 1as a shrutdhor+ 1hch means he could remember 1hate/er he heard &ust once- 4t s ponted
out by Gupta6s chldhood )rend that Gupta could remember all *engal poems 1hch he heard+ and he
had a pctoral memory+ 1hch used to capture 1ords )ore/er n ts can/ass-
4- That he 1as a good student 5no1+ ths s a curous pont+ g/en that he dd not complete any )ormal
educaton8+ and on hs o1n ntat/e he mastered entre Sans%rt grammar 5.ugdhobodh8 n one and
hal) month )lat+ at the age o) se/enteen 5*an%m 7:'8-
GGentoo Cagoda and ;ouseH o) Chtpur by Thomas Danel+ 1787- Contrast the cleanlness+ hygene and prosperty o) ths
6nat/e6 Kol%ata 1th the ones panted by 2raser 518268 and D6Lyly 518.:8- 4t e9poses the )act 5other1se care)ully
o/erloo%ed8 that *rtsh colonsaton mpo/ershed and degraded the *engal parts o) Kol%ata
4t seems that Gupta 1as a prodgy+ and that the responsblty o) reco/erng *engalness )rom
the onslaught o) colonalsm 1as n able hands- 4sh1ar Gupta ded at a premature age o) 47+ as )
)nshng hs &obs early mposed an early retrement on hm- " ne1 scene 1as about to begn+ and t s
as ) Gupta 1ent a1ay )rom the stage to ma%e 1ay )or the ne1 actors 1ho 1ould no1 occupy
centrestage and lmelght n Kol%ata- Lne o) Gupta6s early &obs 1as the )oundng o) Shongb4d
"robh4kor n 18.1+ 1hen he 1as &ust nneteen years old- (ogendramohan Tha%ur o) the Cathuraghata
Tha%ur )amly 1as o) same age and 1as 4sh1ar6s close )rend and patron- 4t 1as (ogendramohan 1ho
)unded Shongb4d "robh4kor as t 1as publshed )or the )rst tme n the *engal Mear 12.7 518.1 C@8-
64@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*an%m n hs essay on 4sh1ar Gupta called ths collaboraton bet1een (ogendramohan and 4sh1ar
Gupta as an allance bet1een Eo%%h and Shoroshshot+ -e- 1ealth and creat/ty 571:8- 4sh1ar Gupta6s
account o) the hstory o) ShongbOd CrobhO%or 5publshed n the ssue o) 1 *osha%h 120.8 n)orms us
that ths /enture as t 1as )ounded 1as completely dependent on (ogendramohan )or )nance 5Atd- n
*an%m 71:8- Cror to "robhakor6s publcaton+ there 1ere only a hand)ul o) *engal ne1spapers3 ther
numbers totalled s9+ and none 1as a daly- "robhakor became the )rst /ernacular daly o) 4nda+ as
*an%m ponts out 571:+ 7128-
2ollo1ng (ogendramohan6s death n the *engal Mear 12.'+ "robhakor ceased ts publcaton+
only to reappear n 124.+ ths tme also under the patronage o) the Tha%urs o) Cathuraghata 5*an%m
7118- Clearly+ the cro1d?on?the?street hypothess o) !osn%a Chaudhur does not hold much ground-
Npon a close nspecton o) the hstory o) "robhakor and Gupta+ 1e can see that Gupta and hs
ne1spaper thr/ed on the patronage o) the rch+ as an e9tens/ely long lst o) ts 1ealthy patrons
publshed by Gupta and Auoted by *an%m establshes beyond doubt 57128- The lst contans a total o)
t1enty t1o names+ ncludng some o) the crYme de la crYme o) the 1ealthy and po1er)ul *engals o)
Kol%ata- Gupta once told hs brother 51ho sho1ed some nd))erence to 1or% and salary+ and dd not
ta%e pro)essonal responsbltes serously8> G4) 4 go on beggng )or one day+ )rom ths Kol%ata cty
alone 4 can )etch one la%h rupees- Bhat 1ll be)all you 51hen 4 am no more8FH 5*an%m 7108- Ths
sho1s the e9tent o) Gupta6s n)luence o/er hs rch patrons-
Ths s not to say that Gupta or Shongb4d "robh4kor dd not en&oy popular support o) the
common readers- They surely dd- 4n )act Gupta6s pro&ect o) coord#aton necessarly depended on an
allance o) d))erent nterests+ d))erent classes and d))erent sensbltes- ;e )reely mo/ed across the
boundares 1hch separated these d))erent 7ones because here 1as a language at hs ser/ce that 1as
yet to be splt bet1een the hgh and the lo1+ here 1as an ndgenous ethos that 1as stll commonly
shared> G4sh1ar Gupta l/ed at the crossroad o) the old and the ne1- (ust l%e the ne1 tmes+ he too%
membershp o) a number o) socetes ncludng *rahmo Sama&+ and &ust l%e the old tmes+ Gupta used
to compose )or Kobi troupes and hal)?9khr4iH 5*an%m 71.8- 4n other 1ords+ Gupta e))ortlessly 1al%ed
to and )ro across the lne bet1een ne1 and old sensbltes+ he 1as open to the ne1 1hle )rmly rooted
n hs old cultural tradtons- Sadly+ the ne1 1ould not sho1 the same openness to the old and /ery
soon the old 1ould be dscarded as obscure and obscene- *an%m recollects that there too% place a
se/ere Kobir )orai 5albet one that 1as n prnted )ormat8+ bet1een 4sh1ar Gupta and Gourshan%ar
6?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*hattacharya+ edtor o) #oshora+- There 1as 6hgh obscenty6 )rom both sdes n ths battle+ 1hch 1as
)nally 1on by Gupta- (ames Eong campagned )or an ant?obscenty la1 n the a)termath o) ths
sensatonal ncdent- 2ollo1ng the enactment o) ths la1 *engal lterature 1as purged o)) ths sn o)
obscenty+ as *an%m obser/es 571.8-
" core concern o) Gupta6s pro&ect o) coord#aton 1as to consoldate the *engals l/ng n
d))erent geographcal locatons+ n d))erent parts o) *engal and 4nda- ;e tred to accomplsh ths
msson 1th hs daly+ 1here he used to publsh accounts o) d))erent dstrcts o) *engal+ )acltated by
hs e9tens/e tra/els n these dstrcts- Gupta used to tra/el by boat a)ter Durgapu&o+ as *an%m tells us3
he tred to e9ca/ate *engal6s hstory as he tred to map *engal culture through these tra/els- Npon
tourng east *engal+ he 1rote a poem about !a&a !a&ballabh3 he 1rote on the runs o) Gour+ the ancent
captal o) *engal 5*an%m 7148- Thus+ Gupta 1as turnng hs Kol%ata daly nto a 1orthy /ehcle o)
*engal naton?conscousness+ as Kol%ata 1as &ust)yng tsel) as the epcentre o) *engal dentty-
Consoldaton o) the *engal communty 1as beng spearheaded )rom Kol%ata+ the seat o) *engal
re//al-
Chandpal Ghat on the Ganges- (ames *alle 2raser+ 1814-
4n *an%m ths re//al comes to be sel)?conscous o) ts de)lecton )rom ts ndgenous co?
ordnates> GLbscenty s a ma&or )ault n 4sh1ar Gupta6s poetry- *y omttng that 5obscenty8+ n order to
bo1dler7e 5*an%m uses the 1ord 6bo1dler7e6 n hs *engal essay on Gupta8 4sh1ar Gupta+ 1e ha/e
made hs poetry po1erless- The true connosseur o) poetry 1ll decry us-H 5718?71'8- *an%m proceeds
to obser/e that 4sh1ar Gupta6s obscenty s not really obscenty a)ter all+ because hs s an anger aganst
66@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
)alsehood and sn- Ths pont s repeatedly emphassed by *an%m throughout hs essay on Gupta> that
4sh1ar Gupta 1as an enemy o) )alsehood> GThe sages used such language- 2or the *engals o) those
days such a language 1as habtual- 4 ha/e seen many such nstances+ 1here /eteran+ noble?souled+
sober+ c/l+ honest people ha/e started usng )oul language by loo%ng at a sn)ul crme- The language
to e9press anger n those days 1as obscene tsel)-H 571'8- *an%m nssts that Gupta does not resort to
obscene language )or sensual+ sel)sh grat)catons+ but 1th the purpose to g/e /ent to hs re- Ths
de)ence by *an%m s purported to sa/e 4sh1ar Gupta )rom beng castgated by an ncreasngly prudsh
age+ under the hea/y n)luence o) ,ctoran moralty- 2urther+ *an%m s also Auc% to pont out that the
Aueston o) taste /ares across tme+ and across space+ and /ares )rom one country to another 571'8-
Cauton there)ore had to be e9ercsed by those educated *engals 1ho 1ere bearers o) ,ctoran
sensblty be)ore summarly dsmssng 4sh1ar Gupta- Thus a thorough but /eled de)ence o) Gupta6s
obscenty comes )rom *an%m+ 1ho challenges the mperal codes penalsng Gupta6s obscenty-
*an%m pthly comments> G$any ancent poets o) our country a)ter beng caught by the la1 o) *rtsh
taste ha/e been con/cted o) the crme o) obscenty )or no gult o) ther o1nH 572:8-
#aton?conscousness attempts to )ght bac% de)lecton+ as *an%m de)ends 4sh1ar Gupta-
;o1e/er as the terms o) that de)ence also had to be colonally appro/ed+ con)ormng to the domnant
colonal standards+ the resultant crcut o) )orces becomes rather comple9- *an%m n any case dd a
commendable &ob+ he dd the best he could do+ g/en the tde o) those tmes- *an%m spo%e o) 4sh1ar
Gupta as a prophet 1ho 1as ahead o) hs tmes> G4sh1ar Gupta 1as much larger than hs poetry- ;s
real dentty s not there n hs poetry- Those 1ho are specally talented /ery o)ten are ahead o) ther
tmes- 4sh1ar Gupta 1as ahead o) hs tmeH 572.8- 4t s nterestng to note that *an%m here probably
alludes to Gupta6s prose+ most l%ely hs &ournalstc 1rtng+ as greater than hs poetry- 4t6s clear that
Gupta6s poetry remaned decs/ely passS )or the ne1 sensblty o) the new nneteenth century+ 1hereas
Gupta belonged to the old nneteenth century- ;o1e/er+ *an%m ctes three cases o) Gupta6s poneerng
role-
2rst+ patrotsm- *an%m s not sure 1hether t e/er e9sted among the *engals o) pre/ous
eras+ but he notes that t 1as really rare at the tme o) Gupta+ and here *an%m Auotes )rom Gupta6s
celebrated poem Swadesh 5Shodesh8- *an%m begns hs essay 1th an anecdote 1here a *engal a)ter
ne1ly acAurng the status o) a Shaheb 5a 1esternsed gentleman8 cannot understand 1hat ocha
5plantan )lo1er8 s+ and a)ter much trouble decdes to call t kela ka phool 5)lo1er o) banana+ n
67@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
;ndustan+ 1hch 1as a lngua )ranca o) !a& admnstraton8- *an%m says that 1hle ma&orty o)
*engals are beng 1esternsed these days 5and there)ore &onng the kela-ka-phool band1agon8+ 4sh1ar
Gupta stc%s to the *engal ocha 57:68- There s also one personal e9perence 1hch *an%m shares
n order to e9plan the mportance o) Gupta to *engal naton?conscousness- *an%m recounts an
e9perence o) en&oyng a moonlt nght by the Ganges+ 1hen he 1as loo%ng )or an apt poetc
e9presson 1hch 1ould correspond 1th the scenery- ;e )ound none n @nglsh+ and he could not )nd
any such e9presson n modern *engal poets l%e $adhusudan+ #abnchandra and ;emchandra- Then
he heard a song o) a boatman )rom a)ar> GLnly ths desre s there n my mnd+ mother< *y utterng
Durga+ 4 g/e up ths l)e on GangesH- Npon hearng that+ *an%m anmatedly )elt> GThen my soul got
Auenched+ the tune o) my mnd 1as there+ could hear the heart6s desre o) a *engal n the *engal
languageH 57:68- *an%m obser/ed that here 1as an element o) dent)caton+ here someone could
dent)y 1th one6s o1n land+ one6s o1n locale+ one6s o1n roots+ 1hch 1as not to be )ound n the recent
*engal lterature 1hch 1as under hea/y 1estern n)luence+ 1hch 1as 6sophstcated6 5agan by
colonal standards8+ but 1as certanly uprooted- GThat s 1hy 4 ha/e attempted to collect 4sh1ar Gupta6s
Coetry- ;ere e/erythng s purely *engal- $adhusudan+ ;emchandra+ #abnchandra+ !abndranath are
poets o) the educated *engals- 4sh1ar Gupta s a poet o) the *engals- #o1adays pure *engal poets
are no longer born = there s no scope )or that = there s no use )or that- Nnless the condton o) *engal
deterorates+ a pure *engal poet cannot once more be bornH 5*an%m 7:68-
The second aspect o) Gupta6s poneerng role 1as hs atttude to relgon- 4sh1ar Gupta6s
relgous /e1s 1ere ahead o) hs tmes+ and here *an%m shares ths starlng n)ormaton 1th us that
at one pont o) tme 4sh1ar Gupta 1as a *rahmo 57:68- Gupta 1as a part o) "d *rahmo Shoma&+ and
1as a member o) Tottobodhn Shobha3 he used to 1orshp together 1th *rahmos and used to g/e
speeches n *rahmo meetngs- ;e 1as close to and admred by Debendranath Tha%ur+ as *an%m
n)orms us- The thrd aspect 1as 4sh1ar Gupta6s poltcs- *an%m comments that Gupta6s poltcal /e1
1as Aute generous 5*an%m uses the 1ord 6udar6 1hch can also mean lberal8+ and n ths too he 1as
ahead o) hs tme 57:68- Nn)ortunately+ o1ng to hs space constrants *an%m does not dscuss ths
pont any )urther-
*an%m s Aute correctly a1are o) the geocultural sgn)cance o) Gupta6s accounts o) hs
tra/els n the dstrcts o) *engal- Bhat 4 call Gupta6s pro&ect o) coord#aton n ths artcle s most
strategcally e9ecuted n ths part o) Gupta6s career- Gupta tra/elled through the !a&shah dstrct o) east
6D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
,e1 o) Kdderpore )rom the opposte ban% o) Ganges- (ames *alle 2raser 1826-
*engal on boat along the r/er Cadma+ and hs tra/elogue s publshed under the headng G*hromon%ar
*ondhur CotroH 5" Tra/ellng 2rend6s Eetter8 51> 211))8- ;e tal%s about the sgn)cant people 1hom he
personally met there+ about local schools and nsttutons+ the hstory o) 1hch he came to %no1- ;e s
a1are o) amusng and dosyncratc anecdotes and shares them- ;e ntroduces some ma&or )gures o)
local mportance 1ho consttute the upper echelons o) *engal socety n the dstrct- 2rom !a&shah
Gupta tra/els to Cabna+ as lea/ng the r/er Cadma he sals on 4chamot r/er 51> 217))8- ;s tnerary
closely re)lects the cultural geography o) *engals+ al1ays a r/erne people- Gupta )earlessly crtcses
the ndgo planters 1ho oppress )armers and the complcty o) the local *rtsh admnstrator n that act
o) oppresson+ o))ers a demographcal s%etch o) the dstrct and tells us about ts admnstrat/e
structure and d/son nto thanas+ pro/des a thorough lst o) all the ;oidars o) ths dstrct+ bre)ly
descrbes ts creaton n 1828 by e%ng out some o) the areas o) !a&shah and (essore+ and e9presses hs
gre) that the hgh o))cals 5all *rtsh8 o) the dstrct ha/e not learnt *engal 1ell enough+ 1hch acts
as an mpedment n go/ernance-
Ths should be noted here that 4sh1ar Gupta used Shongb4d "robh4kor as a /ehcle o) protest
aganst the se/ere oppressons o) the colonal ndgo planters+ and an other1se hostle anthologst
S1apan *asu 5he s ad/erse to 4sh1ar Gupta )or sdng 1th the *rtsh aganst the re/olutonary
mo/ement o) the Santhals+ nstead o) e9pressng a soldarty 1th the latter 51> 4.83 *asu s hghly
anachronstc n e9pectng an e9presson o) re/olutonary soldarty )rom Gupta to1ards the Santhals+
69@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1e mght say that he s &udgng 4sh1ar Gupta by hs an un)ar yardstc%8 sho1ers hgh 1ords o) prase
on Gupta )or )earlessly 1rtng aganst ths oppresson on the *engal )armers carred out by the 1hte
colonsers- Snce the ncepton o) Shongb4d "robh4kor n the 18.:s Gupta6s ne1spaper too% up a
)earless stand n )a/our o) *engal )armers 1ho 1ere oppressed by ndgo planters+ and Gupta dd not
stop 1rtng aganst the colonal atroctes commtted n *engal6s /llages by the ndgo planters tll the
end o) hs l)e3 e/en a)ter hs death+ "robhakor remaned )ath)ul to the edtoral lne set by 4sh1ar
Gupta+ and contnued to g/e detaled co/erage on the atroctes o) ndgo Clanters+ e/en at the rs% o)
legal?go/ernmental actons 5*asu> 1> 0:8- *asu6s collecton also establshes that "robhakor crtcsed
not &ust the 1hte non?go/ernmental settlers 1ho mposed ndgo plantng n one /llage a)ter another+
but the *rtsh magstrates 1ere also e9posed n Gupta6s daly 51> ..:8-
Eet us go bac% to Gupta6s tra/els n dstrcts- The ne9t regon n hs tnerary 1as 2ardpur+ and
4sh1ar Gupta ga/e a detaled account o) ths area+ ncludng ts demography+ ts cultural l)e and ts
nsttutons- "n account o) Dha%a College )ollo1s 5one notces that not a sngle $uslm s )ound
among the scholarshp holdng students = though the communty held a demographc ma&orty n ths
area = the complete lst o) 1hom s g/en by Gupta8 51> 2.1))8+ and then an account o) the dstrct
*hulua s g/en 1here Gupta tal%s at length about ts natural and human geography 51> 2.4))8- Gupta
repeatedly obser/es that the caste herarchy o) east *engal 5*hulua and Chttagong n partcular8 s at
/arance 1th the system pre/alent n 1est *engal 51> 2.7+ 241+ 248+ 26.8- " descrpton o) Chttagong
)ollo1s ne9t+ and then Gupta ta%es up Trpura+ Coomlla and *%rampur- ;e dscusses about !a&nagar
at length+ the captal o) !a&a !a&ballabh+ and mentons the !a&a6s prase1orthy attempt to ntate
1do1 marrage 51> 26.))8- #e9t+ Gupta turns to *arsal- ;e notces that *arsal has a total o) 1 mllon
populaton+ out o) 1hch ma&orty s ;ndu 6dosh ana- or 1:<16th as he puts t8 51> 2688+ but he also
notces that among the $uslms the 2ra&s 5adherents o) 2ara7 mo/ement+ started by ;a&
Sharyatullah8 are ganng momentum- 2ra&s are e9tremely tyranncal and aggress/e+ Gupta obser/es
51> 2778- " 1ord or t1o about ths mo/ement 51th close ln%s 1th Bahab8 may not be out o) place
here- 2ounded n 1818+ ths mo/ement 1anted to purge all ;ndu mpurtes )rom 4slam n *engal- 4t
nssted on adherence to proper 4slamc codes+ and aggress/ely propagated 4slam+ sub&ectng non?
bele/ers 5-e- ;ndus8 and de/ants 51ho 1ere $uslms but 1ere not )ollo1ng proper 4slam3 )or
2ara7s they 1ere de/ants8 to /olence- Crobably the 2ara7 mo/ement played a %ey role n changng
the demographc composton o) *arsal and other dstrcts o) east *engal+ by slo1ly ma%ng them
7(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
$uslm ma&orty areas- Ths s a tra&ectory o) *engal6s modern hstory 1hch needs to be e9plored n
detals- Gupta6s mert 1as that he 1as able to brng the 1orryng )eature o) the 2ara7 mo/ement to the
notce o) Kol%ata ntellgentsa- *ut hs 1as &ust a cursory glance at that phenomenon 1hch 1ould
conseAuently pro/e )atal )or the *engal spea%ng ;ndus n the ne9t hundred years- Gupta dd not
certanly )oresee that-
Bth *arsal hs tra/ellng commentary on east *engal dstrcts comes to an end+ n 1hch
Gupta has o))ered ob&ect/e portrats o) )ol% l)e that 1as /anshng )ast n the 1a%e o) colonalsm- ;s
tnerant pro&ect o) 1rtng about east *engal Aual)es as our )rst cultural documentaton- ;o1e/er+ t
s not 1thout )la1s- Gupta sometmes appears to patronse rural l)e 1hch can amount to
condescenson- #eedless to say+ a bg brother atttude o) Kol%ata does not help coord#aton- *ut to hs
credt+ Gupta has an open mnd+ and a curosty 1orthy o) a cultural hstoran 1hch together n)orm hs
attempt to document the soco?cultural l)e o) the dstrcts- Gupta consoldates *engal naton?
conscousness 1th Kol%ata as ts 1orthy epcentre+ as the pur/eyor o) *engal terrtores+ coord#atng
among ts perpheres- $odern day *engals become part o) a coordnatng system 1th Kol%ata as
ther heart and as ther ner/e centre+ ensurng that a net1or% s mantaned and n)ormaton )rom
d))erent parts are duly rece/ed and processed nsde a ne1 dscourse o) naton?conscousness- Thus a
sense o) a common *engal communty s )orged through Shongb4d "robh4kor-
"robhakor became a name- So+ e9plotng ts brand name+ Gupta later authored a boo% named
0it "robhakor 1hch as a te9t m9ed poetry 1th prose+ touchng upon God and the human relatonshp
1th God+ but here the )ocus 1as really on the ethcal Auestons o) e9stence meant )or young mnds+ n
the /en o) classcal 4ndan te9ts l%e "anchatantra and 0itopadesha- *ut ths boo% also contaned a
number o) banaltes+ l%e the ad/ce )or dspensng 1th a bad 1)e+ an arrogant ser/ant and a croo%ed
)rend 5Collected :orks 2> .48- Ths boo% has )our chapters> .itrolabh+ Shuhridbhed+ Bigroho and
Shondhi 1hch closely parallels the te9tual scheme o) "anchatantra- Sgn)cantly+ ths boo% 1as
1rtten upon a reAuest )rom *ethune+ 1ho 1anted 4sh1ar Gupta to produce a boo% o) *engal /erse )or
school gong chldren+ as 4sh1ar Gupta6s brother !amchandra n)ormed n the pre)ace to ths
posthumously publshed te9t+ 1here he attached the orgnal letter )rom *ethune and ts translaton n
*engal 5Collected :orks 2> 2?48- ;ere t s Aute amusng to note that 4sh1ar Gupta hmsel)
lampooned *ethune n one o) hs satrcal poems that spe1ed /enom aganst )emale educaton ntated
by *ethune+ 1ho alone had destroyed the tradtonal /rtues n 1omen 5l%e those o) %eepng brotos+
7!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1hch 1ere rtuals n/ol/ng )ol% 1orshp n d))erent seasons o) the year3 there 1ere chants n *engal
and a )ast had to be mantaned tll the 1orshp 1as o/er8 n hs 7eal to mpart Bestern educaton on
*engal grls+ accordng to Gupta 51> এAlবরl8-
2
@9tract )rom that satrcal pece s pro/ded n the notes-
*ut Shongb4d "robh4kor supported the demand )or educaton )or grls throughout 184:s and
180:s+ t supported 1do1 marrage+ and opposed Kulinsm 5that encouraged polygamy 1hch n turn
could be a bane )or all *engal 1omen+ not necessarly the 1omen o) the three upper castes =
*rahman+ ,adya and Kayastha = alone 1here Kulinsm 1as promnent8+ as S1apan *asu 51ho s
other1se /ery hghly crtcal o) 4sh1ar Gupta+ as 1e ha/e already noted8 tells us 51> 88- 4sh1ar Gupta
hmsel) partcpated the )rst meetng o) the go/ernors o) the )rst all grls6 school n Kol%ata )ounded
upon the ntat/e o) *ethune+ named ,ctora Balika Biddaloy 5later rechrstened on *ethune hmsel)
a)ter hs untmely death8+ as a report n Shongb4d "robh4kor dated 20 $ay 184' tells us+ e9tracted n
*asu 52> 27.?27483 n another report publshed n the same year on 24 (uly+ Gupta6s ne1spaper e9horts
all sta%eholders to come )or1ard )or the noble cause o) )emale educaton+ and partcularly crtcses the
*rahmos )or ther nacton n ths )ront> ths s also a/alable n *asu6s anthology 52> 2778- "robhakor
contnued the edtoral polcy o) Gupta and contnued to support the cause o) grls6 educaton+ 1hch s
e/dent n another report publshed n 187' 5*asu> 2> .2'8-
So+ s there a dchotomy n Gupta thenF Does he both support and oppose )emale educatonF
;a/ng hmsel) authored brotokotha or rtual chants )or the 1orshp o) Shubochon and Shottonarayon+
Gupta as an ardent supporter o) these brotos mght ha/e been o))ended that n the 1estern?style
educaton grls 1ere encouraged to treat such ndgenous rtuals as lttle more than superstton-
4mportantly+ hs nostalga )or the /anshng culture o) brotos seems to be shared by others as 1ell- 2or
e9ample+ a maga7ne named Deepika lamentng )or the steady loss o) the culture o) broto among
Kol%ata 1omen n ts ssue publshed n the *engal Mear 12'4+ Auotes those lnes o) 4sh1ar Gupta
1hch precsely spea%s o) the loss o) the culture o) obser/ng broto n 1omen3 ths ssue o) Deepika s
collected n S1apan *asu6s anthology o) nneteenth century *engal perodcals 52> 1278-
Gupta 1as not a msogynst+ as t s sometmes made out to be+ a)ter *an%m n hs essay made
some ad/erse comments about Gupta+ regardng the lac% o) a soothng )emnne presence n hs l)e+
1hch+ accordng to *an%m+ suppressed Gupta6s ablty to sympathse 1th the )arer se9 571:8- Gupta
n )act encouraged 1omen 1rters and correspondents+ by publshng ther 1rtngs n "robhakor+ ths s
e/dent n the case o) Tha%uran Das+ a )orgotten 1rter 1ho used to publsh her columns n Gupta6s
72@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
ne1spaper 5*asu 2> 7:18- Surely hs edtoral polcy 1as not msogynst- 2urther+ Gupta6s "robhakor
1as a staunch supporter o) !an !ashmon+ and publcsed her d))erent 1el)are act/tes 5one report
dated 14 $arch 180. s about the !an6s contrbuton to1ards buldng up c/c amentes and urban
n)rastructure ncludng roads+ santaton+ drn%ng 1ater and buldng o) ghats8+ prnted her appeal
aganst rampant polygamy o) Kulinsm 5report dated .1 (uly 18068+ as 1ell as her ntat/e )or re//al
o) *engal6s ;ndusm 1hch too% a concrete embodment n the Do%%hneshshor Kal Temple 5report
dated 12 "prl 1806+ and here 1e must note that the !an )aced a lot o) hostltes )rom conser/at/e
;ndus because o) her lo1ly status n the *rahmncal caste herarchy as she 1as a $ahshsho<$OhZya
by caste+ and 1as not consdered to be elgble to buld a temple+ and there)ore the stand o) "robhakor
/s?a?/s the !an s anythng but a conser/at/e+ reactonary ;ndu stand83 "robhakor also reports n
pthy detals about the drun%en rad o) a band o) armed *rtshers 5a hundred n number8 upon the
resdence o) !an !ashmon 5dated 6 $ay 18088+ a report that created a str among the ;ndus o)
Kol%ata 5*ra&endranath *andyopadhyay> 2> 74.?7448- Eoo%ng at 4sh1ar Gupta6s admraton )or the
!an+ t s Aute hard to bele/e that he 1as not able to respect 1omen+ as *an%m suggests-
!an !ashmon
;o1e/er+ those apparently msogynst lnes o) Gupta 1hch lampooned the 1estern?style
educaton )or grls are o)t Auoted by progress/e crtcs ne/tably to brandsh a s1ord aganst Gupta+
but ndeed 1hat 1e see here s a prophetc statement3 educaton on colonial ters spelt a dsaster )or
the ndgenous culture o) *engal- Lne easy proo) o) that 1ould be to as% those 1ho regularly parade
ths pece o) Gupta6s poem as a specmen o) conser/at/e ;ndu msogyny that ho1 many o) them
%no1 anythng at all about the broto o) Shan+ Shen+oti 5সl* ছস ব*lনত8+ 1hch n Gupta6s poem s cted as
one o) the lost tradtons-
4n )act+ the present 1rter loo%ed up "banndranath Tha%ur6s Banglar Broto n search o) the
broto o) Shan+ Shen+oti+ to no a/al- ")ter loo%ng up nternet+ a number o) stes 5almost all o) them
73@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
)rom *angladesh8 told us that ths broto probably orgnated among the Lraon trbe 1ho stll practse t+
and that Shen+oti<She+uti rtuals are held n the late autumn month o) &ghran<"gra;aayana+
.
1hle a
page de/oted to the dstrct o) 2ardpur n *angladesh mentons ths broto n a cursory manner among
other brotos 1hch+ 1e are told+ are stll practsed by the /llagers o) ths dstrct-
4
2nally+ a )ull
transcrpt o) the rtual chants o) ths broto o) Shan+ Shen+oti 1as )ound n Da%shnaran&an $tra
$a&umdar6s *handidir *hole- Banglar Brotokotha 1hch )orms a part o) the )rst /olume o) hs
Collected :orks 5.00?.648-
Gupta6s support o) and opposton to )emale educaton there)ore )orm a core dlemma o) naton?
conscousness+ that %eeps on pushng ts tra&ectory n t1o opposte drectons> collaboraton and
resstance+ socal re)orm and socal reacton+ mperal @nlghtenment and nat/e tradton- "nd they
1ere sometmes held together+ albet n a great tenson- 0it "robhakor s meant )or mpartng a lesson
n *engal poetcs as 1ell as classcal 4ndan ethcs+ but ths boo% can also be consdered as a product o)
the school educaton system ntroduced by *rtsh- " ne1sreport o) 18.' collected n *ra&endranath
*andyopadhyay6s anthology attests Gupta6s long term nterest n the spread o) lberal school educaton+
1hle he partcpated n the )oundaton meetng o) a school at *arasat 52> 71?728- Clearly+ Gupta and
others sa1 a potental n the 1estern?style educaton as t 1as seen to be accommodat/e o) ;ndu
nterests+ though t s eAually true that clashes 1ere also )reAuent- ;ndu College authortes once
delberated on the opton o) prosecutng Gupta because o) hs comments aganst the college+ 1e are
told n *habatosh Dutta6s ntroducton to Ishwar Gupta #ochito Kobi+iboni+ and the same source also
tells us that Gupta translated Tom Cane6s (ge of #eason nto *engal as a counter?ballast aganst
Chrstan mssonares+ on behal) o) a conser/at/e ;ndu assocaton named Dhoroshobha 5QQo8- 4n
ths perod+ the strange transacton bet1een the ;ndu nterests and the Bestern nterests 1as n ts )ull?
)ledged )orm+ and t produced some )rut)ul manoeu/res 1here the ;ndu 1as able to produce hs o1n
deologcal dscourse pro/ded that t dd not mmedately collde 1th the nterests o) colonalsm-
Kol%ata o) nneteenth century s all about ths strategc and strange marrage o) con/enence bet1een
the occdent and the orent- 4t n/ol/es a de)erral o) the naton?conscousness+ the 1ay the end o)
*an%m6s (nandaath n/ol/es a de)erral o) ;ndu sel)?rule n )a/our o) mmedate *rtsh
colonsaton- Kol%ata 1ould gladly reman a colonal cty n ths precse gesture o) de)erral+ sngng the
prase o) the *rtsh empre+ pro/ded the empre o))ered the space necessary )or the *engal *abus to
stage a !enassance- Ths de)erral o) naton?conscousness s archetypcally e9hbted by the nneteenth
74@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
century Kol%ata 1hch 1as 4sh1ar Gupta6s 1orld+ as hs l)e and 1or%s symbolse the de)erred
mo/ement o) *engal dentty- Some o) Gupta6s poems contanng prases )or the *rtsh empre are
produced n the notes-
0
The concepts o) natonalsm and patrotsm 1ere undoubtedly n)luenced by an e9posure to the
1est+ though ths s a smpl)caton to say that notons o) a coherent *engalness dd not e9st pror to
the arr/al o) *rtsh- *ut t s ndeed true that poems l%e Shodesh 5S1adesh8 spea% o) a natonalst
)er/our 1hch 1as perhaps absent n the poetry o) pre/ous ages 5translaton o) a part o) ths poem done
by me s pro/ded n the notes8- "gan+ Gupta6s poem 6$atrbhasha6 52> 4418 s a case n pont- The /ery
phrase o) 6mother tongue6 1as brought about by colonalsm+ and Gupta6s use o) the phrase matrbhasha
s a straght translaton o) the phrase mother tongue- Bhat de)lected naton?conscousness also helped
to produce naton?conscousness by a dalectcal process+ and 1e can thn% o) ths as a pearl-oyster
odel o) the brth o) naton?conscousness+ 1here the trauma o) mperalsm produces the pearl o)
naton?conscousness- 4t 1as a composte phenomenon-
#neteenth century Kol%ata 1as a composte e/ent+ and t 1as ta%ng place not &ust rght n )ront
o) 4sh1ar Gupta6s eyes+ ths e/ent 1as happenng 1th 4sh1ar Gupta per)ormng in t- Lld 1as g/ng
1ay to the ne1+ but 1as lea/ng ne/ertheless ts neluctable mprnts- The Kobiwalas o) Gupta6s
chroncle 1ere breathng ther last as Gupta 1as gro1ng up n ths cty- ;oru Tha%ur o) Shmula ded
n 1824+ and #lu Tha%ur 5also o) Shmula8 ded n 1820+ as the obtuares n Shoachar Dorpon tells
us+ collected n *ra&endranath *andyopadhyay6s anthology o) early nneteenth century perodcals 51>
14.8- 4) one needed to 1rte an obtuary )or 4sh1ar Gupta+ t should ha/e mentoned hm as a
collaborator o) colonalsm and a sad /ctm o) the same+ as a leader o) the cultural resstance
mo/ement o) hs people aganst colonal aggresson+ as a )orgotten *rahmo 1ho remaned a tradtonal
;ndu all the 1ay to hs core+ as a re)ormer 1ho sometmes 1as trapped n reacton+ as an mportant
turn n the tme?space cur/e o) *engal naton?conscousness 1hch he helped to both gro1
courageously and gro/el abomnably n )ront o) the *rtsh eyes- ;e 1as born a Boddi+ consdered to be
the archetypcally intelligent caste among *engals > ndeed+ he s re)erred to n one o) the
contemporary r/al perodcals as G4shshor *oddH n a slghtly contemptuous tone 5*ra&endranath
*andyopadhyay 2> 1868 > and he 1as uneducated+ and yet be)ore he 1as t1enty he became edtor o) a
ne1spaper that 1as about to become the )rst /ernacular daly n the 4ndan subcontnent- ;e became a
reno1ned poet 1hle stll n hs adolescence+ he became our )rst cultural hstoran and chroncled the
7?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
l/es and 1or%s o) Kobiwalas- ;s people had a glorous hstory o) cultural per)ormance+ 1hch 1as
becomng obscure /ery )ast+ and he an9ously 1anted to rescue that hstory- ;e coord#ated
*engalness n the best possble 1ay that he could do n those crcumstances and by the tme he ded at
the premature age o) 47 n 180'+ he came to be seen as the grand patrarch o) *engal art and letters- 4n
chldhood he 1as a prodgy+ n adolescence he 1as an uneducated poet?songma%er+ n youth he 1as an
establshment+ and n death he s a msunderstood )gure- 0e is nineteenth century Kolkata crying out
to be reread-
" clppng )rom a youtube /deo 1hch laments that 4sh1ar Gupta6s brthplace at Kanchrapara les neglected and )orgotten-
Curously+ the headng o) ths report n ths mage ntroduces Gupta as an Gemnent &ournalstH
5http><<111-youtube-com<1atchF/[944/bT6MC"g8
Notes>
1- ;ere s a translaton o) a part o) that poem o) 4sh1ar Gupta done by me+ 1here he e9horts hs
countrymen to embrace a nat/e dog+ )orsa%ng the )oregn God>
76@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Shodesh )S4adesh;8neEs 84n 6ountr1*
Turn to a 1orshp o) the nature "nd all cheer)ully hal her
*o1 do1n to the earth6s lo/ng )eet
Cartcularly )or your o1n land Send a congenal errand
E/es are enchanted 1hom she6d charm to meet
Ln to the abode o) the supreme %ng Mou 1on6t )eel l%e to clng
L) 1hch the )eel o) hea/en a mere symptom s
The mountan home o) Sh/a 2ull o) name o) blessng?g/er
Mour o1n land s the supreme abode o) bene/olence and blss
2alse are dear pearls and gold Eo/e o) one6s land dearer mould
There6s not a &e1el that dd dearer come and stand
"s honeybees nectar brng #urture thrsty hungerlngs
So do the good mss/es )rom one6s o1n land
2eelng )raternty among you Me countrymen pur/e1
Eet compassonate eyes open and applaud
;o1 a))ectons man)old Ln to the nat/e dogs 1e hold
Dscardng all the mghty Gods )rom abroad
5Collected :orks 2> 4.'?44:8
2- 4t s temptng to Auote )rom that supposedly ant?)emnst poem by Gupta-
77@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
^ত কlব¬র ^¸বdl ছ^ন স¸বdl
ই:বরন* ক§ dlকl Ulবd।
ছhlবর Gd প¸dত Xlবর *¸ বতl
নU¬lরî নক অP পlবdF
¯বA ছXব§ Gব¬l ন¯¬ Ulব¬l
ðত hX ছকlবত l সবd।
একl ছdA¸ন এবস ছশ^ কবরব¯
¯র নক তlবদর ছতXন পlবdF
^ত ¯¸ ড়îGব¬l ত¸ড়î ছXবর
ছকতld হlবত ননব' ^বd।
ত¬ন এ. নd. নশব¬ নdনd ছসব*
নd¬lতî ছdl¬ কবdই কবd।।
এ¬ন ¯র নক তlরl সlন* ননব§
সl* ছসব*lনতর ðত AlবdF
সd কlbl চlXবচ ছhld বd ছশব^
নপনড় ছপবত ¯র নক ¬lবdF
ß Ulই+ ¯র নক¯¸নদন ছdবচ Alকব¬+
পlবdই পlবdই ছদ¬বত পlবd।
এরl ¯পন হlবত হlনকব§ dAî
Aবড়র Xlব3 হlߧl ¬lবd।
7D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
¯ব¯ ছAlbl কতক d¸বড়l ^ নদন
ত নদন নক¯¸ রVl পlবd।
ß Ulই+ তlরl হব¬ই দ¹l র¹l
এককlব¬ সd ¹¸নরব§ ^lবd।
5Collected :orks 1> এAlবরl?dlবরl8
4n ths poem Gupta laments about the loss o) the tradtonal /rtues o) 1omen and n a sudden )loursh
o) dystopc msogyny shudders at the prospect o) *engal 1omen becomng masters o) ther o1n )ate
l%e the 1hte @uropean 1omen a)ter beng sub&ected to 1estern?style educaton+ becomng
ndependent+ themsel/es dr/ng horse?dra1n carrages to en&oy the e/enng ar o) $adan- 4t s not
necessary to translate the 1hole poem- "s t s mpossble to translate Gupta6s 1onder)ul rhymes n
*engal+ there s lttle use n translatng hs ant?)emnsm alone- 4n ths connecton+ t may be pertnent
to Auote )rom $ousum Dasgupta6s re/e1 artcle )rom the naugural ssue o) (*S>
2a%r $ohan Senapat+ consdered the )ather o) Lrya natonalsm+ once commented that Lrya
language sur//ed the onslaught o) Tur%?")ghan?Cersan?"rabc n)luences because o) the
domestc sphere that 1as domnated by GGruhala%shmsH 1ho ressted the )oregn n)luence that
had the men under ts s1ay 5snce they 1or%ed n close contact 1th the 4slamc colon7ers and
used a language and adopted a culture that celebrated ths collaboraton8 as @sha Dey+ noted
*engal 1rter recently remnsced n a personal con/ersaton 1th the edtor o) (*S- Bomen6s
role n sustanng the ndgenous culture and language 1thn domestc spheres has e/ery clam
to be a topc o) crtcal study- Bomen 1ere less prone to )oregn n)luences and they played
crucal roles n celebratng cultural e9pressons o) dentty
;o1e/er+ the male )antasy o) 1omen6s purty contrbutes hea/ly to ths mage- 4t 1as
79@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
certanly no glory o) the 4ndans that 1omen had to be con)ned 1thn the boundares o) her
home 5as some natonalsts uncrtcally assumed8+ and yet 1e see that 1omen6s con)nement
became a matter o) glory )or patrarchy+ and the natonalsts o) the old school- Bomen as pr7ed
possesson o) patrarchy and 1omen as unspolt+ pure+ nnocent space 5)ree )rom all pollutng
and corruptng )oregn n)luences8 meant )or the )urtherance o) the ancien regie are the t1o
)ances 1hch come together n ths celebraton o) 1omen as the sustaners o) lost treasures-
("Motherhood/Maidenhood in Revolutionary Nationalism", JBS 1.1, 2012, p 11!2"
.- \http><<onushlon-org<geography<bangladesh<%hudro?nrgosth<orao<orao-htm]- "ccessed on 17 Sep
2:14-
4- \http><<greater)ardpur-n)o<nde9-phpFopton[contentK/alue[.47]- "ccessed on 17 Sep 2:14-
0- Some e9tracts )rom Gupta6s o/ertly collaboratonst poems are pro/ded here+ 1here he sngs the
prase o) the *rtsh empre and lampoons the rebels o) 1807 1ar o) ndependence-
hন¯ নচ¹ কXl?lর hন¯ ছদß AবT
A+¯ dবb (সন¯A+ hন¯ ছদß তl§।
¬বT র রনহ¬ Xlন AবTর ক পl§।।
সদ§ সXরকব0 নdU¸ দ§lX§।
--- *§ নðhবশর *§ রব+ নðhবশর *§।।
ছপবb ছ¬ব¬ নপব3 স§ এই dlক¯ hর।
রl*lর সlহl^¯বহত¸ র+স*l পর।।
D(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
নlনl পlবপ পb¸ নlনl নlনক Gব++ নl +নl।
অhবXর অ7কlবর হই§lব¯ কl+l।।
Ul¬?বদlব^ Ul¬ ত¸নX dblব¬ 3Xlদ।
¯বAবত ছদব¬¯ d¸d¸ + ছশব^ ছদ¬ ¹lদ।।
নপপîড়l hবরব¯ Tlনl Xনরdlর তবর।
হ¯lবদ নক ºনন dl+îF
হ¯lবদ নক ºনন dl+î 4lন¹র রlনî
ছ3lbকlbl কlকî।।
ছXব§ হব§ ছসনl ননব§ সlন*§lব¯ নlনকF
নlনl তlর dবরর ছb নক
নlনl তlর dবরর ছb নক XlAî ছ¬কî
ছAl§lব¬র দব¬।
এতনদবন hবন *বন ^lবd রসlতব¬।। 5Collected :orks 1> পবনবরl8
পড়¸ক নdপVদ¬ Xবনর অনব¬
উড়¸ক নðhশ =*l সX¸দ§ 7ব¬।।
ই:রlব*র পরl5X রনdর 3কlশ।
অত¯lচlর?অ7কlর হই¬ নdনlশ।।
D!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
নðhবশর *§ *§ d¬ সবd Ulই ছর।
এবসl সবd ছনবচ j বদ নdU¸G+ Alই ছর।। 5Collected :orks 1> ছ^l¬8
"ll o) these poems are 1rtten on the occason o) the /ctory o) the *rtsh n 1807+ 1hch s d/nely
ordaned )or Gupta- Clearly Gupta re)lects the domnant )eelng o) euphora among the educated
*engals 1ho consttuted the bac%bone o) *rtsh c/l admnstraton throughout 4nda- Gupta )reely
uses @nglsh 1ords l%e GEordH and GGodH n hs *engal poems n order to create an atmosphere o)
loyalty- "gan+ there s no use n translatng 1hole peces+- 4nterestngly+ Gupta6s dyspeptc lampoonng
o) !an (hans 5Gupta does not spare #ana Sahb as 1ell8 has a dstnct )eel o) "4nch4li+ as t uses
re)rans and metres and rhythms sutable )or ths genre- Lne can almost /sualse Gupta6s poems beng
sung by some per)ormer o) "4nch4li a)ter *rtsh /ctory n 1807+ be)ore ths ndgenous art )orm
)nally 1ent e9tnct-
Pri%ar1 Bi'liogra0h1
Gupta+ 4sh1archandra- Ishwar Gupta #ochonaboli 6Collected :orks7 =olue ? @ =olue A- @d-
Shant%umar Dasgupta and ;arbandhu $u%hot- 2ore1ord 5to both /ols8 by Trpurashan%ar
Senshastr- Kol%ata> DuttaCho1dhur and Sons+ 1.61 5*engal Mear8-
???- Ishwarchandra Gupta #ochito Kobi+oboni- @d- *habatosh Dutta- Kol%ata> Calcutta *oo% ;ouse+
1.60 5*engal Mear8- #ote> The prelmnary pages o) ths boo% use anna 5erst1hle consttuent o)
rupee8 symbols as page numbers+ and 1hle ctng )rom ths boo%6s ntroducton 1rtten by Dutta+
closest a/alable symbols ha/e been used-
Se+ondar1 Bi'liogra0h1
"nderson+ *enedct- Iagined Counities- Eondon> ,erso+ 2::6-
*andyopadhyay+ *ra&endranath- Shongbadpotre Shekaler Kotha- =ol< ?- Kol%ata> *ongyo Shahtto
Corshot+ 1410 5*engal Mear8-
???- Shongbadpotre Shekaler Kotha- =ol< A- Kol%ata> *ongyo Shahtto Corshot+ 14:1 5*engal Mear8-
D2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*andyopadhyay+ #ach%eta- G;ungry $o/ement a)ter 0: Mears-H ;ournal of Bengali Studies .-1
52:148- 18'?2:4-
*asu+ S1apan+ ed- Shongbad Shaoyikpotre Bnish Shotoker BaNalishoa+ 6( Selection of News and
(rticles fro ?C
th
Century ;ournals7- =ol ? 6And !dition7< Kolkata: Coshchmbongo *angla "cademy+
2:1.-
???- Shongbad Shaoyikpotre Bnish Shotoker BaNalishoa+ 6( Selection of News and (rticles fro
?C
th
Century ;ournals7- =ol A< Kolkata: Coshchmbongo *angla "cademy+ 2::.-
*hattacharya+ "mtrasudan- "robondho "onchashot: Bishoy Bankichandra- Kol%ata> Crotbhash+
2:14-
Chattopadhyay+ *an%m Chandra- Banki #ochonaboli- =olue A- Kol%ata> !e)lect+ 1'''-
???- #a+ohan,s :ife- #e1 Delh> Cengun+ 2::'-
Chaudhur+ #rad C- (utobiography of an Bnknown Indian 6=ol< ?7- $umba> (aco Cublshng ;ouse+
2:1.-
Chaudhur+ !osn%a- GCoet o) the Cresent> The $ateral Lb&ect n the Borld o) 4s1ar Gupta-H New
Cultural 0istories of India: .ateriality and "ractices- @ds- Cartha Chatter&e+ Tapat Guha?Tha%urta and
*odhsatt/a Kar- #e1 Delh> LNC+ 2:14- 87?112-
Dey+ Curnachandra Ndbhatsagar- Kobi (nthony Shaheb- Kol%ata> Shoptorsh+ 2:1.-
Dutt+ !omesh Chunder- *he )iterature of Bengal- Calcutta> Thac%er Spn%+ 18'0-
Dutt+ Ntpal- Girish .anosh- Kol%ata> $ C Sar%ar+ 1''4-
Gupta+ *pn *har- "uraton "roshongo- @d- "st *andyopadhyay- Kol%ata> Custo% *pon+ 1'8'-
;unt+ Trstram- *en Cities that .ade an !pire- Eondon> "llen Eane+ 2:14-
;usan+ S- $ahd- Bahadur Shah Dafar and the :ar of ?EFG in Delhi- Delh> "a%ar+ 2::6-
(osh+ Crt- G1807> Lr+ Can the 4ndan 6$utny6 *e 29edFH- branccollect/e-org- "ccessed on 17 Sept-
2:14-\http><<111-branchcollect/e-org<Fps^artcles[prt?&osh?1807?or?can?the?ndan?mutny?be?
)9ed]-Beb-
$allc%+ Cramathanath- Kolikatar Kotha 6(adikando7- Kol%ata> Custo% *pon+ 2::1-
$tra $a&umdar+ Da%shnaran&an- Dokkhinaron+on #ochonashoogro =ol<?- Kol%ata> $tra and
Ghosh+ 141' 5*engal Mear8-
Catrea+ Curnendu- "urono Kolkatar Kothachitro- Kol%ata> Dey6s+ 2::0-
!ay+ Kaldas- "rachin Bongo Shahitto- Kol%ata> "parna+ 2::8-
D3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
!oy+ Dlp%umar- #ochonashongroho 6=ol< H7- @d- N&&1al%umar $a&umdar- Kol%ata> "nanda+ 2::0-
Sar%ar+ Sumt- G,dyasagar and *rahmancal SocetyH- :oen and Social #efor in .odern India: (
#eader- @d- Sumt Sar%ar and Tan%a Sar%ar- 4ndana> 4ndana Nn/ersty Cress+ 2::8- 118?140-
Sr&ato- )aceboo%-com page- Cost dated 22 December 2:12- "ccessed on 17 September 2:14-
\https><<111-)aceboo%-com<songsr&ato<photos<pb-.4186:28'204''4-?
22:702::::-141.'.:761-<.41868.80'2:801<Ftype[.Ktheater]- Beb-
Suman+ Kabr- )aceboo%-com pro)le- Cost< status update dated 17 "prl 2:14- "ccessed on 17 "prl
2:14- Beb-
Tha%ur+ "banndranath- Banglar Broto- Kol%ata> Gangchl+ 2:1.-
5"ll translatons )rom *engal 1hch appear n ths artcle+ unless Auoted )rom another crtc+ are done
by the author- "ll *engal 1ords+ apart )rom )amlar proper nouns+ are spelt accordng to *engal
standard o) pronuncaton8
Tamal Dasgupta is the founder editor of (ournal o) *engal Studes and (ssistant "rofessor of !nglish-
Bhi #ao (bedkar College- Bni$ersity of Delhi- Delhi- India<
"ol#ata 6or0oration and Su'hash 6handra Bose- /eath
of a /rea%
6handra+hur 2hose
$'stra+t
Bhle the rest o) the country struggled to obtan more concessons )rom the *rtsh Go/ernment+ or
prepared to thro1 out the yo%e o) )oregn rule by re/olutonary act/tes+ Kol%ata n 1'2. got the
opportunty to shape ts o1n destny- The S1ara&ya Carty 1as elected to the seat o) po1er n 1hat could
stll be consdered the second cty o) the *rtsh @mpre- 4n the dr/ng seat to e9ecute the programmes
)or materalsng the dream o) trans)ormng the cty and to pro/e to the 1orld that 4ndans 1ere capable
o) sel)?go/ernance 1as a young man o) 27 = Subhas Chandra *ose- 4n the )ollo1ng t1o decades
Subhas gre1 )rom a talented local leader to become _#eta&` )or mllons o) 4ndans- The dreams o)
urban trans)ormaton+ ho1e/er+ ne/er le)t hm e/en n the turmol o) pro/ncal+ natonal and
nternatonal poltcs- Ths artcle chroncles hs n/ol/ement 1th the Kol%ata Corporaton- 4t s nether
a hstory o) the Corporaton+ nor a bography o) Subhas = the only purpose s to hghlght the nter)ace
bet1een the t1o-
6ro4ning glor1 of a 4aning i+on
4ndan poltcs had reached a )e/ersh ptch n #o/ember 1'21- "s the end o) the year came closer+ the
non?cooperaton mo/ement led by $ahatma Gandh gathered steam around the boycott o) the Crnce o)
Bales` /st and o) )oregn cloth- @9pectatons around the GS1ara&ya n the course o) a yearH
1
promsed
by Gandh n September 1'2: pea%ed a)ter the "ll 4nda Congress Commttee 5"4CC8 authorsed the
pro/ncal Congress commttees to underta%e c/l dsobedence- The Crnce`s arr/al 1as mar%ed by
rots 5n *ombay8 as 1ell as relat/ely peace)ul and complete shutdo1n 5n Kol%ata8 on #o/ember 17-
"s the uphea/al raged on n the streets+ on 22 #o/ember+ a se/enty three year old man stood up
n the *engal Eegslat/e Councl to propose a la1 1hch 1ould be hs cro1nng glory- Sr
Surendranath *aner&ee+ the $nster n charge o) the Department o) Eocal Sel)?Go/ernment+ placed on
D?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
the table o) the Councl a *ll to amend the la1 regulatng the Kol%ata Corporaton- The *ll+ 1hch
Surendranath clamed to be n lne 1th the $ontagu?Chelms)ord re)orms scheme+ bro%e 1th the past
n many aspects- 4t ncreased the number o) members o) the Corporaton )rom 0: to 8:3 the number o)
elected members 1as ncreased )rom .0 to 723 1omen`s su))rage 1as ntroduced and posts o)
"ldermen 1ere created- "lthough he pro/ded )or 1. seats reser/ed )or the $uslm communty+ he
ad/ocated ther electon through m9ed electorates- The e))ect o) communal electorates+ Gmoral and
materal+ are bane)ul+H he argued- 4t mpeded the gro1th o) G4ndan natonhood-H
2
"t any other tme+ the *ll 1ould probably ha/e been haled as a ma&or step to1ards S1ara&+ but
the mood o) the country 1as no1 d))erent- The re)orms 5no1 enacted nto the Go/ernment o) 4nda
"ct 1'1'8 1hch Surendranath e9tolled+ 1as not acceptable to the Congress+ and t 1as on ths pont
that he had dsassocated hmsel) 1th the Congress and )ormed the $oderate party three years ago-
Eeadng the charge aganst the re)orms scheme 1as someone 1ho Surendranath had ceremonously
presented to *engal poltcs a )e1 years ago- 4n the summer o) 1'17+ Surendranath ntroduced
Chttaran&an Das as the presdent o) the *engal Cro/ncal Con)erence 1th a prophecy> G4) 4 am
permtted to ndulge n a bt o) prophecy 1hch s my brth?rght by /rtue o) my *rahmancal poston+
4 1ll say ths that he 1ll 1thn a measurable dstance o) tme become one o) the most promnent
leaders o) publc opnon n ths Cro/nce- 4 trust that hs electon on the present occason 1ll be the
royal road to that 1hch s the co/eted honour and dstncton o) publc l)e n 4ndaats hghest honour
and dstncton /7-+ the Cresdentshp o) the 4ndan #atonal Congress-H
.
The bonhome 1as gone3
Surendranath and Chttaran&an no1 stood at the opposte ends o) the poltcal spectrum-
/e0arture fro% 2andhian strateg1- 6hittaranan /as leads Bengal
4n organsng the non?cooperaton mo/ement+ Chttaran&an+ no1 desgnated the _dctator` o) *engal
Congress+ 1as beng asssted by a young man 1ho had &oned hm only a )e1 months ago- Ln the
threshold o) hs t1enty?))th year+Subhas Chandra *ose had spurned the o))er to &on the 4ndan C/l
Ser/ce earler n the year and returned home to )nd a role n the )reedom struggle- Dssats)ed 1th
1hat he consdered lac% o) clarty n Gandh`s poltcal /son+ Subhas chose Chttaran&an as hs
poltcal mentor- Chttaran&an apponted hm as the prncpal o) the #atonal College+ but be)ore he
could do much the hgh tde o) the non?cooperaton mo/ement arr/ed- "s a leader o) the /olunteer
corps n Kol%ata+ Subhas 1ent around pc%etng shops 1hch sold mported cloth+ managng a
D6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
gradually ncreasng number o) /olunteers-
4
Bhle Das coordnated the /olunteers` o/erall act/tes+
Subhas plunged nto organsng the hartal- "s the secretary o) the Cublcty *oard o) the *engal
Congress+ Subhas dra)ted detaled nstructons )or the hartal+ o) 1hch around a mllon copes 1ere
prnted n *engal alone+ apart )rom @nglsh and ;nd- Dstrbuted n the nterors o) the pro/nce+
these nstructons played a sgn)cant role- The e9tent o) personal contact he had establshed 1th
d))erent groups n the cty 1thn a short span+ and the respect and loyalty o) the /olunteers that he
commanded le)t hs colleagues n lttle doubt about hs abltes-
0
Bth the Go/ernment determned to brea% the mo/ement+ large?scale arrests too% place )rom 1:
December+ 1'21+ 1hen both Subhas and Chttaran&an 1ere pac%ed o)) to prson along 1th other
Congress leaders- Subhas`s tral started almost a month a)ter hs arrest and on 7 2ebruary 1'22+ he 1as
sentenced to s9 months mprsonment- *y the tme Subhas came out o) the prson n "ugust+ the
poltcal stuaton had changed completely- Gandh had 1thdra1n the non?cooperaton mo/ement n
response to a /olent outrage n a remote /llage n the Nnted Cro/nces n 2ebruary-"s the mo/ement
1aned+ the Go/ernment put Gandh n prson-
4n)urated 1th Gandh`s approach+ Chttaran&an changed hs strategy by gong bac% to hs
earler poston o) contestng electons rather than boycottng them+ so that the Go/ernment could be
opposed )rom 1thn the legslature )or 1rec%ng the scheme o) darchy ntroduced by the
re)orms-Chttaran&an too% hs programme to the Congress )or appro/al+ but )alng to muster ma&orty n
the annual sesson at Gaya n December 1'22+ he resgned the post o) presdent and on the )rst day o)
1'2.+ announced the )ormaton o) the Congress Khla)at S1ara& party 1thn the Congress along 1th
leaders such as $otlal #ehru+ ;a%m "&mal Khan+ ,thalbha Catel+ #C Kel%ar+ $! (aya%ar+ etc-
6
Durng the course o) the year+ Chttaran&an led hs S1ara& party to three mportant /ctores> he
succeeded n compellng the Congress to accept hs programme o) councl entry+ 1rested control o) the
*engal Cro/ncal Congress Commttee 5*CCC8 1hch had been ta%en o/er by the Gandhan )acton
durng hs mprsonment+ and leadng the party to emerge as the largest one n the electons to the
*engal Eegslat/e Councl- The S1ara& party 1on )orty se/en seats out o) hundred and )ourteen
elected seats- The most str%ng )eature 1as the party`s /ctory n t1enty one out o) thrty nne seats
reser/ed )or $uslms-
7
Subhas+ ho1e/er+ could not contest the electons as hs name 1as not on the
electoral roll-
D7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2rom hs early days n poltcs+ Das had been /ocal about t1o crtcal components o) hs
concept o) swara+ = ensurng the n/ol/ement o) the people 1ho had been %ept out o) the ambt o)
bhadralo% poltcs+ and rddng the socety o) the communal problem- *eng n/ol/ed n the s1adesh
mo/ement )rom ts ncepton+ he 1tnessed ho1 dssenson bet1een the ;ndus and the $uslms 1ere
e9ploted by the Go/ernment o) the day- *engal had seen some o) the 1orst rots n the recent past too-
4t 1as there)ore clear to hm that to be able to e9ert pressure on the Go/ernment+ t 1as mperat/e to
brng the t1o communtes together- To ths end+ he 1or%ed out a pact 1th $uslm leaders spellng out
the opportuntes to be pro/ded to the $uslms on ache/ement o) sel)?go/ernment to help them brdge
the gap o) bac%1ardness- The _*engal Cact` 1as rat)ed at a con)erence o) the S1ara&st and natonalst
councllors on December 16+ and 1as publshed t1o days later 1th Subhas`s sgnature as the secretary
o) the *CCC-
8
The Cact pro/ded that $uslms` share o) representaton n the Councl 1ould be
determned on the bass o) ther populaton share+ 1th separate electorates3 representaton to the local
bodes 1ould be on a proporton o) s9ty to )orty )or the ma&orty and mnorty communtes n the
dstrcts+ respect/ely3 tll the tme the appontment to Go/ernment posts amongst $uslm and non?
$uslm reach the proporton o) ))ty )/e to )orty )/e+ ;ndus 1ould be recruted to only t1enty per
cent o) those posts- The Cact also stpulated that no la1 1ould be enacted on an relgous matter
1thout the consent o) three?)ourths o) the communty a))ected3 that musc n processon 1ould not be
allo1ed n )ront o) mosAues3 that there 1ould be no nter)erence n co1 %llng )or relgous sacr)ces
and both communtes+ rather than enactng la1s on the ssue+ should come to an understandng on co1
%llng3 that representat/e commttees 1ould be )ormed n each sub?d/son comprsng eAual number
o) members )rom each communty-
'
The Congress+ ho1e/er+ re)used to rat)y the *engal Cact- "t the Coconada annual sesson n
December 1'2.+ $otlal #ehru`s moton to re)er the *engal Cact to the sub?commttee o) the Congress
1hch 1as engaged n dra1ng up a #atonal Cact 1as de)eated+ despte support )rom some leaders
such as !a&agopalachar and Saro&n #adu-
1:
The Cact 1as+ ho1e/er+ accepted by the Khla)at
Con)erence 1hch too 1as under 1ay n Cocanada-
Bhle Subhas held )orte n Kol%ata )ocusng on the publcaton o) 1orward= the ne1spaper
publshed by Chttaran&an ? and organsatonal 1or%+ Das bused hmsel) n strengthenng the party at
the natonal le/el-
11
4t 1as n ths en/ronment that re/olutonary act/tes+ lyng dormant )or the past
)e1 years+ erupted agan 1th an attempt on the l)e o) the commssoner o) polce n Kol%ata+
DD@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
)orce)ully mar%ng ts return to the manstream poltcal dscourse- 4n dong so+ t also pro/ded an
a/enue to the Go/ernment+ on the bac%)oot n the legslatures+ to ntens)y ts actons aganst the S1ara&
party on the ground o) ts purported encouragement to the re/olutonary acts- Ln (anuary 12+ young
GopnathSaha shot dead @rnest Day msta%ng hm to be Charles Tegart+ the polce commssoner- The
polce mmedately s1ung nto acton+ radng the *CCC o))ce the ne9t day+ arrestng some o) the
Congress 1or%ers-
S4ara1a in the 6or0oration
The ne9t bg poltcal /ctory o) the S1ara&ya party came n $arch 1'24+ 1hen t 1on ma&orty o) the
seats n the Kol%ata Corporaton electons- The e9tent o) support commanded by Chttaran&an amongst
the $uslms 1as e/dent )rom the )act that out o) ))teen $uslm seats n the Corporaton ten 1ere 1on
by the S1ara&sts- Chttaran&an 1as elected the )rst $ayor o) the Corporaton and apponted ;ussan
ShahdSuhra1ardy as hs deputy e/en n the )ace o) opposton )rom the ;ndu communalsts- Subhas
1on hs seat unopposed and 1as g/en the charge o) the muncpalty admnstraton+ beng apponted
the Corporaton`s Che) @9ecut/e L))cer 5C@L8-
Subhas had demonstrated hs organsatonal and admnstrat/e capabltes consstently snce
the tme he too% the plunge nto poltcs around three years ago+ but he 1as stll a poltcal greenhorn+
&ust t1enty se/en years old+ and not the automatc choce )or the post- Contemporary accounts ndcate
that Chttaran&an had ntally assured *rendranathSasmal that he 1ould be apponted as the che)
e9ecut/e+ but had to step bac% 1hen )aced 1th pressure )rom hs po1er)ul group o) supporters n
Kol%ata to 1hom an _outsder` )rom a small to1n 1as not acceptable- Some e/en rased ob&ectons on
the ground o) Sasmal`s caste- They pre)erred Subhas- "n nsulted Sasmal le)t Kol%ata resgnng hs seat
n the councl+ resultng n the 1ea%enng o) the party- Das had no opton but to g/e n to ths uncouth
de/elopment n the larger nterest o) mantanng unty n the party+ although t must ha/e been
e9tremely dstaste)ul to hm-
12
Gopal EalSanyal+ an eye1tness to these de/elopments+ ho1e/er+ later
1rote that along 1th many see%ers o) po1er and patronage+ t 1as Sasmal 1ho demanded the post o)
the C@L+ much to dspleasure o) Chttaran&an-
1.
There s no relable account o) ho1 Subhas sa1 these de/elopments+ or 1hether he 1as e9posed
only to the outer man)estatons o) the clash n the )orm o) Sasmal`s %eenness to be elected+ 1thout
beng a1are o) the underlyng poltcs- "lthough unl%ely+ ths appears to be the case )rom an almost
D9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
casual recountng o) the ncdent t1o decades later> GThough my appontment to ths mportant post at
the age o) t1enty?se/en 1as generally appro/ed n S1ara&st crcles+ t dd not )al to cause a certan
amount o) heart?burnng n some crcles 1thn the party-H
14
Ths 1as not all- Bhle the Go/ernment too% o/er a month to appro/e hs appontment+
;emanta Sar%ar+ hs best )rend o) chldhood and no1 an emergng labour and peasant leader elected to
the Councl+ too 1as not happy 1th Subhas acceptng the appontment+ especally 1th regard to the
emoluments that 1ent 1th the C@L`s o))ce-
,he greenhorn 6.8
Lnce Subhastoo% charge o) the corporaton on $ay 16+ t 1as tme to del/er on the promses- Ths 1as
an opportunty to sho1 that S1ara& party could not only bloc% and brng do1n an admnstraton but
1as eAually e))cent+ ) not better+ n construct/e 1or%- "nd that 1as to be demonstrated by
o/ercomng ob/ous tensons bet1een d))erent )actons n the party+ balancng unlmted e9pectatons
)rom patronage see%ers+ and neutralsng the manoeu/res o) a hostle pro/ncal Go/ernment-
Das lad do1n the del/erables n hs naugural speech n the corporaton> )ree prmary
educaton+ )ree medcal ser/ces to the poor+ supply o) good Aualty )ood and ml%+ mpro/ement n
supply o) )ltered and un)ltered 1ater+ better santaton+ housng )or the poor+ de/elopment o) suburban
areas+ mpro/ed transport )acltes and greater e))cency n admnstraton at a cheaper cost- The
o/erarchng ob&ect/e 1as to be the ser/ce o) the daridranarayan-
10
"s the che) e9ecut/e+ t 1as upon
Subhas to del/er-
$uch 1as done to symbolse the transton o) the corporaton nto a S1ara&st one- Khad 1as
ta%en up as the o))cal un)orm+ streets and par%s 1ere named a)ter 4ndan cons+ s1adesh goods
rece/ed pre)erental treatment n case o) store purchases+ receptons )or Go/ernment o))cals 1ere
stopped and nstead the practce o) g/ng c/c receptons to natonalst leaders 1as ntated-
16
"s he
1as used to do )or any assgnment he too% up+ Subhas thre1 hs heart and soul nto e9ecutng the bg
plans- 4n order to be able to g/e hs )ull attenton to the 1or% o) the corporaton+ he ga/e up hs
n/ol/ement 1th 1orward-
4t 1as mpossble to ache/e the tall order that 1as set )or the ne1 muncpal admnstraton
1thout dscplne+ and Subhas led )rom the )ront to n)use dscplne amongst the 1or%)orce- ;e 1ent
out ta%ng rounds o) the cty almost e/ery day to personally nspect the 1or%+ n)used the habt o)
9(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
punctualty amongst the sta)) and 1ent through the )les to clear them+ o)ten ta%ng them home a)ter
1or%- ;s close )rend Kstsh Crasad Chattapadhyay &onng the Corporaton as the educaton o))cer
ga/e hm a shot n the arm n mplementng the educaton programme-
2ree prmary schools )or boys and grls sprang up all o/er the cty+ ;ealth "ssocatons+
)nanced by the Corporaton+ 1ere started n e/ery 1ard o) the cty by publc?sprted ct7ens )or
carryng on health propaganda among the people- Dspensares 1ere opened n the d))erent dstrcts )or
g/ng )ree medcal treatment to the poor- 4n)ant clncs 1ere establshed n d))erent parts o) the cty
and to each clnc 1as added a ml%?%tchen )or supplyng )ree ml% to the poorer chldren-
The 4ntellgence *ranch 54*8 o) the Go/ernment alleged that the S1ara&ya Carty 1as e9plotng
ts poston n the Corporaton n g/ng a1ay contracts to rase party )unds- 4n one nstance+ t alleged
that Subhas arranged )or the Corporaton to g/e the contract )or the Calta Bater Bor%s @9tenson
scheme to a partcular engneerng )rm+ despte ts hgher Auotaton+ o/er another )rm 1hch had
Auoted a lo1er amount )or the 1or%- The 4* noted that ths 1as done n return )or a donaton o) !s
70+::: by the )rm to the S1ara&ya party )unds and )or bearng an e9pense o) !s .+6:: )or the S1ara&st
delegates to the "hmedabad Congress-
17
The *engal Cact had not been rece/ed 1ell by the Eberals led by Surendranath+the _no?
changer` secton o) the Congress as 1ell as communal ;ndu leaders and Subhas had to )ace ther
crtcsm )or )ollo1ng the Cact n recrutng $uslms )or posts n the Corporaton/- "mdst all the
crtcsm+ ho1e/er+ Gandh came )or1ard n hs de)ence- Nnder the capton _2a/ourtsm or (ustce` he
1rote n Moung 4nda o) (uly .1+ 1'24>
4 note that the che) e9ecut/e o))cer o) the Calcutta Corporaton has come n )or a good deal o)
hostle crtcsm because o) hs ha/ng g/en 20 out o) .. appontments to $ussalmans- 4 ha/e
not read the comments themsel/es- *ut 4 ha/e read the statement made by the che) e9ecut/e
o))cer- 4n my humble opnon+ t s a credtable per)ormance- 4 ha/e no doubt that appontments
ha/e not tll no1 been made 1th mpartalty+ 1hether by @uropeans or 4ndans- There s no
doubt+ too+ that n many cases ;ndus ha/e n)luenced decsons n ther )a/our- 4t ll?becomes
them to Auarrel aganst many posts ha/ng no1 gone to $ussalmans- 4) the charge be true that
the appontments ha/e a party purpose behnd them+ there s nothng mmoral or reprehensble
n the )act tsel) ) they are other1se &ust)able- 4n @ngland+ such appontments are certanly
made n party nterests+ though+ as a rule+ care s e9ercsed not to sacr)ce e))cency- Cersonally+
9!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
4 1ould l%e appontments to go to the best men rrespect/e o) partes+ and should+ there)ore+ be
made by a permanent non?party board- *ut ) ;ndus 1sh to see 4nda )ree+ they must be ready
and 1llng to sacr)ce n )a/our o) ther $ussalman and other brethren- 4 can heartly endorse
the remar% o) the che) e9ecut/e o))cer 1hen he says>
Bth thousands o) educated young men out o) employment and on he /erge o)
star/aton and+ 1th a /ery lmted number o) /acances+ t s not possble )or any human
beng to do anythng 1hch 1ll please all- Bhate/er 4may do+ 4 am sure to lea/e 4he
ma&or porton o) the unemployed as dscontented as be)ore- The only soluton o) ths
problem s the pro/son o) techncal educaton and n ths matter+ the Corporaton can+
n my opnon+ do much-
Be must learn to do 1thout these appontments- Lnly a mcroscopc mnorty can get them-
@ducaton must cease to be merely clercal- Bhy may not a graduate be an artsan or a ha1%er
o) /egetables or %haddarF
18
E)e 1as ho1e/er not only about admnstraton and poltcs- The )rends and ther mentor had ther
share o) )un as 1ell- 4ndan *oo% Club+ ;emanta`s boo%shop n the College Street mar%et 1as a
gatherng place )or the young re/olutonares+ 1here Chttaran&an too 1ould stop by occasonally-
Subhas+ on hs 1ay bac% )rom the o))ce o) Banglar Katha= another ne1spaper publshed by
Chttaran&an ? 1ould n/arably stop o/er and ma%e tea )or e/eryone on a sto/e- Snce the use o) a
sto/e n the mar%et 1as not allo1ed+ the mar%et superntendent 1ould regularly scold ;emanta+
1thout e/er beng able to see that t 1as actually Subhas 1ho made the tea behnd the boo%shel/es-
ConseAuently+ he 1ould complan to Subhas regardng the rs% o) )re- $uch to the mrth o) the )rends
and embarrassment o) the nspector+ ;emantabro%e the care)ully preser/ed secret by ta%ng the
nspector nsde hs shop 1hen C@L Subhas 1as ma%ng tea and hs boss Das 1ated to be ser/ed-
#eedless to say+ the superntendent dd not %no1 1hch 1ay to loo% and ho1 to escape )rom such a
stuaton- *ut ;emanta e9planed to hm that g/en hs /ery lo1 ncome )rom sellng boo%s+ he had no
alternat/e to usng the sto/e n hs shop-
1'
4n the mdst o) all ths euphora+ some o) the promnent men o) yesteryears 1ere not happy- "s
he 1ould later 1rte n hs autobography+ Surendranath sa1 doom n the /ctory o) the S1ara&sts+
partcularly n the rse o) Chttaran&an+ 1ho he had eulogsed a )e1 years ago- Selectng hm as the
$ayor 1as the G)rst cro1nng blunder o) the ne1 regmeH ) only because he Ghas not durng the
92@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1hole o) hs publc career been 1thn mles o) a muncpal o))ce-H ;e accused Chttaran&an o)
usurpng both o))ces o) the $ayor and the Che) @9ecut/e L))cer and thus oblteratng the dstncton
that the la1 had ntended bet1een the t1o o))ces- $oreo/er+ the S1ara&ya party has+ he 1rote+ Gstarted
by ma%ng appontments n the Corporaton based on the communal prncple+ 1hch all 4ndan
natonalsts condemn as )atal to the 4ndan natonhood-H "t a more phlosophcal le/el+ he bele/ed that
G$uncpal a))ars should not )orm the battle?ground o) poltcal 1ar)are- Bhen the c/c a))ars o) a
great cty are used )or poltcal or party purposes+ they are e9posed to great menace- Carty
aggrand7ement and not the publc good becomes the ob&ect/e o) c/c e))orts-H
2:
The Bengalee+ edted at that tme by *epn Chandra Cal+ 1as not )ar behnd- Bth Surendranath
out o) publc l)e+ Cal amed at hs erst1hle close assocate 1ho 1as no1 largely responsble )or hs
poltcal eclpse- G#e/er be)ore ha/e brbery+ corrupton+ ntrgue and ntmdaton been so rampant n
4ndan #atonalst poltcs+H t 1rote n (uly 1'24-
21
"ny re)erence to the construct/e 1or%+
understandably+ 1as not to be )ound n such publcty-
Bhat the resdents o) the cty thought 1as another matter- "s one o) the ct7ens 1ho l/ed
through that perod n the cty 1ould later 1rte>GThe ne1 dspensaton had begun 1th /ery hgh hopes
)or us nat/es n 1'24+ 1hen C! Das became ts )rst $ayor and Subhas Chandra *ose ts )rst
@9ecut/e L))cer- Be thought at last 1e should ha/e the same amentes as the @uropean Auarters+ and
1e dd- Bthn a year asphalt began to be put on the streets o) *engal Calcutta+ and 1e dd not ha/e to
splatter our clothes 1th mud durng the rany season-H
22
4n the meantme+ the Commssoner o) Kol%ata Colce Charles Tegart alerted Go/ernor Eytton
about a re//al o) the re/olutonary act/tes 1hch had been suppressed durng the 1ar years- Soon
arrests started under !egulaton 444 o) 1818 a)ter the Go/ernment ln%ed re/olutonary organsatons to
)/e murder cases n Kol%ata and to preparatons o) o/erthro1ng the Go/ernment by )orce- ")ter the
)aled attempt on Tegart by GopnathSaha+ Eytton ssued a stern 1arnng 1hle nauguratng the ne1
legslat/e assembly on (anuary 2.+ 1'24- ;e made t clear that hs Go/ernment 1ould not be sats)ed
1th brngng to &ustce the perpetrators o) /olence+ but 1ould Gemploy emergency measures+ to str%e
s1)tly and unhestatngly at the leaders+ to stop the poson at ts source-H
2.
4n a letter to the ,ceroy descrbng the stuaton n *engal+ Eytton lad the blame sAuarely on
Das and Subhas )or )undng the re/olutonares- GSubhas *ose the ne1 Che) @9ecut/e L))cer+ o) the
Corporaton s subscrbng !s- 12:: a month o) hs o))cal salary to the !e/olutonares 5sc8+H and Das
93@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1as payng them n e9change )or ther support to hs *engal Cact- Snce the re/olutonares 1ere
gettng large amounts o) money )rom Das and Subhas+ and could there)ore )ocus on ther core act/tes
1thout ha/ng to bother about rasng resources through robbery- ;ence+ although the stuaton 1as
apparently peace)ul+ the realty 1as actually more alarmng- 4t 1as necessary to arrest Subhas+ Das and
other 1ell?%no1n nd/duals+ but to be able to do that+ he needed more po1ers 1hch could be
obtaned only by enactng a la1 n the lnes o) De)ence o) 4nda !egulatons 1hch had helped the
Go/ernment to suppress the re/olutonary mo/ement durng the 1ar years-
24
Brtng to the ;ome Department on (uly 1:+ the Che) Secretary o) *engal 1ent a step ahead o)
Eytton n callng Subhas an act/e re/olutonary> GThe re/olutonares no1 ha/e act/e members n
hgh places+ ncludng )our or )/e members o) the Eegslat/e Councl and the Che) @9ecut/e L))cer
o) the Kol%ata Corporaton+ besdes supporters l%e C- !- Das and *yom%esh Cha%ra/artt-H The
Go/ernment o) 4nda agreed 1th the assessment+ pontng out the ncreased clout o) the re/olutonares
n the poltcal l)e o) *engal>
2or the )rst tme the re/olutonares can command )rom a poltcal party publc countenance+
secret subsdes and e9ecut/e o))ces n a great corporaton and can contrbute n return
organsed support n electon campagns and at poltcal meetngs and /otes n a legslature- Ths
may clearly create a stuaton 1hch t 1ll be our duty to suppress at 1hate/er cost and
1hate/er rs%-
20
The resoluton prasng Gopnath Sahaat the *engal Cro/ncal Con)erence at Sera&gun&n 1'24 1as
ta%en as e/dence that the S1ara& Carty 1as openly nctng youth )or commttng murder- $oreo/er+
re/olutonares 1ere beng recruted n the Kol%ata Corporaton-

#o arrests+ ho1e/er+ too% place
mmedately as e9change o) /e1s on the Lrdnance proposed by the *engal Go/ernment 1th the
Go/ernment o) 4nda and the *rtsh Cabnet 1ent on tll late Lctober-
,he 6.8 in 0rison
Ln Lctober 22+ !eadng n)ormed Ll/er that the *engal Go/ernment had scheduled Lctober 20 to
announce the Lrdnance-
26
4t 1as announced on the mdnght o) Lctober 24+ and by early mornng o)
the 20th the arrests 1ere made- Subhas 1as 1o%en up )rom sleep early n the mornng to be told by the
deputy commssoner o) polce that he 1as beng arrested under !egulaton 444- !e)lectng the
preparaton that had been gong )or ther arrest+ the 1arrants )or ther arrest 1ere sgned n (uly-
27

94@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
$ass/e searches 1ere conducted across Kol%ata and other to1ns n the pro/nce+ but pourng
1ater on the ntellgence on the bass o) 1hch Eytton had been )umng )or many months and 1hch
ultmately brought around the ,ceroy and the *rtsh Go/ernment to announce the Lrdnance+ the
polce )aled to unearth any o) the much touted bomb )actores or arms 1hch t had clamed that the
re/olutonares 1ere accumulatng-
28
#e1s o) Subhas6s arrest publshed n "mrta *a7ar patr%a+Lctober 26+ 1'24
*y hs o1n admsson+ the arrest came as a surprse to Subhas+ and to others as 1ell- @/en as
the deputy commssoner dro/e hm to the "lpore Central (al n hs car+ no one 1hom he met on the
1ay could thn% that he 1as beng ta%en to &al- The surprse 1as not due to hs gnorance o) the *engal
Go/ernment`s mo/es+ )or t 1as publc %no1ledge that the Go/ernment 1as loo%ng )or an opportunty
to clamp do1n on the re/olutonary groups+ but because he had been a1ay )rom poltcs snce the tme
o) ta%ng charge o) the corporaton- ;e had resgned )rom the post o) the secretary o) the *CCC n
"prl+ dsassocated )rom the edtoral 1or% n 1orward+ and G@/eryone %ne1Uthat 4 1as engaged day
and nght n my muncpal dutes and had been )orced to g/e up poltcs altogether-H ;emendra#ath
too n hs bography o) Subhas has ponted out the dstance Subhas mantaned )rom the 1or% o) the
re/olutonary groups- G4 can tell )or certan+ that upto the year 1'24+ Subhas had not the least concern
or connecton 1th anarchcal act/tes o) any %nd 1hatsoe/er-H 4t 1as rumoured that hs arrest could
ha/e been the result o) some dsgruntled subordnates n the corporaton )eedng )alse n)ormaton to
the Go/ernment- The 1orward publshed a letter n 1hch an agent o) the 4nda L))ce clamed that
Subhas 1as arrested on the bass o) /erbal testmony o) some people and n )act there 1as no
documentary e/dence aganst hm-
2'
9?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
" 1a/e o) protests )ollo1ed+ throughout the country- Das+ 1ho 1as con/alescng n Smla+
rushed bac% to Kol%ata and called a general meetng o) the Kol%ata Corporaton rsng to hs de)ence
and condemnng the arrest- "s the leader o) the S1ara& Carty and the mayor o) the corporaton+ 1hy
should be let alone ) the che) e9ecut/e o))cer 1as arrestedF Subhas Gs no more a re/olutonary than
4 am---4) Subhas Chandra *ose s a crmnal+ 4 am a crmnal-H
.:
The corporaton passed a /ote o)
con)dence n )a/our o) Subhas+ 1th s9 @uropean members opposng the moton- #lratan Sar%ar+ CC
!oy+ *epn Cal+ ShyamSundarChara/art and thrty other leaders )rom Kol%ata ssued a call )or a
naton1de hartal on #o/ember 1- The 4ndan "ssocaton also as%ed the Go/ernment to re/o%e the
Lrdnance and hold tral o) those arrested under e9stng la1s-
.1
The Go/ernment+ ho1e/er+ allo1ed Subhas to contnue hs 1or% as the che) e9ecut/e o) the
Corporaton tll December 2- ;e rece/ed o))cal )les and met hs secretary and the deputy e9ecut/e
o))cer o) the Corporaton n presence o) a polce and a &al o))cer- 2rom &al he o/ersa1 the publcaton
o) the Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ the )rst ssue o) 1hch 1as publshed on #o/ember 10- *y the end
o) #o/ember there 1as also speculaton that the Go/ernment 1ould release hm+ but nothng came o)
that- Ln December . he 1as trans)erred to the *erhampore &al+ cuttng o)) the easy access to hm+ and
ta%ng a1ay the )acltes pro/ded to hm as he 1as no more allo1ed to )uncton as the che) e9ecut/e-
The suspense o/er a probable release sometme soon remaned al/e+ as the Go/ernment dd not spec)y
)or ho1 long he 1ould reman mprsoned-
.2
Prison thoughts
*eng dsassocated )rom the muncpal 1or% bothered Subhas+ but he %ept hmsel) occuped 1th study
o) muncpal admnstraton and ma%ng plans )or the cty to be e9ecuted 1hen he 1as released- 2or
ths he as%ed Sarat to send hm boo%s )rom the corporaton lbrary- To 1hate/er lttle e9tent hs
Go/ernment?sanctoned lmt o) 1rtng t1o letters a 1ee% allo1ed hm+ he dscussed the corporaton
schemes )or cty de/elopment 1th elder brother Sarat and other colleagues such as Santosh Kumar
*asu-
T1o days a)ter hs t1enty eghth brthday+ Subhas 1as agan sh)ted )rom the &al- Ln hs 1ay to
Kol%ata+ he 1as n)ormed that hs )nal destnaton 1as the $andalay prson n *urma- ")ter spendng
the nght at the Ealba7ar polce staton n a cell n)ested 1th mosAutoes and bugs+ 1thout decent
santary arrangement or pr/acy+ Subhas`s &ourney to $andalay began n the dar%ness o) the mornng-
96@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The )our days &ourney by shp as a hgh securty prsoner 1as as good as t could get under the
crcumstances+ 1th the "ssstant 4nspector General o) polce Eo1man partcpatng )reely n
dscussons on a 1de range o) topcs 1th Subhas and hs )ello1 prsoners- 4t 1as only a day be)ore
reachng !angoon that he got the opportunty to 1rte to Sarat and (ana% #ath*ose about hs
relocaton- The group o) prsoners 1ere ta%en to $andalay by tran+ escorted by a large polce )orce-
..
The hope o) an early release+ ) any+ probably ded 1th ths trans)er to a land )ar a1ay )rom
home- "mong the btter realty o) beng con)ned to a cage?l%e &al bult )rom 1ooden palsades+
lea/ng the prsoners at the mercy o) the 1eather+ the only solace at the begnnng 1as the assocaton
o) the place 1th some o) the most promnent )reedom )ghters o) yesteryears- Eo%manyaTla%+ "&t
Sngh+ Ea&pat !a too had graced the $andalay prson- There 1ere stll some people to recount
anecdotes o) the Eo%manya3 the lemon trees planted by hm stll stood as a slent 1tness to hs
su))erng-
Thoughts on the 1or%ng o) the Kol%ata Corporaton and mpro/ement o) c/c amentes n the
cty occuped a large part o) hs letters durng the entre perod o) ncarceraton- The Corporaton had
g/en hm the opportunty to mplement hs deas to trans)orm the cty and ache/e concrete results3 and
he pre)erred ths o/er the /erbage o) poltcs at ths stage o) l)e-
.4
Ths probably also led hm to
e9plore the possblty o) gettng elected the dstrct board o) the T1enty 2our Carganas-
.0
Bthn the short span o) s9 months 1hch 1ere a/alable to hm as the che) e9ecut/e+ Subhas
had chal%ed out programmes )or de/elopng the cty and mpro/ng the Aualty o) l)e o) ts nhabtants-
2reAuent enAures+ pthy obser/atons
.6
and detaled notes
.7
and suggestons+ to the e9tent possble+
)lled pages o) hs letters to Sarat and others assocated 1th the Corporaton- To stay updated on the
a))ars o) the Corporaton+ he nssted that the Go/ernment should allo1 the $uncpal Ga7ette and
mnutes be sent to hm+ permsson )or 1hch 1as ntally dened by the 4ntellgence *ranch 54*8 o) the
Crmnal 4n/estgaton Department 5C4D8- The role o) poltcal consderatons n appontments and
a1ard o) contracts 1ere undoubtedly a realty n the matters o) the Corporaton+ but 1hat emerges
clearly )rom the letters s hs reluctance to get n/ol/ed n such matters and stay )ocussed on ensurng
the success)ul e9ecuton o) the pro&ects 1hch had been ntated and those 1hch he 1shed to but
could not- Ths s partcularly clear )rom hs reactons to the letters he rece/ed )rom employment?
see%ers reAuestng hm to endorse ther canddature-
97@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Subhas 1shed that there 1ere serous debates on the /arous aspects o) muncpal go/ernance
be)ore the deas matured and 1ere put nto acton- 4t 1as crtcal to %eep abreast o) the de/elopments
ta%ng place on muncpal go/ernance n other countres- 4n the age o) specalsed %no1ledge+ t 1as
mperat/e )or the Corporaton to con/nce the Kol%ata Nn/ersty to open a sub?department )or
teachng muncpal go/ernance+ under the poltcal scence department-
.8
"t a more spec)c le/el+
1hle plannng )or the cty`s de/elopment+ he ponted out+ t 1as mportant to %eep n mnd the nature
o) ts )uture e9panson- Certan areas needed to be de/eloped only as resdental areas and there)ore
)acltes such as godo1ns )or pulses and hde should be located a1ay )rom them to %eep the
en/ronment healthy-
.'
#ot happy 1th the cty roads and the 1or%ng o) the !oads Department o) the
Corporaton+ he planned to 1rte a note )or the commttee studyng the condton o) the cty`s roads+
and as%ed )or a competent person to be sent abroad to learn the latest road constructon technologes-
There 1as no un)orm rule to ma%e the departments e))cent> 1hle t 1as essental to decentralse the
;ealth Department and delegate responsbltes to health assocatons n the /arous muncpalty
1ards+ the !oads Department should be centralsed under a specally traned engneer-
4:
The mar%ets n Kol%ata needed better organsaton and any e9panson o) these 1as bound to be
hapha7ard 1thout a proper /son- ;e 1as readng up about )ood preser/aton and suggested that the
cty should ha/e cold storages )or preser/aton o) pershable )ood tems such as )sh+ meat and )ruts n
order to %eep a steady supply o) )ood by reducng 1astage+ 1hch 1ould also moderate the ncrease n
)ood prces- ;e as%ed Santosh Kumar *asu to get n touch 1th the $nstry o) ;ealth n @ngland or
the Eondon County Councl to obtan more n)ormaton on ho1 ths could be done- To understand
better the prce mo/ements o) commodtes+ ther monthly prces n all muncpal mar%ets should be
compled so that ) necessary+ correct/e acton can be ta%en n subseAuent years based on an analyss
o) the prce /aratons and ther reasons- 2urther+ t bothered hm that Kol%ata 1as behnd Delh+
*ombay and Chttagong n the matter o) pro/dng compulsory prmary educaton- G" department
1hch s responsble )or the educaton o) all the ndgent boys and grls o) Calcutta o) school?gong age
cannot )all short o) any other department n the matter o) mportance-H ;e 1as annoyed that n spte o)
hs 1rtng a note to Deputy $ayor Suhra1ardy Ghe had not strred hs lttle )nger yetH+ but 1as later
happy 1th the mo/e o) the Corporaton to underta%e an educaton sur/ey n the cty- 4t 1as crtcal )or
the @ducaton L))cer 1ould not only ta%e steps to ma%e the compulsory prmary educaton success)ul+
but to be con/ersant 1th educatonal psychology and %ndergarten prncples-
9D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The problem o) r/er engneerng+ urban dranage systems and se1age dsposal nterested hm
greatly- ;e 1as unhappy that the councllors dd not pay enough attenton to these problems ? GLur
engneers %no1 precous lttle about r/er and our publc men %no1 stll lessH ? and hence he too% t on
hmsel) to del/e nto studyng these to e9plore the best possble solutons to Kol%ata`s problems- ;e
thought that t 1ould be help)ul to brng an e9pert )rom abroad to obtan nsghts on Kol%ata`s dranage
problems- Sometmes detaled+ and o)ten bre) nsghts on these and numerous other ssues such as that
o) street?lghtng+ encouragng home ndustry de/elopment through the Socal Ser/ce Department+
e9plorng nno/at/e 1ays to generate re/enue+ pre/entng recurrence o) dseases such as malara and
small po9+ proper crematon o) unclamed dead bodes+ managng stray dogs etc- )lled the pages o) hs
letters-
Bhle he remaned con)ned n the )ara1ay &al+ Chttaran&an passed a1ay on (une 16+ 1'20- "t
Gandh`s nter/enton+ the trple cro1n o) Chttaran&an = leader o) the party n the Councl+ $ayor o)
the Corporaton+ and leader o) the *engal Congress = 1as passed on to (atndramohan Sengupta-
Gandh at the )uneral o) C ! Das
99@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Ne4 +hallenges under +hanged +ir+u%stan+es
Bth hs health )alng+ and suspcon o) hm ha/ng contracted tuberculoss+ Subhas 1as )reed )rom
prson on $ay 16+ 1'27- *e)ore that+ n #o/ember 1'26+ he 1as elected to the *engal Eegslat/e
Councl )rom #orth Kol%ata consttuency- The Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette clamed that t 1as
GCalcutta6s reply to the Go/ernment 1hch has depr/ed $r *ose o) hs lberty-H
41
#e1s report n the contemporary perodcal *angaban 5(yashtha+ 1..48 a)ter release o) Subhas Chandra *ose )rom $andalay prson-
!((@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Dute as a concdent+ hs tenure o) the Corporaton`s C@L ended on the same day o) hs release-
The Corporaton had 1ated )or hs return+ appontng the 2rst Deputy @9ecut/e L))cer (C
$u%er&eaas the actng C@L- *ut no1+ 1th uncertanty o/er hs health and release+ the Corporaton
apponted $u%er&ea as hs successor a 1ee% be)ore hs release- Bhen the ne1s o) hs release reached
the o))ce+ the Corporaton celebrated by declarng t a holday+ and adopted a unanmous resoluton the
ne9t day 1elcomng hm-
Subhas 1as sh)ted to a bungalo1 n Shllong = the Kelsall Eodge+ 1hch Sarat had rented= n
md?(une- The change n clmate helped+ and so dd the presence o) (ana% #ath+ Crabhabat+ and Sarat
and */abat along 1th ther chldren )rom tme to tme- Dr Sunl Chandra *ose and Dr *dhan
Chandra !oy %ept hm under 1atch-
T1o ssues 1hch 1ere at the top o) hs mnd at ths tme 1ere the contnung detenton o)
poltcal 1or%ers and the dsputes 1thn the *engal Congress- The detentons under the !egulaton 444
and the Crmnal Ea1 "mendment "ct not only /olated all )orms o) &ustce+ but at the same tme
pre/ented 1or%ers o) pro/en mettle )rom re&u/enatng the poltcal mo/ement n the pro/nce- The
)actonal )euds+ on the other hand+ 1as )ast degeneratng the )ormdable organsaton that Chttaran&an
had bult- ;e loo%ed )or1ard to attend the proceedngs n the Eegslat/e Councl+ 1hch 1as scheduled
to st )rom "ugust 2. to 26+ and obtaned *dhan !oy`s permsson to tra/el to Kol%ata-
42
Sengupta 1as the leader chosen by Gandh+ but the )euds sho1ed that the leadershp Aueston
1as )ar )rom settled- To ma%e progress t 1as mperat/e to settle the dspute- Subhas bele/ed that
Chttaran&an`s 1do1+ *asant De/`s acceptance o) leadershp 1ould help to seal the d))erences-
"bout hs poston+ he 1rote to her>
These are crtcal days )or *engal- There s a serous dearth o) G1holetmeH 1or%ers- 4t 1ll be
no e9aggeraton to say that $r Sengupta has nearly g/en up Congress 1or%- Kron *abu has
ser/ed me a notce that n Lctober he 1ll pass all the burden on to me and retre- 4 do not no1
)nd much enthusasm or eagerness on Tuls*abu`s part n natonal 1or%- Mou %no1 the *g
2/e = e9ceptng Tuls*abu all o) them are pro)essonal people+ so they cannot de/ote much
tme to Congress 1or%- "t the moment only *dhan*abu s nterested n the 1or% o) the *CCC
but e/en he has /ery lttle tme- The treasury o) the Congress s absolutely empty-
4n pr/ate letters he could open hs heart to hs _$other`*asant De/ and tell her 1hat he could not
spea% publcly- ;s letter o) md?Lctober to her s re/ealng- (ust be)ore the "4CC 1as to meet n
!(!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Kol%ata he 1as tellng her that poltcs happened by accdent3 that the road to sprtualty 1as more
appealng-
4 ha/e been thn%ng )or some tme 1hy must t all be my headache+ 1hy must 4 alone carry ths
un1anted burden to my o1n sprtual detrmentF Coltcs s not a sutable )eld o) 1or% )or me-
4t s only by chance that 4 ha/e dr)ted nto the 1hrlpool o) poltcs- #o1 4 canUgo bac% to my
chosen )eld- 4 ha/e no attachment to the materal 1orld+ so 4 chose not to enter 1orldly l)e- 4
do not see any reason 1hy n the present condton o) the country+ 4 should lea/e the path o)
peace+ create a ne1 1orldly snare and get mysel) enmeshed n t-
*y the end o) 1'27+ the poltcal mood o) the country 1as changng a)ter a )e1 lstless years- 4n the
$adras Congress+ (a1aharlal #ehru`s resoluton statng 4nda`s goal as complete ndependence 1as
adopted-
4.
The Congress also decded to boycott the Statutory Commsson set up by the *rtsh
Go/ernment to decde on 4nda`s consttutonal progress+ and to hold demonstratons 1here the
Commsson 1ent- *eng un1ell+ Subhas 1as unable to attend the $adras Congress+ but plunged nto
organsng boycott meetngs )rom early 1'28- Through the )rst three months o) the year+ he
campagned trelessly across *engal )or boycott o) )oregn clothes+ ;ndu?$uslm unty and
re&u/enatng the *engal Congress by resol/ng the )actonal )euds-
4t 1as also the year 1hen hs poltcal 1orld e9panded beyond *engal- Subhas 1as apponted a
member o) the commttee )ormed under $otlal #ehru to determne the prncples )or a Consttuton
)or 4nda- Startng n $ay+ he toured se/eral pro/nces ncludng $aharashtra+ 1here he 1as chosen as
the Cresdent o) the pro/ncal con)erence+ Nnted Cro/nces and Delh- Eater n the year+ he 1as
apponted a general secretary n 4ndependence )or 4nda Eeague along 1th (a1aharlal- "t the Kol%ata
Congress held n December+ he pc%ed up the cause o) ndependence+ apart )rom organsng an
mpress/e sho1 o) /olunteer corps+ much to the dspleasure o) Gandh-
The ncreasng n/ol/ement n pro/ncal and natonal poltcs ho1e/er dd not reduce hs
nterest n muncpal poltcs- "s hs prson correspondence sho1+ he had an un)nshed agenda- There
1ere e))orts to1ards the end o) 1'27 to renstate hm as the C@L o) the Corporaton+ but Subhas 1as
not 1llng+ probably because o) hs poor health-
>eturn to the 6or0oration
Subhas returned to the Corporaton through a bye?electon n $arch 1'28+ 1nnng uncontested- 4t 1as
!(2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
also the tme )or the electon o) the $ayor and Deputy $ayor 1hch 1ere held at the )rst meetng o)
the Corporaton e/ery year- Snce Chttaran&an`s death the mayoral poston had been 1th (atndra
$ohan Sengupta+ but n 1'28 a secton o) *engal Congress 1anted Subhas as the mayor and he
agreed-The Aualty o) 1or% by the Corporaton had deterorated due to )actonal sAuabbles 1hch
naturally led to lac% o) dscplne and derelcton o) dutes by o))cers and 1or%ers- The state o) a))ars
n the Corporaton at ths tme has been descrbed by the same person 1ho l/ed n the cty+ 1ho has
been Auoted abo/e> G")ter that bChttaran&an`s death and Subhas`s ncarceratonc there 1as no one to
chec% ts steady descent nto ne))cency and gra)t- The last had reached such proportons 1hen 4 1ent
to 1or% )or t bn 1'.4c that the popular name )or the Calcutta Corporaton 1as the _Calcutta
Corrupton`-H
44
Bth hs %eenness n c/c admnstraton+ the urge to mpro/e the state o) a))ars 1ouldn`t be
surprsng- @/en Sengupta+ 1ho 1as beng played up aganst Subhas by a r/al )acton+ came )or1ard
1th hs support-
40
"t the annual sesson o) the Congress 1'28- "t the centre s $otlal #ehru- Ln hs rght s (atndra $ohan Sengupta and on hs le)t s
Subhas Chandra *ose
!(3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Eac% o) S1ara&st ma&orty n the Corporaton )rom 1'27 and an ant?Congress coalton o)
$uslm and ;ndu councllors representng communal nterests+ combned 1th @uropean councllors
ho1e/er led to hs de)eat at the hands o) a lberal canddate *K *asu+ 1ho got 4' /otes aganst .' o)
Subhas- Lnly one $uslm councllor out o) eghteen /oted )or Subhas-
46
Subhas 1as grace)ul n
acceptng de)eat+ but called out the opportunstc nature o) ths coalton n 1hch+ he ponted out+ the
communal ;ndu leaders 1ho used to accuse Congress o) beng pro?$uslm had o))ered specal
bene)ts to the $uslm councllors only to solate the Congress- Ths %nd o) allance 1as possble+
accordng to hm+ only because the electon to the Corporaton had been held mmedately a)ter the
1'26 rots+ thus resultng n the electon o) a number o) communal representat/es-
47
#ot to g/e up a chance to moc% the S1ara& party+ the conser/at/e *rtsh ne1spaper *he
*ies noted 1th some glee> GSnce hs release )rom detenton $r- *ose has lost hs character as a
martyr+ and to?nght`s re&ecton o) hs canddature s the )rst e/dence o) the dsgust at hs methods and
the most tellng de)eat 1hch the S1ara&sts ha/e su))ered n *engal-H
48
Bhen the S1ara&sts also lost control o) the commttees n the Corporaton+ *he *ies reported
that electons G)or the commttees too% place amd scenes pro/o%ed by the dsapponted supporters o)
the Congress 1ho )or months had been calculatng on puttng $r- Subhas *ose n control o) the
Corporaton-H
4'
The de)eat 1as 1thout doubt a setbac% )or hs 1sh to play a decdng role n shapng the cty`s
muncpal a))ars but t 1as not enough to ma%e a dent n hs nterest n the sub&ect- @/en as he
remaned out o) muncpal admnstraton+or merely as a councllor+ he 1as )reAuently )elctated by
other muncpaltes 1th 1hom he shared hs phlosophy- "t a recepton g/en by the Kushtea
muncpalty at the end o) $arch+ )or nstance+ he e9planed that t 1as mportant to capture nsttutons
o) local go/ernance not only to mpro/e the admnstraton but also to pro/e through these nsttutons
that 4ndans 1ere ready )or Ghgher responsbltes and )or democracy-H
0:
4t also opened the a/enue )or
re//ng the democratc nsttutons 1hch had e9sted n ancent 4nda-
01
To hm+ capturng the local
bodes n an organsed manner 1as the only 1ay to be able to mplement a programme- Thus+ those
1ho 1ere crtcsng the ntroducton o) poltcs n muncpaltes 1ere only tryng to delude people-
02
$oreo/er+ the local bodes o))ered real po1er to ser/e people+ n contrast to beng a $nster n the
Councl 1ho had no real po1er- Ths 1as the tranng ground to ma%e people )t )or S1ara&-
0.
$uncpaltes there)ore must str/e to mpro/e the state o) publc health+ educaton etc-
04
!(4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
That hs bre) stnt as the C@L o) the Kol%ata Corporaton 1as 1ell recognsed s e/dent )rom
the recepton g/en by the Coona $uncpalty>
Be may be permtted to re)er here /ery bre)ly to your nterest n any sympathy 1th the
admnstraton o) Eocal Sel)?Go/ernng nsttutons- 2ormerly as the che) o))cer o)
Corporaton o) Calcutta and no1 as a corporator o) the same body+ you ha/e been de/otng a
large porton o) your energes+ other1se more 1dely and ntensely engaged n natonal 1or%+
to the ser/ce o) local Sel)?Go/ernment- 4t s+ ndeed+ hghly 1orthy o) you that you should ha/e
le)t the stamp o) your genous bscc on ths c/c 1or% as you ha/e rased noble hopes n the
mnds o) the 4ndan people by your magnanmous sacr)ce and ser/ceU
00
4n "ugust+ Subhas along 1th Sengupta success)ully sponsored a mo/e to compel the Corporaton
admnstraton to re)use n)ormaton sought by the educaton commttee o) the Statutory Commsson-
4n December+ he mo/ed a moton censurng the $ayor )or thro1ng a garden party to the /stng
,ceroy+ 1hch 1as de)eated agan due to lac% o) support- 4) Subhas 1as )ndng 1ays to utlse the
Corporaton )or ma%ng a poltcal statement+ he 1as suggestng concrete measures )or the cty`s
mpro/ement too- Brtng n the Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ he held the absence o) a G)ull?)ledgedH
road department n the Corporaton )or the lac% o) proper roads3 road constructon 1as le)t to the
1hms and )ancy o) the dstrct engneers and there 1as no polcy )or buldng roads n a planned 1ay
to %eep up 1th the gro1ng cty- Bhle the ma&or ctes around the 1orld constructed ther roads n a
scent)c manner+ the Kol%ata Corporaton dd not ha/e a laboratory to determne the nature o) road
sur)ace reAured )or d))erent types o) roads- G4) 1e 1ant to tac%le the Aueston o) road?ma%ng
scent)cally+ 1e should class)y the roads accordng to the nature o) the tra))cU$oreo/er+ all the
parts o) the cty should rece/e eAual attenton+H he suggested- " roads department headed by a )ulltme
roads engneer+ aded by an attached laboratory 1as essental- The *ombay Corporaton+ he noted+ 1as
dong better 1or% on ths aspect-
Dra1ng attenton to the 1or% o) the #agpur muncpalty+ he also ponted out to the mmense
potental o) se1age )armng a)ter remo/al o) sold and sem?sold substances )rom the e))luent- GThe
Calcutta corporaton o1ns the Dhappa area- 4t can also acAure other areas ) necessary- 4) these areas
are de/eloped 1th the help o) the se1age 1hch no1 runs to 1aste+ the Corporaton 1ll be able to
ma%e a lot o) money and+ thereby+ ser/e the best nterests o) the rate payersIH
The Kol%ata Corporaton must G1thout delay sha%e o)) ts nerta and tac%le the /arous
!(?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
muncpal problems n a thoroughly up?to?date+ busness?l%e and scent)c manner+H ) t 1anted to
retan ts reputaton as a premer Corporaton n 4nda+ 1as hs 1arnng-
06
;s gro1ng n/ol/ement 1th labour mo/ements at ths tme also led hm to engage 1th the
unon o) the Corporaton employees- Bhle he encouraged them to organse themsel/es+ struggle )or
ther rghts and ad/sed them on the 1ay to ta%e ther mo/ement )or1ard+ hs )rst ad/ce 1as regardng
ther beha/our 1th the people they ser/ed-
U1hether you are a cler% or an o))cer+ you are+ n ether case+ a ser/ant o) the publc+ and as
long as you act and beha/e as honourable men and as gentlemen+ 4 thn% you should be proud o)
yoursel)UMou all %no1 that here are some departments = partcularly some departments o) the
Go/ernment = the employees o) 1hch do not beha/e as ser/ants o) the publc- They beha/e as
masters o) the publcUThat s all the more reason 1hy n a body l%e the Corporaton you
should conduct yoursel/es n such a 1ay as to set a standard )or all publc ser/ants-
07
Bth hs n/ol/ement n natonal and pro/ncal poltcs 1th ncreasng ntensty+ Subhas`s act/tes
regardng the a))ars o) the Corporaton 1ere /ery lttle n 1'2'- Crobably the only notable de/elopment
n ths )eld 1as hs electon n (une by the Corporaton members as ther representat/e to the *engal
Go/ernment`s Bater1ays "d/sory Commttee to consder the Grand Trun% Canal pro&ect-
08
4t 1as the
year o) Councl electons+ and as the presdent o) the *engal Cro/ncal Congress Commttee Subhas
led the campagn+ tourng the entre pro/nce- ;e 1as also elected as the presdent o) the "ll 4nda
Trade Nnon Congress+ and contnued the 1or% o) organsng the student and youth groups throughout
*engal as 1ell as n other pro/nces- The year sa1 Sengupta return as the $ayor o) the Corporaton+
but by the end o) the year the )actonal r/alres )rom 1hch both leaders had managed to largely %eep
themsel/es a1ay had caught up 1th them-
"s the year dre1 to an end+ the ground 1as beng prepared )or hs thrd term o) mprsonment-
;e 1as boo%ed )or sedton and unla1)ul processon )or ta%ng out a processon obser/ng the "ll 4nda
Coltcal Su))erers` day on "ugust 11- Ln beng sentenced to one year`s rgorous mprsonment
5reduced to nne months on appeal8 n (anuary+ Subhas resgned )rom hs seat n the Corporaton- G4
shall be dong an n&ustce to my electorate ) 4 retan my seat 1hle 4 shall be n &al+H he 1rote to the
$ayor 1hen the Corporaton passed a resoluton as%ng hm to 1thdra1 the resgnaton-
0'
These 1ere d))cult days )or Sengupta too- Su))erng )rom poor health+ he le)t )or Sngapore
band !angoonc n late (anuary- ;e 1as arrested on hs return and sentenced to ten days` prson n
!(6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*urma+ only to be re?arrested and sentenced to prson n md?"prl on hs return )rom *urma- Bthn a
month o) hs release n September+ he 1as agan put n prson tll (anuary 1'.1-
6:
The S1ara&sts n the
mean1hle reganed control o) the Corporaton+ emergng as the sngle largest party+ by 1nnng )orty
three out o) the eghty )/e seats-
61
Sengupta 1as re?elected as the $ayor n "prl 1'.: 1hle n &al-
The electons to the posts o) $ayor+ deputy $ayor and the )/e "ldermen led to some btterness as no
$uslm canddate 1as elected to any o) these posts-
2a7lul ;uA accused the Congress o) mo/ng a1ay )rom the deal and the practce espoused by
C! Das-
62
G@/ents n the Calcutta Corporaton durng the last )e1 days ha/e con/nced us $oslems
that ) the Congress succeeds n capturng the admnstraton o) the country+ there 1ll be no hope )or
the $oslem $norty n 4nda+H ;uA announced n a meetng o) the Corporaton con/ened to pay
homage to Gandh+ 1ho 1as arrested on the mdnght o) $ay 4?0 a)ter brea%ng the salt la1s- GThe
$aul/`s speech+ 1hch caused a great sensaton and 1as cheered by the gallery pac%ed 1th $oslems+
s a step n the $oslem re/olt aganst the S1ara&st domnaton o) the Corporaton+H *he *ies noted-
6.
The d))erences 1ere temporarly resol/ed 1hen $uslm councllors 1ere g/en three seats n each o)
the standng commttees o) the Corporaton n (une+ 1th the rght to elect t1o charmen and t1o
deputy?charmen o) these commttees-
64
Sengupta had to g/e up the mayoral post n "ugust as he could not ta%e oath o) o))ce )or three
months+ beng n the prson- 2rom &al+ Subhas 1as elected as an "lderman o) the Corporaton on
"ugust 18 and 1thn the ne9t )e1 days+ on "ugust 22+ 1'.: as the ne9t $ayor )or the remanng part
o) 1'.:?.1- The transton 1as+ ho1e/er+ not smooth- The )actons supportng Sengupta and *ose had
earler reached an agreement that Dr *dhan !oy 51ho 1as elected as an "lderman o) the Corporaton
)or the )rst tme ths year8 1ould be the ne9t $ayor a)ter Sengupta`s term e9pred a)ter three months-
Met+ 1hen tme came+ he reneged and hs supporters mounted a campagn aganst !oy and Subhas to
get hm re?elected- "nnoyed 1th ths breach o) promse+ Subhas came )or1ard to neutralse the
campagn o) the Sengupta group-
60
,he 3a1or
!eleased )rom prson on the nght o) September 2.+ Subhas too% oath o) o))ce on the ne9t day- 4n a
cro1ded Corporaton o))ce+ pac%ed 1th councllors+ 1or%ers and /stors+ Subhas outlned hs
programme )or the comng year- ;e reterated hs adherence to the 1'24 mayoral speech o)
!(7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Deshbandhu 1here he had promsed to ser/e the nterests o) all communtes Gunless that nterest goes
aganst the 1ell?beng o) the 1hole communty+ by 1hch 4 mean the 4ndan people or the ct7ens o)
Calcutta n ths partcular respect-H The Corporaton 1ould specally )ocus on the _Dardra #arayana+`
by pro/dng )or ther housng+ prmary educaton and medcal rele)- 4mpro/ng supply and Aualty o)
1ater+ ensurng cheaper and unadulterated )ood tems+ pro/dng )or better santaton n slums and
congested areas+ de/elopng suburban areas and assurng an e))cent admnstraton 1ere the other
prortes+ 1hch too had been promsed by Deshbandhu-
" lot needed to be done+ but substantal 1or% had been done snce 1'24 1hen the S1ara&sts
captured the Corporaton+ especally n educaton- G/ng an account o) the ache/ements+ Subhas
ponted out that number o) schools had ncreased )rom 1' to 218 and number o) students n these
schools 51hch had ncreased more than ten)old durng these years to 20+06:8 accounted )or a Auarter
o) all chldren o) school?gong age n Kol%ata- Clannng )or housng had also made some progress-Met+
not all chldren 1ere gong to school- There)ore+ t 1as necessary to ma%e prmary educaton
compulsory+ Subhas suggested-
4t 1as probably on ths occason that Subhas propounded hs deologcal nclnaton to1ards a
combnaton o) socalsm and )ascsm- !e)errng to programme )or the Corporaton outlned by
Deshbandhu+ he sad>
U) 4 may put hs polcy and programme n modern language+ 4 1ould say that 1e ha/e here n
ths polcy and programme a synthess o) 1hat $odern @urope calls Socalsm and 2ascsm- Be
ha/e here the &ustce+ the eAualty+ the lo/e+ 1hch s the bass o) Socalsm+ and combned 1th
that 1e ha/e the e))cency and the dscplne o) 2ascsm as t stands n @urope today-
"n analyss o) ths deologcal proposton s beyond the scope o) ths artcle+ but t s beyond doubt
that 1hat he 1as re)errng to 1as the more bengn )orms o) the t1o deologes+ gnorng the ther dar%er
sdes-
66
Subhas 1as also tal%ng about the cty`s transport ssues- GBe ha/e not as yet realsed the
gra/ty o) the cty`s tra))c problems+H he told a meetng o) the *engal *us Syndcate+ e9pressng the
hope that the country 1ll ha/e a $nstry o) Transport on ganng ndependence-
67
" change n the 1or% atmosphere n the Corporaton also became /sble 1th Subhas
occupyng o))ce- "s one correspondent noted n the Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ the cushoned char
o) the $ayor 1as replaced by a normal o))ce char 1hch he used 1hle 1or%ng as the C@L+
!(D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
attendance became more regular+ all complants )rom ct7ens 1ere duly )or1arded to the rele/ant
department )or reportng to the $ayor+ and the preparaton o) admnstrat/e reports 1ere accelerated-
68
Tll the end o) the year+ Subhas contnued to engage regularly 1th /arous localsaitis+ nternatonal
delegatons+ nterest groups+ s1adesh entrepreneural ntat/es etc-+ and at the same tme the
Corporaton contnued to e9press ts /e1s on natonal de/elopments3 )or nstance+ t ssued
condemnatons on the arrest o) Sengupta and (a1aharlal #ehru and aganst the )rst !ound Table
Con)erence n #o/ember-
6'
4n December 1'.:+ Subhas started the *engal S1adesh Eeague+ brngng
together busnessmen+ ndustralsts+ economsts and Congress 1or%ers to promote S1adesh goods n
*engal-
7:
The C/l Dsobedence mo/ement started by Gandh 1as on the 1ane and ths pro/ded Subhas
the opportunty to )ocus more on poltcal organsaton than agtaton = he toured se/eral places n the
pro/nce ? and to l)t up the pro)le o) the Corporaton- The relat/e calm 1as bro%en on December 8+
1hen three young men o) *engal ,olunteers = *noy *ose+ Dnesh Gupta and *adal Gupta = 1al%ed
nto the Brters` *uldng and shot dead the 4nspector General o) prsons+ Eeutenant Colonel #S
Smpson- The Secretary o) the (udcal Department and an 4ndan orderly 1ere n&ured n the attac%-
The Corporaton adopted a resoluton condemnng the Gdastardly outrageH and con/eyed ts
Gpro)ound sympathy to the )amly o) the deceased gentleman and the n&ured persons- Subhas
assocated hmsel) 1th the resoluton but put the blame at the doorstep o) the Congress programme and
the Go/ernment represson- G4 sncerely deplore the tragc ncdents o) $onday last+H but+Gt 1ll not do
smply to brand as msguded the youths 1ho are responsble )or these ncdents-H 4t 1as ob/ous that
there 1ere people n the country 1ho 1anted )reedom+ /ery soon+ and at any cost- The ncdent 1as Ga
con)esson o) the temporary )alure o) the Congress programme and also the temporary )alure o) the
Congress leaders to n)luence cent per cent o) the younger generaton n the country-H
71
;e could not
see ho1 /olence could be pre/ented ) the people 1ere not con/nced that the Congress` 1ay 1as the
only 1ay to ache/e )reedom-
Ln December 1'+ nauguratng Chtra+ the ne1 cnema house constructed by *# Srcar+ on
Corn1alls Street 5no1 *dhanSaran8+ Subhas urged to de/elop cnema as a natonal ndustry- The )rst
mo/e to be sho1n there 1as Sr%anta+ based on Sarat Chandra Chattapadhyay`s no/el o) the same
name- ;e 1as happy that *engals 1ere ma%ng e))orts to ache/e that+ but noted that the *oard o)
Censors n 4nda 1ere not capable o) realsng the needs and aspratons o) the country+ and hence could
!(9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
not &udge the standard o) mo/es that needed to be produced- ;s concern 1as ho1 cnemas could be
utlsed )or educatonal purposes+ as n !ussa- GLur cnema houses ha/e a cro1ded audence today-
$ost o)ten the )lms are useless+ e/en harm)ul- *ut the cnema habt+ the cnema taste ha/e come to
stay- The pont then s ho1 to ma%e cnemas use)ul+ ho1 to turn them to good account-H
;s personal )reedom 1as curtaled soon enough 1hen he 1ent out n (anuary 1'.1 to tour the
dstrcts o) #orth *engal- Ln hs 1ay )rom *erhampur to $aldah+ he )ound that he 1as prohbted
)rom enterng the dstrct- Ln re)usng the o))er o) the dstrct admnstraton to drop the plan to /stng
$aldah and return+ he 1as arrested and tred n an mpro/sed Court n the "mnuraral1ay staton 5n
*angladesh no18 and sentenced to se/en days` smple mprsonment- The Corporaton protested by
remanng closed on (anuary 1'+ and the ne9t day a hartal 1as obser/ed n the cty- ")ter beng brought
to "lpore Central (al )rom !a&shah (al+ Subhas 1as released on (anuary 24-
Spea%ng at a recepton g/en by Kalghat Nnon+ he agan tred to e9plan the se/ere lmtatons
under 1hch the Corporaton had to )uncton- 2or nstance+ the Corporaton had the )nancal
responsblty )or supplyng 1ater n the cty+ but the scheme under 1hch 1ater 1as suppled 1as
desgned by the pro/ncal Go/ernment- " number o) schemes desgned by the Corporaton had to 1at
)or appro/al )rom the Go/ernment- Thus+ the scheme o) compulsory prmary educaton 1as stuc% snce
the Go/ernment had held bac% ts appro/al-
72
The Congress had declared ts obser/ance o) (anuary 26 as the 4ndependence Day )rom 1'.:-
"ntcpatng trouble+ the cty polce started ta%ng precautonary measures- Ln Sunday+ (anuary 20+ an
nspector o) Kol%ata Colce 1ent up to Subhas` house+ handng hm a notce prohbtng hm )rom
partcpatng n any meetng or processon n the cty the ne9t day- Such a notce o) course meant
nothng to hm+ and hs response 1as typcal = GTell your boss that 4 1ll brea% the la1-H True to hs
1ords+ he led a processon )rom the Corporaton o))ce to host the natonal )lag and address a meetng
at the )oot o) the Lchterlony monument- The polce tred to stop the processon+ se/erely n&urng hm
and )nally arrested and loc%ed hm up n Ealba7ar polce staton 1thout )ood or medcal treatment-
Subhas re)used to ta%e part n the court proceedngs and 1as sentenced to s9 months` rgorous
mprsonment on charges o) unla1)ul assembly+ rotng and endangerng publc sa)ety = hs ))th prson
sentence n &ust about ten years o) publc l)e- ")ter rasng a ho1l o/er polce assault on the $ayor+ the
Corporaton apponted a commttee to enAure nto the ncdent+ 1hch submtted ts report condemnng
the polce acton n (uly-
!!(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Subhas+ released early+ rushed to meet Gandh n *ombay n the mddle o) $arch to dscuss the
pact the $ahatma had sgned 1th the ,ceroy on $arch 0- 4t 1as also the tme )or the annual Congress
sesson at Karach- ")ter the Congress+ Subhas toured e9tens/ely addressng meetngs at Delh+ Snd+
Cun&ab and the Nnted Cro/nces+ be)ore returnng to Kol%ata around md?"prl-
Pa+#ed off to eFile, again
Ths tme around+ Subhas dd not ta%e up the mayoral post agan- Ln "prl 10+ *C !oy 1as elected the
ne1 $ayor o) the cty- Subhas occuped hmsel) 1th tour o) *engal`s dstrcts+ organsaton o) the
labour mo/ement and subseAuent electons to the *CCC+ 1hch 1ere marred by acrmony bet1een hm
and Sengupta`s supporters- 4n Lctober and #o/ember+ he 1as arrested t1ce 1hen he dsobeyed
Go/ernment orders prohbtng hm )rom enterng (agatdal and Dacca- ;o1e/er+ 1hen t1o
re/olutonares n the ;&l prson camp 1ere %lled by the guards` )rng+ Subhas declared that t 1as
hgh tme )or unty n the *engal Congress+ and resgned )rom hs posts o) the presdent o) *CCC and
alderman o) the Corporaton- ;e egged on the Congress leadershp to start a campagn aganst
Go/ernment represson+ rece/ng Gandh at *ombay on hs return )rom the un)rut)ul tal%s at the
!ound Table Con)erence n Eondon- "s the Congress prepared )or another round o) c/l dsobedence+
the Go/ernment crac%ed 1hp- Subhas 1as arrested on hs 1ay bac% )rom *ombay on tran at Kalyan
under !egulaton 444 o) 1818 on (anuary .+ 1'.2- Gandh+ *allabhbha Catel+ (a1aharlal+ !a&endra
Crasad and other leaders 1ere arrested the ne9t day+ and the Congress 1as declared as an unla1)ul
organsaton-
Ths 1as the begnnng o) a )/e year long brea% )rom hs poltcal l)e n the country- Eoc%ed
a1ay+ )rst n Seon+ then n (ubbulpore+ $adras and n *ho1al sanatorum n #antal+ Subhas` health
bro%e do1n and n 2ebruary 1'.. he saled )or @uorpe- @/en as he 1or%ed trelessly n hs e9le n
@urope to campagn )or 4nda`s ndependence+ he %ept n touch 1th domestc poltcs- The larger ssue
o) generatng nternatonal support )or 4nda`s )reedom remaned the prme mo/er+ but he ne/er lost
nterest n de/elopment o) ctes and muncpal admnstraton-
,he .uro0ean %odels
Lne o) hs )rst meetngs on reachng ,enna 1as 1th the $ayor o) the Cty- The publc 1el)are
underta%en by the socalst cty admnstraton 5most notably n pro/dng housng to t1o hundred
!!!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
thousand people n the past t1el/e years8 mpressed Subhas- ;e 1ent around to see the cty 1th the
muncpal o))cals+ and 1as so mpressed 1th the c/c amentes+ constructon plan o) the cty and the
muncpalty?run po1er utltes that he thought o) 1rtng a boo% on the sub&ect )or the bene)t o)
muncpal councllors n Kol%ata- ;e partcularly too% note o) the )act that all ths 1or% had been
accomplshed by the muncpalty only through ts re/enues generated by ta9ng Gamusements+
lu9ures+ etc-+ 1th the ob&ect o) ma%ng the rch pay so that the poor could be loo%ed a)ter betterUH
7.
The $ayor o) ,enna+ n hs letter to ne1 $ayor o) Kol%ata Santosh Kumar *asu+ noted that Subhas
Ghas been studyng /ery care)ully our muncpal nsttutons and all the socal 1el)are 1or% )or the poor
and )or chldren+ and 4 hope that he )ound many thngs 1hch 1ll pro/e to be use)ul to your cty
also-H
74
Throughout hs /sts to the ma&or @uropean ctes ? he 1as rece/ed by the $ayors o) Crague+
Barsa1+ and *erln ? he noted ther 1or% 1th a %een eye o) an admnstrator and %ept 1rtng about
them to the ne1 $ayor o) Kol%ata+ Santosh Kumar *asu-
70
Transmttng the n)ormaton 1as
mportant+ but he must ha/e tempered hs e9pectatons 1th the %no1ledge o) the stuaton at the
ground- The $ayoral electons to the Kol%ata Corporaton had turned especally nasty- 4n the electons
held n "prl 1'.4+ 2a7lul;aA 1as elected $ayor+ 1th the support o) the $uslm councllors and the
Sengupta )acton o) Congress o/er #aln!an&an Sar%ar 51ho 1as supported by the Congress
$uncpal "ssocaton and by @uropean members8 as the nomnated and @uropean members o) the
Corporaton 1ere not allo1ed to /ote-
76
*ased on the complant o) the nomnated members+ the
Go/ernment+ ho1e/er+ annulled the electon
77
and a)ter t1o more attempts at electon+ Sar%ar 1as
elected as the $ayor-
78
,he de'ilitating fight for +ru%'s
4n (uly 1'.4+ hs )rustrated Aueston to Satyendra #ath $a&umdar+ then the edtor o) "nanda *a7ar
Catr%a+ 1as G;o1 much )urther 1ll the Auarrels n the Corporaton goFH
7'
G4 am content to ser/e my
country n my o1n 1ayUThere s nothng to choose bet1een the t1o partes n Calcutta that are no1
)ghtng )or crumbs+H he 1rote btterly to Satyendra Chandra $tra- G4 do not 1ant to ha/e anythng to
do 1th the 1retched party?poltcs o) Calcutta-H
8:
;e 1as e9tremely upset 1th the 1ay #aln!an&an
Sar%ar`s /ctory as $ayor 1as obtaned = G4 am ashamed to ha/e anythng to do 1th a party that sets
up S&- #aln Sar%ar as the $ayor o) Calcutta on the strength o) @uropean support+H he 1rote to $tra
!!2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
n Lctober-
81
Bhen 2a7lul ;aA 1as elected the $ayor n 1'.0+ Subhas congratulated hm-
82
The perod )rom 1'.4 to 1'.7 s mar%ed by a declne n hs commentary on muncpal a))ars n
Kol%ata- 4n )act+ hs t1o letters to 2a7lul ;uA congratulatng hm on hs electon as the ne1 $ayor+ and
condolng the death o) ;uA`s 1)e are the only communcatons to any Corporaton o))cal- Crmarly t
1as because o) hs detenton )rom "prl 1'.6+ 1hen he returned home )rom e9le aganst the 1shes o)
the Go/ernment and 1as promptly arrested+ )or the ne9t one year- @/en 1hen he 1as g/en a publc
recepton n "prl 1'.7+ on the occason o) hs release+ he spo%e manly about natonal problems+ 1th
only a passng re)erence to the Kol%ata Corporaton- 4n )act+ he made t clear that he 1as gong to
de/ote hs tme to natonal poltcs n the near )uture- GBhle 4 am not n a poston to announce my
)uture plan o) 1or% today+ 4 should+ ne/ertheless+ ma%e t Aute clear to you that n )uture 4 ntend to
de/ote a good porton o) my tme and energy to "ll?4nda problems and act/tes-H
8.
#atonal poltcs 1as the prorty no1+ but muncpal a))ars could not be completely out hs
mnd- ;o1e/er+ there no sgn o) re//al o) act/e nterest yet probably because he 1as appalled by the
state o) a))ars n the Corporaton dsgusted hm- ;e had remaned slent )or nearly three years+ and 1as
stll not ma%ng publc statements+ but dd not mnce 1ords on 1hat he thought regardng the
Corporaton poltcs 1hen an employee o) the Corporaton 1rote to hm as%ng )or hs nter/enton to
mpro/e the pay and emoluments o) the GpoorerH employees- 4n a scathng response+ 1hch the
Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette publshed n "ugust 1'.7+ Subhas 1rote>
Mou ha/e an e9aggerated noton o) my n)luence- 4) 4 ha/e any n)luence 1th the publc = t
certanly does not e9st 1thn the Corporaton 1alls- Lther1se many thngs 1ould not ha/e
happened 1hch ha/e actually happened durng the last )e1 yearsU#epotsm has been so
rampant durng the last )e1 years that t ma%es me hang my head do1n n shameUThe
arguments that are usually trotted out )or resstng the clams o) the poorer employees to an
ncrease n ther pay and emoluments 1ould do credt to the most deep?dyed bureaucrat- $y
sense o) )arness as a human beng and my conscence as a Congressman re/olts at t = but )or
the tme beng 4 am helpless-
"s a Congressman+ 4 ha/e a certan responsblty )or 1hat s happenng 1thn the Corporaton+
and 4 am )ully al/e to tU4 cannot tell you to?day ho1 4 shall act 1hen 4 am bac% to my 1or%- 4
can only tell you ths that ) 4 ha/e anythng to do 1th *engal poltcs = the "ugean stables o)
the Calcutta Corporaton 1ll ha/e to be s1ept clean+ or+ n the alternat/e+ the Congress Carty
!!3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1ll ha/e to 1ash ts hands o) any responsblty )or 1hat the Calcutta Corporaton does-
"lthough he had not de)ntely made up hs mnd to return to the Corporaton+ he 1as certanly
consderng the opton- GCan you let me ha/e your opnon as to 1hat should be done to cleanse the
"ugean stablesFH he as%ed Santosh Kumar *asu n a letter-
80
Subhas 1as )ormally bac% to the Corporaton n September+ beng unanmously elected as an
"lderman- The e9?mayor 2a7lul;uA 1as no1 at the helm o) the *engal Go/ernment+ and 1hen the
ne1s o) the Go/ernment`s plans to o/erhaul the consttuton o) the Corporaton emerged+ Subhas
ssued a 1arnng+ roncally+ n/o%ng the memory o) Surendra#ath *aner&ee+ 1hom he had not
hestated to tr/alse n hs youth- G4) $r 2a7lul ;uA ta%es a step n the drecton o) )urther
democratsaton+ or attempts to recast the consttuton on Socalstc prncples+ 1e shall 1elcome tU
The ct7ens o) Calcutta ha/e not 1on ther consttuton 1thout a )ghtU*ut that )ght 1as a bac%yard
scrap compared to 1hat $r 2a7lul ;uA 1ll ha/e to )ace+ ) hs rump o) reactonares attempts to
trample under )oot the legacy o) the late Sr Surendra #ath *aner&ee+H he told the Nnted Cress-
86
;s
re)erence 1as to the e))orts to brng bac% the system o) separate electorate )or $uslms+ 1hch
*an&er&ee`s "ct had stpulated only )or the )rst nne years-
>ashtra0atiGs +it1
The return to Corporaton 1as temporary- Subhas le)t )or @urope agan n #o/ember+ and 1hen he
returned n late (anuary 1'.8+ hs selecton as the Congress Cresdent %ept hm occuped- "t one o) the
c/c receptons+ arranged by the *ombay $uncpal Corporaton+ he agan outlned hs thoughts
regardng muncpal admnstraton- "pprecatng the 1or% done by the *ombay Corporaton+ he
descrbed the ache/ements o) the muncpalty n ,enna and re)erred to the programme lad do1n by
C! Das )or the Kol%ata Corporaton- The 1orld 1as mo/ng to1ards 1hat he termed as G$uncpal
Socalsm+H = Ga collect/e e))ort )or the ser/ce o) the entre communty-H GToday a modern
muncpalty has to )urnsh not merely pure drn%ng 1ater+ roads+ lghtng+ etc-+ but t has to pro/de
prmary educaton and t has to loo% a)ter the health o) the populaton and to tac%le problems o) n)ant
mortalty+ maternty+ dranage and the l%e = problems 1hch the muncpaltes dd not thn% o) a )e1
years ago- 4t s d))cult to say 1here you are gong to dra1 a lne n )uture-H
87
!!4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
"t the podum o) the ;arpura Congress+ 1'.8
The Kol%ata Corporaton+ ho1e/er+ 1as stll plagued 1th nternecne Auarrels- Dra1n nto such
a Auarrel o/er the dsmssal o) the Corporaton`s educaton o))cer+ Subhas )rst tred to 1or% out an
honourable compromse+ but )alng to ache/e that resgned )rom the post o) "lderman as 1ell as the
leader o) the Congress $uncpal "ssocaton n (une- Bhen the $uncpal "ssocaton pressed hm to
1thdra1 the resgnaton+ he demanded greater dscplne amongst the Congress members and re?
consderaton o) the dsmssal o) the @ducaton L))cer+ 1hch he thought had been done un)arly- Bth
the e))orts o) Subhas )or re)ormng the 1or%ng o) the Corporaton ganng 1de support+ the $uncpal
"ssocaton acAuesced to hs demands and Subhas 1thdre1 hs resgnaton around md?(uly-
88
4n an e))ort to nduce greater e))cency and transparency n the Corporaton+ the $uncpal
"ssocaton under Subhas apponted a sub?commttee to )rame rules )or recrutment n the Corporaton
through compett/e e9amnatons- The Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette announced that Subhas 1ould be
!!?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
preparng a comprehens/e scheme )or the Ggeneral 1el)are o) the cty-H "t the same tme+ Subhas
appled )or lease o) a plot on the east o) Chttaran&an "/enue )or nnety nne years at a nomnal rate )or
erecton o) a buldng+ 1hch later came to be %no1n as the $aha&at Sadan-
8'
,he 'rea# 4ith 6ongress, and sear+h for alternati&es
The e))orts dr/en by Subhas soon ran nto the ground 1th the acrmonous contest bet1een hm and
the Gandhan )acton o/er hs re?electon as the Congress Cresdent and Congress polcy n the 1a%e o)
the Second Borld Bar- "s an "lderman+ hs assocaton 1th the Corporaton contnued+ dotted
1th1th numerous receptons and )elctatons+ but 1as per)orce tenuous+ e9cept durng hs opposton
to amendments to the $uncpal *ll proposed by the 2a7lul ;uA $nstry+ 1hch 1as n turn an
e9tenson o) the de/elopment n natonal poltcs-
"ccordng to the orgnal "ct o) 1'2.+ the pro/son o) separate electorates )or $uslms came to
an end n 1'.2- @lectons to the Corporaton 1ere hence)orth to be held by m9ed electorates3 but by
the same amendment+ the Go/ernment ncreased by the number o) seats reser/ed )or $uslms by s95ts
support to an amendment to the "ct sponsored by $aula/"bulKasem see%ng re?ntroducton o)
separate electorate system 1as de)eated n the Eegslat/e Councl8-
':
Callng the proposed amendment to re?ntroduce communal electorate n Corporaton electons
Ga crme aganst democracy and progress+HSubhas remnded the ;uA Go/ernment n "prl 1'.' o) hs
earler promse to )ght ts attempt to Gpamper 1th the Calcutta $uncpal "ct+H but sad that he had
not made up hs mnd o/er the )orm o) opposton-
'1
Despte hs ntentonshe )aled to buld up an
opposton+ manly because o) hs preoccupaton 1th natonal poltcs snce the Trpur Congress- The
*ll 1as passed and the ne9t electons to the Corporaton held n $arch 1'4: 1ere held under the ne1
la1- Nnder the ne1 arrangement+ 47 out o) '8 seats 1ere reser/ed )or ;ndus 5o) 1hch )our 1ere )or
Scheduled castes8+ 22 )or $uslms+ 12 )or specal consttuences such as *engal Chamber o)
Commerce+ etc-+ eght )or nomnated members 5o) 1hch three 1ere )or Scheduled castes8+ )/e )or
elected "ldermen+ t1o )or labour and t1o )or "nglo?4ndans-
'2
4n the meantme+ Subhas had been banned )rom Congress )or three years )rom "ugust 1'.' and
the *CCC headed by hm 1as dsmssed by the Congress Bor%ng Commttee 5CBC8- Bhle he toured
the country to organse hs _2or1ard *loc` the CBC apponted an ad hoc *CCC )rst headed by
$aulana"bulKalam "7ad and later by Surendra $ohan Ghose+ as the dsmssed *CCC contnued 1th
!!6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Subhas at ts head- 4n an atmosphere o) communal polarsaton Subhas reached out to all partes n an
attempt to )orge a broad coalton as )ar as the Corporaton 1as concerned- Statng that the Corporaton
dealt 1th c/c a))ars+ and the poltcal and communal Auestons dd not hold a promnent poston+ he
n/ted all partes to 1or% together )or the nterest o) the cty`s de/elopment-
;e )ollo1ed up hs appeal by str%ng an allance 1th the ;ndu $ahasabhan 2ebruary?$arch
)or contestng the electons and therea)ter runnng the Corporaton- *ut the understandng soon bro%e
do1n o/er the selecton o) canddates- ;e made another attempt at reachng an understandnga)ter the
electons+ but that e))ort too )aled to materalse due to d))erences o/er selecton o) "ldermen- Subhas
then too% a step 1hch 1as unthn%able to the Congress or the $ahasabha> he entered an agreement
1th the $uslm Eeague- *y ths arrangement "! SddA o) $uslm Eeague 1as elected the ne1
$ayor-
@9pectedly+ the decson came n )or strong crtcsm )rom /arous Auarters- Bhat the
.asikBasuati 1rote probably re)lected the /e1s o) a large secton o) people>
Be ha/e agreed 1th Subhasbabu`s programme many a tmes+ and at tmes ha/e dsagreed 1th
hm too- Be are ho1e/er n)ntely surprsed and saddened by hs recent actUBhate/er else
Subhasbabu`s 2or1ard *loc does+ t at least stands )or a unted 4nda3 $uslm Eeague on the
other hand 1ants to 1ea%en 4nda by d/dng her nto 4nda and Ca%stanUBhen Subhasbabu
1as the Congress Cresdent+ he %noc%ed on (nnah`s door more than once to unte Congress and
$uslm Eeague- 4) could not succeed then+ 1hat s the secret o) hs success no1F Be are not
only saddened to see Subhasbabu plunge nto the )lth o) poltcs+ 1e are shoc%edIH
'.
"rabasi 5edted by !amananda Chattapadhyay+ a ;ndu $ahasabha sympathser8+ one o) the most
promnent *engal lterary maga7nes+ had ts o1n nterest n decryng the de/elopment- 4t had heartly
supported the ntal agreement bet1een Subhas and the ;ndu $ahasabha+ 1arnng that ) they )aled
to 1or% together+ the n)luence o) the ;ndus n the Corporaton 1ould declne+ leadng to 1aste o)
money and underta%ng 1el)are 1or% 1ll be d))cult-
'4
Bth the Subhas?$ahasabha agreement
brea%ng do1n+ Subhas became the target o) the maga7ne`s re- $odern !e/e1+ the other maga7ne
edted by Chattapadhyay also %ept 1rtng n the same tone- Cresdng o/er a $ahasabha meetng at the
To1n ;all to oppose the Subhas?Eeague agreement+ he clamed that Subhas 1as ndrectly supportng
the Ca%stan demand o) the Eeague+ and nsnuated that Subhas`s opposton to the amended
$uncpalty "ct and hs pronouncements at the "nt?Compromse Con)erence at !amgarh 1ere only
!!7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
empty 1ords-
'0
Bthn the Corporaton+ #C Chatter&ee+
'6
leader o) the ;ndu $ahasabha party+ too% up the )ght
aganst the coalton+ accusng t o) dscrmnaton and party pre&udces- The "ll 4nda ;ndu
$ahasabha Bor%ng Commttee meetng held n $ay n *ombay adopted a resoluton condemnng the
pact )or beng Ghghly detrmental to ;ndu soldarty and nterests n *engal-H
'7
Bhle the (nanda Ba/ar "atrika and the 0industan Standard 1ere support/e o) Subhas+
amongst the contemporary maga7nes the one 1hch came out n support o) Subhas most promnently
at ths tme 1as ;ayasree+ edted by Eeela !oy- !oy+ n her edtoral obser/ed that the $ahasabha`s
/ctory n a number o) seats ndcated the ncreasng nterest n a s7eable secton o) mddle class
;ndus to protect ther nterests n reacton to *engal Go/ernment`s polces3 but sannyasis dressed n
sa))ron and carryng trdents+ and &umpng up and do1n to can/ass )or /otes )or la1yers and barrsters
1as nether a pleasant sght nor dd t bode 1ell )or the ;ndu Socety- !oy 1elcomed the
understandng bet1een Subhas and the $ahasabha as a step to1ards pre/entng the @uropean bloc
)rom ta%ng o/er the Corporaton-
'8
" month later+ she argued that amongst other reasons+ the pact
bet1een Subhas and the $uslm Eeague could be bene)cal as t restrcted the space )or any thrd party
5the *rtsh8 to ma%e msche) and aggra/ate the communal polarsaton and ga/e a chance to natonal
ntegraton-
''
Subhas responded to hs crtcs de)ended hs approach o) buldng coaltons 1th _communal`
organsatons n hs party organ 1orward Bloc- !e)errng to the ban mposed by the Congress on
members o) ;ndu $ahasabha or the $uslm Eeague &onng any elect/e commttee o) the Congress+
he 1rote+ GBhle tryng to dscard socal untouchablty+ 1e are+ as t 1ere+ encouragng poltcal
untouchablty-H "ccusng the Congress to be pre&udced aganst hm+ he clamed that ths allance 1th
the $uslm Eeague actually held out hope that ;ndu?$uslm Aueston could be sol/ed on a permanent
bass-
Be+ on our part+ do not regard the communal organsatons as untouchable- Ln the contrary+ 1e
hold that the Congress should try contnuously to 1oo them o/er to ts sde- Durng the last
three years+ repeated attempts ha/e been made to brng about a rapprochement bet1een the
Congress and the $uslm EeagueU"t that tme+ the attempt )aled+ though the 1rter had been
blessed by the Congress Bor%ng Commttee and by $ahatma Gandh- Those 1ho had not
ob&ected to that attempt 1hch )aled ultmately+ no1 strongly ob&ect to the present attempt+
!!D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
because t has succeeded- Can pre&udce go any )urtherF
UThs tme 1e ha/e bro%en through the 1all and through the )ssure+ a ray o) lght has poured n- there
s no1 some hope that 1e may ultmately succeed n sol/ng a problem 1hch has pro/ed 1ell ngh
nsoluble to many- Great ache/ements are o)ten born out o) small begnnngs-
1::
Tryng to buld up )rom ths agreement+ Subhas ssued an appeal to Gandh and (nnah to ma%e
an attempt )or the settlement o) the ;nd?$uslm Aueston so that a &ont demand )or trans)er o) )ull
po1ers to the 4ndan people through a pro/sonal natonal Go/ernment could be made-
1:1
4n (une he
met Gandh+ (nnah and Sa/ar%ar to )nd a 1ay to un)ed struggle aganst the *rtsh-
1:2
*ut be)ore he
could ta%e ths ntat/e any )urther+ he 1as arrested under the De)ence o) 4nda "ct on (uly 2+ )or hs
announced plan o) agtaton )or the remo/al o) the ;ol1ell $onument-
Thus the curtan )ell on hs n/ol/ement 1th the admnstraton o) the cty 1hch he had learnt
to lo/e and had adopted as hs o1n-
,he 'ro#en drea% and an unans4ered <uestion
Tragcally+ bet1een 1'24 and (anuary 1'41+ a &ourney that started 1th great hopes ended n petty
sAuabblng- The desre to set an e9ample be)ore the 1orld o) the admnstrat/e pro1ess o) 4ndans
ga/e 1ay to patronage see%ng+ promoton o) sectaran nterests+ and plan corrupton-
T1o aspects o) Subhas`s n/ol/ement durng these years that stand out are 5a8 hs clear
concepton o) 1hat needed to be done to mpro/e the cty+ and 5b8 hs 1llngness and capablty to
pro/de leadershp to reach the goal- The ache/ements n the )rst )e1 months+ and the return o) the
orgnal sprt 1hen he became $ayor sho1 that the cty could ha/e progressed as planned- *ut the
e9ternal en/ronment 1as anythng but )a/ourable- The death o) Chttaran&an Das n 1'20 1as a
1atershed n *engal poltcs- Bth the po1er to hold together the /arous nterest groups gone 1th
hm+ and Subhas a1ay n &al+ the n)luence o) the central Congress ncreased steadly+ the e))ect o)
1hch 1ere not completely bene)cal- Lut o) these se/enteen years n Aueston+ Subhas spent more
than eght years n e9le+ and o/er a year n prson- Ths 1as tme enough )or )actonal )euds amongst
the Congress 1or%ers as amongst the re/olutonary groups and bet1een leaders to ta%e )rm roots3 a
de/elopment 1hose drecton 1as also determned by the n)luence o) natonal poltcs-
;e 1as learnng )rom the 1orld about muncpal Go/ernance and tryng to pass the %no1ledge
on to the nsttuton+ but realsed /ery Auc%ly that unless he too% the lead hmsel)+ these 1ould reman
!!9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
&ust deas- Tragcally+ e/en hs sporadc n/ol/ement 1as not enough to stem the rot- "long 1th the
sAuabbles+ hs o1n ncreasng n/ol/ement n the natonal poltcs 1ould not allo1 Subhas to be able to
success)ully mplement hs thoughts-
The natural Aueston that there)ore arses s> could he ha/e pre/ented the declne n any 1ayF
Clearly he dd not ha/e the command 1hch Chttaran&an en&oyed o/er the poltcal players n the
pro/nce- "ddtonally+ the opponents 51thn and outsde Congress8 1ere more /rulent and the sta%es
1ere )ar hgher- *ut undoubtedly+ he 1as the tallest leader and had the boldness and resource)ulness to
try out the mplementaton o) ne1 strateges demanded by the tme- Crobably+ ) he had more tme to
de/ote+ the Corporaton 1ould be d))erent- Met+ ths shall reman a hypothetcal Aueston-
Bhat s more mportant s the )act that hs n/ol/ement = not too long and sporadc = sho1s
Subhas n a d))erent lght+ as a modern thn%er on c/c admnstraton+ Aute d))erent )rom the mage
o) the mltant leader that has been tradtonally assocated 1th hm-
Notes
1- Gandh`s speech at the specal sesson o) the Congress at Kol%ata n September 1'2:3 S1ara& n
Lne Mear+ Ioung India+ 22 September+ 1'2:+ S1ara& n #ne $onths+ Ioung India+ 2' December
1'2:+ n Swara+ in &ne Iear+ pp- 1?26
2- Bengal )egislati$e Council "roceedings+ 1'21+ 2)th Sesson+ ,ol- ,+ pp- 121?128
.- *engal Cro/ncal Congress 1'17
4- Congress "olitics in Bengal+ p 023 Subhas Chandra+ p 4:
0- Subhas Chandra & Neta+i Subhas Chandra+ Sabtr Crasanna Chattapadhyay+ pp- ..?.03 Sroter
*rina+ *rendranathSasmal+ p 2'
6- Indian (nnual #egister+ 1'22?2.+ ,ol- 1+ pp- 81.?872 5n8
7- Social Conflict and "olitical Bnrest in Bengal+ p .17
8- !lite Conflict in a "lural Society+ p 240
'- Indian (nnual #egister ?CAH =olue II Suppleent+ pp- 127?128
1:- Indian (nnual #egister ?CAH =olue II Suppleent+ pp- 121?127+ 1.4?140
11- The crucal role 1hch 1orward 1ent on to play can be gauged )rom ts assessment by the
btterest crtc and opponent o) the S1ara& Carty = the Go/ernor o) *engal Eord Eytton-
!e)errng to the publcty campagn o) the party+ he 1rote+ Gther o))cal organ *he 1orward = a
!2(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
most e9cellent ne1spaper+ 1ell prnted+ 1ell edted and cle/erly 1rtten = s ther most
e))ect/e 1eapon-H$emorandum by the Go/ernor o) *engal+ "ugust .1+ 1'24+ Cabnet
!ecords+ C"*<24<168<::6:
12- !lite Conflict in a "lural Society+ pp- ..:?..13 Subhas Chandra+ pp- 68?6'3 DeshapranSasal+
pp- 1:6?11.
1.- ;e Kathar Shesh Nei+ p 04
14- *he Indian Struggle+ p 1.6
10- Deshbandhu Chittaran+an Das+ pp- '6?'7
16- *he Indian Struggle+ p 1.7
17- 4* 1'24+ _#on?Cooperaton = the S1ara&ya Carty`+ cted n Social Conflict and "olitical Bnrest
in Bengal+ p .2:
18- Ioung India+ (uly .1+ 1'24+ Collected :orks of .ahata Gandhi+ ,ol- 28+ pp- .'1?.'2
1'- Subhaser Songe Baro Bochhor+ pp- 14:?1
2:- ( Nation in .aking+ pp- .6:?.64- Subhas`s poston on ths pont 1as completely opposte- 4n
numerous speeches he reterated hs o1n /e1 that l)e should be consdered as one 1hole+ and
cannot be compartmental7ed bet1een the poltcal and the non?poltcal-
21- Eord Ll/er and $r Das+ *he *ies+ (uly 2'+ 1'24+ p 11- *he *ies regularly Auoted )rom the
Bengalee to sho1 the S1ara&ya party and Das n poor lght-
22- (utobiography of an Bnknown Indian> "art II+ p .7'
2.- Eytton`s address to the *engal Eegslat/e "ssembly on (anuary 2.+ 1'24+ *he Bengal
)egislati$e Council "roceedings+ 1'24+ ,olume d4,+ #o- 1+ pp-6?7
24- Eetter )rom Eytton to the ,ceroy+ (une 26+ 1'24+ Cabnet !ecords+ C"*<24<168<::20
20- Eetter )rom the Che) Secretary to the Go/ernment o) *engal to the Go/ernment o) 4nda+ (uly
1:+ 1'243 Dspatch #o- 2 o) 1'24 )rom Go/ernment o) 4nda to 4nda L))ce+ "ugust '+ 1'24+
Cabnet !ecords+ C"*<24<168<::48
26- Telegram )rom ,ceroy to the Secretary o) State+ Lctober 22+ 1'24+ !ecords o) the Cabnet
L))ce+ C"*<24<168<::7'
27- *he Indian Struggle+ p 101
28- *he Indian Juarterly #egister+ (uly?December 1'24+ p 16:3 "rabasi+ "grahayan+ 1..1+ p 264
2'- *he Indian Struggle+ p 10.3 Subhas Chandra+ p 74
!2!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
.:- Subhas Chandra+ p 70
.1- *he Indian Juarterly #egister+ 1'24+ (uly?December+ pp- 176+ 18:?181
.2- *he Indian Struggle+ pp- 181?1823 .y Bncle Neta+i+ p 16
..- *he Indian Struggle+ p 184
.4- @9pressng ntal reluctance to contest electons to the *engal Councl n 1'26+ he 1rote to
Sarat+ G) 4 ha/e to choose bet1een c/c 1or% and poltcs = 4 am not sure that 4 shall )eel
nclned to g/e up a less humble but more tangble programme n )a/our o) a more 1ordy one-H
Eetter to Sarat Chandra *ose+ $arch 17+ 1'26+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- .+ p 20'
.0- Eetter to Sarat Chandra *ose+ (anuary 24+ 1'20+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- .+ p .0
.6- Eetter to Sarat Chandra *ose+ $ay 22+ 1'20+ p 643 Eetter to Sarat Chandra *ose+ (une 6+ 1'20+
Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- . p 6'
.7- Eetter to Sarat Chandra *ose+ "ugust 18+ 1'20+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- .+ p 1:0
.8- Eetter to Santosh Kumar *asu+ "prl 26+ 1'26+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- .+ pp- 27'?8.
.'- Eetter to Sarat Chandra *ose+ (uly 2+ 1'20+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- .+ pp- 72?.
4:- Eetter to "C N%l+ (une 1'26+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- .+ p .:0
41- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ #o/ember 27+ 1'26+ p 6'
42- 2rom hs letters 1rtten to Sarat )rom $andalay+ t can be seen that Subhas 1as as serous about
learnng the ropes o) Councl poltcs as he 1as n any other 1or% he too% up- 2rom Shllong+ he
ad/sed Sarat+ 1ho had been elected )rom the Calcutta Nn/ersty consttuency+ that n each
sesson he should do somethng to nurse hs consttuency- 4t 1as not possble+ he %ne1+ to do
anythng substantal+ Gbut one has to ma%e a sho1 = by means o) Auestons and resolutons-H
Eetter to Sarat Chandra *ose+ "ugust 11+ 1'27+ Neta+iCollected :orks+ ,ol- 4+ pp 20:?201
4.- Gandh 1as e9tremely unhappy 1th ths de/elopment and sternly rebu%ed (a1aharlal )or 1hat
he consdered to be a hasty decson-
44- (utobiography of an Bnknown Indian+ Cart 44+ p .7'
40- Subhas Chandra+ p '6
46- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ "prl 14+ 1'28+ pp- '1'?'28
47- Subhas #achanabali+ ,ol- 1+ pp- 166?167
48- 4ndependent $ayor o) Calcutta> " S1ara&st De)eat+ *he *ies+ "prl .+ 1'28
4'- S1ara&sts De)eated n Calcutta+ *he *ies+ "prl 0+ 1'28
!22@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
0:- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ $arch .1+ 1'28+ p 0:
01- Subhas #achanabali+ ,ol 1- p '6
02- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ 2ebruary 20+ 1'28+ p 4'
0.- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ (une '+ 1'28+ p 61
04- Subhas #achanabali+ ,ol- 1+ p 2::
00- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ $ay 1'+ 1'28+ p 6:
06- T1o o) our Croblems+ Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ #o/ember 17+ 1'28+ pp- 62?6.
07- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ December 10+ 1'28+ pp- 246?20:3 Subhas #achanabali+ ,ol- 1+ pp-
28'?2'1
08- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ (une 2'+ 1'2'+ p '8.
0'- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ (anuary 20+ 1'.:+ pp- 404?400
6:- Brothers against the #a++ p 224
61- S1ara&st Control n Kol%ata+ *he *ies+ $arch 2:+ 1'.:
62- Brothers against the #a++ pp- 226?7
6.- !e/olt aganst Congress+ *he *ies+ $ay 16+ 1'.:
64- ;ndu Concesson to Kol%ata $oslems+ *he *ies+ (une 12+ 1'.:
60- 4nteracton at a recepton organsed by *angya (ana Sangha at "lbert ;all+ Kol%ata+ #o/ember
'+ 1'.:+ Subhas #achanabali+ ,ol- .+ pp .0?.'
66- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ September 27+ 1'.:
67- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ Lctober 20+ 1'.:+ pp- '8'?'':
68- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ Lctober 18+ 1'.:+ p '20
6'- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ #o/ember 8+ 1'.:+ p 1:6'3 #o/ember 10+ 111.?1110
7:- Subhas Chandra+ p 1.:
71- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ December 1.+ 1'.:+ pp- 21.?210
72- Speech at a recepton by the Kalghat Nnon+ (anuary 20+ 1'.1+ Subhas #achanabli+ ,ol- .+ pp-
6:?62
7.- Eetters to Santosh Kumar *asu+ $ayor o) Calutta+ $ay 11 and $ay 2.+ 1'..+ Neta+i Collected
:orks+ ,ol- 8+ pp- 1:?11+ 1.?14-
74- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ #o/ember 17+ 1'..
70- Eetters to Santosh Kumar *asu+ (une 18+ 1'..+ $arch 14+ 1'.4+ "prl 7+ 1'.4+ Neta+i Collected
!23@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
:orks+ ,ol- 8+ pp- 16?17+ 07?6:+ 64?66
76- 2rst $oslem $ayor o) Kol%ata+ *he *ies+ "prl 11+ 1'.4
77- Kol%ata @lecton "nnulled+ *he Courier and (d$ertiser+ $ay 14+ 1'.4-
78- #e1 $ayor o) Kol%ata @lected+ *he *ies+ (uly 0+ 1'.4-
7'- Eetter to Satyendra #ath $a&umdar+ (uly 0+ 1'.4+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- 8+ p 72
8:- Eetter to Satyendra Chandra $tra+ (uly 20+ 1'.4+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- 8+ p 70
81- Eetter to Satyendra Chandra $tra+ Lctober 18+ 1'.4+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- 8+ p 8.
82- Eetter to 2a7lul ;uA+ $ay 1:+ 1'.0+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- 8+ p '6
8.- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ "prl 1:+ 1'.7+ pp- 60'?66:
84- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ "ugust 14+ 1'.7+ p 4'6
80- Eetter to Santosh Kumar *asu+ "ugust 17+ 1'.7+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- 8+ p 22:
86- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ Lctober '+ p 81:
87- "ddress to the *ombay Corporaton+ $ay 1:+ 1'.8+ Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- '+ pp- .1?.0-
;e spo%e n smlar terms at a recepton g/en by the Euc%no1 $uncpalty n #o/ember and
Karach $uncpalty n December 5Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ #o/ember 26+ 1'.8+ p 93
December 1:+ p 1.:8
88- Brothers against the #a++ p .68
8'- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ (uly .:+ 1'.8+ p .1:
':- Kolkata: Story of its Go$ernent+ pp- 246?247
'1- Statement to "ssocated Cress+ Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ "prl 22+ p 848
'2- Bengal Di$ided: 0indu Counalis and "artition+ pp- 1:7?1:8
'.- *osu?Eeague (oga&og+ .asik Basuati+ *asha%h 1.47+ p 166
'4- "rabasi+ *asha%h 5"prl?$ay8+ 1.47+ pp- 11.+ 126-
'0- "rabasi+ (yashtha 5$ay?(une8+ 1.47+ pp- 241?244+ 247?24'3 "shadh 5(une?(uly8+ pp- .82?.84+
.'7?.'8
'6- 2ather o) Communst leader and later Eo% Sabha Spea%er Somnath Chatter&ee
'7- *he .odern #e$iew+ (une 1'4:+ pp- 617?618+ 620
'8- ;ayasree+ *asa%h 5"prl?$ay8+ 1.47+ pp- 1106?1107
''- ;ayasree+ (yashtha 5$ay?(une8+ 1.47+ p 122'
1::- Sgned edtoral n 1orward Bloc+ $ay 4+ 1'4:+ n Neta+i Collected :orks+ ,ol- 1:+ pp-
!24@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
'8?1::
1:1- Calcutta .unicipal Ga/ette+ (une 10+ 1'4:+ p 141
1:2- Subhas Chandra & Neta+i Subhas Chandra+ p 1:7
Bi'liogra0h1
Boo#s
( Nation in .aking+ Sr Surendranath*aner&ea+ 1'.1+ ;umphrey $l)ord+ L9)ord Nn/ersty Cress
(utobiography of an Bnknown Indian: "art II+ #rad C Chaudhur+ (aco Cublshng ;ouse
Bengal Di$ided: 0indu Counalis and "artition+ (oyaChatter&
Bengal "ro$incial Congress ?C?G+ Matndra Kumar Ghosh 5compled8+ 2rma KE $u%hopadhyay
Brothers against the #a+: ( Biography of Sarat@ Subhas Chandra Bose+ Eeonard " Gordon+ ,%ng
Kolkata: Story of its Go$ernent
Congress "olitics in Bengal: ?C?C-?CHC+ Srlata Chatter&ee+ "nthem Cress
DeshapranSasal+ Cramatha#ath Cal+ The Central *oo% "gency
Deshbandhu Chittaran+an Das+ ;emendranathDasgupta+ Cublcatons D/son+ $nstry o)
4n)ormaton and *roadcastng+ Go/ernment o) 4nda-
!lite Conflict in a "lural Society: *wentieth Century Bengal+ (; *room)eld+ Nn/ersty o) Cal)orna
Cress
;e KatharSheshNei+ GopalEalSanyal+ (ayasreeCra%ashan
.y Bncle Neta+i+ "so%e#ath *ose+ *haratya,dya*ha/an-
Swara+ in &ne Iear+ $ahatma Gandh+ Ganesh K Co+ $adras+ $ay 1'21
*he Bengal )egislati$e Council "roceedings+ 1'21+ 2)th Sesson+ ,ol- ,
The *engal Eegslat/e Councl Croceedngs+ 1'24+ ,olume d4,+ #o- 1
Social Conflict and "olitical Bnrest in Bengal: ?EGF-?CAG+ !a&atKanta !ay+ L9)ord Nn/ersty Cress
Sroter *rina+ *rendranathSasmal+ Gopnath*harat
Subhas Chandra+ ;emendra#athDasgupta+ (yotCro%asalaya
Subhas Chandra & Neta+i Subhas Chandra+ SabtrCrasannaChattapadhyay+ (ayasreeCra%ashan
Subhas #achanabali-(ayasreeCra%ashan
!2?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
SubhaserSongeBaroBochhor: ?C?A-AK+ ;emanta Kumar Sar%ar+ Sar%ar K Co-
*he Collected :orks of .ahata Gandhi 5@lectronc *oo%8+ #e1 Delh+ Cublcatons D/son
Go/ernment o) 4nda+ 1'''
*he Indian (nnual #egister+ 1'22?2.+ ,olume 1+ ;# $tra 5ed8+ Gan Cublshng ;ouse
*he Indian (nnual #egister+ 1'2.+ ,olume 44 Supplement+ Gan Cublshng ;ouse
*he Indian Juarterly #egister+ (uly?December 1'24+ ;# $tra 5ed8 The "nnual !egster L))ce
*he Indian Struggle: ?CAL-HK+ Subhas Chandra *ose+ Thac%er+ Spn%K Co- Etd
Ne4s0a0ers and 3aga9ines
;ayasree+ *asa%h+ (yashtha+ 1.47
.asik Basuati+ *asha%h 1.47
"rabasi+ "grahayan+ 1..13 *asha%h+ (yashtha+ "shadh+ 1.47
*he Courier and (d$ertiser
*he .odern #e$iew+ (une 1'4:
*he *ies
8ffi+ial >e+ords
*rtsh Cabnet !ecords+ accessed )rom the *rtsh #atonal "rch/es
Chandrachur Ghose is a business strategy consultant by profession based in Gurgaon- National
Capital #egion 6NC#7- India< 0e is a founder eber of .issionNeta+i- a group that conducts
research on $arious aspects of the life- work and the ysterious disappearance of Subhas Chandra
Bose- and runs the website 111-subhaschandrabose-org<
.+hoes fro% the Past- >e&isiting H8ld "ol#ataG in
Gorosthane Sabdhan
"allol 2ango0adh1a1
$'stra+t
"ce *engal 2lmma%er and 1rter+ Satya&t !ay created the character o) _2eluda`+ a detect/e 1ho
earned a nche n the mnds o) readers both young and old- Lne such te9t beng Gorosthane Sabdhan
set n the bac%drop o) Kol%ata-
The paper attempts to understand the ln%s and co?relate the anecdotes on ncdents and ob&ects
surroundng the te9t PGorosthane SabdhanM and lterature a/alable on the hstory o) old Kol%ata- 4t
tres to present the )oundaton o) the )cton 5story8 along 1th the parallel n)ormaton a/alable )rom
prmary and secondary lterature on Kol%ata+ tracng the n)luental tra&ectory-
"e14ords
Cemetery+ church+ ad/enture+ mystery+ *rtsh+ nat/e-
Introdu+tion
")ter contnually 1rtng )or s9 days 527 "ugust = 1 September8 n 1'77 Satya&t !ay completed hs
10th narrat/e on 2eluda- 4t 1as publshed that /ery year n the )est/al 5Durga "u+a8 ssue o) Desh
5maga7ne8 by the name PGorosthane SabdhanM 5The Secret o) the Cemetery8+ 1hch had the name
PSabdhan GorosthanM n the )rst dra)t- The boo% PGorosthane SabdhanM 1as publshed n 1'7'- Sleuth
2eluda`s o1n cty Kol%ata
1
had )eatured n couple o) stores earler+ yet ths s the )rst )ull length no/el
)rom the author to hs readers 1hch )eatures Kol%ata as the heartland o) all ad/entures- "s Topshe
!27@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
narrates+ _2eluda and 4 had tra/elled to so many d))erent places tryng to sol/e mysteres = S%%m+
Euc%no1+ !a&asthan+ Smla+ ,aranas = and had had plenty o) ad/entures e/ery1here- *ut 4 had no dea
that ths tme3 1e 1ould get n/ol/ed n such a bloodcurdlng e9perence 1thout e/en steppng out o)
Kol%ata` 5!ay 2::4> 8'8-
7eludaGs Passion %eets Profession
4t 1as mpossble )or 2eluda alas Cradosh Chandra $tra to get n/ol/ed n the mystery surroundng
the cemetery n Kol%ata ) the hstory o) old Kol%ata dd not nterest hm- 4n Topshe`s opnon Sdhu
+eytha
A
s partly responsble )or 2eluda`s nterest n old Kol%ata- _4n the last three months+ he had read
endless boo%s on the sub&ect+ loo%ed at scores o) pctures and studed do7ens o) maps` 5!ay 2::4> .8 as
a result-
4n PGorosthane SabdhanM- 2eluda tal%s about the ntal years o) ths cty`s hstory and n the
/ery openng seAuences o) the no/el+ 1e encounter a real character 1ho l/ed .20 years bac% n ths
cty- ;e s (ob Charnoc%- 2eluda`s nterest n old Kol%ata dre1 hm to /st (ob Charnoc%`s tomb n St-
(ohn`s Churchyard 1th Topshe and Ealmohan *abu-
"s Topshe states+ _")ter seeng (ob Charnoc%`s gra/e 2eluda 1as %een to ma%e us /st the old
cemetery at Car% Street` 5!ay 2::4> 68 but the sudden bad 1eather played spolsport that day as the
no/el narrates-
*ut that e/enng n South Car% Street cemetery a strange ncdent too% place- The )erce storm
ble1 o)) a large branch o) a mango tree and serously n&ured a mddle?aged man named #arendra #ath
*s1as- The /ery ne9t day 2eluda along 1th Topshe and Ealmohan *abu dsco/ers a recently dug pt
at the ste o) the accdent- Someone had dug a pt besde the gra/e o) a *rtsher+ named Thomas
God1n- Ths trggered a suspcon n 2eluda`s mnd 1hch ga/e rse to a po1er pac%ed mystery =
central to 1hch s a pecular crme = gra&e digging- _4t 1as clear that 1e had got embroled n a
b7arre mystery` Topshe thn%s+ _4t 1as l%e beng lost n a ma7e --- somethng perhaps e/en more
comple9 than the *hoolbhulaa n luc%no1` 5!ay 2::43 018-
!2D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
6al+utta 4ithin "ol#ata
To resol/e the mystery n the se/entes the three mus%eteers boarded n Ealmohan *abu`s ne1ly
purchased second?hand $ar% 44 "mbassador and tra/elled through the heart o) Kol%ata )rom #e1
"lpore to Cho1rnghee- "t the same tme they also stealthly ad/entured through the un%no1n
hstorcal alleys and by the lanes o) old Kol%ata- "s a reason 1e see another Kol%ata unra/ellng 1hch
1as embedded 1thn- Ths s more e9hlaratng than )cton-
The paper tres to thread nto a tmelne the n)ormaton and clues a/alable on old Kol%ata
based on the no/el Gorosthane Sabdhan and loo% bac% on the days and tmes once l/ed n the cty-
4n an attempt to construct the cty o) memores+ the topcs 1hch 1e ha/e dent)ed as mar%ers
appear n the story lne as per the )ollo1ng seAuence>
e 2ancy lane and the hangng o) #anda Kumar
e Kol%ata = )rom a tradng )actory to the Cty o) Calaces
e St- (ohn`s Churchyard and Charnoc%`s $ausoleum
e South Car% Street cemetery
e Lchterlony $onument
e Eo1er Crcular road cemetery
e "d&utant 50argila8 brds
e The Bhte To1n and the *lac% To1n
e *ourne and Shepherd
e Charnoc%`s gra/e and ts openng n 18'2
*ut ) 1e 1ant to arrange the ncdents chronologcally the seAuence 1ll change to )orm a ne1 order>
e Kol%ata = 2rom a tradng )actory to the Cty o) Calaces
e St- (ohn`s Churchyard and Charnoc%`s $ausoleum
!29@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
e The Bhte To1n and the *lac% To1n
e "d&utant 50argila8 brds
e 2ancy Eane and the hangng o) #anda Kumar
e South Car% Street cemetery 2ancy lane and the hangng o) #anda Kumar
e Lchterlony $onument
e Eo1er Crcular road cemetery
e *ourne and Shepherd
e Charnoc%`s gra/e and ts openng n 18'2
Tra/ellng aganst the tde o) tme+ our /rtual tour o) old Kol%ata 1ll begn 1th the ne1 order lsted
abo/e = 1th (ob Charnoc% as guded by chronology-
"ol#ata I fro% a trading fa+tor1 to the 6it1 of Pala+es
"ccordng to 2eluda+ although Kol%ata 1as a _young` cty compared to Delh and "gra+ ts mportance
could not be undermned- 4t 1as true that Kol%ata dd not ha/e a Ta& $ahal+ or a Dutab $nar+ or the
%nd o) )orts one mght see n (odhpur and (asalmer+ or e/en a )amous alley l%e ,sh1anath % gal n
*enaras 5!ay 2::4> .?48-
_*ut &ust thn%+` 2eluda had sad to Topshe+ _one day+ an @nglshman 1as sttng by the Ganges
n a place that 1as really a &ungle+ pac%ed 1th )les+ mosAutoes and sna%es+ and ths man
thought he`d buld a )actory n the same place- "nd then+ n no tme+ the &ungle 1as cleared+
buldngs 1ere bult+ roads 1ere made+ ro1s o) gas lghts appeared+ horses galloped do1n those
roads+ pal%s ran+ and n a hundred years+ the place came to be %no1n as the cty o) palaces`-
5!ay 2::4> 48
4t s bele/ed that (ob Charnoc% stepped out gngerly )rom hs merchant boat onto the ban%s o) the r/er
Ganga near the /llage Kal%ata on 24 "ugust 16':-Ths brought to the 1orld the ne1s o) a tny *engal
!3(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
/llage+ Kal%ata- Though the hstory o) the cty s generally dated )rom Charnoc%`s entry+ but the ;gh
Court o) Kol%ata on 16 $ay 2::. ruled that nether could _Charnoc% be regarded as the )ounder o)
Kol%ata+ nor 5could8 the clam that Kol%ata 1as born on 24 "ugust+ 16':`
.
be substantated hstorcally-
The &udgement 1as almost entrely based on the )ndng that the hstory o) Kol%ata stretched 1ay nto
the centures past be)ore Charnoc% had e/en set )oot on the 4ndan sol-
There e9sts at the 4nda L))ce a seres o) ele/en /olumes+ e9tendng to 17:6+ the )rst o) 1hch
s enttled _Dary and Consultaton *oo% )or a))ars o) the !t- ;on`ble @nglsh @ast 4nda Company
%ept by the !t- Borshp)ull the "gent and Councl+ begnnng (uly 16+ 16':-` ;ere may be read+ n the
1ords o) Charnoc%+ the story o) ho1 on the 24th "ugust+ 16':+ the @nglsh occuped the deserted
/llage o) Suttanuttee )or the thrd and )nal tme>
!2tracts fro Chutanutte Diary and Consultation- (ugust 24+ 1'6:- 1actory #ecords- Calcutta-
No< 1<
*he arri$al<
(ugust 24
th
- 16':- = Be arr/ed about noon but )ound the place n a deplorable condton
nothng beng le)t )or our present accommodaton+ and the !ans )allng day K nght+ Be are
)orced to beta%e oursel/es to boats+ 1hch consderng the Season o) the years s /ery unhealthy-
5Blson 1':6> 68
Calcutta 1as then )ull o) &ungle+ and mght not naptly be termed a part o) the Sunderbunds- 4t
1as a s1amp- b---c The &ungle+ the dampness o) the sol+ the mpure ar blo1ng )rom the
Sunderbunds and the Salt?1ater Ea%e standng n ts /cnty 1ere all nsantary )actors+ and
Calcutta+ n conseAuence+ 1as the pcture o) unhealthness- b---c Bld boars+ crocodles+
allgators+ reptles and leopards n)ested the place+ b---c- 4t seems 1onder)ul today that+ n spte o)
these dsad/antages+ (ob Charnoc% selected the ste ? _ths /ery small spot o) rasng ground on
the east sde o) the r/er`? as the tradng centre- 4t 1ould scarcely be reasonable to credt hm
1th a calculatng prescence o) the glory o) the to1n+ and one can only regard hm as the
unconscous nstrument o) a D/ne purpose- Bhate/er the reasons o) hs choce+ t has been
&ust)ed by the e/ent+ and to?day t s possble to descrbe hm as _the llustrous (ob Charnoc%
the )rst conspcuous @nglshman on ths sde o) the 1orld`- 5Deb 1':0> 88
!3!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Calcutta+ as t s to?day+ may truly be called a great and magn)cent cty- b---c The /arous
nsttutons o) publc utlty+ the structural mpro/ements and mpro/ed santaton+ the rapd
ncrease o) populaton+ and the gro1ng progress o) arts and commerce+ ha/e trans)ormed ths
once unhealthy cluster o) /llages nto a to1n o) conspcuous prosperty and grandeur- Lne s
almost staggered and a1ed at the unprecedented ncrease o) lu9ury and magn)cence that ha/e
attended the change 1hen he loo%s at the nnumerable+ broad and 1ell pa/ed roads runnng
symmetrcally+ and the many houses that ha/e sprung up+ 1hose splendour and the beauty ha/e
deser/edly 1on )or Calcutta the appellaton o) _The Cty o) Calaces`+ bUc- 5Deb 1':0> 1?28
St. JohnGs 6hur+h1ard and 6harno+#Gs 3ausoleu%
Topshe 1rtes+ _(ob Charnoc%`s tomb? sad to be the )rst brc% structure bult n Kol%ata? 1as n the
compound o) the t1o?hundred?year?old St- (ohn`s Church **D *agh` 5!ay 2::4> 48- There s also a
menton o) the Eatn nscrpton n Gorosthane Sabdhan- 2eluda e9plans the meanng to Topshe and
Ealmohan *abu-
The Charnoc% $ausoleum n St- (ohn`s Churchyard s a mass/e structure+ octagonal n )orm
1th a double dome- 4n each )ace there s a lo1 and narro1 arch1ay- The date o) ts erecton+ says
"rchdeacon ;yde+ 1ho has dscussed the Aueston 1th much thoroughness+ cannot be dated many
months earler or later than the year 16'0- Be may certanly there)ore clam t to be the oldest e9ample
o) *rtsh masonry no1 e9stng n Kol%ata- The orgnal 2ort Bllam tsel) 1as not begun tll 16'6
and 1as . years n buldng 5;yde 78+ 818-
Go/ernor Charnoc%+ b---c 1orn by thrty?s9 years o) hard 1or% and consderable su))erng n
*engal+ bro%e do1n> hs mnd ga/e 1ay+ and+ b---c he ded on the 1:
th
o) (anuary+ 16'2+ and 1as
bured n the bural?ground o) the settlement+ ad&onng the Cree%- Ths bural?ground no1
)orms St- (ohn`s Churchyard+ 1here the mausoleum erected o/er Charnoc%`s remans by hs
son?n?la1+ @yre stands to ths day n e9cellent preser/aton+ the letterng o) ts nscrpton
almost as sharp and clear as 1hen )rst rased 516'08 5*lechynden 1':0> '?1:8
!32@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The Eatn eptaph>
D-L-$- (obus Charnoc%+ "rmger "nglus et nup- n hoc regno- *engalens dgnssmum "nglorum
"gens $ortaltats suae e9u/as sub hoc marmore deposut+ ut n spe beatae resurrectons ad Chrst
&udcs ad/entum obdormrent- Du postAuam n solo non?suo peregrnatus esset du re/ersus est
domum suae aeterntats decmo de 1:th (anuar 16'2-
4
Translaton>
4n the hands o) God "lmghty+ (ob Charnoc%+ @nglsh %nght and recently the most 1orthy agent o) the
@nglsh n ths Kngdom o) *engal le)t hs mortal remans under ths marble so that he mght sleep n
the hope o) a blessed resurrecton at the comng o) Chrst the (udge- ")ter he had &ourneyed onto
)oregn sol he returned a)ter a lttle 1hle to hs eternal home on the 1:th day o) (anuary 16'2-
0
2rom the tme o) Charnoc% untl the openng n 1767 o) the South Car% Street Cemetery+ St-
(ohn`s Churchyard 1as the sole buryng?place o) the settlement- b---c The gra/es o) only a )e1 reman
to?day- The e9ca/aton o) the )oundatons o) the Church 1as the cause o) the dsappearance o) many
obels%s and pyramds 1hch our )ore?)athers n Calcutta lo/ed to place o/er ther dead and 1hch )orm
so promnent a )eature o) e/ery /e1 o) the old *uryng?place pror to 178:- Lthers 1ere remo/ed n
18:2+ 1hen they are stated by (siaticus
N
to ha/e )allen nto such a condton o) rreparable decay that t
1as deemed necessary to pull do1n most o) them _n order to pre/ent any dangerous accdents 1hch
the totterng runs threatened to such as approached them` 5Cotton 1':'>4248- The only gra/es to ha/e
been le)t undsturbed 1ere those o) (ob Charnoc% and "dmral Batson- Sur//ng headstones )rom the
old bural ground are arranged around the Charnoc% $ausoleum- The mausoleum also houses the
remans o) Charnoc%`s 1)e+ 1ho 1as a nat/e+ and probably a ;ndu 1do1- She dd not con/ert to
Chrstanty+ though Charnoc% bured her n the Chrstan manner+ and by some accounts sacr)ced a
coc% on her gra/e at each ann/ersary o) her death-
,he Ahite to4n and the Bla+# ,o4n
Sttng at *lue )o9 restaurant 2eluda n)orms Ealmohan *abu about Kol%ata t1o hundred years ago>
_bUc there 1as the house o) the Go/ernor?General+ St- (ohn`s church+ The Car% Street Cemetery+
!33@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
theatres n Theatre !oad+ and lot o) other buldngs 1here the *rtsh l/ed- That area 1as %no1n as
Bhte To1n- #at/e 4ndans 1ere not allo1ed to l/e there- #orth Kol%ata 1as %no1n as *lac% To1n`
5!ay 2::4> .68-
*y the early eghteenth century+ the Kol%ata had come to be d/ded nto )arly 1ell?de)ned
@uropean and #at/e Auarters+ %no1n as the Bhte and the *lac% To1n- The communtes )rom the
many parts o) und/ded 4nda 1ho arr/ed and settled n Kol%ata+ peopled that area 1hch came to be
called the *lac% To1n- 4n hs notes to the llustraton _The *lac% To1n o) Calcutta`+ *altha7ard
Sol/yns 1rtes>
@ach naton at Calcutta has ts partcular Auarter> so 1e ha/e the @nglsh Auarter+ the Cortuguese
Auarter bUc That 1hch s nhabted by the nat/es+ 1ho+ 1hether they are orgnally ;ndoos or
$ussulmans+ d))er )rom all the others by ther comple9on 1hch s as dar% as the Ca))res+ s
called the *lac% To1n- #o @uropean s to be seen there+ and the constructon o) the houses s
entrely d))erent )rom ours bUc` 5;ardgra/e 1'':>.1?468
Bhle the Bhte To1n lay to the north o) the old )ort+ the *lac% To1n spread o/er Sutanut+ Chtpur
and Gobndapur- The gradual mo/ement o) the 1htes a1ay )rom the area o) Sutanut 1here Charnoc%
had )rst landed accentuated the d/son bet1een the Bhte and the *lac% To1ns 5Eahr Chaudhury
1'':> 106?78- The deep trench+ 16?18 )eet 1de+ that 1as dug n 171: ostensbly to dran the Bhte
To1n 1as also a 1ay o) separatng the Bhte To1n )rom the *lac% 5#ar 1'':> 2278- The d))erence n
the l)estyles o) the t1o to1ns 1as /ast-
4n1708+ the constructon o) 2ort Bllam and the demolton o) Gobndapur reAured the
nhabtants o) the area to mo/e to Taltala+ Kumartul and Shobhaba7ar+ 1here they 1ere g/en land as
compensaton- 4n the 17':s+ the area around Cho1rnghee 1as stll consdered _out o) to1n`+ but
a))luent @uropeans had begun to buld _garden houses` n the area 5;ardgra/e 1'':> .1?468- *et1een
the Bhte and the *lac% To1ns o) Kol%ata lay those areas n 1hch l/ed Cortuguese+ "rmenans and
(e1s- Ths 1as the area bet1een (anba7ar and Car% Street 1hch had earler attracted some 4:
@uropeans to buld ther resdences there 5Cotton 1':'>1:68- Gradually+ though+ the areas around
Brter`s *uldng+ *auba7ar+ Dharamtala and (anba7ar declned n 1orth and 1ere ta%en o/er by _the
rest`+ 1hch ncluded "nglo?4ndans+ Cortuguese+ "rmenans+ and the gro1ng communty o) the (e1s+
!34@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
_to become grey areas bet1een *lac% and Bhte To1ns o) Kol%ata` 5Eahr Chaudhury 1'':> 10'?6:8-
$dutant )Hargila) Birds
2eluda n)orms Ealmohan *abu about ad&utant brds seen t1o hundred years ago n Kol%ata- ;e notes>
_They 1ere as common n those days as cro1s and sparro1s are today- They 1ere bg brds+ about )our
and a hal) )eet hgh- They 1ent about pee%ng at all the rubbsh they could )nd n the streets- 4) they
sa1 a corpse )loatng do1n the Ganges+ they 1ould perch themsel/es on t and get a )ree rde do1n the
r/er 5!ay 2::4> .68- bUc they bUc used to st on compound 1alls and ralngs- There s enough
e/dence o) that n old pctures dra1n at that tme-` Bhen Ealmohan *abu Auered about the loo% o) t
2eluda n)orms+ _The muncpal buldng has a crest on the )ront 1all- There`s a pcture o) an ad&utant
brd n t- 4 can sho1 t to you`5!ay 2::4>678-
4n the 1'th century+ they 1ere especally common n the cty o) Kol%ata+ 1here they 1ere
re)erred to as the _Calcutta ad&utant`- Kno1n locally as hargila 5der/ed )rom the Sans%rt 1ord )or
_bone?s1allo1er`8 and consdered to be unclean brds+ they 1ere largely le)t undsturbed but
sometmes hunted )or the use o) ther meat n )ol% medcne- ,alued as sca/engers+ they 1ere once used
n the logo o) the Kol%ata $uncpal Corporaton-
The )rst emblem o) the Corporaton o) Kol%ata came nto e9stence n 18'6- 4t represented t1o
ad&utant brds holdng serpents n ther bea%s and carryng a cro1n on ther shoulders- Ln 22 2ebruary+
1'61+ the old emblem 1as changed and a ne1 desgn 1as adopted-
Cotton notes> _bUc 1e shall loo% n /an )or the ad&utant brds+ once a )amlar )eature o) the
Calcutta landscape and bold enough to anne9 e/en the lon and uncorn on the stately )acade` 5Cotton
1':'> 4ntroducton ?8-
South Par# Street +e%eter1
4n the no/el Gorosthane Sabdhan+ on 20
th
o) (une+ the tro /sted the South Car% Street cemetery- "t
the entrance 2eluda assured /sbly subdued Ealmohan *abu + _4n the last one hundred and t1enty? )/e
!3?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
years+ no one has been bured n ths cemetery-` Topshe ga/e us graphc descrpton o) the place as they
1ent do1n the pa/ed path through ro1s o) tombs =
_They 1ere all t1el/e or )ourteen )eet hgh- "t some dstance+ to our rght+ 1as a tomb as hgh
as a three?storeyed house- 2eluda sad t 1as probably the tomb o) the scholar+ Bllam (ones- 4t
1as the tallest tomb n Kol%ata- @ach tomb had ether a 1hte or a blac% marble plaAue+ 1th the
dead person`s date o) brth+ the date on 1hch he ded and some other )acts- Some large plaAues
had bre) detals o) the person`s entre l)e- $ost tombstones rose l%e columns- Ther bases
1ere broad+ but they tapered o)) as they rose hgher`- 5!ay 2::4> '8
2eluda told Topshe that these columns are called obels% n @nglsh- Topshe )urther added+ _Some
tombs bore the same )amly name = ob/ously the people 1ere related to one another- The earlest date
4 had notced so )ar 1as 28 (uly 177'+ t1el/e years be)ore the 2rench !e/oluton` 5!ay 2::4> 1:8-
2eluda n)ormed Topshe later that there 1ere more than t1o thousand gra/es n that cemetery-
Lnce %no1n as the _Great Cemetery`+ the Car% Street cemetery 1as one o) the earlest non?
church cemeteres n the 1orld and probably the largest Chrstan cemetery outsde @urope and
"merca n the 1'th century- 4t houses more than 16:: dead = bured o/er a perod o) more than 10:
years 1hen the colonal po1er 1as at ts 7enth n 4nda 5*"CS" 1''28- _4t 1as opened on "ugust
20th+ 1767+ )or the recepton o) the body o) $r- (ohn Bood+ a 1rter n the Custom ;ouse+ 1hose tomb
1as subseAuently le/elled to ma%e 1ay )or the 1estern cross road` 5Cotton 1':'>0688- The earlest
gra/e dates to 1767 and the last memoral 1as erected n 18'0 5*"CS" 1''28-
Car% Street cemetery 1as a bural ground that housed not only the dead remans o) the colonal
bureaucracy+ mltary o))cals+ mercantle elte and ther )amles but also the common and sundry
ct7enry- These 1ere among the earlest @uropeans 1ho came to Kol%ata )rom a d))erent 1orld+
thousands o) mles a1ay+ lea/ng ther )amles and homes n search o) money+ )ame and po1er 5see
Dutta 1''48-
The a/erage l)e e9pectancy o) @uropeans n 4nda durng the early colonal perod+ e9cludng
n)ant and chld mortalty 1as 1ell under .: )or men and 20 )or 1omen- $ost o) the deaths occurred
durng the monsoon months- Bl%nson notes> _4n Calcutta n one year+ out o) the total 12::+ o/er a
thrd ded bet1een "ugust and end o) December- 4t 1as a regular annual occurrence> the sur//ors used
!36@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
to hold than%sg/ng banAuets to1ards the end o) Lctober to celebrate the del/erance` 5Bl%nson
1'76> 78-
These dead are commemorated 1th monumental tombs+ some enormous n ther s7e and sheer
/olume = huge canopes+ supported by gant pllars+ structures rased to about 1:: )t abo/e ground =
pro/dng a grandose e))ect- Lthers are more humble and consst o) obels%s set on sAuare poda+ or
mere marble slabs co/erng )amly burals 1th ntmate hstores o) the deceased clan- The most
monumental memorals mtate the pyramds o) @gypt3 others are mposng cenotaphs )ath)ul to the
desgns )ound n ,ctoran @ngland and are e9amples o) neoclasscal n)luence 5Da/s 1'80>618- Some
tombs are l%e small brc% houses 1hle some mausoleums are n the )orm o) temples coated 1th
stucco and then panted- The archtectural )eature o) each tomb n the cemetery mtates the glory o) the
*rtsh !a& = ts po1er+ ts deologcal ubAuty- "s !udyard Kplng sardoncally notes n the chapter
on the Car% Street cemetery n hs City of Dreadful Night = a scathng commentary on colonal Kol%ata>
GThe tombs are small houses- 4t s as though 1e 1al%ed do1n the streets o) a to1n+ so tall are they and
so closely do they stand = a to1n shr/elled by )re+ and scarred by )rost and sege- $en must ha/e been
a)rad o) ther )rends rsng up be)ore the due tme that they 1eghted them 1th such cruel mounds o)
masonryH 5Kplng 18'18-
Nntl the mddle o) the 1'th century+ ths area 1as a dense tropcal bamboo )orest )reAuented by
the colonal elte on tger hunts- Today+ t s a &ungle o) colonal+ modern and postmodern buldngs+
&ostlng )or space n a cty o) more than 1. mllon people-
7an+1 Cane and the hanging of Nanda "u%ar
Topshe n)orms> _2eluda`s latest passon 1as old Kol%ata- 4t started 1th a /st to 2ancy Eane+ 1here
he had to go to n/estgate a murder- Bhen he learnt that the 1ord fancy had come )rom the 4ndan
1ord phansi meanng death by hangng+ and that t1o hundred years ago+ #anda Kumar had been hung
n the same area+ 2eluda became deeply nterested n the hstory o) Kol%ata` 5!ay 2::4> .8-
Cotton notes> _$any o) the lanes about *entnc% Street and Dalhouse SAuare had the same
names a century ago as at the present day+ such as b---c 2ancy Eane 52018- b---c "rchdeacon ;yde traces
the der/aton o) 2ancy Eane to phansi or gallo1s 1hch he places n ths localty n the early days
1hen Calcutta 1as surrounded by palsades and the southern boundary 1as shut n by the cree% 1hch
!37@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
)lo1ed along the course o) 1hat s no1 ;astngs Street` 52088-
The tral and e9ecuton o) $ahara&a #anda Kumar 5re)erred to n contemporary documents as
#uncomar8 1as one o) the most n)amous epsodes o) the early days o) the @ast 4nda Company`s rule
n 4nda- #anda Kumar 1as an 4ndan ta9 o))cal+ apponted collector o) *urd1an and g/en the ttle
_$ahara&a` by @mperor Shah "lam 44 n 1764- " btter enemy o) Barren ;astngs+ #anda Kumar
accused hm+ through a letter+ o) acceptng a brbe )rom $r (a)ar`s 1do1+ $unny *egum )or securng
)or her the guardanshp o) the #a1ab $ubara%?ud?Daulah+ then a mnor- The case 1as ta%en up n the
Supreme Councl o) *engal by ;astngs` r/al+ Chlp 2rancs- *ut ;astngs 1as able to o/errule the
Councl+ and e/en though he admtted to ha/e accepted brbe+ he could not be brought to &ustce-
#anda Kumar 1as ho1e/er+ prosecuted+ )rst on the charge o) compellng a certan nat/e by the
name o) Kamal?ud?Dn to )alsely accuse ;astngs+ and second+ the more serous charge+ o) de)raudng a
certan 4ndan ban%er+ by the name o) *olaA Das Sett+ o) the sum o) !s- 7:+:::- #anda Kumar 1as
tred under @l&ah 4mpey+ 4nda`s )rst Che) (ustce+ and )rend o) Barren ;astngs- ;e 1as )ound
gulty+ sentenced to death+ and e9ecuted- Bhether or not ths consttuted _&udcal murder` s a sub&ect
that s stll debated-
*ut 4ndan documents )rom the tme+ do not pont out the e9act spot 1here he 1as e9ecuted-
$ultple *rtsh records ho1e/er pont to a spot near Cooly *a7ar+ 1hch 1ould roughly correspond to
today`s ;astngs+ close to _;astngs *rdge` 1hch 1ould be 1hat 1e call the Kdderpore *rdge today-
Cotton notes> _b---c a)ter crossng the brdge 5Kdderpore brdge8+ 1e )nd oursel/es n ;astngs+
a Go/ernment colony+ b---c- 4t 1as here that #unda Kumar+ De1an to the #a1ab o) $oorshedabad+ 1as
e9ecuted+ "ugust 0th+ 1770+ the )rst *rahman hanged by the @nglsh n 4nda- The old name o) the
place 1as Cooly *a7ar+ and t s sad that t o1es ts orgn to the numerous 1or%men and cooles
employed n buldng the 2ort 1ho are sad to ha/e )ormed a regular /llage to the south` 52268-
*usteed notes> _Be are ndebted to an old number o) the Calcutta !e/e1 )or the dent)caton
o) se/eral modern localtes n ths cty 1th old ones- b---c 4t s there stated that #uncomar 1as hanged
near the r/er bet1een Cooly ba7aar and ;astngs *rdge+ a plat)orm beng erected )or the purpose`
5*usteed 18'7> 0'?6:8-
!3D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
8+hterlon1 3onu%ent
2rom Topshe`s descrpton 1e come to %no1 about ho1 Ealmohan *abu )ound an mportant clue )or
2eluda = a 1allet at Car% Street cemetery- 4nsde the 1allet there 1as a hundred and ))ty year`s old
paper cuttng )rom a ne1spaper 1hch reported about the constructon o) the Lchterlony monument-
Ealmohan *abu n)ormed that he read an artcle on the $onument 1rtten by #arendra #ath *s1as+
the o1ner o) the 1allet+ n the maga7ne =ichitrapatra<
2or decades Lchterlony $onument has been amongst the most promnent landmar%s n the cty-
4t 1as erected on the north?eastern Auadrant o) the $adan n honour o) a dstngushed solder+ $a&or
General Sr Da/d Lchterlony+ the hero o) the #epalese Bar 51814?18168- ;e &oned the @ast 4nda
Company6s army as a cadet n 1777 and rose to the ran% o) $a&or General- ;e ded n $eerut n the
year 1820- 4n the year 1828+ the monument 1as bult under the e9pert super/son o) archtect (-C-
Car%er 1ho e9ecuted the desgn o) Charles Kno1les !obnson at a cost o) about !s- .0+::: 1hch 1as
met by publc subscrpton- Cotton notes> _The desgn o) the structure 1as ta%en )rom $oslem
archtecture- The upper part o) the column s the reproducton o) one n Syra+ to 1hch s added a base
1hch s pure @gyptan and the dome 1hch has a metallc cupola s Tur%sh- The column tsel) s a
brc%1or%+ and the crcular starcase 1thn 5by 1hch access s had to the t1o galleres 1hch encrcle
the column )rom outsde8 s constructed o) Chunar stone- 4t rests on a mass/e pedestal o) brc%1or%
and stone+ and bears a crcular dsc o) 1hte marble 1th the )ollo1ng nscrpton>
_Sr Da/d Lchterlony+ *aronet+ Grand Cross o) the *ath+ $a&or?General n the "rmy o)
*engal+ ded at $eerut on the 10th (uly+ 1820- The people o) *engal+ nat/es and @uropean+ to
commemorate hs ser/ces as a statesman and a solder+ ha/e n grate)ul admraton rased ths column`
5..:8-
4n 1'6'+ ho1e/er+ t 1as renamed Sahd $nar or $artyrs6 Column n memory o) the 4ndan
)reedom )ghters 1ho had lad do1n ther l/es )or )reedom o) ths naton- The cty6s s%ylne and
dentty 1ll not be complete 1thout ths $onument+ 1hch despte the changng tmes s stll standng
tall and proud-
!39@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Co4er 6ir+ular road +e%eter1
4n the no/el be)ore gong to Sdhu +eytha's house )or consultaton 2eluda and Topshe _had spent an
hour and a hal) that mornng n another cemetery n Eo1er Crcular !oad- 4t had been bult later than
the one n Car% Street+ and 1as stll n use` 5!ay 2::4>248- 2eluda`s metculous n/estgaton n the
story re/ealed that Thomas God1n`s ne9t three generatons ncludng hs daughter Charlotte 1ere
bured n ths cemetery-
Cotton notes> _2rom #orth Car% Street the /stor should pass on to the Eo1er Crcular !oad
Cemetery- Crossng the boule/ard 1hch co/ers the ste o) the old $ahratta Dtch+ he 1ll )nd hmsel)
n a short space o) tme be)ore the portals o) another great Campo Santo+ opened n 184: )or the
remans o) a lttle chld> t has been e/er snce the repostory o) the Calcutta dead` 508:8- 4t s stll n use
and houses more than 12::: dead-
Bourne and She0herd
2eluda got a copy o) the 1eddng photograph o) Car/at Charan *s1as 5Great? grand)ather o) $chael
#arendranath and Bllam Grndranath *s1as8 and Thomas God1n`s granddaughter ,ctora )rom
*ourne and Shepherd- The tro had /sted the store at 141 S-#- *aner&ee Street and came to %no1 that
the studo had _got all the negat/es o) photos ta%en snce 1804` 5!ay 2::4> 688-
The oldest sur//ng photographc studo o) the 1orld *ourne K Shepherd at @splanade 1as set
up n 184:+ a year a)ter the ntroducton o) the daguerreotype and calotype processes o) photography
5the )rst commercal photography8 n 2rance and @ngland- Kol%ata?based photographer Bllam
;o1ard )ounded the studo n 184:- Durng hs photographc assgnment n Shmla+ he came across
Samuel *ourne n 186.- They set up a ne1 studo ;o1ard and *ourne n Shmla- "round the same
tme+ Charles Shepherd establshed a studo 1th "rthur !obertson+ called Shepherd and !obertson+ n
"gra- SubseAuently+ !obertson le)t the busness and &oned *ourne+ came to Kol%ata n 1'6. and
together+ they upgraded ;o1ard6s studo nto ;o1ard+ *ourne and Shepherd- 4n 1866+ a)ter the
departure o) ;o1ard+ the studo became _*ourne K Shepherd`-
!4(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
4n the heyday o) the studo+ photographs 1ere 1dely retaled throughout the subcontnent by
agents and n *rtan through 1holesale dstrbutors+ and 1ere patron7ed by the upper echelons o) the
*rtsh !a& as 1ell as 4ndan royalty- So much so that at one pont no o))cal engagement+ n/estture or
local durbar 1as consdered complete 1thout beng )rst captured by *ourne K Shepherd
photographers- " *KS photographer used to accompany the go/ernor general at each and e/ery o) hs
meetngs-
" 1dely tra/elled person+ *ourne+ used to mo/e 1th a large retnue o) 42 cooles 1ho carred
hs cameras+ dar%room tent and chests o) chemcals and glass plates- ;e 1ent on to become one o)
4nda6s greatest photographers o) that era- Charles+ on the other hand+ became %no1n as a master
prnter- ;e stayed bac% n Kol%ata and Shmla and managed the commercal dstrbuton and prntng
aspects o) the busness- 4n 187:+ *ourne 1ent bac% to @ngland- ;e sold o)) hs shares n studos+ and
le)t commercal photography all together3 also le)t behnd hs arch/e o) more than 2+2:: glass plate
negat/es 1th the studo+ 1hch 1ere constantly re?prnted and sold+ o/er the )ollo1ng 14: years-
")ter *ourne6s departure+ ne1 photographc 1or% 1as underta%en by Coln $urray tll 1884 5see
2alconer 2::18-
The last @uropean o1ner 1as "rthur $ussel1hte- $ussel1hte too% o/er the studo n 1'.:s+
later a)ter a ma&or busness slump )ollo1ng the ndependence+ and e9odus o) @uropean communty and
the end o) prncely states+ he held an aucton n 1'00+ n 1hch t 1as bought o/er by Bllam Bal%er+
,ar&/an (atha and S ( Suraya- 2rom them+ the studo 1ent to Dmat !a (ndal n 1'07- 2nally+ n
1'64+ the studo 1as ta%en o/er by current o1ners K ( "&mer and (ayant Gandh-
"ccordng to hertage act/st and state con/ener o) 4ndan #atonal Trust )or "rt and Cultural
;ertage G $ Kapur+ *ourne and Shepherd beng the 1orld6s oldest )unctonng studo s undoubtedly
a hertage address n the cty-
6harno+#Gs gra&e and its o0ening in!D92
4ntally though Sdhu +eytha remar%s about the ncdent o) gra/e dggng as pure nonsense+ yet a
smlar ncdent had ta%en place n ths /ery cty- The )rst ncdent o) gra/e dggng n Kol%ata
!4!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
happened on a $onday+ 21 #o/ember+ 18'2- Then+ a t1o hundred year old gra/e had been dug = t 1as
o) (ob Charnoc%-
Be )nd a menton o) ths ncdent n chapter 8 o) the no/el> _Do you %no1 that a s%eleton can
reman ntact e/en t1o hundred years a)ter the body s buredF` Ealmohan *abu as%ed Topshe- ;s
Aueston remnded Topshe o) the story 2eluda had told hm about (ob Charnoc%`s tomb- Topshe
repeated t to Ealmoha *abu>
_T1o hundred years a)ter Charnoc%`s death+ a prest at St- (ohn`s Church suddenly gre1
suspcous about 1hat lay underground- ;ad Charnoc% really bured there+ or had someone
smply erected a tombstoneF ;s doubts began to 1orry hm so much that the prest had the
gra/e dug up- "t )rst+ hs men dug )our )eet+ and )ound nothng- Then they dug deeper+ and
another couple o) )eet lo1er+ the arm o) a s%eleton slpped out- The prest Auc%ly had the gra/e
re)lled`- 5!ay 2::4> 7:8
*lechyaden notes>
4n #o/ember+ 18'2+ t1o hundred years a)ter the death o) (ob Charnoc%+ the mausoleum 1as
repared by the Cublc Bor%s Department+ 1hen ad/antage 1as ta%en o) the opportunty to
ascertan 1hether t contaned a /ault- The !e/- ;-*- ;yde+ at that tme chaplan o) St- (ohn`s+
n a note
7
read at the meetng o) the "satc Socety o) *engal n 2ebruary+ 18'.+ a)ter statng
that no trace o) a /ault 1as )ound+ descrbes the result o) the n/estgaton as )ollo1s>
_Ln /stng the mausoleum ne9t mornng+ the 22nd o) #o/ember+ 4 )ound that the gra/e had
been opened to a depth o) )ully s9 )eet+ at 1hch depth the dggers had stopped+ ha/ng met
1th a trace o) human remans- The e9ca/aton 1as some1hat smaller than an ordnary gra/e+
and lay east and 1est n the centre o) the )loor- "t the bottom o) t the 1or%men had cleared a
le/el+ at the 1estern end o) 1hch they 1ere begnnng to dg a lttle deeper 1hen a bone
became /sble- Ths bone 1as le)t in situ undsturbed+ and the dggng had ceased on ts
dsco/ery- Ln seeng ths bone+ 4 )elt sure t could be no other than one o) the bones o) the le)t
)ore?arm o) the person bured+ 1hch must ha/e lan crossed upon the breast- " lttle beyond t 4
obser/ed a small ob&ect n the earth+ 1hch 4 too% at )rst )or a large co))n nal+ but+ on ths
beng handed to me+ t 1as /ery apparent that t 1as the largest &ont o)+ probably+ a mddle
!42@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
)nger+ and that+ &udgng )rom ts relat/e poston+ o) the le)t hand- Ths bone 4 replaced- 4
permtted no more earth to be remo/ed sa/e only a lttle abo/e and to the east o) the remans+
su))cent to re/eal a blac% stratum n the sol 1hch mght ha/e been the decayed co))n?ld- 4t
1as Aute e/dent that a )e1 more stro%es o) the spade 1ould dsco/er the rest o) the s%eleton+
perhaps per)ect+ a)ter &ust t1o hundred years o) bural- There can be no reasonable doubt+
argung )rom the poston o) the body and the depth at 1hch t lay+ that t 1as the /ery one to
enshrne 1hch only the mausoleum 1as orgnally bult = the mortal part o) the 2ather o)
Calcutta hmsel)-
;a/ng seen 1hat 4 dd+ 4 had the gra/e )lled n+ )or 4 )eared to lea/e t open lest the cooles
mght ransac% ts contents n search o) rngs or other /aluables+ and )urther 4 )elt t mproper+ n
/e1 o) the nterest 1hch must attach to such n/estgaton+ to permt mysel) to contnue t
alone- 4) t 1ere to be prosecuted at all+ t should at least be n presence o) a representat/e
company o) @nglshmen- 2or my o1n part+ 1th the bones o) the )amous poneer`s hand
accdentally dsco/ered be)ore me+ and the strange and solemn statement o) hs eptaph &ust
abo/e them+ that he had lad hs mortal remans there hmsel) ut in spe beatae resurrectionis ad
Christi ;udicis ad$entu obdorirent- 4 )elt strongly restraned )rom e9amnng them )urther`
5*lechynden 1':0> 11?1.8-
The last paragraph o) !e/- ;yde`s note 1as most mportant- ;ence t s not unl%ely that n a t1o
hundred year old gra/e 1e mght )nd embedded a /aluable possesson o) the deceased or e9pens/e
&e1ellery- So ths could be a reason )or 1hch Thomas God1n`s gra/e 1as dug up- "s 2eluda
enlghtens us that accordng to God1n`s daughter Charlotte t 1as _2ather`s precous Cergal repeater`
5!ay 2::4> 0.8- #a1ab Sadat "l had g)ted ths as hs )rst re1ard to Thomas God1n n recognton
o) hs culnary s%lls = a poc%et 1atch created by one o) @ngland`s greatest cra)tsman 2rancs Cergal-
Ln the one hand a g)t )rom #a1ab o) Euc%no1+ on the other t 1as t1o hundred years old = the t1o
put together ma%es the 1atch prceless- "ll crme+ ad/enture and mystery n PGorosthane SabdhanM
surround ths Cergal repeater-
2eluda`s role?play n Gorosthane Sabdhan s a%n to that o) !e/- ;yde- The entre ncdent s
l%e a recap o) dggng (ob Charnoc%`s gra/e n St- (ohn`s churchyard- Ths smlarty could not be
o/erloo%ed by someone l%e 2eluda 1ho 1as a1are o) Kol%ata`s hstory- "nd hs ntuton 1as correct-
!43@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Thomas God1n`s gra/e 1as dug )or the precous Cergal repeater and there 1as no other reason-
6on+lusion
(ust as 2eluda 1arns Topshe that lengthy descrpt/e adulaton s the purpose o) a Tourst gude not an
ad/enture 1rter = smlarly ths paper re)rans )rom prase o) the cty re)erred as the _Cty o) (oy`-
;o1e/er n attemptng to read past the hstorc connectons to the prmary te9t PGorosthane SabdhanM-
1e )nd nterestng ln%s and at the same tme 1e dsco/er the re)erences to the past rhetorc regardng
Kol%ata-
So+ 1e can echo the /ery remar%s o) 2eluda> _Nnless you learned somethng about a place
be)ore you 1ent to /st t+ you could ne/er %no1 t )ully- "s a person can be dent)ed not &ust by hs
name+ appearance and character+ but also by hs personal hstory = so can a cty-6
Notes
1- The )rst menton o) the name _Calcutta` 1as possbly n 1688+ n a letter to (ob Charnoc% by
t1o @ast 4nda Company ser/ants )rom Dha%a- Calcutta 1as respelled as Kol%ata by legslaton
n 2::1-
2- " character n 2eluda no/els 1ho ser/e as the l/ng encyclopeda-
.- The d/son bench comprsng Che) (ustce " K $athur and (ustce ( K *s1as accepted the
report by )/e?member commttee headed by emnent hstoran #ema Sadhan *ose- The order
came a)ter "d/ocate General *ala !oy n)ormed the court about acceptance o) the contents o)
the e9pert commttee report by the Best *engal Go/ernment-
4- *he Bengal &bituary: or- ( #ecord to "erpetuate the .eory of Departed :orth to :hich Is
(dded Biographical Sketches and .eoirs of 0istory of British India- since the 1oration of
the !uropean Settleent to the "resent *ie 518488+ ed- C- Than%appan #ar 5Kol%ata> 1''18+ p-
2-
!44@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
0- !obert Tra/ers+ Death and the NabobO Iperialis and coeoration in !ighteenth-Century
India-"ast and "resent-#o-1'6 5"ugust 2::78 pp-8'?':+ )n-18
6- The (siaticus 1as compled by (ohn ;a1%es1orth 1ho had also penned a couple o) earler
boo%s on the colonal hstory o) the @nglsh n *engal- The )rst part o) the boo% 1as prmarly
a chronologcal and hstorcal account o) the @nglsh e9panson+ and the latter conssted o)
eptaphs-
7- 4t 1as publshed n the Croceedngs o) the "satc Socety o) *engal+ #o- 444- $arch+ 18'. as
ttled Note on the .ausoleu of ;ob Charnock and the Bones recently disco$ered within it = *y
the !e/- ;- *- ;yde+ $-"-
>eferen+es
Pri%ar1 teFts
!ay+ Satya&t 51''78 Gorosthane Sabdhan< Kol%ata> "nanda-
!ay+ Satya&t 5tr-8 $a&umder+ Gopa 52::48 *he Secret of the Ceetery< #e1
Delh> Cu))n-
Se+ondar1 teFts
*"CS" 51''28 South "ark Street Ceetery- Calcutta: #egister of gra$es and
standing tobs fro ?GNG< Eondon> *rtsh "ssocaton )or Cemeteres n
South "sa-
*lechyndess+ Kathleen 51'78 b1':0c8 Calcutta "ast and "resent> Kol%ata3
General Cublshers-
!4?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*usteed+ ;-@- 518'78 !choes fro old Calcutta< Kol%ata> Thac%er+ Spn% K
Co-
Chaudhur+ Su%anta+ ed- 51'':8 Calcutta: *he )i$ing City- ,ols 1 and 2- Delh>
L9)ord Nn/ersty Cress-
Cotton+ ;-@-"- 51'8: b1':'c8 Calcutta &ld and New: ( 0istorical and
Descripti$e 0andbook to the City 5ed- #-!- !ay8- Kol%ata> General
Cublshers-
Da/s+ Chlp 51'808 Splendours of the #a+: British (rchitecture in India ?NNL-
?CKG< #e1 Delh> Das $eda-
Deb+ !a&a *naya Krshna 51':08 *he !arly 0istory and Growth of Calcutta
5ed- Subr !oy Choudhur8 Kol%ata> !ddh-
Dutta+ "bh&t 51''48 !uropean Social )ife in ?C
th
Century Calcutta< Kol%ata>
$ner/a "ssocates-
2alconer+ (ohn 52::18 India: "ioneering "hotographers ?EFL-?CLL<Eondon>
The *rtsh Ebrary-
;ardgra/e+ !obert E- (r- 51'':8 ( "ortrait of Black *own: Baltha/ard Sol$yns
In Calcutta- ?GC?-?ELK< 4n- Cal+ Cratapadtya- ed- Changng ,sons+ Eastng
4mages> Kol%ata Through .:: Mears- *ombay> $arg-
Kplng+ !udyard 518'18 *he City of Dreadful Night< "llahabad> "-;-
Bheeler-
Eahr Choudhury+ Dhrt Kanta 51'':8 *reands in Calcutta "rchtecture- 4n
!46@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Chaudhur+ S- Calcutta> The E/ng cty+ ,ol- 1- Delh> L9)ord Nn/ersty
Cress-
#ar+ C-T- 51'':8 Ci$ic and "ublic ser$ices in &ld Calcutta< 4n Chaudhur+
S- Calcutta> The E/ng cty+ ,ol- 1- Delh> L9)ord Nn/ersty Cress-
Bl%nson+ Theon 51'768 *wo .onsoons< Eondon> Duc%1orth-
Blson+ C-!- ed- 51':68 &ld 1ort :illia in Bengal< 4n 4ndan !ecords Seres+
,ol- 1- Eondon> $urray-
Kallol Gangopadhyay- after copleting his .asters in Bengali fro ;ada$pur Bni$ersity- went on to
do a post graduate diploa fro Satya+it #ay fil and *ele$ision Institute of India< 0e currently
teaches in the Bengali departent of ;ogesh Chandra Chaudhuri College as an (ssistant "rofessor-
under Bni$ersity of Calcutta< 0e had edited and co-scripted docuentaries and shorts- and written on
coics- theatre- fil and literature< 0e has lectured and presented papers at seinars in $arious
interest areas like the- !arly Bengali cinea- literary influences in Bengali cinea- 0istory and foral
aspects of bangla coics- Iprint of Cineatic iages in letters fro *agore- etc< 0is current writings
include >*he graphic no$els on =i$ekananda and Illustrations in Children's literature written on life of
=i$ekananda and .eoirs of "artition- 0ialayan tra$el writings<
$ Cesson in Ci&ing Cife- ,he Portra1al of "ol#ata in
Sat1ait >a1Gs Short Stories
Jenith >o1
$'stra+t
The current 1rte?up attempts to bre)ly study the presentaton o) the cty o) Kol%ata n the short stores
1rtten by Satya&t !ay+ an area hardly hghlghted tll date- !ay+ born and brought up n Kol%ata+
remaned l)elong a )er/ent admrer o) the cty despte all ts dra1bac%s- *eng a %een obser/er+ he
mnutely espes thngs+ ncludng the dosyncrases o) people+ elements that generally escape our
cursory glances- 4n hs stores he pro&ects Kol%ata and some o) the Auntessental trats o) her dentty
1hch s the prme )ocus o) the artcle that )ollo1s-
"e14ords- admraton+ unAue+ lo/e+ losers+ degenerate+ dra1bac%s
Kol%ata may not ha/e a Ta& $ahal+ a Kutub $nar+ the grand )orts o) (odhpur?(asalmer+ or the lanes o)
*sh1anath to boast o)+ _yet+ Topshe+ &ust thn% o) t f a )oregner+ standng amdst an alen 1lderness
n)ested 1th sna%es+ )les+ mosAutoes+ and )rogs on one o) the ban%s o) the Ganges+ dreams that he
1ould establsh a colony there+ and o/ernght the 1lds are scythed o))+ houses are bult+ roads are
constructed+ gaslghts are nstalled along them+ horses and palanAuns start to ply on them+ and 1thn a
century`s tme+ comes up ths unAue cty called the Cty o) Calaces-`
1

!4D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Ths s ho1 Topshe+ cousn and companon o) 2eluda+ Satya&t !ay`s conc pr/ate n/estgator+
con/eys to us the a1e and 1onder 1th 1hch 2eluda loo%s up to Kol%ata
2
and her phenomenally rapd
rse to emnence )rom a sa/age 1asteland s1armng 1th 1ld anmals and other perls to a c/l7ed
cty dotted by grand archtectures- Ths a1estruc% admraton and /eneraton )or Kol%ata e9pressed by
!ay`s most popular )ctonal character s undoubtedly !ay`s o1n- $ementoes o) !ay`s lo/e and
admraton 1hch underlne hs deep attachment to ths cty o) hs brth le scattered all o/er the /ast
body o) hs lterary 1or%- 4n the present artcle+ 4 attempt to )gure out and analy7e the /arous shades
o) !ay`s treatment o) Kol%ata n the mass/e body o) short stores he has 1rtten-
_!ay`+ ths )ormdable name n/o%es the a1e?nsprng mage o) a to1erng )gure 1th sharp
eyes ntently engaged behnd the mo/e camera+ the )lm?ma%er par e9cellence- To the 1orld at large+
!ay`s prmary dentty s that o) a ma/erc% mo/ema%er 1ho has endo1ed the medum o) cnema 1th
a ne1 meanng and e9panded ts dmensons by brngng the apparently tr/al f elements that 1ere
largely consdered un?cnematc f 1thn the pur/e1 o) the mo/e camera- Nn)ortunately+ !ay`s
humongous personalty o) a )lmma%er and hs momentous contrbuton to cnema tend to o/ershado1
the same broadenng o) hor7ons he brought about n the regon o) the *engal short story also-
"rr/ng on *engal`s lterary hor7on n the 1'6:s+ Satya&t !ay embar%ed on hs lterary
odyssey prompted by the necessty to helm Sandesh+ the maga7ne )or young readers- The result o) ths
lterary e9pedton has been mass/e+ promnent among 1hch are hs no/els+ con)ormng to the genres
o) crme )cton+ scence )cton+ and the supernatural+ and a large number o) stores dealng 1th themes
that are unAue and unusual-
The era n 1hch !ay started 1rtng hs stores 1as a tme 1hen the *engal short story had
started to plumb ne1 lo1s o) medocrty )ollo1ng the end o) the halcyon days t had seen under
emnent 1rters l%e Carashuram+ Tarashan%ar+ and $an% *andopadhyay- !ay too% up the pen at such
!49@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
a pont o) tme+ but nstead o) )ollo1ng the tra&ectory o) hs mghty predecessors or hs able
contemporares+ he de/ated )rom topcal ssues and crses that appealed to the adult mnd+ and amed
hs pen prmarly at the mnd o) the young reader- To Auote !ay>
4 ne/er thought my stores 1ould be consdered 1orthy o) crtcal study+ 4 had told
mysel) that 4 1ould be content ) all those )or 1hom 4 1rote my stores 1ere happy- 4
ne/er thought o) mysel) as a 1rter- "ll that 4 %ne1 1as that nterestng plots came to my
head+ and 1hen 4 came to 1rte them out+ a %nd o) tght order came naturally- There 1as
nothng more to t-
.

!ay de/sed hs unAue thoughts and themes 1th the sole ambton o) pro/dng the reader
1th pure and unadulterated pleasure o) readng by brngng them )ace to )ace 1th the terrors o) the
shado1y )ronters that le beyond the perphery o) the sensory 1orld+ by ta%ng them on an nterestng
e9ploraton o) the ngenuous mnd o) a pr/ate n/estgator+ and by ntroducng them to the mraculous
1onders o) scence- The appeal o) these themes 1as )urther ntens)ed by a straght)or1ard storytellng
and the usage o) an easy and e/eryday language- !ay thus ushered n a ne1 lease o) youth nto the
senescent body o) the *engal short story and set t )ree on an unbrdled )lght o) )ancy-
4nterestngly+ these tales that targeted the tender mnd appealed eAually to the adult reader as
1ell+ by pro/dng them 1th somethng re)reshngly ne1 and d))erent )rom the monotonous and
cheaply sentmental yarns o) the day that n/ol/ed a generaton`s moral deteroraton+ martal dscord+
)amlal dsputes+ and mushy romance- Lne o) the prme )actors behnd the perpetual popularty o)
!ay`s stores s that &ust l%e hs mult?layered )lms+ especally Goopi Gaayen Bagha Baayen or
0eerak #a+ar Deshe+ 1hch are nterpreted so d))erently by the young and the adult /e1er+ they hold
d))erent sets o) appeal )or readers o) d))erent age groups- Bhle the adolescent reader der/ed pleasure
)rom !ay`s stores+ the mature mnd )ound n them both pleasure and )odder )or thought as 1ell as a
!?(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1elcome escape to the salad days o) blessed adolescence+ unsulled by 1orres and an9etes and the
gamut o) other e9stental malades- The e/erlastng appeal o) !ay`s stores conssts o) ths much?
co/eted rele) they grant to the reader+ young and aged al%e+ )rom the tedous grnd o) a routne?bound
e9stence-
@ach o) the myrad o) remar%able elements and lnes o) thought 1e come across n !ay`s stores
merts e9tens/e study and analyss+ the treatment o) the cty o) Kol%ata beng one o) them- !ght )rom
the early stores l%e Barnandha 5Colour Blind+ 1'428 or (nathbabur Bhoy 5(nathbabu,s 1ear+ 1'628 to
late stores l%e Saha+atri 5*he Co-passenger+ 1'8'8 or Dui Bandhu 5*wo 1riends+ 1'8'8+ the cty o)
Kol%ata s the bac%drop n most o) them- $an)estly or by mplcaton+ the cty proclams ts mghty
presence n these stores+ o)ten /sbly or mplctly mpactng and n)luencng the l/es and < or actons
o) the characters-
Steeped n the sprt and ambence o) the cty o) Kol%ata+ !ay6s stores o))er a comprehens/e
dea o) the cty`s unAueness+ underpnnng the prde o) ts people n ts rch and glorous past and the
angush artculated by the same people at ther belo/ed cty`s declne nto a decadent present- "lthough
!ay remans poltcally correct by a/odng all possble re)erences and allusons to Kol%ata`s poltcal
scene )or the sa%e o) hs purported target crcle o) mpressonable young readers+ t does not restrct hm
)rom g/ng us an dea o) the dsmal declenson o) a once dstngushed cty through other thngs- The
stores+ /s?g?/s ther pctur7aton o) Kol%ata+ consttute a /rtually chronologcal graph magng the
changng contours o) the )ace o) the cty- "n nterestng pont n ths regard s that !ay ache/es ths
mostly by mplct hnts+ not by e9plct comments-
"s 1e %no1+ !ay had a l)elong lo/e?a))ar 1th ths e9clus/e cty called Kol%ata- 4t 1as n the
northern part 5Garhpar8 o) the cty 1here he 1as born- Kol%ata 1as a companon to the young Satya&t
1ho had a rather lonely boyhood 1th no )rend )or company- 4n the la7y summer noons n the
!?!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*ho1anpur house o) hs uncles+ to 1hch he had sh)ted 1th hs mother )rom Garhpar+ the young !ay+
a boy uncommonly senst/e to sounds and lghtng+ 1ould dent)y the brands o) passng cars by the
sound o) ther horn and 1atch+ lyng alone+ the pro&ectons o) the n/erted mages o) the tra))c outsde
on the 1all o) the bedroom+ probably one o) the )actors that subseAuently goaded hm nto adoptng
cnema as hs callng- *arrng the tme he spent n Shantn%etan as a student 5o) )ne arts8 and the
occasonal stnts abroad to attend )lm )ests or to accept a1ards+ most o) !ay`s l)e 1as spent n
Kol%ata- To Auote !ay hmsel)+ recallng hs years o) youth)ul e9uberance n Kol%ata>
"s one born and bred n Calcutta+ 4 lo/ed to mngle 1th the cro1d n Cho1rnghee+ to
hunt )or bargans n the teemng pro)uson o) second?hand boo%s on the pa/ements o)
College Street+ to e9plore the grmy depths o) the Chor *a7aar )or symphones at
thro1a1ay prces+ to rela9 n the coolness o) a cnema+ and lose mysel) n the ma%e?
bele/e 1orld o) ;olly1ood-
4

The same 1ell?/ersed acAuantance 1th the cty and ts noo% and crannes+ ts l)estyle+ and ts myrad
dosyncrases are )ound n the protagonsts o) hs stores+ 1ho+ 1thout beng e9plct+ mply+ through
1hat they say and do+ a lo/e and attachment )or the cty that has been ther habtat )or many years-
Ther gre) at the degenerate condton o) the cty s a case n pont-
4n spte o) the d))culty o) e9stence n ths cty 1th ts sAualor and chaos and lac%adascal
pace o) l)e+ e9acerbated by /arous lls and mpedments+ l%e 6load sheddng6 5the popular Kol%atan
name )or 6po1er cut68+ and n spte o) hs e9posure to some o) the topmost ctes across the 1orld+
Kol%ata remaned !ay`s )rst lo/e as 1ell as the epcentre and the nucleus o) hs e9stence as an
nd/dual+ a )lmma%er and an author+ tll the last day o) hs l)e-
Sel)?admttedly+ he ne/er )elt the urge )or 1or% untl he sat n hs specal char n the congested
study+ choc?a?bloc 1th boo%s and papers+ amdst the dn and cacophony o) the 1orld outsde- _4 don`t
!?2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
)eel /ery creat/e 1hen 4`m abroad someho1- 4 need to be n my char n CalcuttaI`
0
"nd probably
1or%ng n such an un)rendly atmosphere 1as )or !ay a challenge and a 1ay o) real7ng the /aldty
o) hs bele) that _bTchere s somethng about creatng beauty n the crcumstances o) shoddness and
pr/aton that s really e9ctng-`
6
"ndre1 !obnson recalls 1atchng !ay at 1or% n hs unbele/ably
crammed study>
;e struc% me mmedately as more anmated than n Eondon f thoroughly at ease 1th
hs surroundngs - - - Ths s the atmosphere he )nds congenal and creat/e - - - L)ten he
spends a 1hole day at a stretch n the char - - - $uch o) ths tme he s dea) to the 1orld+
absorbed n hs thoughts+ an ablty cult/ated by hm n the se/eral houses and )lats he
has passed through n south Calcutta+ so as to e9clude the ncreasng blare o) car horns+
ampl)ed )lm songs and )est/als )rom the teemng cty+ the chatter o) /stors tal%ng
among themsel/es and+ sometmes+ un1elcome attempts at con/ersaton-
7

!ay ma%es us see Kol%ata through a ne1 lens that )ocuses on the abundance and predomnance
o) loners n hs stores- Ths seems to pont at the rony that despte beng a populous cty o) chaos and
clamour+ ths s essentally a cty o) loners- Kol%ata thus becomes a mcrocosm+ representng the realty
o) the 1orld at large 1here e/ery cty+ not1thstandng the abundance o) gregarous masses+ s a cty o)
loners-
To be acAuanted 1th these reclus/e humans portrayed by !ay s to tra/el across Kol%ata+
)rom *ho1anpur to Shobhaba7aar+ )rom Garhpar to Kalghat- "saman&ababu+ a bachelor 1th a
meagre number o) )rends and relatons+ l/es n a one?and?a?hal)?room apartment on $ohnmohan
!oad at *ho1anpur3 Tulsbabu+ n Brihachchanchu 51'7'8+ an employee 1th "rbuthnot Co- and a
bachelor+ resdes 1th hs ser/ant n a )rst?)loor apartment on $as&dbar Street at Shobhaba7aar3
Surapat+ the celebrty magcan n Dui .agician 6*wo .agicians- 1'627 l/es at hs uncle`s house on
!?3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*pradas Street at Garhpar 51here !ay`s early years 1ere spent8 1hle Trpuracharan $allc%+
Surapat`s teacher o) magc+ l/es n a $r7apur Street apartment3 "nruddha *ose+ the 2'?year?old
protagonst o) Neel (atanka 5Indigo is the Colour of 1ear+ 1'688 s stll a bachelor l/ng n a )lat on
Sardar Shan%ar !oad at Kalghat- Be go bac% to *ha1anpur to meet the chroptophobc narrator o) the
story+ Baadurh Bibhishika 5*he Bat "hobia+ 1'6.8 and #tababu+ an unmarred employee o) the
accounts secton o) #atonal 4nsurance Co- n Nitaibabur .oyna 5Nitaibabu's Bird+ 1'8'83 n )oad-
Shedding 51'7'8 Chanbabu+ another o) !ay`s bachelor protagonsts+ l/es alone n a second?)loor
apartment 1hch s a .0?mnute bus rde )rom Dalhouse+ Kol%ata`s busness dstrct-
Bth ths )ascnatng arragnment o) losers across ts e9panse+ Kol%ata seems to appear 1th a
dstnct/e demographc dmenson- !ay seems to subtly n/est the /arous precncts o) Kol%ata 1th
trats unAue to them- The southern sde o) the cty+ comprsng locales l%e *ho1anpur+ Kalghat+ and
Kasba+ 1th ther 1ell?mantaned and plush resdences+ )orms a posh and manly upper?class
ambence- 4t s an area )or the 1ell?o)) and the a))luent- Ln the other hand+ the northern regons o) the
cty+ ncludng Sho/aba7aar and $r7apur Street 5no1 Surya Sen Street8+ the abode o) the
comparat/ely less a))luent+ consst o) a relat/ely pedestran and predomnantly mddle?class
populaton- ;o1e/er+ Garhpar+ although largely consdered a part o) north Kol%ata+ s relat/ely
upmar%et 1th the populaton che)ly comprsng younger generatons o) arstocratc )amles- 4n Dui
.agician+ the establshed magcan+ Surapat has earned hmsel) a celebrty status by the cle/er
mar%etng o) hs 17ardry+ and l/es n the relat/ely posh *pradas Street at Garhpar+ 1hle the person
)rom 1hom he has learnt all hs trc%s has )aled to utl7e hs talent and has remaned poor as e/er+
l/ng n the mddle?class or lo1er mddle?class localty o) $r7apur Street-
4n the story+ Class 1riend 51'7'8+ 1hch s about t1o )rends+ $oht and (oy+ Kol%ata`s
demographc d/de s perhaps at ts most ob/ous- $oht Sar%ar+ no1 one o) the 1ell?establshed
!?4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
o))cers at the helm o) a reputed concern+ l/es n hs o1n decent and 1ell?decorated house on Eee
!oad at *ho1anpur- Ln the other hand+ hs closest companon o) hs school days+ (oydeb *ose+ 1ho
has )aled to do anythng 1orth1hle+ l/es on $r7apur Street+ probably n a rented )lat+ located n an
ambence o) )lth and clamour and mar%ed 1th tell?tale sgns o) penury and the lac% o) care- The
dsmal nterors o) hs resdence can easly be magned )rom (oydeb`s shabby cloths and dshe/elled
loo%s-
#tababu+ a cler% n the accounts department o) #atonal 4nsurance Co-+ a reasonably 1ell?
heeled man+ l/es n an apartment on *ennandan Street at *ho1anpur- Sudhn Sar%ar n Gagan
Choudhuryr Studio 5Gagan Choudhury's Studio- 1'8.8+ not actually a loner 5as he ntends to marry8+ s
a))luent enough to o1n an adeAuately spacous )lat at *ha1anpur-
4n star% contrast to these+ Kol%ata contans loners o) a d))erent sort too- 2or e9ample+
*adanbabu+ the protagonst o) the story+ "terodactyl-er Di 5*he "terodactyl !gg+ 1'618+ s one o)
those typcal o))ce goers 1ho consttute a huge mass o) the cty6s populaton and one o) the se/eral
cler%?status nd/duals 1ho people !ay`s stores- ;o1e/er+ unl%e the other members o) ths
communty+ *adanbabu possesses a poetc bend o) mnd that cra/es )or a creat/e un1ndng at the end
o) a day n unperturbed tranAullty amdst nature`s blss+ be)ore startng )or the sel)?same con)nes o)
hs home on Shbtha%ur Eane n north Kol%ata- "lthough *adanbabu s a )amly man+ he s a loner n a
league o) hs o1n+ as hs s almost a dys)unctonal )amly 1th a physcally challenged son and a 1)e
1ho merts mnmal menton- That *adanbabu l/es n north Kol%ata mples hs dreary and blea%
e9stence-
*adanbabu`s stuaton s remnscent o) 1hat !ay portrays n hs _Cty Stores+` namely the
)lms+ .ahanagar- "ratidwandi- and Seeabaddha+ 1hch _legtmately belong to the present- They
tal% about the ncompatblty o) old /alues 1th the practcable atttudes and postures n a changng
!??@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1orld /sbly d))erent and nd))erent to )ner senst/tes-`
8
Lne o) the prme aspects o) these lonesome enttes s ther lo/e and deep attachment to Kol%ata
1hch has long been ther habtat- Ther angush at the trans)ormatons they )nd ther belo/ed cty
undergong s an ndcator o) ther lo/e and concern )or the cty- 4nterestngly+ most o) these solates
pre)er the good+ old Kol%ata and t s through them that !ay pro&ects some o) the old+ e9tnct or near?
e9tnct )eatures o) l)e and promnent landmar%s that 1ere once synonymous 1th the entty o) Kol%ata+
or 1ere so at least durng the deaton o) these stores-
The a/erage Kol%atan`s lo/e o) boo%s s one o) the salent elements o) Kol%ata l)e pro&ected n
!ay`s stores- 4n Barnandha+ one o) !ay6s early stores+ 1e see the protagonst emergng )rom nsde a
shop o) old boo%s+ proudly clutchng a rare boo% n the sa)e ha/en o) hs underarm- The boo%+ a gem o)
a )nd+ 1rtten n 2rench on Chnese clay art+ s bought at a measly prce and s nothng less than an
n/aluable pece o) damond )or the one 1ho has acAured t- ;e s a representat/e o) that clan o) a/d
see%ers o) %no1ledge 1hch s seen scourng stalls on College Street+ that sell antAue and rare boo%s+
undeterred by the e9crucatng torture such an arduous act/ty n/ol/es n the humd and su))ocatng
nterors o) a boo%stall on a s1elterng "ugust a)ternoon- "saman&ababu+ the protagonst o) the story+
(saan+ababu-r Kukur 5(saan+ababu's Dog+ 1'788+ procures a boo% on the care and mantenance o)
dogs )rom a shop o) old boo%s on 2ree School Street 1hle n .rigankababu-r Ghatana
5.rigankababu's Incident+ 1'878+ $rgan%ababu )nds a boo% on e/oluton at a boo% shop on College
Street-
!an&an+ the narrator?protagonst o) Brown Saaheber Bari 5*he )odge of .r< Brown+ 1'718 s a
sel)?admtted bu)) o) old boo%s 1ho spends at least hal) o) hs monthly salary n buyng old boo%s+ hs
_sole addcton`
'
>
!?6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
4 ha/e amassed a huge collecton o) boo%s on 1hat not f tra/el lterature+ huntng
stores+ hstorcal 1rtngs+ autobographes+ dares f n the last )/e years- Cages
dented by 1orms+ pages brttle 1th age+ pages rendered colourless by damp atmosphere
f all these are my most )amlar and most )a/ourte thngs- "nd the odour o) old boo%s
s unAue- The combned )ragrances o) aguru+ %astur+ golaap+ hasnuhana and e/en the
)ragrance o) 2rench per)umes are no match )or these t1o smells-
1:

The lo/e )or old boo%s and the hobby o) boo%?sur)ng s not merely a popular pastme o)
Kol%atans but a means )or them to clutch on to the old and rch cultural past o) the cty n a desperate
bd to sustan ts essental dentty aganst the n/ason o) ne1 de/elopments- Sahadebbabu+ the
protagonst n Sahdebbabur "ortrait 5Sahadebbabu's "ortrait+ 1'788 1ho )reAuents an aucton shop on
$r7a Ghalb Street on Sunday mornngs n Auest o) /aluable curos+ s one such admrer o) Kol%ata`s
llustrous past- The bblophles and the a)conados o) other old thngs represent the re)nement o) the
Kol%atan populaton- 4n spte o) the blt7 o) cheap and super)cally gaudy thngs+ the commoner n
Kol%ata holds on to hs attachment to hs elegant l%ngs that ma%e hm an ndubtable connosseur- Lne
o) such enthusasts s *pn Choudhury 1ho must compuls/ely buy a number o) boo%s on $ondays
)rom Kalcharan`s boo%shop at #e1 $ar%et to sustan hs e9stence )or the entre 1ee%- ;e has to buy
at least )/e boo%s at a tme 1hch comprse detect/e thrllers+ mysteres+ and ghost stores- !egardless
o) hs choce o) boo%s+ he s doubtlessly one o) that )ast dsappearng speces 1ho lo/e to read-
"t the same tme+ these stead)ast adherents to the thngs o) the past e/nce a strea% o) madness
n ther readness to go the e9tra mle+ e/en at the cost o) personal 1ell?beng+ 1hen t comes to
sustanng ther de/oton to those specal personal l%es-
;o1e/er+ despte the earnestness o) ther attempts to hold on to the past and the rapdly
recedng glory o) Kol%ata these characters %no1 that the past cannot be re//ed- Ths s a real7aton
!?7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
that pans these ardent lo/ers o) Kol%ata deeply- " case n pont s !an&anbabu`s e9presson o) angush
at the sorry state o) the cty n the story+ 1irst Class Kaara 5*he 1irst-Class Copartent+ 1'818>
4t seems that the thng called com)ort has been /anshng )ast )rom the cty o) Calcutta-
"lthough he b!an&anbabuc has ne/er had the ll?luc% o) commutng by buses and trams+
tra/ellng by motor car has not been any less nghtmarsh- The tra))c snarls are
su))ocatng and the lmbs seem to be dsntegratng )rom the body 1hen the car )alls nto
a crater-
11

!an&anbabu s a pure?bred "nglophle 1ho )rmly bele/es that all the lls that ha/e plagued
Kol%ata are the results o) ndependence- Kol%ata 1as ne/er n such a shoddy state durng *rtsh rule-
4n those days Kol%ata seemed to be a c/l7ed cty o) a c/l7ed country- !an&anbabu stead)astly
bele/es that 1hate/er lttle charm or beauty Kol%ata has+ e-g- the $adan+ s courtesy the *rtsh-
Contrastng the dscplned and restraned l)estyle o) Eondon 1th Kol%ata`s unruly multtudes+ he
obser/es that _4n spte o) ha/ng a s7eable populaton+ there`s no stampede?l%e rush at bus stops+ no
dea)enng yells+ no ho1lng bus conductor+ or any crashng blo1s on the buses n Eondon- The buses
there do not run tlted to one sde+ as ) they 1ould o/erturn any moment-`
12
"lthough not a /oc)erous admrer o) thngs *rtsh+ *adanbabu rues the )act that Cur7on Car%+
hs )a/ourte cty haunt )or ha/ng bre) rela9atons at the day`s end+ has changed drastcally 1th the
tramlnes sna%ng n- The bountes o) nature and the poetry?nsprng blss+ that had made hm )all n
lo/e 1th the place+ ha/e been ruthlessly usurped by the clamour o) the machnes and the cacophony o)
the commuters-
Lne o) the )ocal re)lectons o) Kol%ata and her mserable degradaton s the sorry condton o)
the cnema houses that once 1ere proud landmar%s o) the cty`s cultural sophstcaton 1th ther
throbbng busness-
1.

!?D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
"mong the Kol%ata cnema houses+ the Eghthouse 51hch no longer e9sts8+ #e1 @mpre+ and
$etro 51hch has stopped operaton /ery recently and s e9pected to ha/e a ma%eo/er8 )nd repeated
re)erences n !ay`s stores- #e1 @mpre s re)erred to as the /enue )or hostng prestgous magc
sho1s+ as 1e see n the story+ Dui .agician- 2or an asprng 17ard+ t 1as a pr/lege to per)orm at
#e1 @mpre be)ore ts elte audence- Trdb *aner&ee and San&oy Eahr+ the t1o characters n
Saha+atri 5*he Co-passenger+ 1'8'8 lament the mserable condton o) the cnema houses o) the cty- "s
they n)orm us+ cnema houses l%e Eghthouse and $etro+ 1here 1atchng cnema used to be such a
soothng e9perence 5courtesy the ar?condtoned lu9ury8+ ha/e turned nto )lthy places+
uncom)ortably hot 5due to the non?)unctonng ar?condtoners8 and n)ested by rats- *oth lament that
the habt o) gong to the mo/es has become an obsolete thng because o) the easy a/alablty o) /deo
cassette players-
$ahm Chatter&ee+ 1hle 1atng )or hs )rend Cratul n the lobby o) Eghthouse Cnema n the
story+ Dui Bandhu 5*wo 1riends+ 1'8'8+ glances at the cheap ol?panted posters o) the *olly1ood pot?
boler playng at the theatre and regrets the )act that the prestgous cnema house+ 1hch 1as once
)amous )or the ;olly1ood mo/es t used to sho1+ has to thr/e on branless ;nd asala mo/es no1-
_$o/e?1atchng has no1adays become a domestc a))ar 1th the arr/al o) the /deo player- Bhat a
pathetc condton the mo/e halls are nI $ahm had heard )rom hs )ather that the Eghthouse used to
be Kol%ata`s prde- "nd no1F Lne &ust )eels l%e cryng-`
14

Lne cannot help 1onderng at !ay`s nmtable style and the sheer e))ortlessness 1th 1hch he
ma%es a global phenomenon 5the rampant spread o) the home /deo culture8 a))ectng the )lm
ndustres 1orld1de a ma&or ponter to the moral+ cultural as 1ell socal degradaton o) hs belo/ed
cty- The do1n1ard &ourney o) these cnema halls allegorcally pctures Kol%ata`s descent )rom the
ecstatc 7enth o) ntellectual ad/ancement and cultural rchness to the depressng nadr o) medocrty
!?9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
and moral as 1ell as cultural ban%ruptcy- #o comment on the poltcal scenaro+ no drect crtcsm+ no
attempt to e/en remotely court contro/ersy+ yet the truth s dr/en home-
L) course+ !ay`s sensbltes as a )lm?ma%er 1ere at 1or% to a great e9tent n)luencng hs
dstress at such a sorry state o) a))ars /s?g?/s the cnema houses- !ay+ both as a )lm?ma%er and an
a/erage den7en o) ths cty+ 1as at agony to 1tness the runng o) Kol%ata 1hch s so subtly stated
1th such nonchalant bre/ty n some o) hs stores- " rather serous comment on the mserable dsarray
o) Kol%ata`s roads caused by the e9ca/atons )or the $etro !al1ay and the ordeal o) tra/ellng on
them s 1rapped n a 1tty 1ord?play n the story+ Bhuto 51'818 as #abn+ the /entrloAust+ n course o)
one o) hs per)ormances on the stage+ con/erses 1th hs puppet+ *huto>
_*huto+ do you %no1 that Calcutta s gong to ha/e underground 5%paatal'8 ral1ayF`
*huto+ noddng gnorance+ reples+ _#o+ but 4 ha/e heard o) the hosptal 5%haaspaatal'8
ral- " mass/e surgcal operaton+ the entre cty s beng dssected by the scalpel3 the
cty seems to be on the /erge o) collapse- Bhat else can you call t but a hosptal
5%haaspaatal'8F`
10

4mmedately a)ter+ !ay ncludes an oblAue ndctment o) the people o) Kol%ata 1ho are e9cted
and entertaned by such )unny but sarcastc comments on the problems )aced by them- #abn+ ha/ng
sensed the pulse o) hs audence+ 1rtes dalogues on Kol%ata`s topcal tragedes+ e-g- load?sheddng+
the escalaton o) the prce o) essental commodtes+ the maddenng rush n the publc /ehcles+ etc- The
malades are crtcal+ but the rony s alarmng+ and the satrcal denuncaton stngng-
Lne o) the ma&or dra1bac%s o) Kol%ata that o)ten le)t !ay rrtated 1as the problem o) load?
sheddng- ;e de/otes an entre story+ named )oad Shedding 5as mentoned earler8 to sho1 the terrble
conseAuences to 1hch ths ma&or mpedment to the cty`s de/elopment may lead+ as 1e see n the case
o) Chanbabu+ the protagonst-
!6(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
;o1e/er+ despte the /arous dra1bac%s o) l)e n the cty o) Kol%ata+ Satya&t !ay ne/er
abandoned ths cty- Bth all ts )la1s and lac% o) amentes+ Kol%ata remaned the deal place )or !ay
to 1or% and to lead hs creat/e mpulses to ther complete )ruton- 4n the early 1'7:s+ the stuaton n
Kol%ata 1as ncreasngly becomng d))cult and uncertan to go on ma%ng )lms n that clmate o)
/olent anarchy- "ndre1 !obnson states that !ay had termed the Kol%ata o) 1'7:?71 as _a nghtmare
cty`
16
and had e/en 1rtten to $are Seton+ one o) hs bographers+ o) hs decson to lea/e the cty+
although he later on sad that t 1as ne/er a serous decson-
2or me Calcutta s the place to 1or%+ the place to l/e+ so you ta%e 1hat comes = you
accept the )act o) change-
17

Despte beng sub&ected to some serous obstacles+ partcularly n ma%ng mo/es+ !ay held on to hs
ndomtable sprt and 1ent on 1or%ng+ ta%ng all mpedments and lmtatons mposed by the Kol%ata
stuaton n hs strde- "nd t s here that he reached the ape9 o) hs career both as a )lm?ma%er and an
author-
The protagonsts o) !ay`s stores re)lect the same n/ncble sprt n ther e/eryday e9stence as
1ell as transactons 1th ths Kol%ata- They may gre/e o/er the loss o) the green spaces+ or the closure
o) ther )a/ourte cnema halls+ or the steadly deteroratng standards o) l)e+ yet+ &ust l%e ther creator+
they ne/er bd adeu to ths cty )or greener pastures- Bth ther humble dreams+ ordnary aspratons+
and smple desres they go on beng a part o) ths cty n the mdst o) all the )lth+ clamour+ and
nadeAuaces- Bhat !ay`s o1n and hs protagonsts` loyalty to the cty suggests s a symbotc
relatonshp- 2or them+ Kol%ata s the only abode that could ha/e g/en them sanctuary 1hle Kol%ata
1ould not ha/e been Kol%ata 1thout the e9stence o) these ordnary nd/duals 1th e9traordnary
attrbutes- 4t s the nherent magnetsm o) Kol%ata that nspres the people o) ths cty to stc% on to t
1th the optmum utl7aton o) ther ne9orable determnaton-
!6!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
E)e n Kol%ata+ as sampled by Satya&t !ay n hs stores+ thus rea))rms our )ath n humanty
and n the ultmate trumph o) humanty-
Notes and >eferen+es
1- Satya&t !ay+ Gorosthane Saabdhaan 5Kol%ata> "nanda+ 1'7'8+ p- 2-
2- 4n !ay`s l)etme+ ths cty 1as %no1n by ts colonal name Calcutta-
.- !ay+ Auoted n Saro& *andyopadhyay> The Eterary Bor%s o) Satya&t !ay+ Satya+it #ay: (n
Intiate .aster+ ed- Sant Das 5Kol%ata> "lled+ 1''88+ p- 84-
4- Satya&t !ay+ Auoted n "ndre1 !obnson+ *he (pu *rilogy: Satya+it #ay and the .aking of
an !pic 5Eondon> 4- *- Taurs+ 2:118+ p- 1:8- !ay sad ths n hs Kol%ata lecture n the
conte9t o) hs ntal doubts about l%ng the Shantn%etan ambence beng a thorough?bred
Kol%atan-
0- !ay+ Auoted n "ndre1 !obnson+ Satya+it #ay: *he Inner !ye: *he Biography of a .aster
1il-.aker 5Eondon> 4- *- Taurs+ 2::48+ p- 4-
6- !ay+ Auoted n !obnson+ p- 4-
7- !obnson+ pp- 4 = 6-
8- "door Gopala%rshnan+ 4n the begnnng there 1as Cather Canchal+ Satya+it #ay: (n
Intiate .aster+ ed- Sant Das 5Kol%ata> "lled+ 1''88+ p- 08-
'- Satya&t !ay+ *ro1n Saaheber *ar+ Galpo ?L? 5Kol%ata> "nanda+ 2::18+ p- 120-
1:- !ay+ Brown Saaheber Bari- p- 120-
11- !ay+ 2rst Class Kaamra- Galpo ?L? 5Kol%ata> "nanda+ 2::18+ p- .1:-
12- !ay+ 1irst Class Kaara- p- .1:-
!62@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1.- 4n *ollywood-e *arinikhudo 5*arinikhudo in *ollywood+ 1'808+ Tarn%hudo+ one o) !ay`s
conc )ctonal characters+ recalls the halcyon days o) the cnema houses n 1'42 1hen all
sho1s used to run to pac%ed houses-
14- !ay+ Du *andhu+ Galpo ?L? 5Kol%ata> "nanda+ 2::18+ p- 62'-
10- !ay+ *huto+ Galpo ?L? 5Kol%ata> "nanda+ 2::18+ p- 288-
16- !obnson+ p- 2:4-
17- !obnson+ p- 2:4-
Bi'liogra0h1
Das+ Sant+ ed- Satya+it #ay: (n Intiate .aster 5Kol%ata> "lled+ 1''88
Gupta+ Kshetra+ Satya+iter Galpo 5Kol%ata> Custa% *pan+ 2::.8
!ay+ Satya&t+ Bisay Chalachchitra+ Kol%ata> "nanda+ 1'82
!ay+ Satya&t+ !kei Boley Shooting- Kol%ata> #e1scrpt+ 1'7'
!ay+ Satya&t+ ;akhon Chhoto Chhila+ Kol%ata> "nanda+ 1'82
!ay+ Satya&t+ .y Iears with (pu+ Delh> Cengun+ 1''43 Eondon> 2aber and 2aber+ 1''7
!ay+ Satya&t+ &ur 1ils *heir 1ils+ Delh> Lrent Eongman+ 1'76
!ay+ Satya&t+ "ratikriti+ Soumyen Cal+ ed-+ Kol%ata> "nanda+ 1''7
!obnson+ "ndre1+ *he (pu *rilogy: Satya+it #ay and the .aking of an !pic 5Eondon> 4- *-
Taurs+ 2:118
!obnson+ "ndre1+ Satya+it #ay: *he Inner !ye: *he Biography of a .aster 1il-.aker- "ndrS
Deutsch+ 1'8'3 Eondon> 4- *- Taurs+ 2::4
Seton+ $are- "ortrait of a Director: Satya+it #ay- *loomngton+ 4ndana Nn/ersty Cress
b1'71c
!63@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Zenith Roy is an assistant professor and the head of the departent of !nglish at Dinabandhu
.aha$idyalaya- Bongaon- AK "GS 6N7- :est Bengal- India< 0e has authored and edited school-le$el
graar and coposition books for secondary and higher secondary students< 0e has also authored a
few papers- of which one has been published in the Calcutta Bni$ersity ;ournal of the Departent of
!nglish< .r< #oy has perfored his "h<D research in the Departent of !nglish- Bni$ersity of Calcutta
and recently subitted his doctoral thesis<
/e%ogra0hi+ and Beha&ioral Profile of Street 6hildren in
"ol#ata
$tanu 2hosh
$'stra+t- Street chldren are hghly moble populaton and d))cult to reach- Met there are )e1
emprcal data a/alable about the nature o) ths GhddenH populaton- "/alable studes re)lect that
street chldren are /ulnerable to substance abuse+ physcal and se9ual abuse and they also n/ol/e n
rs%y se9ual beha/or- Data )or ths study 1as collected )rom 4. Tme Eocaton Clusters o) Kol%ata-
"mong 4:8 partcpants 76h 1ere boys and 24h 1ere grls- Grls tended to be younger than boys- The
study amed to )nd out the /ulnerablty pattern o) the street chldren n Kol%ata- L) the total sample+
276 567-6h8 1ere substance abusers3 10' 5.'h8 had been se9ually abused and 227 567h8 had been
physcally abused- #early one n e/ery )our chldren 52.-.h8 reported e/er ha/ng engagng n
penetrat/e se9- Ths study 1ll help the polcy ma%ers n )ormulatng program plan )or ths GhddenH
populaton and thereby to reduce ther /ulnerabltes-
"e14ords> Street chldren+ Kol%ata+ /ulnerabltes
Introdu+tion
There are 18 mllon street chldren n 4nda+ 1ho are l/ng n d))erent urban centers n deplorable
stuaton 5N#4C@2+ 2::08- There are ma&or d))cultes n tryng to estmate the number o) street
chldren and the magntude o) d))cultes they e9perence- 4n ther margnal7ed state they consttute a
truly PhddenP populaton that are not co/ered by or )nd place n the natonal census+ educatonal or
health data+ largely because they ha/e no )9ed address- The e9stng body o) lterature establshed that
street chldren are prone to d))erent /ulnerabltes3 l%e mental health dsorders or depresson 5#ayar+
N-S-+ 2::28+ delnAuent act/tes 5Banger et al-+ 2::13 $undy et al-+ 1'':8+ )eelngs o) emptness 5Deb+
S-+ and $tra- K-+ 2::28+ emotonal+ physcal and se9ual abuse hstory 5Cagare et al-+ 2::03
"hmad%hanha et al-+ 2::73 Coornma+ T-+ 2::78+ unprotected se9+ transmsson o) STDs and
;4,<"4DS 5"ral et al-+ 2::03 Tyler et al-+ 2:::3 Cates+ 1''13 Sonensten+ 1'8'8- The lac% o) any socal
!6?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
control+ easy a/alablty o) d))erent substances and n/ol/ement 1th de/ant peers pushes them to
early ntaton o) substance abuse 5Ghosh "-+ 2::'3 Cagare et al-+ 2::43 "uers1ald C-E-+ 2::28- 4n a
study conducted among street chldren aged 6?16 years n Delh 5Cagare et al-+ 2::48+ t 1as )ound that
nearly s9 n e/ery ten chldren 507-4h8 had ndulged n substance abuse be)ore comng to the
obser/aton home- The age o) ntaton o) substance abuse 1as as lo1 as 0-0 years-
The constellaton o) rs% beha/ors results n e9ceptonal /ulnerablty to poor health outcomes+
partcularly se9ually transmtted dseases+ hepatts+ unplanned pregnances+ ;4, n)ecton+ and
accelerated mmune dys)uncton assocated 1th "4DS 5Strco) et al- 1''13 Mates et al- 1'888- There s
lmted emprcal n)ormaton a/alable about the nature o) ths comple9 and PhddenP populaton or the
dstrbuton o) rs% beha/ors 1thn t and hence+ lttle emprcal bass )or the de/elopment o) crtcal
pre/enton strateges and polces- Ths paper ams to )nd out the /ulnerablty pattern o) the street
chldren n Kol%ata- The am o) ths study s to e9plore the reasons that chldren l/e on the streets o)
Kol%ata+ ther l/elhood strateges n the street economy+ d))erent /ulnerabltes those are assocated
1th them and copng up strateges-
Ba+#ground and 3ethods
Street chldren are nether usually counted nor they are sub&ected to any natonal census+ so ther e9act
numbers are un%no1n- !epresentat/e data on street chldren are more d))cult to obtan because ther
l)estyle e9cludes them )rom samplng usually used to obtan probablty samples 5"nderson+ 1''48-
$ost o) the a/alable n)ormaton about ths populaton s der/ed )rom Auas?nsttutonal samples
recruted n homeless shelters+ )oster care+ drug treatment programs and at the crmnal &ustce system-
The n)erences that can be dra1n )rom such data are lmted- $any on the streets do not utl7e shelter
and treatment ser/ces and hence+ are not represented n these samples- "n addtonal lmtaton stems
)rom the )act that these chldren n all o) these nsttutonal settngs o)ten conceal ther n/ol/ement n
hgh rs% beha/ors because o) )ear o) stgma and o) beng dened o) ser/ces- 4n order to o/ercome
these lmtatons+ a Tme Eocaton Cluster 5TEC8 samplng approach 1as adopted )or ths study- TEC
re)ers to those geographcal locatons 1here street chldren use to congregate at d))erent slots- 4t s
mportant to menton that based on congregaton o) street chldren at d))erent tme slots+ a sngle area
!66@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
can be consdered as d))erent TEC )or d))erent tme slots- " total number o) 4:8 street chldren 5.11
boys and '7 grls8 aged bet1een 1.?1' years 1ere nter/e1ed drectly on the streets o) Kol%ata
$etropoltan De/elopment "uthorty 5K$D"8 area- Eocal #GLs 1ho are 1or%ng 1th Street
Chldren ha/e been )ound to be a great help to de/elop the samplng )rame and to reach the target
group- "nother challenge les 1hle 1or%ng 1th such populaton s the process o) ta%ng n)ormed
consent )rom the target populaton- "s most o) the chldren 1ere l/ng by ther o1n 1thout the
parents so+ n)ormed consent )rom the nd/duals and assent )rom the respect/e #GLs 1ere ta%en+
1ho 1ere renderng ser/ces to them- !ele/ant n)ormaton n detal about the substance abuse 5l%e
age o) )rst ntaton+ current and e/er use o) substance etc-8+ soco?demographc detals+ )amly
attachment+ e9perences n street etc- 1as collected n a pre?desgned and pre tested Auestonnare-
Street adolescents 1ere nter/e1ed though sem structured nter/e1 schedule- Data analyss 1as
per)ormed usng SCSS 17 /erson- *?/arate )reAuency dstrbuton+ correlaton tables+ and multple
logstc regressons ha/e been used to nterpret the )ndngs- Ch?sAuare test 1as also computed to
assess the assocaton bet1een d))erent e9planatory /arables 1th the outcome /arables-
/e%ogra0hi+ 6hara+teristi+s and Beha&ioral Profile
Socio-Deographic Characteristics
The data presented n Table 1 sho1s age?se9 dstrbuton o) street adolescents- 4t s noted that out o)
4:8 street adolescents nter/e1ed+ .11576 percent8 1ere males and '7 524 percent8 1ere )emales- Ths
)ndng s n agreement to other 4ndan studes on street adolescents 1here they ha/e )ound
comparat/ely less adolescent grls than boys 5*ehura et al-+ 2::08- Grls tended to be younger than
boys> "bout three?Auarters 57. percent8 o) the grls and lttle more than hal) 502 percent8 o) the boys
1ere n the age group 1.?10 years- The medan age )or boys and grls 1ere 10 and 14 years
respect/ely 1th an o/erall medan o) 10 years- #one o) the street adolescents 1ere attendng to school
durng the sur/ey perod- There)ore+ ths study has collected n)ormaton on 1hether the respondent had
e/er been to school and+ ) so+ the grade he<she had success)ully completed- @ducatonal attanment
among adolescents 1as /ery poor3 only a Auarter had completed grade 4?6- 4llteracy among grls 1as
hgher than boys- T1enty?nne percent grls reported to be llterate aganst 22 percent boys-
!67@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
:o%elessness
"t the tme o) the nter/e1+ more than hal) 506-6h8 o) the sample 1ere chroncally homeless+ de)ned
as l/ng n street alone or 1th ther )rends 542-2h8 or l/ng n #GL run shelters 514-0h8- The
)amles o) most o) the adolescents+ 1ho reported sleepng 1th ther parents+ too% shelter on )ootpaths
and the spaces belo1 )lyo/ers and brdges- 4n some cases+ such )amles too% shelter n abandoned
houses+ partcularly belongng to the ral1ay department- " ma&orty o) the adolescents+ 1ho 1ere
l/ng alone or 1th ther )rends+ 1ere sleepng n some corner o) the ral1ay plat)orm+ mar%et places+
*hela 5hand cart8 stand+ car sheds and )ootpaths- Lnly 10 percent o) the respondents reported sleepng
n #GL run nght shelters- $ore than three )ourth o) the grls 576 percent8 reported sleepng on the
streets 1th ther )amly members 1hereas+ hal) o) the boys reported sleepng on the streets ether 1th
ther )rends or by themsel/es- Ln an a/erage+ the boys had been l/ng on the streets longer than the
grls3 .. percent o) boys and 21 percent o) grls had been l/ng on the streets 5n the 1dest sense o)
the 1ord+ ncludng unoccuped d1ellngs+ )ootpaths+ ral1ay plat)orms+ under )lyo/ers+ 1astelands+
etc-8 )or more than )our years pror to the sur/ey- ;gher proporton o) street adolescents l/ng 1thout
parents and longer duraton o) l/ng on the streets s certanly a matter o) concern consderng the need
)or ther rehabltaton- "t the same tme+ t s )ound that a s7eable proporton o) adolescents 5.7
percent8 had been l/ng on the streets )or less than t1o and a hal) years- "s reported by #GL
pro)essonals t s easer to rehabltate such street chldren 1ho ha/e le)t ther home /ery recently than
those 1ho are l/ng n street )or longer duraton- "ccordng to the #GLs 1ho are 1or%ng 1th the
street chldren+ . to 4 chldren arr/e 5runa1ay8 on trans )rom some part o) the country e/ery day-
Street 8++u0ation, In+o%e, .F0enditure and Sa&ing
@ducaton attanment among these street chldren 1as poor as 1e can see only 20 percent o) sample
studed class 4 or more- Thus+ 1th lmted educaton and )e1 mar%etable &ob s%lls+ these chldren ha/e
/ery lmted access to stable sources o) legal ncome- $oreo/er+ the %nds o) act/tes a/alable to
them 1thn the llegal street economy are stuatonal and unstable3 o)ten only generate small amounts
o) cash at a tme+ and /ary n product/ty accordng to both short?term and long?term cycles n the
street economy- ConseAuently+ they rely upon multple PhustlesP 1thn both the )ormal and n)ormal
economy- Street chldren do not bother about the socal sanctty o) the &obs they adopted and mnded
less )or ther socal prestge n the publc- $ost o) the &obs dd not reAure any captal n/estment- $any
!6D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
o) them 1ere n/ol/ed n more than one earnng act/tes- 4n ths study+ all respondents reported to
1or% ether )or cash or both cash and %nds- Se/enty three percent o) street chldren reported to 1or%
)or cash and 27 percent reported to 1or% )or both cash and %nds- Street chldren reported to engage n
as many as 16 d))erent occupatons ncludng se9 1or% and beggng- Detals presented n Table 2 sho1
that dr/ng pedal rc%sha1<hand cart 5*hela8+ helper n street based hotels 5dhabas8+ helpers to
ha1%ers</endors and rag pc%ng 1ere among the ma&or economc act/tes n 1hch street chldren
1ere engaged- Some chldren reported that they 1ere engaged n helpng coo%s+ searchng le)t outs n
Trans 56 percent8+ loadng and unloadng o) goods )rom one place to another 50 percent8 and dong
other mscellaneous occupatons- 2our percent o) grls reported se9 sale )or ther l/elhood- #ne
percent o) grls 1ere engaged n drug pedalng- S9 percent o) respondents reported beggng and 0
percent reported to clean cars at the tra))c sgnals-
4t s also )ound )rom the Aualtat/e study that many o) these chldren 1ere engaged n llegal
sur//al act/tes l%e shoe l)tng+ bag l)tng+ pc% poc%etng+ petty the)t+ drug pedalng and sellng se9
)or money- 4n)ormants sad that youngsters 1ere dra1n nto llegal act/tes because o) the lo1 and
unpredctable ncome generated by street based &obs and because they learn )rom more e9perenced
street youth- S9 percent o) respondents 1ere n/ol/ed n sellng tobacco products n trans<buses<tra))c
sgnals- They bought these tems )rom local traders near the ral1ay staton through part payment )or
those tems- The pro)t margn /ared )rom one tem to another- The adolescents de/eloped good
relatons 1th those traders and 1ere able to %eep ther unsold stoc% 1th them and ta%e t )or sellng
agan- *ut snce sellng o) these tems 1as banned n ral1ays+ t 1as a rs%y busness because o) the
)ear o) beng caught by the ral1ay polce and harassed- $any o) them had been caught and beaten by
the polce se/eral tmes )or dong so- *ut+ they 1ould stll contnue the same because they )ound t
more pro)table than others &ob- Bor%ng hours o) street adolescents /ared )rom 4 hours to 12 hours n
a day- 4t 1as )ound that the 1or%ng hours )or the street adolescents 1ho 1ere engaged n )ootpath
based hotels 5Dhabas8 and garage 1or% 1ere comparat/ely hgher than others- "ll o) the respondents
reported ha/ng rest durng ther total 1or%ng hours-
The earnng+ e9pendture and sa/ng pattern o) the target populaton re/eals an nterestng
)ndng- 4n ths study+ t 1as )ound that some o) the adolescents 1ere engaged n some 1age earnng
act/tes 1hereas+ some others 1ere n/ol/ed n sel) earnng act/tes l%e rag pc%ng+ collecton and
sellng o) sem burnt coal etc- 1here ther per day earnngs 1ere not )9ed- 4n such cases+ the a/erage
!69@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1as ta%en )rom the last se/en days` earnngs- Such an a/erage 1as also ta%en )or calculatng the per
day e9pendture on d))erent tems- 2or e9ample+ e9pendture on recreatonal act/tes and gamblng
1as not regular- There)ore+ 1ee%ly e9pendture on those tems 1as ta%en and daly a/erage 1as
calculated- Bhereas regardng sa/ng money+ adolescents 1ere as%ed about ther monthly sa/ngs- 2or
the purpose o) analyss+ per day a/erage o) sa/ng 1as calculated- The a/erage per day earnng o)
adolescents boys 1as !s-.6 and )or grls !s-.2- There 1ere /aratons n a/erage earnngs by
occupatonal categores- The ncome 1as mnmum )or those 1ho 1ere n/ol/ed n collecton and
sellng o) sem burnt coal- "dolescents 1ho 1ere n/ol/ed n pullng pedal rc%sha1<hand cart 5*hela8
or n sh)tng goods )rom one place to another 1ere earnng better than others-
Abuse
The o/erlap o) substance+ se9ual and physcal abuse among street chldren ha/e been )ound n ths
study- T1o thrd 567h8 o) the respondents reported to be a /ctm o) physcal abuse and .'h 1ere the
/ctms o) se9ual abuse- 4ncdents o) se9ual abuse )ound to be hgher among grls 50.-6h8 than boys
5.4-4h8- 4t s o)ten bele/ed that n case o) se9ual abuse the abuser s usually a stranger- Ths popular
percepton s )ound to be )alse n ths study+ as only n about ' percent o) cases o) se9ual abuse
recorded n ths research 1as a stranger n/ol/ed- 4n most o) the cases the abusers 1ere persons 1ho
1ere /ery close to them and 1ell %no1n to them-
Sexual Actiity
4n ths study an attempt 1as made to understand the se9ual beha/or o) the street chldren- #early o)
the sample 547h8 reported e/er engagng n se9ual ntercourse ether homo or hetero se9ual- 4t s )ound
that hgher proporton o) boys 54'h8 reported to ha/e e9perenced penetrat/e se9 than ther )emale
counterparts 54:h8- "n attempt 1as made to understand 1hether the )rst acts o) heterose9ual and
homose9ual ntercourse 1ere consensual or not- 4t 1as seen that all the boys 1ho reported to ha/e been
n/ol/ed n homose9ual ntercourse 1ere )orced nto t- 2or boys the man partner o) heterose9ual
ntercourse )ound to be commercal se9 1or%ers- $any boys n the older cohort reported to ha/e
multple se9ual partners- #early one?hal) 544 percent8 had had unprotected se9 n last .: days+
ncludng /agnal se9 57: percent8+ anal se9 50' percent8-
!7(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Kno!ledge o" RT#$ST#
Nnsa)e se9ual beha/or ncreases the rs% o) ha/ng Se9ually Transmtted 4n)ectons 5ST4s8- "s the
study populaton 1as /ery unhygenc and )reAuently n/ol/ed n unprotected se9ual act/tes+ they
1ere at hgh rs% o) gettng n)ected 1th !eproduct/e Trac% 4n)ecton 5!T48 and ST4- "n attempt n
ths study 1as made to understand the %no1ledge le/el o) ths target group 1hether they ha/e heard
about t+ or they are a1are about d))erent symptoms o) !T4<ST4- The %no1ledge about these terms as
1ell as about the symptoms o) !T4<ST4 1ere /ery lo1 both among boys 527h8 and grls 5.1h8-
Drugs abuse behaior
Street chldren use a 1de /arety o) llegal drugs- Table 6 sho1s dstrbuton o) street chldren by use
o) d))erent substances- 4t also g/es the /alue o) _p` to measure 1hether any sgn)cant d))erences le
n substance use beha/or bet1een boys and grls- Che1ng tobacco products 5e-g- Gutka8 1as
pre/alent among '1h o) the chldren )ollo1ed by cgarettes<bidis 570h8 and nhalants l%e glue+ pant
thnner etc- 562h8- T1enty eght percent o) adolescents reported to ha/e e/er drun% alcohol- Smo%ng
o) mar&uana 1as also reported by one )ourth 526h8 o) the respondents- 2)teen percent o) the chldren
had e/er had medcnal drugs l%e sleepng plls or cough syrup etc- #o n&ectng drug user 1as )ound
n ths study- $ultple usages o) substances 1ere obser/ed among both boys and grls- Sgn)cantly
more boys 571h8 had e/er used any non tobacco substances than ther )emale 508h8 counterparts 5i
2
[
0-716+ d-) [ 1+ p [ :-:178- 2or most o) the substances+ a sgn)cantly hgher proporton o) boys reported
to ha/e had them as compared to the grls- Lnly n the case o) medcnal drugs+ a sgn)cantly hgher
proporton o) grls 526h8 reported to use them as compared to boys 512h8-
6on+lusion
Ths report has pro/ded a demographc and beha/oral pro)le o) street chldren n Kol%ata Cty- Data
sho1s that street chldren are n/ol/ed n multple rs% beha/ors+ ncludng chronc+ hgh?rs% drug
abuse+ as 1ell as hgh?rs% se9ual beha/or- Ths s but one local e9ample o) the emergng PclassP o)
adolescents and young adults+ one that s notably o/errepresented among ethnc and se9ual mnorty
groups+ 1ho are Pcomng o) ageP n the burgeonng drug and se9 economes no1 )lourshng n all
$etro and mllon plus ctes n 4nda- The con)luence o) drug and se9 rs% among street chldren
1orld1de s o) partcular concern n relaton to ;4, n)ecton because se/eral segments 1thn ths
!7!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
populaton nteract beha/orally 1th t1o other hgh?e9posure populatons> adult gay men+ n the
conte9t o) commercal se9 1or%+ and adult ntra/enous drug n&ectors+ n the conte9t o) hgh?rs% drug
n&ecton practces?both populatons 1th hgh bac%ground seropre/alence- Stuated at a beha/oral
Pcrossroads+P street youths )orm an epdemologcal brdge bet1een these hgh?e9posure populatons
because the youths6 drug and se9ual rs% beha/ors )reAuently nclude nd/duals )rom one or both
groups- "lthough street outreach ser/ces ha/e been sho1n to be an e))ect/e means o) educatng street
chldren about rs% )or ;4, n)ecton+ and the use o) the ;arm !educton $odel has pro/en to be an
especally po1er)ul tool n attractng them to socal and publc health ser/ces+ retanng them n
ser/ces+ and promotng health see%ng beha/ors 5Clatts et al- 1'''8+ e9stng resources )or pre/enton
ser/ces targeted to ths populaton are 1oe)ully nadeAuate relat/e to the scope o) the populaton and
the comple9ty o) these youths6 needs- 4n partcular+ there s an urgent need to e9pand and ntegrate
street outreach+ shelter+ drug treatment+ and prmary health care ser/ces+ and to do so 1thn a un)ed
ser/ce?del/ery model 5Clatts et al- 1'''8 that s respons/e to the nd/dual needs and capactes o)
youths 1thn ths comple9 and gro1ng hgh?rs% populaton-
>eferen+es
"hmad%hanha+ ;- !-+ Sharat+ S- ,-+ Tor%aman?ne&ad+ S-+ et al-+ 52::78- GThe )reAuency o)
se9ual abuse and depresson n a sample o) street chldren o) one o) depr/ed dstrcts o)
Tehran-H ;ournal of Child Se2ual (buse+ 16+ 2.?.0
"ral+ S-L-+ St Ea1rence+ (-S-+ Dyatlo/+ !-+ Ko7lo/+ "- 52::08- Commercal se9 1or%+ drug use+
and se9ually transmtted n)ectons n St Cetersburg+ !ussa- Social Science and .edicine-
NL+ 2181?21':-
"uers1ald+ C-E-+ and @yre+ S-E- 52::28- Mouth homelessness n San 2rancsco> " l)e cycle
approach- Social Science @ .edicine- FK- 14'7?1012-
*ehura #- K-+ $ohanty+ !- C+ 52::08- PBrbani/ation Street Children and their "robles<Q #e1
Delh- Dsco/ery Cublshng ;ouse-
Clatts+ $-C-+ and Da/s+ B- !ees- 51'''8- G" Demographc and beha/oral Cro)le o) ;omeless
Mouth n #e1 Mor% cty> 4mplcatons )or "4DS Lutreach and Cre/entonH-
Deb+ S-+ and $tra+ K- 52::28> G#ature and types o) abuse and neglect among mgrant chld
!72@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
labour> " Aualtat/e studyH- Caper presented n 14
th
4nternatonal Con)erence on Chld "buse
and #eglect- Den/er+ NS"-
Ghosh+ "- 52::'8- GCre/alence o) Substance "buse among Street "dolescents n Kol%ata and
Suggested $ode o) Cre/entonH- 4ndan (ournal o) Copulaton @ducaton- (uly =
September- #o- 46>.?'
$undy+ C-+ !obertson+ $-+ !obertson+ (- and Greenblatt+ $- 51'':8- GThe pre/alence o)
psychotc symptoms n homeless adolescents-H ;ournal of the (erican (cadey of
Child and (dolescent "sychiatry+ 2'+ 724?7.1-
#ayar+ N- S-+ 52::28- GE)e n the )rst lane> Cre/enton o) substance abuse among youth-H
;ournal of "sychological #esearches+ 46+ 01?08-
Cagare+ D-+ $enna G- S-+ (loha !- C-+ and Sngh+ $- $- 52::08- GSe9ual "buse o) Street
Chldren *rought to an Lbser/aton ;ome-H Indian "ediatrics+ 42+ 17.4?1.'-
Cagare+ D-+ $enna G- S-+ Sngh+ $- $-+ and Saha+ !- 52::48- G!s% 2actors o) Substance Nse
"mong Street Chldren )rom Delh-H Indian "ediatrics+ 41+ 221?220-
Coornma+ T- 52::78- GE)e on Streets-H Indian ;ournal of "ediatrics- 74+ 28.?86-
Sonensten+ 2- E-+ Clec%+ (- ;-+ K Ku+ E- C- 51'8'8- GSe9ual act/ty condom use and "4DS
a1areness among adolescent malesH- 1aily "lanning "erspecti$es- A?- 102?108-
Strco)+ !- E-+ Kennedy+ (- T-+ #attell+ T- C-+ Bes)use+ 4- *-+ and #o/c%+ E- 2- 51''18- G;4,
seropre/alence n a )aclty )or runa1ay and homeless adolescentsH- (erican ;ournal of
"ublic 0ealth- 81+ 0:=0.
Tyler+ K- "-+ Bhtbec%+ E- *-+ ;oyt D- !-+ Moder K- "- 52:::8 GCredctors o) Sel)?!eported
Se9ually Transmtted Dseases among ;omeless and !una1ay "dolescentsH- *he ;ournal
of Se2 #esearch+ .7+ .6'?.77-
N#4C@2 4nda 52::08> GChallenges and Lpportuntes-H 4nda Country L))ce Cublcaton+
N#4C@2-
Bagner+ E- S-+ Carln+ E-+ Cauce+ "- $-+ and Tenner+ "- 52::18- G" snapshot o) homeless youth
n Seattle> Ther characterstcs+ beha/ors and bele)s about ;4, protect/e strategesH-
;ournal Counity 0ealth- 26+ 21'=2.2-
Mates+ G- !-+ $acKen7e+ (-+ Cennbrdge+ and Cohen+ @- 51'888- G" rs% pro)le comparson o)
!73@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
runa1ay and non?runa1ay youthH- (erican ;ournal "ublic 0ealth- 78+ 82:=821-
,a'le !- Per+entage distri'ution of street adoles+ents '1 sele+ted +hara+teristi+s )nK4(D*
*ac%ground characterstcs Street "dolescents
*oys Grls Total
h n h n h n
$ge +ategor1
1.?10 Mears 02-1 162 7.-2 71 07-1 2..
16?1' Mears 47-' 14' 26-8 26 42-' 170
$edan "ge 5n Mears8 10 14 10
Pla+e of li&ing during night
#GL run nght shelter 16-4 01 8-2 8 14-0 0'
Ln the street 1th )amly members ..-1 1:. 76-. 74 4.-4 177
Ln the street 1th )rends or alone 0:-0 107 10-0 10 42-2 172
Nu%'er of 1ears li&ing in street
Eess than t1o and hal) years .4-7 1:8 42-. 41 .6-0 14'
2
1
j
2
? 4 years
.2-2 1:: .7-1 .6 ..-. 1.6
$ore than 4 years ..-1 1:. 2:-6 2: .:-1 12.
.du+ational status
4llterate or class one .0-4 11: 48-0 47 .8-0 107
class 2?. .0-4 11: .'-2 .8 .6-. 148
class 4 or more 2'-. '1 12-4 12 20-2 1:.
,otal
1::-: .11 1::-: '7
1::-
:
4:8
Cercentages are ta%en )or Column3
,a'le 2- /istri'ution of street adoles+ents '1 t10es of o++u0ation )nK4(D*
,10e of 4or# Street $doles+ents
Bo1s 2irls ,otal
L n L n L n
;elper o) ha1%ers</endors 12-2 .8 6-2 6 1:-8 44
;elper n )ootpath based hotel 16-4 01 11-. 11 10-2 62
;elper n garage 7-7 24 :-: : 0-' 24
;elper n matador .-2 1: :-: : 2-0 1:
Shoe polsh 4-0 14 :-: : .-4 14
Car 1ash at tra))c sgnal 4-0 14 6-2 6 4-' 2:
*eggng .-' 12 12-4 12 0-' 24
!ag pc%er 6-4 2: 17-0 17 '-1 .7
Searchng )or le)t outs n trans 0-8 18 6-2 6 0-' 24
Dr/ng pedal rc%sha1 <hand cart 5*hela8 17-4 04 :-: : 1.-2 04
Collecton o) sem burnt coal 0-1 16 8-2 8 0-' 24
Cotter 6-1 1' :-: : 4-7 1'
Collectng and sellng /egetables 1-6 0 1:-. 1: .-7 10
Sellng Tobacco Croduct n Tran<*us<Tra))c sgnals 0-1 16 8-2 8 0-' 24
Se9 Bor% :-: : 4-1 4 1-: 4
Drug Caddlng :-: : '-. ' 2-2 '
,otal
1::-: .11 1::-: '7
1::-
:
4:8
Cercentages are ta%en )or Column3
!74@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
,a'le 3- /istri'ution of adoles+ents '1 0er da1 0er +a0ita earning, eF0enditure and sa&ing
3ean 0er da1 earning,
eF0enditure on different ite%s and
sa&ing
Bo1s 2irls
3ean 3in 3aF S./.
3ea
n
3in 3aF S./.
.arning .0-87 7-: 17:-: .1-4. .1-86 1:-: 18:-: 2'-'4
%edian &arning AF<LL AF<LL
.F0enditure
*uy )ood 11-70 :-: 6:-: 12-:8 8-47 :-: 0:-: 1:-14
*uy tobacco or other substances 1.-14 :-: 1::-: 12-62 '-'. :-: 8:-: 12-.6
!ecreatonal act/tes l%e 1atchng
mo/e etc- 6-.4 :-: 8:-: 1:-': 6-18 :-: 2:-: 4-''
!ent )or shelter :-16 :-: 1:-: 1-26 :-21 :-: 2:-: 2-:.
Gamblng 5playng cards8 2-0' :-: 6:-: 7-0' :-:: :-: :-: :-::
G/ng to parents .-16 :-: .:-: 6-0' 7-8' :-: 4:-: 8-::
Lthers :-:: :-: :-: :-:: 2-'4 :-: 1::-: 14-70
Sa&ing 2-87 :-: 2.-.. 0-20 1-4. :-: 2:-: 4-21
#ote> The addton to d))erent e9pendture and sa/ng may not match 1th a/erage ncome
,a'le 4- /istri'ution of adoles+ents '1 the t10e of seFual 'eha&ior
SeFual 'eha&ior $doles+ents
Bo1s 2irls ,otal
L n L n L n
@/er engaged n penetrat/e se9 4'-2 10. 4:-2 .' 47-1 1'2
@/er engaged n hetero se9ual act/ty
k
77-8 11' 1::-: .' 82-. 108
Consensual 1::-: 11' 10-4 6 7'-1 120
#on consensual :-: : 84-6 .. 2:-' ..
@/er engaged n homo se9ual act/ty
k
4:-0 62 #" #" 4:-0 62
Consensual :-: : #" #" :-: :
#on consensual
1::-:
62 #" #" 1::-
:
62
k out o) respondents 1ho e/er engaged n penetrat/e se9 5n[1'28
!7?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
,a'le ?- /istri'ution of adoles+ents 4ho ha&e heard a'out >,I;S,I and re0orting #no4ing
s0e+ifi+ s1%0to%s
Ba+#ground +hara+teristi+s Street adoles+ents
Bo1s 2irls ,otal
L n L n L n
;a/e heard about !T4<ST4 26-7 8. .:-' .: 27-7 11.
,hose 4ho ha&e heard a'out >,I;S,I their #no4ledge on s0e+ifi+ %or'idities
Gental Nlcer 48-2 4: 06-7 17 0:-4 07
Eo1er abdomnal pan :-: : 2:-: 6 0-. 6
Scrotal S1ellng .'-8 .. :-: : 2'-2 ..
*urnng sensaton durng urnaton 2-4 2 2:-: 6 7-1 8
,agnal dscharge :-: : 1.-. 4 .-0 4
4n/oluntary passng o) semen .1-. 26 :-: : 2.-: 26
4n/oluntary urnaton 1hle snee7ng or others :-: : 16-7 0 4-4 0
Cercentages are ta%en )or column- !esponses are not mutually e9clus/e
,a'le 6- Su'stan+e a'use 'eha&iors of street +hildren '1 seF )nK4(D*
.&er used su'stan+es Street $doles+ents
*oys Grls Total
h n h n h n
@/er used che1ng tobacco productlll '6-78 .:1 7.-2: 71
'1-1
8 .72
@/er smo%ed bidi<Cgaretteelll '1-64 280 2:-62 2:
74-7
0 .:0
@/er used alcohollll .0-6' 111 4-12 4
28-1
' 110
@/er smo%ed Gan&alll .4-:8 1:6 :-: :
20-'
8 1:6
@/er sn))ed Gluel 6.-'' 1'' 00-67 04
62-:
1 20.
@/er used medcnal druglll 12-22 .8 20-77 20
10-4
4 6.
@/er used alcohol or any substancelll '7-4 .:. 70-. 7. '2-2 .76
@/er used o) any non tobacco substance ll 7:-7 22: 07-7 06 67-6 276
Cercentages are ta%en )or Column3 !esponses are not mutually e9clus/e3 Sgn)cant le/els )or i
2
test
lp\:-1:3 llp\:-:03 lllp\:-:13
Atanu Ghosh- "hD- is a de$elopent econoist- presently working as an (ssistant "rofessor of
!conoics in Bankura Christian College- Bankura- :est Bengal- India< 0is research interest is on
"opulation- #eproducti$e 0ealth and De$elopent Studies< 0e had been associated with *ata Institute
for Social Sciences 6*ISS7- .ubai- Georgetown Bni$ersity's Institute for #eproducti$e 0ealth 6I#07
and Departent of 0ealth and 1aily :elfare- Go$t< of :est Bengal at different capacities<
6ottage and S%all S+ale Industries in the Slu%s of
"ol#ata- 2ro4th and 6onstraints in ,4entieth 6entur1
Su'rata Nandi
$'stra+t
Slums o) Kol%ata are generally %no1n )or o/er congestaton+ brth place o) /arous dseases and )lthy
atmosphere- *ut there s another aspect o) slums -e- these are centres o) /arous types o) Cottage and
small?scale ndustres -The am o) the paper s to hghlght the gro1ths+ problems and )uture prospects
o) such ndustres-
Introdu+tion
Kol%ata beng the centre o) trade and commerce t attracts large number o) mmgrants )rom d))erent
parts o) 4nda throughout the 2:th century- The census o) 1'11 g/es us a clear pcture o) the e9tent o)
nature o) mmgraton- $ost o) them are )orced to ta%e shelter n o/ercro1ded slums- Smlar pcture o)
o/ercro1dng can also be seen n the tenements o) Eondon 1here about 17-8 per cent o) the total
populaton actually l/ed at that tme
1
- The heredtary pro)esson o) the mmgrants 1ere agrculture
and producton o) d))erent %nds o) goods- The ma&or problem be)ore the mmgrants s
accommodaton as durng the early decades o) the century suburbs o) the cty 1ere not de/eloped and
the c/c authorty dd ha/e hardly any plan to pro/de shelter to ths category o) people -"t that tme
the De/elopment Department o) *ombay embar%ed on the pro&ect o) constructon o) houses )or ths
category o) people-
2
$ost o) the mmgrants both male and )emale l/ngs n slums 1ere employed n )actores -"
porton o) slum d1ellers are engaged n small scale and cottage ndustres- !e)erences o) early such
ndustres are /ery scanty as the colonal go/t- dd not ha/e any nterest n these /entures- So no sur/ey
report or any other drect o))cal record s a/alable- ")ter 1'47 the department o) Small scale and
!77@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
cottage ndustres 1as establshed n e/ery state )or the de/elopment o) these ndustres- The C/c
authortes and #atonalsed ban%s also come )or1ard to encourage these ndustres- Such ntat/es are
preceded by number o) sur/eys 1hch are also used as sources )or ths paper-
There are d))erent types o) ndustres n the slums o) Kol%ata -Some o) 1hch stll e9st and
some 1ent nto obl/on-
.Ftin+t +ottage and s%all s+ale industries
2lass-Bangle 3a#ing aThe bangle made o) glass s one o) the most popular &e1ellery )a/oured by
4ndan 1omen because o) ts beauty and cheapness- Ths cottage ndustry actually )lourshed n
Ghoshbagan slum+ goods mostly produced by $uslm artsans- The artsans used tradtonal technAues
)or bangle ma%ng 1hch 1ere to be sold by ther 1omen )rom door to door- The producton o) ths
ndustry declned due to the une/en competton 1th the goods manu)actured at the )actores o) "gra-
The ndustry e9sted to a /ery lmted e9tent tll 1'6:s- "t that tme the ra1 materal )or bangle ma%ng
glass 1as to be collected )rom the rag pc%ers-
.
Soa0 I%a#ing I Soap s an tem o) common need o) people- "t the outset o) the century common
people pre)erred to utlse soaps+ produced mostly by cottage ndustres n slums- Ceople o) a))luent
classes pre)er )oregn soaps )or ther daly use- Ths ndustry 1as also domnated by people o) $uslm
Communty- The mar%et o) the products 1as dmnshed due to emergence o) soap )actores such as
*engal Soap Company+ the Lrental Soap 2actory and boolbool soap )actory etc-
4
3at+h 3anufa+turing industr1 I Ths ndustry de/eloped n Kol%ata mmedately a)ter the
mposton o) duty on the mport o) matches though a )e1 attempts had been ta%en by 4ndan
entrepreneurs to set up a number o) match ma%ng company but they )aled- 4n Kol%ata a number o)
such )actores 1ere set up- 4t 1as estmated by Tar)) *oard n 1'28 that there 1ere 27 such )actores n
Kol%ata- Ths ndustry 1as ln%ed up 1th a number o) cottage ndustres )or producton o) a number o)
goods+ such as bo9 ma%ng- The labourers use ther hands 1dely n handlng e9plos/es 1hle ma%ng
matches 1thout any precauton-
0
!7D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Generally all processes o) manu)acture 1ere not carred out by the members o) a sngle )amly
n ther o1n house-Some o) 1hch 1ere done n the houses o) hred labourers- Ths mght be due to the
)act that the )actores 1ere stuated n congested areas 1here space 1as a ma&or problem- The 4*T
report on match re/eals the )act that outbrea% o) )re and loss o) l/es 1ere common phenomena as the
Kol%ata Corporaton had no proper regulaton-
6
The cost o) producton o) matches manu)actured n cottage ndustres 1as hgher n comparson
1th that o) mechansed ones-The mar%et o) the goods produced n ths ndustry 1as restrcted to small
to1ns as !a&at Kanta !ay consderd that matches produced by bg )actores l%e Bmco )looded n the
mar%et-
7

Paintings of "alighat I The patua communty resded n the slum area o) %alghat due to stuated n
the /cnty o) the )amous Kal temple 1hch dre1 a large number o) plgrms there-Ther hand
pantngs 1ere to be sold at the ba7aars o) Kol%ata-4n 1'
th
century artsts used cloth as can/as )or
pantng- Eater cloth 1as replaced by paper to ma%e the pantngs cheap-They use manly smple
technAues o) pantngs-The panters o) %alghat lost ther mportance as cheap German pantngs
became a/alable n the mar%et-
8
There 1ere re)erences o) a number o) ndustres 1hch 1ere mostly domnated by 1omen e-g-
rce poundng +rce hus%ng+ 1ea/ng o) cloths etc- 4n these ndustres 1omen engaged n producton
along 1th mar%etng o) products-
'

4mages o) panters o) Kalghat Source' google(co(in accessed on )*
th
September +*),
!79@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
.Fisting industries
The e9stng ndustres can be categorsed under t1o heads /7 slums specalsed n manu)acturng a
partcular %nd o) product and slums ha/ng d))erent types o) ndustres- Slums o) $etabru7 and
Kumortul belonged to the )rst category and domnated by a partcular communty 1hereas other cty
slums come under the d))erent category and mostly domnated by people o) heterogeneous lngustc
and relgous groups- There are numerous ndustres come under the latter category-
Industries-
2rou0 Ite%s
1- Eght @ngneerng > Eathe machne+ steel "lmrahK Trun% ma%ng Dce
manu)acturng+ Santary )ttngs+Tube1ell ppe )ttngs+@lectrcal
goods etc-
2- Clastc 1or%s > Toys +Colythene bottles and goods-
.- Chemcal 4ndustry > Soap+Cant+"cd grease etc-
4- Glass K glass 1are > "mpule-
0- !ubber Croducts > Cpes+tubes+tyres etc-
6- Carpenters51ood1or%8 > 2urnture +sport goods and others-
7- Cottery > Ceramc K others
8- Clay modellng > 4mages K Doll ma%ng
'- $scellaneous > Caper pac%ets +bas%ets+ (ute bag+ cloth prntng+ *ead garland+
Couch+ *ungles+*a%ery+`br` ma%ng+b?cycle Ktr?cycle etc-
Source? "n approach to economc rene1al and promoton programme+ n)ormal ndustry sector+
@conomc and socal support programme cell+ Drectorate o) Clannng+C$D"+1'77
Slum d1ellers are dsproportonately engaged n d))erent ndustres- Ths 1ll be clear )rom the sur/ey
conducted by the C$D" o/er 1.41 )amles l/ng n d))erent slums o) the cty -The )ollo1ng
outcome has been )ound-
!D(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Slu% d4elling fa%ilies '1 %aor industrial 0ursuit
SE #o- Type o) ndustres #umber o) )amles C-C-
1 Garment ma%ng 0'' 44-67
2 Eght engneerng 1or%ers 227 16-'.
. Eeather goods ma%ers 114 8-0:
4 Carpenters 82 6-11
0 Lthers .1' 2.-2'
Total 1.41 1::
Ths s not possble to pro/de glmpse o) all the e9stng ndustres n ths paper-" number o) such a
category ha/e been hghlghted to ma%e one understand the nature and e9tent o) ndustral de/elopment
n slums-
6la1 I3odel %a#ing
Ths %nd o) cottage ndustry s )ound n the slums stuated n the northern part o) the cty-"rtsans are
mostly ;ndus belongng to kuor communty- They actually ma%e mages o) d))erent ;ndu detes
reAured )or d))erent )est/als- The ra1 materals )or clay modellng s allu/al sol 1hch they mostly
procured )rom the Ganges and other materals are collected locally- #ormally the artsans stll today do
not get any )ormal tranng- They could learn the technAue )orm ther )amles themsel/es- L/er the
years ther mode o) busness has changed- Cre/ously the artsans used to go to the clents house n
order to ma%e clay mages as n those days *ara1ar pu&a or Cu&a organsed by a group o) people 1as
un)amlar-
1:
Small detes )or daly 1orshpng 1ere mostly produced by the artsts o) Kumartul-
*esdes dol ma%ng the potters o) Kumartol produce d))erent types o) clay utensls )or daly use o)
common people o) the cty-
!D!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The study conducted by the C$D" n (une 1'77 on the clay modellers o) Kumortul re/eals the
)ollo1ng n)ormatons-
11
4n the clay modellng operaton 087 1or%ers are deployed+ o) 1hch 26' members belong to the
resdent clay modellers )amles- "nd the rest+ .:8 are hred 1or%ers hred by these )amles- The
)emale partcpants n such clay modellng and doll ma%ng are )e1- 4t also d/ulges the )act that a
number o) )amles under study run the ma%ng o) sola cra)t and tradng 1th t- There s no spec)ed
mar%et to sell out the products o) Kumortul-Generally the customers purchase those products )rom the
locaton- To attract the customers producers dsplayed ther products on road sde-
Clay dol ma%er+ Kumartul- Source? google-co-n accessed on 1:
th
September 2:14
#o1adays the demand )or utensls made o) clay has come do1n as cheap plastc goods has )looded the
mar%et- Bth the decreasng demand a number o) artsans ha/e sh)ted to another pro)esson and they
are n a better o)) condton than the artsans 1ho stll stc% to ther heredtary pro)essons- $ost o) the
artsans no1 a days ta%e up the occupaton o) pullng rc%sha1 or d))erent %nds o) &obs other than the
months precedng the Durga Cu&a- Ths ndustry actually s n a sharp competton 1th the dols
mported )rom Chna-
12
!D2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The mage ma%ng o) ;ndu detes n/ol/ed a number o) artsans o) specalsng n ma%ng
d))erent %nds o) arte)acts )or decoraton +pre/ously produced by $uslm artsans +l/ng n the
surroundng bustees-
1.
Bth the passng o) tme these types o) cottage ndustres ha/e been 1ped out
as d))erent %nds o) materals are a/alable-
2ar%ent-%a#ing
Ths ndustry de/eloped n d))erent slum poc%ets o) the cty o/er the years+ mostly domnated by
$uslms- The centre o) ths ndustry s $etabru7 and surroundng slums- The root o) the ndustry goes
bac% to md 1'
th
century 1hen a group o) )ollo1er o) the e9led #a1ab Ba7ad "l Shah o) Ludh came
to that regon+ too% up talorng as pro)esson- Ths s stll one o) the thr/ng small scale ndustry
emerged n slum areas o) the cty- Ths talors are locally %no1n as dor&s and the o1ner o) the %ar%han
or 1or%shop s named as Lsta%ar- "t the outset o) the century ths ndustry s domnated by the
$uslms o) Npper 4nda -Eater the &ob opportunty attracted large number o) mmgrant )rom d))erent
parts o) *engal-Bomen o) ths communty are also employed n /arous act/tes o) ths ndustry-
14
@arler ths small scale ndustry used to )uncton n a lmted e9tent as most o) the artsans o) ths regon
ser/e as artsans on daly 1age bass n the talorng shops o) the cty or 1ould sell ther small number
o) manu)actured goods n streets and door =to =door bass- #o1 a days the scenaro has been changed-
The reason behnd the enormous gro1th o) the ndustry s the rsng demand o) ready made garments
due to change o) )ashon o) people- $ar1ar communty s no1 a days s runnng busness o) cloths
and other tems n that area 1hch ma%e easy supply o) ra1 materals to the 1or%shops on credt bass-
The go/t- a number o) tmes too% ntat/es to set up tranng centre to tran up the artsans n a proper
1ay but all o) the attempts dd not materalse- Generally chldren o) ths localty get traned up n
1or%shops as apprentce-
Pa0er and allied +rafts
Ths type o) ndustres actually de/elop n the Cars bagan slum +stuated outsde the *usness Dstrct
o) the cty- Ths ndustry ncludes manu)acturng o) en/elop + boo% bndng+ card?board bo9+ )les+ %tes
!D3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
etc- The manu)actured goods has the mar%et n College Street+ /ery close to the slum- *esdes
men+1omen and chldren are employed n ma%ng those products-
10
,i%'er and allied +rafts
Ths category o) ndustres concentrate n the slums o) Nltadanga and *elaghata along the canal 1hch
1as pre/ously used to transport the tmber blogs - Tmber s actually used to manu)acture a number o)
products such as ply1ood+ pac%ng bo9+ etc- Ths busness s seasonal n nature- Durng the rany
season the producton gets hampered as open space s reAured to dry up ra1 materals-
2or mar%etng o) ther manu)actured goods 1ealther entrepreneurs ha/e to depend on mddle
men 1hereas the 1ea%er ones mostly rely on themsel/es- The reason behnd the )act s that the )ormer
group o) entrepreneurs sell ther products to mddle men on 1hole sale bass+ %eepng a lmted margn
o) pro)t-
16
,a'le No-!6
Group $ar%etng
SS $$
" '7 h .h
* 70h 20h
C 72h 28h
D 0:h 0:h
#*>$$[$ddle men+ SS[Sel) Sellng
Source?" study report on small scale tmber and ply1ood ndustres at Nltadanga and *eleghata n
Kol%ata+ C$D"+ 1'77 p7..
#*?Group " 5ha/ng total captal less than !s 0:::8
!D4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Group *5ha/ng captal bet1een 0::1 and !s 4:+:::8
Group C 5ha/ng captal bet1een !s-4:::1 =!s- 1+ ::+:::8
Group D 5ha/ng captal 1+ ::+::1 abo/e8
7inan+e
Durng the colonal days there 1as hardly any state run nsttuton to )nance these small scale and
cottage ndustres- The ban%s 1hch emerged durng the S1adesh days 1ere mostly n/ested by bg
7amnders or ndgenous rch persons amed at yeldng hgh d/dend to ther shareholders- Scanty
captal reAured )or n/estment 1as manly suppled by local money lenders- ")ter ndependence the
scenaro has been changed to some e9tent- The Go/t- establshed the Department o) Small Scale and
cottage ndustres n order to pro/de tranng and )nance to de/elop the ndustres- The #atonalsed
*an%s ha/e come )or1ard to pro/de loan to these type o) people -
The ban%s had selected )our categores o) ndustres to pro/de )nancal assstance )or ther adeAuate
gro1th- These 1ere?
48Talorng and garment ma%ng at $etabru7-
8 4mage ma%ng and clay modellng ndustres at Kumartuly-
8 Tmber K Cly1ood ndustres at Nltadanga K *elaghata !oad "reas
4,8Tannery ndustres at Tl&ala o) @ast Kol%ata
18
The )rst three ndustres 1ere properly sur/eyed by /arous #atonalsed ban%s n 1'77- The Terms
and condtons )or a borro1er 1as also )ramed by the ban%s- They 1ere =
8@ducated unemployed people-
8 Cersons ha/ng lttle general educaton but some techncal %no1ledge and e9perence-
8 2or uneducated and ne1 labour =)orce see%ng employment opportuntes-
!D?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The loan )acltes e9tended to the artsans engaged 1th /arous categores o) ndustres seem to
ha/e lmted success- Ths s Aute clear )rom the )ollo1ng table a/alable )rom N*4+ Kumartul
1'
Table #o?11
2:
4n)ormaton on *an% Eoans @9tended to the clay $odellers and realsaton-
Mear<Seasons #o-o) borro1ers Eoan sanctoned
1'74 .7
Durga Season .7 1+11+620
Saras1at ?? ???????????
1'70 114 .+'2+4::
Durga Season 7: 2+'0+2::
Saras1at _` 44 '7+2::
1'76 1.1 4+64+7::
Durga Season 77 .+.4+0::
Saras1at G 04 1+.:+2::
1'77
Durga Seasonl
Saras1at _` 0' 1+46+0::
lThe season s yet to come -Source> N*4 o))ce at Kumartul
Generally t s )ound that the poor artsans hardly arrange to get any opportunty o) loan )rom
ban%s due to non proper mantenance o) accounts and nablty to )ul)l the crtera )ramed by the
ban%s-The loan )aclty could only secure those artsans 1ho ha/e some amount o) 1ealth- The non?
ban%ng )nancal nsttutons manly lend money to ths 1ea%er secton o) the artsans-
21

!D6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
S4adeshi .nter0rise &s 0ett1 enter0rises in slu%s
The S1adesh mo/ement encouraged the settng up o) a number o) ndustres n Kol%ata as 1ell as
d))erent parts o) *engal- These enterprses ncluded the settng up o) te9tle )actores+ chemcal
ndustry+ tannery and leather 1or%s+ ban%ng+ nsurance etc- $ost o) the ndustres 1ere )nanced by
ndgenous captalst class+ especally Zamndars- The bourgeos partcpaton n these %nds o)
enterprses s the most remar%able )eature
22
- The machnes 1hch 1ere utlsed )or ndustral
producton 1ere both made o) tradtonal technAues and n many cases 1ere mported )rom )oregn
countres- 2oregn techncans 1ere sometmes recruted to super/se the manu)acture o) d))erent types
o) goods- Some tmes youths )nanced by ndgenous rch 1ere sent to )oregn land to learn d))erent
modern technAues )or manu)acturng o) /aretes o) goods
2.
Sumt Sar%ar consders that S1adesh
mo/ement actually brought more money n the hands o) the mercantle class and they n/ested that
captal n S1adesh manu)acture
24
-" number o) shops to sell S1adesh products 1ere establshed n
d))erent parts o) Kol%ata as 1ell as *engal e-g S1ad1sh ba7aar on Corn1als Street +S1adesh
*astralaya on Chtpur !oad etc- Sumt Sar%ar sho1s that these shops 1ere earnng handsome pro)t
by rasng the )act that these stores earned a pro)t o) !s-147.7?1?: and a d/dend 1as declared n
"ugust 1':6-
20
So most o) the S1adesh enterprses 1ere )nanced by share holders -Sumt Sar%ar
consders that ma&or propaganda o) the S1adesh mo/ement 1as ndustralsaton as unemployment
1as a ma&or problem
26
-
4n contrast to the )eatures o) the S1adesh enterprses+ the petty enterprses o) the early
decades o) the t1enteth century gre1 spontaneously to sats)y the needs o) common people based on
small tools made themsel/es or procured locally- The scanty )nance reAured )or these types o)
ndustres 1as mostly pro/ded on loan bass by money lenders o) d))erent categores- The S1adesh
ban%s 1hch emerged as an outcome o) the S1adesh $o/ement to )nance the ndustres n *engal
1ere not success)ul enough to meet the )nancal needs o) the ndustres -The attempts 1ere )aled-
27

Big industries &ersus +ottage and s%all s+ale industries
The mpact o) bg ndustres on cottage and small scale ndustres s t1o sded- 4n some cases the rse
)actores dmnshed the mar%et o) a number o) smlar products manu)actured n slums e-g-
!D7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
manu)acturng o) matches-Ln the other hand a number o) products manu)actured n certan slums are
hgh demand n /arous bg )actores e-g- small machneres produced n cty slums are used n the (ute
$lls-
28
4n certan slums o) *ombay +there are e9stence o) ancllary unts o) bg ndustres- 2or
e9ample a number o) components o) Godre& !e)rgerator are manu)actured at the slum o)
4ndranagar-
2'
4n Kol%ata such a relatonshp can hardly be traced due to sorry state o) ndustral
gro1th-
Pro'le%s
The slums o) the cty stll today ha/e d))erent types o) cottage and small?scale ndustres producng
d))erent types o) goods- The reasons causng hndrance )or the gro1th o) the ndustres ha/e been
stated belo1-
48 $ost o) the slum d1ellers are not a1are o) the )acltes pro/ded by the Small scale and cottage
ndustry deptt- o) go/t as 1ell as the ban%s to promote ther /entures as the le/el o) lteracy among
them s /ery lo1- *esdes they cannot )ul)l the crtera set up by the ban%s-
.1
28 4n most o) the cases such ndustres are mostly located n the huts o) the artsans- So space problem
s one o) the ma&or problems- Due to paucty o) space the artsans ha/e to use n many cases the
)ootpaths ad&acent to ther huts a/odng all %nds o) problems-
.2
.8The artsans and entrepreneurs n most o) the cases do not get any %nd o) )ormal tranng rather they
acAure ther s%lls through apprentceshp 1hereas tranng n go/t- sponsored tranng centres s not
/ery lucrat/e to these %nd o) people-
..
48 2or mar%etng these products the entrepreneurs mostly rely on mddle men as proper mar%et )or
these goods ha/e properly not de/eloped-
.4
Pros0e+ts
The census o) 4nda o) 2:11 brngs nto )ocus that a /ast ma&orty o) the cty populaton s l/ng n
!DD@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
slums- Some o) the people 1thn the populaton ha/e been nhertng tradtonal s%lls o)
manu)acturng d))erent types o) goods- 4) the human resource o) ths category o) populaton can be
utlsed n a systematc manner through pro/dng easy loan )rom ban%s as 1ell as encouragement )rom
go/t- and #GLs d))erent %nd o) ndustral de/elopment could be ache/ed
>eferen+es
1-(-" Mellng+ Slums and De/elopment>Colcy and Cractce n @ngland +1'18?1'405Eondon>NCE
Cress>2::4814
2-Sandp ;a7areesngh+The Colonal Cty and the Challenge o) $odernty>Nrban ;egemones and
C/c Contestatons n *ombay 1'::?1'20 5;ydrabad>Lrent *lac%S1an>2::0848
.-$-K-"-SddAu+$uslms o) Kol%ata>" Study n "spects o) Ther Socal
Lrgansaton5Kol%ata>"nthropologcal Sur/ey o) 4nda>2::081:6?1:7
4- bd
0-!eport o) the 4ndan Tar)) *oard !egardng the Grant o) Crotecton to the $atch 4ndustry 51'288
p-1005Kol%ata8
6-bd
7-!a&at K- !ay+4ndustralsaton n 4nda >Gro1th and Con)lct n the Cr/ate Corporate Sector 1'14?
475Delh>L9)ord Nn/ersty Cress>1'828106
8 Gerorge Bllam "rcher+Ba/aar "aintings of Kolkata: the Style of Kalighat6 Eondon> ;er $a&esty`s
Statonery L))ce+ 1'0.8
'-Census o) 4nda 4nda+1'11
1:-111-en-1%peda-org<1%<Kumortul5accessed 1: September 2:148
!D9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
11-" Study !eport on Clay $odellers` Communty at Kumartul n Kol%ata51'778p
6605Kol%ata+C$D"8
12-Sonal *s1as+"cute Shelter and Space Crss o) Kumartul Cotters o) Kol%ata?" Case Study
Conducted !ecently n December 2:12+:8?S;E?SL#"E4 *4SB"S 5accessed on 1: September 2:148
1.- $-K-"-SddAu+$uslms o) Kol%ata>" Study n "spects o) Ther Socal
Lrgansaton5Kol%ata>"nthropologcal Sur/ey o) 4nda>2::08118
14-2eld sur/ey n the slum o) $etabru7 done by author hmsel)-
10- $-K-"-SddAu and M-;ossan+E)e n the Slums o) Kol%ata>" study o) Cars *agan *ustee5#e1
Delh>4nsttute o) Lb&ect/e Studes86'?86
16-" Study !eport on Small Scale Tmber and Cly1ood ndustres at Nltadanga and *eleghata 5 (une
1'778p717?7425Kol%ata+C$D"8
17-bd-718
18-"n pproach to @conomc !ene1al and Cromoton Crogramme?4n)ormal 4ndustry
sector51'778p0'75Kol%ata+C$D"8
1'-bd+0'6
2:-" Study !eport on Clay $odellers Communty at Kumartul n Kol%ata51'778p
6665Kol%ata+C$D"8
21 " Study !eport on Small Scale Tmber and Cly1ood ndustres at Nltadanga and *eleghata 5 (une
1'778 7..5Kol%ata+C$D"8
22-"mt *hattacharyya +S1adesh @nterprse n *engal 1'::?1'2:5Kol%ata>4#" Cress8+
2.-bd
24-Sumt Sar%ar+The S1adesh $o/ement n *engal 1':.?1':85#e1 Delh>Ceople`s Cublshng
;ouse8'8?''
20-bd+117
!9(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
26-bd+ ''
27- "mt *hattacharyya +S1adesh @nterprse n *engal 1'::?1'2:5Kol%ata>4#" Cress82.6
28- " Study !eport on Small Scale Eght @ngneerng 4ndustres o) *ellous !oad *elt n
;o1rah51'7786'4
2'-(eremy Seabroo% +E)e and Eabour n a *ombay Slum5Eondon>Duartet *oo%s8
Subrata -andi recei$ed .<( in 0istory fro ;ada$pur Bni$ersity- Kolkata< 0e is currently working as
(ssistant "rofessor in the &nda *hana .aha$idyalaya- Bankura- :est Bengal- India< "rofessor Nandi
is also pursuing "h<D at the departent of 0istory- Bni$ersity of Burdwan< *he title of his dissertation
is %Changing profile of Kolkata slus'<0e is regular in writing articles in different scholarly +ournals<
"ol#ataEs Intelle+tual >es0onse to Sha#es0eare-
$+ade%ia, Stage and Cittle 3aga9ines
$rinda% 3u#heree
Ths study )ocuses on the 1ays n 1hch *engal 1rters and academcs o) pre?and post?ndependent
perods n Kol%ata responded to Sha%espeare n order to sho1 ho1 much o) ths response s der/at/e
and ho1 much o) t s truly *engal-
Sha%espeare came to be used as one o) the plan%s o) the ed)ce o) @nglsh educaton n 4nda-
Sha%espeare ga/e the study o) @nglsh lterature a %nd o) respectablty that set the nat/e students and
scholars competng )or recognton by the colonal rulers o/er ther mastery o) @nglsh language and
lterature- 4t 1as because o) the centralty o) Sha%espeare n the colonal agenda o) cultural hegemony
that hs 1or%s 1ere translated and adapted )or the *engal stage and ncluded n the academc currcula
at schools and colleges- 4n Calcutta 5no1 Kol%ata8+ Cresdency College+ a premer nsttuton o)
academc e9cellence+ bult up a sold tradton o) Sha%espeare studes addressed to the needs o) the
students- ;- $- Cerc/al edted a number o) Sha%espeare`s plays 1th a scholarly competence+ 1hch
1as r/alled e/en by the *rtsh edtors- Calcutta Nn/ersty and later (ada/pur Nn/ersty contrbuted
n ther o1n 1ays to the rsng nterest n Sha%espeare+ as the greatest lterary g)t o) the !a&-
Lne mportant conseAuence o) ths e9tens/e e9posure to Sha%espeare 1as the gro1th o)
*engal drama modelled on Sha%espeare`s plays- Sha%espeare crtcsm n @ngland not only helped the
*engal academcs to understand Sha%espeare better+ but also pro/ded a 1hole set o) crteron )or
&udgng the nat/e dramatc practce- 4n )act+ Sha%espeare studes by *engal academcs had no
alternat/e but to gro1 and mantan ts credentals only n the shado1 o) Sha%espeare studes n
@ngland- Ths made most o) Sha%espeare studes n *engal /ery much der/at/e+ 1hch 1ere rather
ne/table n a *rtsh colony- Nnl%e the 2rench and !ussan+ *engal scholars could not be e9pected to
e/ol/e ther o1n 1ays o) loo%ng at Sha%espeare- "s a result+ *engal could not produce a Sha%espeare
crtc l%e ,oltare or Tolstoy-
!92@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
4n the post?ndependent phase o) Sha%espeare crtcsm one stll notces pro)ound erudton
operatng /ery cautously 1thn the crtcal tradton o) rece/ed deas- "ll the approaches+
bographcal+ hstorcal+ psychologcal+ practcal and te9tual+ 1hch 1ere popular7ed n @ngland+ came
to be adopted lberally-
4t s nterestng to note that 1hen the sanct)ed mage o) the *ard 1as challenged by hs o1n
countrymen+ t )ound ts echo n certan Auarters o) *engal scholarshp- "n ndependent crtcal
outloo% dsplayed by *an%m Chandra and !abndranath n ther comments on Sha%espeare`s plays+
had lttle chance o) beng de/eloped by *engal academa- Bhat happened n the 0:s+ 6:s and 7:s o)
the last century+ be)ore the ad/ent o) recent theores n the )eld o) Sha%espeare studes n Best *engal+
s only repeatng tsel) n the 21st century+ a ne1 phase o) der/at/eness n a decept/e guse-
")ter the ad/ent o) @ast 4nda Company on the shores o) *engal+ *rtsh Colonalsm not only
establshed ts poltcal po1er but also too% steps )or a cultural conAuest o) the colon7ed *engals n
and around Calcutta- The mssonares contnued to use /arous ndgenous means to arr/e at the ban%s
o) the Ganga and 1or% )or dssemnaton o) 1estern educaton- They learned *engal so that the
*engals could be taught @nglsh- Cossbly+ they bele/ed that such a /enture 1ould )ul)l ther purpose
o) proselyt7aton- 4t 1as the _Charter "ct` o) 181.+ 1hch encouraged the learned *engals )or
mpro/ng ther lterary e9cellences and %no1ledge o) scence through 1estern educaton-5S-C-Ghosh+
The ;story o) @ducaton n $odern 4nda+ 1707?1'86+ ;yderabad+ Lrent Eongman3 1''0-8 !a&a
!ammohan !oy 1as the )rst *engal 1ho ad/ocated that modern7aton o) 4nda 1ould come through
@nglsh @ducaton and proper nculcaton o) the %no1ledge acAured by 1estern scences- 4n bet1een
181. and 18.0+ 1hen the go/ernment 1as not so eager to spend money n ths )eld+ publc mssonary
nsttutons l%e _Church $ssonary Socety`+ _Eondon $ssonary Socety`+ !obert $ay`s school n
Dutch Chnsurah played a sgn)cant part- _Serampore *aptst $sson` and ts tro Carey+ $arshman
and Bard+ 1as the poneer n mpartng o) Bestern educaton- Thomas *abngton $acaulay`s _$nute
on 4ndan @ducaton` 518.08 became the blue prnt )or the ntroducton o) @nglsh educaton n 4nda-
;e argued+ GSuch an educaton 1ould create a class o) persons bet1een us and the mllons 1e go/ern+
a class o) persons 4ndan n blood and colour+ but @nglsh n taste+ n opnons+ n morals and
ntellect-H54bd- pg-.28
!93@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
,he /a1s of the British >a- /is+ussing a ,i%e 7ra%e
Gradually a ne1 educaton system 1as ntroduced n 4nda+ especally n *engal+ n 1hch the tas% o)
producng %no1ledge 1as assgned to the colonal country+ 1hle n reproducton3 replcaton 1as le)t
)or the colonal people- Ths 1as the begnnng o) the 1estern type o) modern7aton pro&ect n 1hch
@nglsh language and lterature 1as ntroduced n the academc currculum- !-C- $a&umder 1rtes+
G@nglsh educaton 1as made the only passport to hgher appontments a/alable to the 4ndans+ and
hence ts popularty and rapd progress 1ere assured-H 5!- C- $a&umder+ ;- C- !aychaudhur and
Kal%n%ar Dutta> "n "d/anced ;story o) 4nda+ $acmllan+ St- $artn`s Cress+ #e1 Mor%+ 1'60+ pg-
81'8
Ln the contrary+ Gaur ,s1anathan n her boo%+ $as% o) ConAuest> Eterary Study o) *rtsh
!ule n 4nda- 5#e1 Mor%+ Colomba Nn/ersty Cress+ 1'8'- pg- .88 has argued that @nglsh educaton
1as present n 4nda n /arous )orms be)ore 18.0- ;o1e/er+ 1hle pre/ously @nglsh 1as studed n a
classcal )ashon prmarly as a language+ the ne1 sh)t 1as to1ards the study o) lterature as a medum
o) modern %no1ledge- @nglsh lterature+ partcularly Sha%espeare and other !enassance authors 1ere
deal representatons o) @nglsh dentty+ sanctoned and abstracted )rom the mmedate hstory o)
e9plotaton and oppresson- $oreo/er+ t 1ould ncorporate a group o) nat/es nto the structure o)
colonal rule+ 1hch remaned the man poltcal agenda o) "nglcsm- 4n a 1ay+ the 1hole ndgenous
socety 1as bene)tted )rom 1estern authors+ partcularly Sha%espeare and mbbng hs superor moral
and ethcal deals- @/en n 1804 1hen Charles Bood`s _@ducatonal Dspatch` o) recommendng the
e9tenson o) ,ernacular 1as ntroduced+ t dd not a))ect at all the Bestern 1rters l%e Sha%espeare
because by then he had become a colonal con and the *engal _BhadrolokBabus' started translatng+
adaptng and crtcally e/aluatng hs 1or%s-
;gher educaton thus rece/ed )urther boost as n 1807 the three Nn/erstes namely Calcutta+
*ombay and $adras 1ere establshed on the model o) the Nn/ersty o) Eondon+ 1hch 1as )ound to
be more suted to colonal condtons- 4n some secondary schools 1here the medum o) nstructon 1as
@nglsh+ Sha%espeare 1as compulsory n the academc currculum- 4n the ntermedate and degree
courses+ Sha%espeare 1as taught 1th great emphass and the best teachers 1ere g/en the tas% to teach
hs plays 5S1apanCha%ra/orty+ GThs Sad 4nterm> Sha%espeare n the 4ndan Classroom-H Cublshed n
G!e?presentng Sha%espeare> Te9t+ Cer)ormance and "nalyssH ed- Sarban Chaudhur-pg- 4:8-
!94@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
$ostly mddle class ;ndus o) Calcutta reaped the ad/antages o) @nglsh educaton 1hle the
;ndu arstocrats and $uslm communty %ept aloo) )rom t- The mddle class ;ndus not only had
started the Moung *engal mo/ement but also had nstlled the sprt o) unty n the mnds o) the masses-
So teachng Sha%espeare to the common masses n Calcutta and ts perpheral areas 1as 1ell ta%en
upby the mddle class ntellectuals and thus Sha%espeare made a permanent place n colonal educaton-
There)ore+ the matr9 o) Sha%espeare studes n *engal goes bac% to around the thrd decade o) the
nneteenth century through translatons+ adaptatons+ stage per)ormances and a lttle later through the
classroom studes+ prmarly at ;ndu College 5no1 Cresdency Nn/ersty8+ Calcutta Nn/ersty+ Dacca
Nn/ersty+ St- da/ers` College 5Kol%ata8 and Scottsh Church College+ Calcutta - There)ore+ Calcutta
became the cultural hub )or Sha%espeare study n eastern 4nda and scholars+ translators and actors
came to Calcutta )rom all parts o) *engal-
,he 3atriF of Sha#es0eare Stud1 in "ol#ata- :istori+all1 /eter%ined
The man ob&ect/e here s to )ocus on the /arous 1ays n 1hch *engal 1rters and academcs n both
the pre and post?ndependence perods responded to Sha%espeare- Bth the ntroducton o) @nglsh
educaton n *engal+ Sha%espeare came to be used as one o) the plan%s o) ed)ce o) @nglsh educaton
n 4nda- The *engal bhadroloks snce the )rst Auarter o) the nneteenth century opted )or @nglsh
educaton to appease ther colonal masters and many o) them /ed 1th each other to sho1 ther
re/erence )or Sha%espeare`s 1or%s by translatng+ adaptng and producng them on the stage- The
colonal rule o) one hundred and nnety years not only cemented @nglsh Eanguage and Eterature n
the academc currculum but also made the sanct)ed mage o) the bard an eptome o) cultural glory
especally n Kol%ata+ the captal cty o) 4nda- Ths had been made possble by the *rtsh teachers 1ho
came all the 1ay )rom @ngland to teach n Kol%ata+ and by the greatest master and mentor o) _the
young *engal+` ;enry Eous ,/an Dero7o-
The prme )ocus s to sho1 that the *engal response to Sha%espeare 1as der/at/e )or a long
tme and then t became sel)?relant- The basc ntenton n dealng 1th the _Translaton and "daptaton
o) Sha%espeare`s Clays+` hghlghts ho1 )ath)ul translatons+ 1hch appealed to the masses and nspred
others to ta%e up ths /enture- The art o) translatng a Sha%espearean play n *engal 1as done )rst not
by any nat/e 4ndan but by an @nglshman o) 2ort Bllam College+ named Claude $oncton- The ne9t
!9?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*engal translaton 1as not a )ull?)ledged play but o) a play`s prose renderng o) _!omeo and (ulet`
5Tales )rom Sha%espeare8 and Gurudas ;a7ra 1as the poneer+ namng t _#oeo ;uliet er .onohar
Bpakhyan' 518488- *y the mddle o) nneteenth century+ ordnary 4ndans had learnt @nglsh 1ell
enough to attempt translatng most o) Charles Eamb`s tales- @/en 4sh1ar Chandra ,dyasagar made a
prose renderng o) _The Comedy o) @rrors` 1th the ttle _BhrantiBilas<` 518678 Soon the *engal
1rters )elt the necessty )or translatng the complete plays and they )ollo1ed three dstnct/e patterns>
518 Eteral or 1ord )or 1ord translaton- 528 !enderng o) and adaptng to the storylne o) the orgnal
plays-5.8 "malgamatng the lteral translaton and adaptaton n terms o) contemporary soco?economc
and poltcal condtons3 ths has been categor7ed as _cultural translaton`- 4n the second hal) o)
nneteenth century+ at least thrty=)/e renderngs 1ere ether adapted or culturally translated o) &ust
s9teen plays- Eteral translatons su))ered as t appeared unpleasant to the ear and )aled to please the
*engal readers because o) the d/ersty n local customs and relgous bele)s-
The )rst adaptaton o) Sha%espeare n *engal 1as+ probably+ o) _" $ost Cleasant and @9cellent
Conceted Comedy+ o) Sr (ohn 2alsta))+ and the merry B/es o) Bndsor`- The adaptaton s )ound n
dramatst Dnabandhu $tra`s play _Nabin *apaswini' 5186.8+ not as the man plot but as a sub?plot-
The sub?plot re/ol/ed around (aladhar+ an 4ndan mnster 1ho s a spttng mage o) 2alsta))+ the
*rtsh %nght- (aladhar ma%es amorous ad/ances to1ards t1o marred 1omen+ $alat and $all%a+
&ust as 2alsta)) dd to1ards $stress 2ord and $stress Cage- (aladhar snea%s nto $alat`s house Aute
as 2alsta)) 1ent nto $stress 2ord`s house- Then the 1omen scare (aladhar nto mas%ng hmsel)+
much as 2alsta)) 1as trc%ed to hde n a laundry bas%et- The conseAuent humlaton o) (aladhar s also
smlar to that o) 2alsta))- ;o1e/er+ n spte o) such smlartes+ there are some d))erences bet1een
Sha%espeare6s orgnal and $tra6s adaptaton- "s 1rter "&t%umarGhosh notes+ G4n Sha%espeare6s
comedy the cle/erly contr/ed ntrgung stuaton s the source o) laughter+ but here n the
6(aladhardhar epsode6 U the 1tty dalogues o) $all%a and $alat are the sources o) laughter-H
5$a%ers o) 4ndan Eterature+ 288
Ln 28 (anuary 18'.+ a *engal translaton o) 6The Tragedy o) $acbeth6 1as staged at Kol%ata6s
$ner/a Theatre- 4t 1as by the poneerng dramatst Grsh Chandra Ghosh 1ho had declared+ G4 ha/e
got the pece mounted by @uropean artsts and Dressed 5sc8 t under @uropean super/son and 6ma%e
up6 by $r- (- Cmm-H 5"mrta *a7ar Catr%a+ 28 (anuary 18'.8 4roncally+ Ghosh6s )delty to1ards the
orgnal resulted n the )alure o) the translaton- ;s _$acbeth` 1as too @uropean )or 4ndans to 1arm
!96@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
up to+ and conseAuently+ could not run beyond a )e1 sho1s- Eterary hstorans CoonamTr/ed and
Denns *artholomeus7 1rte>
GThs 1as the Aute un?Sha%espearean spectacular pctoral realsm )ollo1ng Charles
Kean+ the ,ctoran mperal standard long Auestoned n Eondon but relentlessly carred
throughout the empre by tra/elng players l%e George C- $ln and "lan Bl%e- - - -
The 1ell?ntentoned ,ctoran Gsuper/son n the @uropean tradton 1as the source o)
the problem- The local7aton o) .acbeth had stopped at translaton- 4t had not gone )ar
enough-H 54nda6s Sha%espeare> Translaton+ 4nterpretaton and Cer)ormance+ 2:08
"round #o/ember 188:+ !abndranath Tagore`s translaton o) _$acbeth` appeared n the *engal
&ournal _Bharati'- Ths 1as )ollo1ed by Grsh Chandra Ghosh`s )ath)ul lteral translaton o) _$acbeth`
n 18'7- Bhle the )ormer 1as only a )ragmentary translaton+ the latter appeared obscure+ as t dd not
sut the taste o) tradtonal *engal audence- Despte beng popular among theatregoers and lo/ers o)
drama+ nether $chael $adhusudan nor Dnabandhu$tra translated a sngle play+ though n ther
orgnal plays there 1ere Sha%espearean echoes- *an%m Chandra Chattopadhyay+ the greatest no/elst
and the edtor o) the emnent lterary &ournal _Bangadarsan'+ 1as ne/er n/ol/ed 1th any translaton
o) Sha%espeare+ though he had the greatest admraton )or Sha%espeare- Cossbly the tendency )or the
translaton o) Sha%espeare`s plays gradually dmnshed n the last decade o) the 1'
th
century because
o) se/eral soco?cultural and poltcal reasons-
4n the )rst Auarter o) the 2:
th
century+ only t1enty?t1o translatons and adaptatons 1ere made
o) t1el/e popular comedes and tragedes- $ost o) these plays 1ere translated or adapted be)ore+
barrng _$easure )or $easure-` Ths s possbly because o) the uprsng o) the natonal mo/ement n
1hch the mddle class *engals n Kol%ata and ts ad&onng places too% the ma9mum ntat/e to
dethrone the *rtsh !a&- "nother reason mght be that Sha%espeare study n the classroom 1as at ts
pnnacle by the greatest o) the @nglsh teachers+ and translaton or adaptaton 1as consdered n)eror-
Dstngushed teachers o) both @uropean and 4ndan orgn put the art o) translaton+ adaptaton and
stage per)ormance at the bac% seat- 2or the ne9t t1enty?s9 years 51'26?1'028+ not a sngle play 1as
translated or adapted )or the stage- There 1as mmense poltcal unrest )rom all corners o) *engal and
partcularly n the man cultural centre+ Kol%ata- Lnly the poet #rendranath !oy made a success)ul
cultural translaton o) _$acbeth` n 1'02 and Ssr Kumar *hadur drected t 1hle young Ntpal Dutt
!97@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
acted the role o) $acbeth- ")ter ndependence+ no *engal dared to attempt adaptng any play o)
Sha%espeare but Sunl Kumar Chattopadhyay+ KalyanbrotoDutta+ "sho% Guha and Sudhdranath !aha
made cultural translatons o) the romantc comedes+ the last plays+ the lo/e tragedes and the )our great
tragedes- #o doubt+ these plays 1ere chosen )or translaton as they 1ere prescrbed )or the
undergraduate and postgraduate academc syllab n all the un/erstes o) Best *engal- Students
succumbed to short cut methods and gradually the desre to probe nto the deeper le/el o) the te9t 1as
lost- 4t s really str%ng that n the long hstory o) translaton ? adaptaton n *engal+ 1hch spans more
than one?hundred s9ty years+ no one thought o) ether translatng or adaptng any hstory play- 4t mght
be that these 1rters )elt that such a theme mght be too alen )or the common *engal audence- The
begnnng o) the ne1 mllennum started loo%ng a)resh on the art o) translaton and adaptaton- The
@nglsh Department o) the Nn/ersty o) Kalyan+ organ7ed a semnar enttled _!e?presentng
Sha%espeare> 4nterpretatons and Translatons`+ 1here scholars ponted out the problems o) translatng
Sha%espeare`s plays- #e1 e/aluatons 1ere made on GrshGhosh and (atndranath Sen Gupta`s
_$acbeth` and Ntpal Dutt`s adaptaton _Chaitali #ater Swapna' )rom _" $dsummer #ght`s Dream-`
Thus+ 1e see that though Sha%espeare 1as translated and adapted n /arous 1ays by *engal
1rters+ ther prmary am 1as to present Sha%espeare be)ore the *engal audence- There)ore+
*engalsaton o) the bard 1as not only hstorcally ne/table but also desrable-
The second phase conssts o) the *engal _Bhadralok Babus' n Kol%ata respondng
ndgenously to Sha%espeare- "gan+ t 1as the ntat/e o) the @nglsh teachers l%e D- E- !chardson+
;- E- ,- Dero7o o) ;ndu College+ Charles Ta1ney and (- B- ;olme and the greatest o) them ;- $- ,-
Cerc/al o) Cresdency College+ 1ho had nstlled n the 4ndan students a true lo/e )or lterature and
admraton )or the great 1rter- Dero7o 1th hs )ollo1ers %no1n as _Moung *engal` brought about a
cultural re/oluton+ 1hch erased many pre&udces o) the socety- ;s scholarly yet lucd representaton
o) Sha%espeare`s plays+ and the sonnet on Sha%espeare`s _!omeo and (ulet+` acted as an enthusng
sprt among hs )ollo1ers- $ost o) the *engal Babus sho1ed ther nterest ether n academc pursuts
o) Sha%espeare or n translatng+ adaptng+ and stagng o) hs plays n *engal n the second hal) o) 1'
th
century tll the )rst Auarter o) the 2:
th
century- @/en persons l%e *anAuo *ehar Dutta+ $chael
$adhusudan Dutta+ 4sh1ar Chandra ,dyasagar+ *an%m Chandra Chattopadhyay+ Toru Duttta+
;araprasad Shastr+ D- E- !oy+ *alendranath Tagore and the sant and seer o) 4nda S1am
!9D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
,/e%ananda had ta%en up ther pen to 1rte artcles n apprecaton o) the bard`s mult)arous
creat/ty- ;o1e/er+ most o) these s%etches are sncere and orgnally conce/ed+ at tmes comparng
Sha%espeare`s 1or%s to the orental Classcal 1rter Kaldasa- *an%m Chandra`s assessment o)
Sha%espeare n hs artcle _Sakuntala- .iranda ebon Desdeona'+ 1here he conce/es GKaldasa`s
Sa%untala as hal) $randa and the other hal) as DesdemonaH+ sho1s hs /ersatle genus 1ho 1elded
hs magc 1and n many branches o) lterature besdes prose )cton- ;e s at hs best 1hen he ta%es us
bac% to Sha%espeare+ 1ho also e9ercsed the greatest n)luence on hs o1n creat/e 1or%s- The most
brllant o) these occurs n the course o) hs analyss o) *hababhut`s drama _Bttar #acharit'-
Departng )rom the orgnal story+ *hababhut ma%es Sta come bac% to see !amchandra n the
1oodland+ though as a sprt she s hersel) n/sble- Duotng ths obser/aton+ *an%mchandra
comments>
G4n pont o) lterary e9cellence ths epsode s comparable to all that s beaut)ul n any
drama n any languageU--Such sentences are to be )ound n Sha%espeare-H
Ths astute comment sho1s a pro)ound understandng o) Sha%espeare- *anAuo *ehar Dutta assessed
that Gboth ;omer and Sha%espeare are prased to a degree almost borderng on dolatry-H ;araprasd
Shastr places Sha%espeare abo/e Kaldasa+ as Sha%espearean characters are more d/erse and
stmulatng but prases the 4ndan Kaldasa abo/e e/eryone as he depcts 1onder)ully Gthe nner beauty
o) the soulH- 4n a letter to hs )rend Gour *asa%+ $chael $adhusudan &ust)es 1hy the 4ndans are
more romantc than ther colonal masters- Ln the contrary+ the plays o) Sha%espeare presetn to hm+
Gstern realtes o) l)e+ lo)ty passon and herosm o) sentment-H
The study o) Sha%espeare n the )rst hal) o) 2:
th
century contnued 1th the same enthusasm
and the struggle )or )reedom dd not deter the serous learners- Schools+ colleges and un/erstes l%e
Calcutta and Dacca lad specal emphass on Sha%espeare study and a )ull paper comprsng about
t1el/e plays and all the sonnets 1ere meant )or compulsory study- Cresdency College had a set o)
brllant teachers l%e ;- $- Cerc/al+ $anmohan Ghosh+ legendary C- C- Ghosh+ Sr%umar *aner&ee to
name only a )e1- They taught 1th so much o) competence that nterested students e/en )rom sem
urban colleges 1ould )loc% to attend ther classes- !a&sah College also had a rch legacy o)
Sha%espeare teachng as teachers )rom Cresdency College and other go/ernment colleges l%e ;ooghly
$ohsn College+ Chnsurah and Chandannagore Go/ernment College 5)ormerly %no1n as _Duple9
!99@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
College` as t 1as once a 2rench colony8 1ould be trans)erred on routne bass o/er there- Some o) the
mssonary colleges l%e Scottsh Church College+ St- da/ers` College and e/en Serampore College
had put n e))orts to teach Sha%espeare 1th Slan- There)ore+ Sha%espeare came to rule the classrooms
but n stage productons+ he traled behnd-
E%e the pre/ous century+ the 2:
th
century also had a gala9y o) creat/e 1rters and thn%ers
1ho had specal nterest n Sha%espeare- The hstorans had rghtly called the perod the eptome o) the
_*engal`s !enassance`- !abndranath Tagore 1as greatly n)luenced by Sha%espeare`s mult)arous
creat/ty and humansm- ;s sonnet 1rtten as a trbute to Sha%espeare n 1'16 5the *engal /erson
1rtten a year be)ore n _Balaka'8 s stll recogn7ed as a brllant homage+ 1hch appears n
Sha%espeare`s brthplace nscrbed on the bust o) !abndranath- "part )rom the penal tas% mposed by
hs tutor o) translatng _$acbeth`+ he later on made some )ne comments on Sha%espeare`s plays n hs
lterary essay _Sahitya'- The e9presson G+i$aner+$arQ n G.rityur "areQ s remnscent o)
Sha%espeare`s Gl)e`s )t)ul )e/erH- There are other Sha%espearean remnscences and echoes+ drect or
ndrect+ n the lterary 1rtngs o) Tagore+ 1hch ha/e been dent)ed-
"urobndo Ghosh 1hom the 1orld %no1s as a Mog and a phlosopher s stll a recogn7ed
Sha%espearean scholar and crtc- ;e 1as the )rst *engal 1ho dent)ed Sha%espeare`s poetc
greatness- ;e compared Sha%espeare`s )ecundty to that o) !acne and Goethe`s lterary e9cellence- ;e
e/en ponted out the roles o) accent+ stress and Auantty n Sha%espeare`s poetry- ;e e/en sho1ed 1hy
Sha%espeare s better than other 1rters l%e Chaucer+ $arlo1e+ $lton+ Donne+ *la%e and *ro1nng-
;e e/en compares Kaldasa`s prose to Sha%espeare`s /erse- !ghtly has he called Sha%espeare the
G@l7abethan ,s1amtra-H ;s _2uture Coetry` has Sha%espearean remnscences )rom ob&ect/e to the
sub&ect/e approach and )rom sub&ect/e to sprtualty-
$en )rom all occupatons sho1ed nterest n Sha%espeare and by ths tme+ he had become a
colonal con- $en l%e !amendrasundar Tr/ed+ *ro&endranath Seal+ Curna Chandra *asu+ Cryanath
Sen+ Crabhat Kumar $u%hopadhyay+ and e/en one o) the greatest scentsts o) *engal+ "charya
Cra)ulla Chandra !oy contrbuted artcles on the bard`s pro)ound acceptance n Gthe palm gro/es o) the
4ndan Sea-H Some l%e Curna Chandra and Cryanath Sen 1ere Sha%espeare`s detractors 1hle the
*engal scentst "charya C- C- !ay rased tantal7ng Auestons 1hether Sha%espeare 1as a papst or
not-
2((@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
"cademc response to Sha%espeare durng the pre?ndependence perod 1as+ ho1e/er+ not
beyond the con)nes o) classroom studes+ though only a )e1 dscussons 1ere organ7ed n the
_Calcutta Nn/ersty 4nsttute ;all`- Lccasonally lterary &ournals 1ould come out ether )rom
Cresdency College or Calcutta Nn/ersty that had artcles o) mert- Sr%umar *aner&ee+ (- E- *aner&ee
and D- #- Ghosh brought out ther o1n edtons o) _$acbeth`+ 1hch could ha/e r/alled many
recogn7ed )oregn edtons both n penetratng analyss and n stmulatng annotatons- Sr%umar
*aner&ee`s artcle _;amlet and Lphela`+ publshed n _Cresdency College $aga7ne` 51'408 s
undoubtedly the )rst thought pro/o%ng artcle that compelled hs emnent pupl Tara%nath Sen to 1rte
on a congruous theme _;amlet`s Treatment o) Lphela n the #unnery Scene-` !esearch 1or%s
publshed+ 1ere scanty+ e9cept GCourtesy n Sha%espeareH by $ohn $ohan *hattacharyya )rom
Calcutta Nn/ersty n 1'4:- ")ter eght years+ he 1rote another boo% on _@l7abethan Stage and the
"udence o) Sha%espeare-` 5Calcutta Nn/ersty8 #one o) these boo%s ache/ed hgh acclam n the
academc sphere o) Kol%ata though both the boo%s had accuracy o) erudton coupled 1th e9act
scholarshp- The reason probably 1as that n the heart o) hearts+ the *engal academcs had de/eloped
an anglophle nature and boo%s publshed n *rtan 1ere easly accessble n Kol%ata- Ther lo/e )or
Sha%espeare 1as so ntense that the teachers re)erred to boo%s 1rtten by authors )rom Sha%espeare`s
o1n motherland-
Sha%espeare studes by academcs durng the post?ndependence perod 1ere so ngenous and
d/erse that t can be d/ded nto three phases- The )rst publshed 1or%s o) the authors o) the the )rst
phase+ 1ere )our n number- ;ere crtcs l%e Subodh Chandra Sen Gupta+ Tara%nath Sen+ Salendra
Kumar Sen and D- #- Ghosh should engage us- S- C- Sen Gupta`s se/en boo%s on Sha%espeare namely
_Sha%espearan Comedy`+ _The Bhrlgg o) Tme> The problem o) duraton n Sha%espeare`s Clays`+
_Sha%espeare`s ;storcal Clays`+_"spects o) Sha%espearan Tragedy`+ _" $anual on Sha%espeare`+ the
t1o monographs _Sha%espeare and Keats` and _;amlet Lnce $ore` are all thought pro/o%ng sur/eys
o) d))erent areas o) Sha%espearan study- The )rst o) these dscusses n detal the nature o) the comc
characters+ the comc stuaton and the comc elements n tragedy- 4t has been re/e1ed n _Sha%espeare
Sur/ey ,`+ and the crtc "llardyce #coll apprecated the boo%-
_The Bhrlgg o) Tme> The Croblem o) Duraton n Sha%espeare`s Clays`+ dscusses the
concept o) _tme` as used n the plays- ;e dscusses n a subtle manner the d))erences bet1een
chronologcal _tme` and the dramatc _tme` and touches upon the theme o) _Double tme`+ thereby
2(!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
propoundng a theory+ 1hch reconcles the rudmentary d))erences bet1een temporal tme and the
seamlessness o) dramatc tme recurrent n Sha%espeare`s tragedes and comedes- ;e sho1s ho1
_duraton` ta%es an act/e part n de/elopng the characters-
The thrd boo% _Sha%espeare`s ;storcal Clays` pro/es that the ten hstory plays are not poltcal
or ddactc treatses but they possess aesthetc appeal through the l)e?l%e characters n the plays- ;e
has sho1n that these plays altogether )orm a d))erent category and they re)lect certan hstory but they
are nether _moral homles nor poltcal treatse-` Selected e9cerpts )rom the boo% 1ere ncluded n the
memorable boo% enttled _Sha%espeare`s Crtcs> 2rom (onson to "uden6+ edted by "- $- @astman and
G- *- ;arrsonH- ;e s the only "san to be ncluded amongst 122 crtcs o) Sha%espeare- @mnent crtc
4r/ng !bner 1rote an essay on> _Cro)essor Subodh Chandra Sen Gupta as a Sha%espeare Crtc`
51'608+ n 1hch he apprecates the style the author ta%es up n dscussng the drama o) the _;enrad`-
The )ourth boo% _"spects o) Sha%espearan Tragedy`+ 5L-N-C-3 Calcutta 1'718+ comprsng s9
chapters+ e9amnes the /arous aspects o) Sha%espearan tragedy- 4n the ntal chapter+ he assesses the
contrbuton o) "- C- *radley )or the boo% _Sha%espearan Tragedy` 51':48 and he argues 1hy *radley
s better than the more learned scholars l%e Santsbury+ Chambers or Stoll- ;e admts that despte
ha/ng certan lmtatons l%e the adopton o) ;egelan theory to arr/e at a synthess+ "- C- *radley`s
contrbuton to _Sha%espearean Tragedy`+ ma%es hm )eel that t s Gthe greatest 1or% o) Sha%espearean
crtcsmH- 4n the chapters that )ollo1 on _;appy ,alancy o) Style n "ntony and Cleopatra`+
_$acbeth> " Tragedy o) 4magnaton` _Symbolsm n Lthello` _#ature n Kng Eear` and _;amlet n the
Eght o) 4ndan Coetcs+` Sen Gupta presents delectable /arety and )reedom o) Sha%espeare crtcsm
1hch has been made possble by close readng o) the te9t- ;e has a %nd o) analytcal approach+ not
easly )ound n Sha%espearean crtcsm n 4nda-
The ))th boo% _" $anual on Sha%espeare` 51'778 contans eght ndependent yet ln%ed essays
that touch on all areas o) Sha%espeare`s l)e and 1or%- The boo% opens 1th a bre) sur/ey o)
Sha%espeare crtcsm and ths s )ollo1ed by an attempt to understand the nature o) Sha%espeare the
man- ;e then dscusses Sha%espeare`s use o) source materals and the )ourth chapter deals 1th the
amb/alence o) d))erent atttudes n _"s Mou E%e 4t-` The ))th chapter _Tragedy and Comedy> *arabas
and Shyloc%`+ compares Sha%espeare and $arlo1e and nter)uses the tragc and the comc- The ne9t
t1o chapters dscuss the te9tual problems and Sha%espeare`s theatre 1hle the ultmate chapter assesses
2(2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
the /ared themes n the sonnets-
The monograph _Sha%espeare and Keats` 51'868 deals 1th Keats` crtcsm o) Sha%espeare and
he out ? rghtly d))ers )rom crtcs l%e "rnold+ *radley+ $ddleton $urray and Carolne Spurgeon 1ho
ha/e been nclned to dsco/er %nshp bet1een the t1o though there s none- Sen Gupta traces the
e/oluton o) Sha%espeare`s deas leadng to _4magnaton and "rt` that s also pertnent n Keats-
_;amlet Lnce $ore` 51'888 deals 1th the problem o) ;amlet by e9amnng the te9ts and the
source n order to trace the theme o) re/enge n ;amlet- ;o1e/er+ the author dd not deal much 1th
the dlemma and moral Auestons o) the play- The ne9t t1o artcles _;amlet> The $ona Esa o)
Eterature` and _;amlet> " !eassessment` present hs o1n assessment o) the play through a detaled
analyss o) the plot structure and character presentaton o) the play though later *engal scholars
(agannathCha%ra/orty and Su%antaChaudhur ha/e made much ntens/e analyss o) the play n ther
boo%s-
Tara%nath Sen`s boo% _Three @ssays Ln Sha%espeare` 51'78+ posthumous publcaton8+ contans
three essays namely _Cresdency College and Sha%espeare`+ _;amlet`s Treatment o) Lphela n the
#unnery Scene` and _Sha%espeare`s Short Enes`- The )rst g/es a //d account o) the great tradton
o) Sha%espeare teachng at Cresdency College )rom D- E- !chardson do1n to C- C- Ghosh- The
@nglshmen had started the great legacy o) teachng Sha%espeare to the nat/e 4ndan students at ;ndu
College 5later Cresdency College8 and the baton 1as passed on to the 4ndan teachers l%e C- C- Ghosh+
G1hose teachng o) Sha%espeare brought to the learner an opulence o) sats)actonH 5Tara%nath Sen
5@d-8 Sha%espeare Commemoraton ,olume+ p- '8
_;amlet`s Treatment o) Lphela n the #unnery Scene`+ s the second essay n 1hch Tara%nath
Sen re)ers to the leadng crtcs l%e ;elen Gardner and (ohn Do/er Blson n relaton to the #unnery
scene- Ths he does to re)ute ther /e1s and he opnes that ;amlet`s mnd 1as n e9treme trauma at
that tme 1hen hs personal problems become )or hm the problems o) l)e- _Sha%espeare`s Short
Enes+` the essay he 1rote as a trbute to hs teacher C- C- Ghosh s a gem- ;e suggests the crtcs to
thn% thrce be)ore commentng on them as the blemshes o) Sha%espeare`s /erses-
Salendra Kumar Sen`s t1o boo%s _Capell and $alone and $odern Crtcal *ography` 51'608
and _@nglsh lterary Crtcsm n the Second ;al) o) @ghteenth Century> " !econsderaton` 51'608
and the artcles> _Bhat ;appens n Corolanus` and _"nd There)ore Eoo% Mou Call $e Ganymede` are
2(3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
sgn)cant- #o crtc n 4nda be)ore hm had dealt 1th the te9tual problems+ crtcal e/aluaton and
edtoral theory so astutely-
" lttle later+ t s seen that Sha%espeare Studes a)ter 4ndependence 1ere toeng the )ootsteps o)
the *rtsh crtcs and a sur/ey o) the contemporary academcs )rom almost all the un/erstes n Best
*engal 1ho contrbuted durng the Auatercentenary year 1ll establsh ths pont- They may be less
emnent than ether ther predecessors or ther successors but they 1rote copously on d/erse themes
n Sha%espeare`s plays- Stansu $atra+ pro)essor o) !abndra*harat Nn/ersty 1rote the boo%
_Sha%espeare`s Comc 4deas` n 1hch he had dealt 1th the comprehens/e study o) psychologcal
realsm n Sha%espeare`s plays- The boo% s more a complaton o) deas )ostered by some o) the great
authors l%e T- $- Carrot+ ;- *- Charlton and $atra`s mentor S- C- Sen Gupta 1ho all 1rote boo%s on
smlar themes- D- #- Ghosh`s treatment o) _Sha%espeare`s Te9t and Te9tual Croblem` s a medocre
1or% but hs edtons o) t1el/e ma&or plays and the sonnets+ are stll popular e/en today- Crobodh
Chandra Ghosh and Krshna Chandra Eahr taught at Calcutta Nn/ersty and ther 1or%s
_Sha%espeare`s $ngled Drama` and _Cedagogues n Sha%espeare` respect/ely created lesser mpact+
though the )ormer has a comparat/e study o) Kaldasa and Sha%espeare- Eahr`s boo% deals 1th s9
pedagogues n Sha%espeare`s plays that are elus/e and resource)ul l%e other characters- #- K- Candey
o) Kalyan Nn/ersty n hs boo% _"n 4ntroducton to Sha%espeare Crtcsma" Study n Changng
Cattern` has dscussed all leadng crtcs o) Sha%espeare )rom *en (onson to T- S- @lot- S- C- Sen
Gupta o) #orth *engal Nn/ersty had 1rtten t1o boo%s enttled _Trends n Sha%espearean Crtcsm`
and _Some "spects o) Sha%espeare`s Sonnets` 1hch ha/e been /ery popular 1th the students o)
Sha%espeare crtcsm n *engal- Geo))rey Tllotson had 1rtten the _)ore1ord` to the )ormer boo%+
1hle ;arold- 2- *roo%s 1rote the latter- *oth the crtcs had taught Sen Gupta at Eondon Nn/ersty
but they ha/e been amb/alent n ther apprasal- Candey and Sen Gupta ha/e echoed 1hat 2- @-
;allday and "-!all 5" ;story o) Sha%espeare Crtcsm+ 2 ,olumes+ #e1 Mor%+ and ;umantes
Cress+ 1'60+8 ha/e already sad n ther study o) Sha%espeare crtcsm-
Sha#es0eare Studies in "ol#ata after Inde0enden+e
;ere 1e ha/e )/e contemporary scholars o) Sha%espeare namely (agannath Cha%ra/orty and Dnesh
Chandra *s1as o) (ada/pur Nn/ersty+ (yot *hattacharyya and "run Kumar Das Gupta o) Calcutta
2(4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Nn/ersty and the t1o contemporary 5l/ng8 scholars namely Su%anta Chaudhur and S1apan
Cha%raborty- (agannath Cha%ra/ort`s t1o boo%s _The 4dea o) !e/enge n Sha%espeare ? 1th a specal
re)erence to ;amlet` and _Kng Eear?Sha%espeare`s @9stental ;ero` are 1onder)ul study o) the t1o
greatest tragedes n terms o) t1o pertnent themes and alled perspect/es- 4n the )rst+ the author hnts
at the rse and de/elopment o) _re/enge` n t1o pre?Sha%espearan tragedes l%e _Gorboduce` and _The
Spansh Tragedy`- ;e then dscusses the re/enge mot) n the un?Sha%espearean play _Ttus
"ndroncus`+ and then proceeds 1th hs dscusson on _;amlet` )rom chapters ,4 to d444- The
penultmate and ultmate chapters _!e/enge n Tragedes` and _!e/enge n Comedes and
Transmutaton o) !e/enge n the 2nal Clays` respect/ely sho1 ho1 re/enge tradton per/ades the
other plays- 4t also sho1s that _;amlet` s not an solated case- The Gandhan _Satyagraha` and Sartre`s
_@9stentalsm` ha/e been 1onder)ully amalgamated n treatng the ontologcal theme o) _*eng and
#othngness` n _Kng Eear-` ")ter a seres o) dscusson on the _@9stental 2reedom` o) the storm+
_@9stentalst *ad 2ath` o) the )ool and _!eason n $adness`athe 1rter synthes7es hs /e1 that
GKng Eear s an @9stental Drama on the un/ersal stuaton o) $an-H
Dnesh Chandra *s1as` three boo%s ?? _Sha%espeare`s Treatment o) ;s Sources n the
Comedes`+ _Sha%espeare n ;s L1n Tme` and _Sceptcsm n Sha%espeare and Lther @ssays` sho1
the author`s commendable s%ll n the entre Sha%espearean canon- 4n the )rst boo%+ the author ta%es up
se/enteen comedes and deals 1th the enormous bul% o) comc matter n (ohnsonan pattern- The other
t1o boo%s are collecton o) essays rangng )rom _Sha%espeare`s Crnce ;all` to _Trolus and Cressda
and the !enassance Concept o) ,alue`- 4n the ultmate boo% the essays range )rom _Sha%espeare`s
Concepton o) a Courter` to _Coltcs n (ulus Caesar`+ thereby hntng that Sha%espeare s more
nculcated n Gthe )arthest step o) 4nda+H 5" $dsummer #ght`s Dream? 44+ + E6'-8
Gour Crasad Ghosh contrbuted consderably to the de/elopment o) Sha%espeare study n
Kol%ata- "n ardent teacher and a cle/er scholar+ Sha%espearean tragedy 1as hs )orte 1hch s clear
)rom the d/ersty o) hs artcles> 518 _Sha%espeare`s Croblem Clays> "lternaton o) a #egat/e ,son`+
528 _Lthello and the Croblem Clays> " Borld o) Chrysolte @mbedded n Chaos` 5.8 _Kng Eear> " Dar%
Synthess Eeadng #o Bhere+` 548 _$acbeth> Struggle and De)eat o) the $oral Bll-` "ll these artcles
publshed bet1een 1'8:?1'84 n d))erent ssues o) the _(ournal o) the Department o) @nglsh+`
character7e a contnuaton o) the author`s studes see%ng to o))er a ne1 nterpretaton o) the
de/elopment o) Sha%espeare`s l)e /son through the tragedes and problem plays-
2(?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
"mong the )our artcles o) (yot *hattacharya+ t1o are o) nternatonal repute??518 _Kenneth
$ur`s @dton o) Kng Eear> " 2e1 Duestons` and 528 _Kng Eear> The East 2our Enes-` 4n the
)ormer+ he ponts out subtle edtoral slps n success/e publcatons ?1'02 and 1'72- 4n the latter+ he
openly challenges the leadng crtcs l%e $aynard $ac%+ (ohn 2- Danby and !- *- ;elman )or ther
/e1s on ascrbng the lnes to @dgar-
"run Kumar Das Gupta 1rote )/e artcles on Sha%espeare and !enassance ntellectualsm
coupled 1th humansm+ and most o) them are o) great mert- They are> ?518 _The 4nterplay o) 2ortune
and 2reedom> " Sha%espearean Theme`+ 528 _D/ded Eo/e> "n "pproach to Sha%espeare`s Sonnets`+
5.8 The 4ntellectual 2oundaton o) the !enassance+ 548 " note on _$acbeth` 544+ + 61?6.+ Sha%espeare
Duarterly3 #otes and Dueres+ 1'6:8 508 _" note on Ttus "ndroncus` 544+ + 1?11 _Sha%espeare
Duarterly`+ 1'618- 568 _The Chantom o) $elancholy> "n @ssay on ;amlet`- 5Tara%nath Sen 5@d-8
Sha%espeare Commemoraton ,olume+ p- 120a1.78
The contnuaton o) the thrd phase ncludes scholars a)ter 1'8: and also brngs n ts )old the
1rters o) today- The lst+ ho1e/er+ s consderably large+ encompassng both the pedagogues and the
pupls al%e n all the eght un/erstes o) Best *engal- Lne o) the greatest o) Sha%espearean scholars
n the 1orld today+ Su%anta Chaudhur )eels that Sha%espeare 1ll ne/er appear to be o/er??e9plored n
the land o) Tagore- ;s t1o boo%s> 518 _4n)rm Glory?Sha%espeare and the !enassance 4mage o) $an`
and 528 6!enassance Castoral and ts @nglsh De/elopment`+ are notable /entures n the hstory o)
Sha%espearean crtcsm n *engal- *esde the numerous artcles l%e _The Tragc Ebertnes> Sel) =
@9pressons n the tragedes o) Sha%espeare and ;s Contemporares+ _The #e1 $acha/ell>
Sha%espeare n the ;enrad`+ _Kng+ ,llan+ Sacr)ce> $acbeth as Tragc ;ero+`_4nternet Sha%espeare
@dton> Sha%espeare n 4nda` he has edted a number o) /olumes on !enassance themes and
partcularly Sha%espeare- ;s recently publshed edton o) _" $dsummer #ght`s Dream` )or the
_#e1 "rden Seres` s as scholarly as t s llumnatng-
"nother notable !enassance scholar 1ho has consderably contrbuted to the study o)
Sha%espeare s S1apan Cha%ra/orty 1hose essay n the &ournal _Sha%espeare n the $edterranean`+
edted by Tom Clayton+ has had tremendous mpact n the academc 1orld n the Best- ;s edton o)
_"s Mou l%e 4t`+ publshed by Lrent Eongman can be placed alongsde any authentc edtons- ;s
short bographcal s%etch on Sha%espeare n *engal 1ll enable any *engal reader to %no1 many
2(6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
obscure )acts not only about the dramatst`s l)e but also about @l7abethan @ngland- The catholcty o)
hs mnd s re/ealed n hs boo% 1rtten n arduous *engal _Bangaleer !ngre+i Sahitya Charcha' 5_The
Study o) @nglsh Eterature by the *engals-`8 There are three essays on Sha%espeare`s /ared themes
l%e teachng o) Sha%espeare n the classroom+ re?e/aluatng !enassance culture and studyng
Sha%espeare n the modern age+ lastly a comparat/e study o) 2aust and ;amlet- These essays may
seem obscure )or common readers but ther crtcal mert s unAuestonable- ;s artcles n @nglsh on
!enassance lterature and partcularly on Sha%espeare attract common readers as 1ell as scholars-
Subha $u%her& 1ho teaches @nglsh at Do1nng College+ Cambrdge Nn/ersty also
contrbuted amply to the de/elopment o) Sha%espeare Crtcsm- $uch younger yet her erudte
scholarshp n !enassance Eterature and partcularly Sha%espeare has enabled her to publsh an artcle
on G_Ea1)ul Deed`> Consummaton+ Custom and Ea1 n "ll`s Bell That @nds Bell-H 5Sha%espeare
Sur/ey> 4'+ 1''68- ;er doctoral thess _4ssues o) @/dence?4nterpretaton and (udgement n
!enassance @nglsh Drama+ 108:?164:`+ contans t1o chapters???the )rst and the s9th de/oted
entrely to Sha%espeare`s plays 1hch analy7e crtcally and e9haust/ely on matters o) la1+ &udgement+
&ustce and &urdcal themes n hs plays- Nntl date+ she has publshed the ma9mum number o) artcles
among the l/ng *engal scholars on Sha%espeare n nternatonal &ournals+ besdes ten crtcal boo%s
on /ared ssues on !enassance 1th prmary )ocus on Sha%espeare-
The Kol%ata connecton o) 6Sha%espeare n "cademc (ournals and Specal 4ssues on
Sha%espeare` sho1s ho1 the *engal academcs at the tme o) Auatercentenary celebraton o)
Sha%espeare ha/e regularly publshed papers on hm- #ot only had the Nn/erstes o) Calcutta+
(ada/pur+ *urd1an and Cresdency College publshed specal ssues on Sha%espeare`s dramatc art+
some ndgenous nsttutons l%e _4ndan #atonal Ebrary`+ _4ndan L9ygen #e1s` and _Sha%espeare
Duater? Centenary brth Celebraton Commttee` had also contrbuted mmensely to ree/aluate the
sanct)ed mage o) the bard- Thus+ semnars and con)erences on Sha%espeare ha/e become an annual
e/ent )or teachers+ students and researchers n Best *engal- Bhen Cro)- _$ohnmohan *hattacharya
$emoral Eecture` 1as naugurated n Calcutta Nn/ersty n1'78+ )or the )rst three consecut/e years
the topc 1as _Sha%espeare` and the spea%ers 1ere S- C- Sen Gupta+ Srchandra Sen+ and "- G Stoc%- 4n
1'86+ (ada/pur Nn/ersty publshed a specal ssue on Sha%espeare+ edted by Debabrata $u%her&ee-
,ery recently+ /olumes o) boo%s l%e _!enassance @ssays )or Ktty Scoular Datta`+ _!enassance
Theme` 5both edted by Su%anta Chaudhur8 and _!enassance Te9t and Conte9t` 5@dted> "mlan Das
2(7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Gupta8 ha/e added a ne1 dmenson to *engal response to Sha%espeare- _Sha%espeare Socety o)
@astern 4nda` has brought out specal ssues on Sha%espeare by emnent academcs through the b??
annual e/ent> GThe Borld Sha%espeare Con)erenceH snce 2::2-
>es0onse to Sha#es0eare outside $+ade%ia- "ol#ata Stage
Be also need to record manly the contrbutons o) t1o doyens o) _Ceople`s Ettle Theatre` Ntpal Dutt
and hs successor cum companon Satya*andopadhyay- Dutt`s boo% _Shakespeare ?er Saa+ Chetanna`
s based on $ar9st doctrnes 1here he deals 1th mercantle classes+ hstory o) the Tudor "ge+
relgon+ Chrstanty and (esus+ bourgeos monarchy and 1arrors- ;s artcle+ _Sha%espeare and the
$odern Stage` and hs nter/e1 g/en to Sam% *andopadhyay g/e only a partal estmate o) the man
and artst- Satya *andopadhyay`s boo% _Shakespeare &' *anr *heatre' pro/des a unAue bac%ground o)
@l7abethan dramatsts+ the Sha%espearean Stage and dramaturgy+ Sha%espearean audence+ legal acts
on theatre durng Dueen @l7abeth`s regn+ Sha%espeare n the eyes o) hs contemporary and success/e
dramatsts+ Sha%espeare producton n /arous @uropean countres and ultmately Sha%espeare on the
/arous stages n Kol%ata-
"s colonal educaton )lourshed+ *engal students o) the early schools o) Kol%ata 1ere eager
enough to sho1 ther talents n rectng Sha%espeare+ presentng short scenes o) sgn)cance and
ultmately the learned bhadraloks too% the /enture to stage )ull?scale productons n bet1een 182: and
1'2:-4t 1as ;enry Dero7o 1ho as a student o) Drummond`s Dhurrumtollah "cademy started ths
process- Eater on ths art o) rectng Sha%espearean passages 1as ta%en up mostly by the pupls o)
;ndu College+ as 1ell as by the students o) St- da/er`s College+ Da/d ;are and $etropoltan
academes- "part )rom the houses o) the arstocratc and dstngushed *engal _babus'-the ;ndu
College+ To1n ;all+ Lrental Theatre and ;orasanko Theatre 1ere other places 1here the e9cerpts or
)ull plays 1ere staged-
*y the 187:s the )ocus had sh)ted to /ernacular as the medum to e9hbt orgnal dramatc
creat/ty- Bth the acceleraton o) the natonalstc mo/ements snce the second decade o) the
t1enteth century+ the desre to enact the plays o) Sha%espeare n @nglsh came to a halt- #o1+
amateursm led to pro)essonalsm n the theatres o) Kol%ata because o) socal+ poltcal and cultural
reasons-
2(D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The actors )or the orgnal @nglsh plays o) Sha%espeare n the ntal stages 1ere Dero7o and
hs )ollo1ers 1ho le)t a lastng legacy- The )rst Cresdent o) ndependent 4nda+ !a&endra Crasad+ and
Ssr Kumar *hadur+ 5one o) the greatest thespans o) *engal a)ter Grsh Chandra Ghosh8+ the )amous
*engal lngust and natonal pro)essor+ Sunt Kumar Chattopadhyay and Sr%umar *andopadhyay+ the
reno1ned scholar o) *rtsh Coetry 1ere the dstngushed lumnares o) Calcutta Nn/ersty 1ho acted
n /arous Sha%espearean plays-
Some o) the tra/ellng @nglsh companes had endurng e))ect on the )uture theatre 1or%ers n
Kol%ata- The )amous actor? manager ? drector?dramatst $atheson Eang+ 1ho had the pr/lege to
1or% 1th Gran/lle?*ar%er n Eondon+ per)ormed n Kol%ata n 1'11?1'12+ n)luenced many+
partcularly Ssr Kumar *hadur+ 1ho became a legendary theatre drector mmedately a)ter ths
mpact- @/en Geo))rey Kendal`s _Sha%espeareana` 1hch toured around 4nda snce the second Borld
Bar on1ards+ had admrers l%e Ntpal Dutt+ Satya *andopadhyay and nnumerable others- 4mmedately
a)ter ndependence+ the local producton o) the plays n @nglsh suddenly stmulated as ) the ntenton
1as to sho1 that the *engals no longer harbour any ll )eelng )or the language- ;ence)orth college
and un/ersty students+ @nglsh educatonal nsttutons and organ7atons l%e *rtsh Councl
)reAuently per)ormed n Sha%espeare`s plays n @nglsh- Sha%espeare once agan came to the *engals
more as a colonal con-
Kol%ata theatre 1as prmarly commercal n bet1een 1872 and 1'47- Bhen the translated and
adapted /ersons 1ere not 1ell accepted at the bo9 o))ce+ the drectors then )elt the necessty to
Ge9perment and nterpret Sha%espeare ndgenously-H The brth o) the Ggroup theatreH mo/ement
around 1'47 ad/ocated nno/at/e deas to stage plays that 1ould be rece/ed rather enthusastcally by
more )ath)ul translatons as the drectors had great respect )or the /enerable bard- #otable actors )rom
Grsh Chandra Ghosh to "hndraChaudhur acted n se/eral characters o) Sha%espeare`s plays n
translaton but that dd not appeal to the *engal audence+ ho1e/er authentc they mght be n
approach- Ntpal Dutt 1th hs group theatre domnated the *engal stage 1th most o) Sha%espeare`s
plays n @nglsh and *engal- ;e apprentced hmsel) n @nglsh+ per)ormng !chard 444+ Lthello+
*ottom+ $ercuto+ *rutus and $al/olo and then dd all o) them n *engal e9cept !chard 444 and
*rutus and then dd Shyloc%+ $acbeth and (ulus Caesar- Dutt`s _Ettle Theatre Group` produced some
brllant actors-
2(9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Surprsngly+ a)ter a long absence Sha%espeare has agan appeared on the *engal stage- Suman
$u%hopadhyay has drected _#a+a )ear`+ 1th the g)ted actor Soumtra Chattopadhyay as Eear+ and
the producton has been hghly popular- Koush% Sen unl%e Suman has tred to o))er a ne1
nterpretaton o) _$acbeth` n the recent poltcal conte9t n *engal- _Lthello`+ has been staged and
drected by Goutom ;alder+ 1ho s )amous )or hs unAue but contro/ersal style o) actng- The stage
enactment o) _;amlet` n *engal produced by *bhash Cha%raborty 1here the role o) the protagonst
has been played by the 1ell?%no1n actor Suro&t *andopadhyay had also become popular on the
*engal stage- _Kasba (rgha' has presented a dramatc pageant _Sha%espeare`s ;eroes` 1hch s yet to
get a good response- The drector $ansh $tra has upset many crtcs )or sho1ng a nude scene o)
Lthello and Desdemona- Eet us hope+ ths re//al o) nterest n Sha%espeare+ the man o) the theatre
1ould gradually lead to a theatrcal approach n our classroom lectures-
Sha#es0eare in Cittle 3aga9ines
" sur/ey o) Sha%espeare n the *engal Ettle $aga7nes 1ll sho1 ho1 /arous scholars+
academcs+ thespans+ la1yers and schoolmasters contrbuted artcles on Sha%espeare n *engal- L)ten
these lttle publshng houses are on the /erge o) e9tncton o1ng to )nancal constrants but are ne/er
deterred )rom publshng nno/at/e and thought?pro/o%ng artcles on a 1de range o) sub&ects-
Sha%espeare )eatures among them- There are more than t1o hundred artcles publshed on Sha%espeare
but un)ortunately+ most o) the publshng houses ha/e pershed+ %eepng only a lttle trace o) ther
lterary legacy-
_Ettle maga7nes`+ o)ten called Psmall maga7nesP+ are lterary maga7nes that publsh
e9permental and non?con)ormst 1rtngs o) relat/ely un%no1n 1rters- They are usually
noncommercal n ther outloo%- They are o)ten /ery rregular n ther publcatons- The earlest
sgn)cant e9amples are the transcendentalst publcaton *he Dial5184:=448+ edted by !alph Baldo
@mersonand $argaret 2ullern *oston+ and *he Sa$oy518'68+ edted by "rthur Symonsn Eondon+
1hch had a re/olt aganst the ,ctoran$ateralsm as ts agenda- Ettle maga7nes played a sgn)cant
role )or the poets 1ho shaped the "/ant?garde mo/ements l%e _$odernsm` and _Cost?modernsm`
across the 1orld n the t1enteth century-
2!(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The Ettle $aga7ne $o/ement orgnated n the ))tes and the s9tes n many 4ndan
languagesl%e *engal+ Taml+ $arath+ ;nd+ $alayalamand Gu&arat+ as t dd n the Best+ n the early
part o) the 2:th century- Kol%ata has a promnent place n the hstory o) Ettle $aga7ne $o/ementn
4nda+ 1hch 1as largely domnated by *engal language maga7nes- Ths goes bac% to the )oundaton
o) _Sabu+"atra' n 1'14 and Kallol n 1'2.- The tradton contnued 1th the ad/ent o) _Cost?
$odernst` 1rtng n *engal Eterature- Bth the arr/al o) _Krittibash'+ _;ungry Generaton` and
perodcals l%e _Kourab'- many lttle maga7nes started to )loursh-
4n *engal lterature+ t started 1th Kallol+ mouthpece o) a modernst mo/ement+ establshed n
1'2.- The most popular among the group 1ere Ka7 #a7rul 4slam518''=1'768+ $ohtlal
$a&umder51888=1'028+ "chntya%umar Sen Gupta51':.=1'768+ Satyendranath Dutta51882=1'228+ and
Cremendra $tra51':4=1'888- Then *engal poetry got nto the brghtest lght o) modernsm n the
1'.:s+ through the mo/ement o) a )e1 other lttle maga7nes+ such as *uddhadeb*asu6s _Kabita'and
SudhndranathDatta6s _"arichay'- $ost o) the lttle $aga7nes are pro?le)t and ant?establshment-
Krittibas )rst appeared n Kol%atan 1'0.- 4t played a hghly n)luental role n the Kol%ata
lterary scene n the decades a)ter 4ndan ndependence+ and pro/ded a plat)orm )or young+
e9permental poets+ many o) 1hom 1ent on to become lumnares o) modern *engal poetry- The
edtors o) the naugural ssue n (uly 1'0. 1ere Sunl Gangopadhyay+ "nanda*agch and
Dpa%$a7umdar- Gangopadhyay later became sole edtor- 4ndeed+he 1as most closely assocated 1th
the maga7ne- Lthers 1ho also edted the maga7ne at one pont or another ncluded Sha%t
Chattopadhyay+ Sarat Kumar $u%hopadhyay and SamarendraSengupta- Durng 1'61?60+ se/eral poets
le)t the maga7ne and &oned the _;ungry $o/ement`- $ost o) these Ettle $aga7nes 1ere pro?le)t and
ant?establshment and Sha%espeare study dd not get enough sgn)cance n these ssues- Ln the
contrary+ 1rters l%e T- S- @lot and *ertolt *recht )eatured )reAuently n these maga7nes as some o)
these poets and 1rters 1ere more n)luenced by the )orm and the content o) the modernst approach to
lterature and art-
:ungr1 2eneration and $nti-esta'lish%ent 3o&e%ents
The lttle maga7ne e9ploson n Kol%ata too% place a)ter 1'61 1hen the _;ungry Generaton
2!!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
$o/ement` too% the cultural establshment by storm- 4n )act+ t changed not only the types o)
publcaton but also the namng o) maga7nes- The _;ungry Generaton $o/ement` amed at 1agng a
1ar aganst the lterary establshment and the decadent socety n general- Cromnent )gures ncluded
Sha%t Chattopadhyay+ $alay !oy Choudhury+ Submal*asa%+ Trdb$tra+ Samr !oychoudhury+
2algun !oy+ Subon"char&o+ CradpChoudhur+ SubhasGhosh+ and *asudebDasgupta- There are other
*engal 1rters 1ho rased ther /oce aganst the establshment but dd not &on the _;ungry
generaton` $o/ement- $ost notable among them s the ma/erc% 1rter Submal $shra- Lther
e9permental 1rters 1ho mostly 1rote n lttle maga7nes nclude Kamal Kumar $a&umdar+
"myabhushan $a&umdarand Ndayan Ghosh- ;o1e/er+ there 1as ne/er a comprehens/e preser/aton
attempt made )or these mmensely /aluable cultural tems ether n the academc or n publc lbrares
untl SandpDutta )ounded a lbrary n 1'7' and t 1as o))cally regstered n 1''6 1th the name
_Kol%ata Ettle $aga7ne Ebrary and !esearch Centre-`
>ise and /e&elo0%ent of Bengali Cittle 3aga9ines
Ettle maga7nes n _*engal` are creat/e+ beng enrched 1th 1ell?n)ormed essays- These maga7nes
do not ha/e any de)nte tmelne- 2rom the begnnng o) the t1enteth century 1hen )ull?)ledged or
commercally success)ul maga7nes came up+ the dstnctons became more promnent- !eaders started
acceptng such maga7nes early n the last century 1hen they )ound that most o) them 1ere both
creat/e and n)ormat/e- The man mot/e o) these maga7nes 1as also that they acted as a plat)orm
1here buddng 1rters got n touch 1th the readers through ther compostons- Ettle maga7nes today
ta%e prde n publshng them pro/ded they are readable- That s 1hy they ha/e an appeal e/en n the
age o) electronc meda- 4n *engal t s str%ng ho1 _lttle maga7nes` are ncreasng e/eryday+ as they
do not ha/e pro)essonal or pro)t mot/e- #o1adays poems+ stores+ essays and autobographcal
renderngs or bographcal s%etches are not the only contents but t ncludes poltcal debates+
socologcal e/olutons+ economc theores+ phlosophcal thoughts+ hstorcal accounts+ e/en modern
cnema+ and popular songs- The appro9mate number o) _lttle maga7ne` n *engal throughout the
1orld s Gse/en hundredH 5Sandp Dutta> _Ettle $aga7ne *habna`> artcles and nter/e1s on lttle
maga7ne+Kol%ata+ 2::2+ p- .78
2!2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Beginning of Sha#es0eare Stud1 in the Bengali Cittle 3aga9ines
Sha%espeare appeared n the _lttle maga7ne` n *engal about 1'64+ the Auater?centenary year o) hs
brth- ;o1e/er+ much earler n the late nneteenth century se/eral translatons and creat/e artcles
1ere publshed n maga7nes l%e _Bharati' and _Bharatbarsha'- E%e specal edtons )or specal
occasons+ _Sha%espeare` ssues 1ere mmensely on demand 1hene/er any publshng house too% the
ntat/e- Sometmes _lttle maga7nes` are more l%e an obsesson )or those 1ho thn% they are
&ourneyng to1ards a ne1 goal o) trumph- #o1adays artcles on 1estern authors and comparat/e
study o) 1rters ha/e become a recurrent theme )or these maga7nes- Sha%espeare perhaps s the most
dscussed o) all )oregn authors+ he s most acceptable to the *engals e/en n ths post?colonal age+
and specal ssues come out )rom tme to tme but the number s meagre- #ot only academc scholars
1ho contrbute generously to the bard`s mult)arous talents but also thespans+ la1yers+ creat/e
1rters+ school masters and e/en students contrbuted copously n e/ery )eld o) Sha%espeare studes-
;o1e/er today there are more than _t1o hundred artcles on Sha%espeare n *engal-` 5bd-p-488
.arl1 Issues of Cittle 3aga9ines on Sha#es0eare
4t 1as Sr%umar *andopadhyay 1ho poneered ths &ourney a)ter ndependence 1th hs artcle enttled
GShakespeare "ratibhaH 5_Talents o) Sha%espeare`8 n 1'64 n 1hch he sho1s the engma o) the poet
and dramatst and ho1 success)ul he has been n creatng an unreal7ed beauty to the %no1n 1orld and
l)e and thus brought be)ore us an un1orldly rddle- 2or *andopadhyay Sha%espeare 1as the only
dramatst n the 1orld 1ho 1ould occupy pure and all?per/adng nsght o) a composer to 1hom any
)act 1ould get the shape o) a drama- Ths assessment appears hyperbolc as he )als to sho1 any
shortcomng n Sha%espeare`s dramatc style- ;e ctes nstances l%e $acbeth`s magnaton and
phlosophcal apttude and Eear`s burnng curses and ho1 these are enrched 1th poetc )aculty and
dramatc s%lls to sho1 the realstc 1orld o) Sha%espeare? 1here man domnates 1th hs 1ea%nesses
and strengths and the llusory 1orld o) the 1tches+ )ares+ ghosts appear-
*andopadhyay then sho1s ho1 _The $erchant o) ,ence` s a depcton o) the )eatures o) the
contemporary !enassance but the characters possess lberal mentalty o) modernsm and the /alue o)
l)e- ;e )urther ponts out ho1 Corta`s marrage s bounded 1th some pecular condtons+ as she
ndependently cannot select her husband- 4) the role o) )ate s ta%en nto consderaton+ 1e can admt
2!3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1th the 1rter that the characters o) Corta and *assano ha/e e9celled 1th beauty and ther con&ugal
l)e gets ne1ness amdst hndrances-The 1rter sees another )eature o) an deal dramatst n
Sha%espeare and that s called _sel)?absorbablty` n creaton- ;e notces the d))erence bet1een the
poet and the dramatst- 4n a subtle manner+ *andopadhyay tells ho1 a poet re)lects hmsel) n hs
creatons 1hle a dramatst hdes hmsel) n that poston- ;e e/en notes that Sha%espeare ne/er
mposes l%e *acon the moral or ddactc /e1s n hs plays and ths short essay n *engal s more a
trbute to the bard on hs acceptablty n post?colonal *engal 1here students and scholars read and
research on hm e/ery day- #rendranath !oy 1rote t1o artcles /rtually on the same theme 1th
d))erent ttles> _Banglai Shakespeare Charcha' 5DeshCatr%a3 28 $arch+ 1'0.-8 and _Bangalir
Shakespeare "re' 5Carcha+ $ay+ 1'648- Bhle the )rst renderng records+ ho1 the *engal 1rters
and academcs snce the tme o) Capt- D- E- !chardson responded to Sha%espeare studes+ the latter
re)lects ho1 ntense the response 1as that t resulted n deep lo/e and emotonal attachment- The t1o
artcles o) !oy are repett/e and they )all )ar short o) the normal standard-
"nother notable academc "malendu *ose 1rote three artcles )or the *engal lttle maga7nes>
18 Shakespeare -er- Coedy BhuikaiO 6%Bttarsuri- HAA-HAC7 5The 4ntroducton o) Sha%espeare`s
Comedy83 6A7 Shakespeare &' BangaliO 6Bttaran- ?CNKO HAH-HH?7 5Sha%espeare and the *engals8 6H 7
Sphatiker #ang: Shakespeare-erSaadarsita: 6#< B< B <acadeic +ournal- G? - GC7 5The Crystal`s
Colour> Sha%espeare`s Sense o) @Aualty8-
The )rst o) these artcles g/es a hstorcal account on the rse and de/elopment o)
Sha%espeare`s comedy snce ts )rst publcaton n 162. though ntally they 1ere not called so-
_Cymbelne` at )rst 1as regarded as a tragedy but *ose agrees 1th modern scholars to term t as a
_comedy` 1th tragc trats- ;e then dscusses Sha%espearean comedy n detal about the characters and
ncdents and mentons that the number goes up to t1enty+ 1hch s hgher than the tragedes and
hstorcal plays ta%en together- 2or hm the comedes unra/el sel)?e9pressons and they are ne/er
tendng to1ards propaganda- Ths 1ay+ Sha%espearean comedy s d))erent )rom the !estoraton
Gcomedy o) mannersH+ )eels *ose- ;e also ctes reasons 1hy Sha%espeare started hs lterary career
1th the comedy and ended 1th the same- ;e e/en )eels that the drect /alue o) Sha%espeare`s comedy
s the phlosophy o) l)e 1hch s /ery much post?colonal by nature- Sha%espeare s n )a/our o)
natural lo/e n hs comedy and to the author these comedes e9press post/e approach to l)e`s
e9pectatons and support/e by nature- ;e also sho1s ho1 n the last plays despte all psychologcal
2!4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
ad/erstes+ s1eet youths 1n o/er n the end- 2nally+ *ose ponted out there s no d))erence bet1een
the /alue o) l)e both n the tragedes and n the comedes- ;o1e/er+ he utterly d1ndles n
d))erentatng bet1een the t1o types o) comedy or pont out the essental d))erences bet1een them-
#e/ertheless+ he has been orgnal n nterpretng and d))erentatng Sha%espeare`s romantc comedes
and the comedy o) manners n /ernacular-
The second artcle o) "malendu *ose> _Shakespeare &' Bangali' 5_Sha%espeare and the
*engals`8 re)lects smple apprecaton 1here he )eels that the *engals ha/e consdered Sha%espeare
as a colonal con and he has crossed all boundares and barrers to be read+ per)ormed and adored n
*engal- 4t s Sha%espeare`s humansm+ 1hch ha/e been apprecated through the ages- *ose sees that n
the play _Kng Eear` 1hch s not con)ned n the ambt o) a country`s tme )rame+ dramats personae or
Chrstan connectons but has a un/ersal appeal- *ose opnes at length n hs dscusson about poetc
s%lls o) Sha%espeare 1hch has appealed to the ntellectual *engals 1ho he )eels possesses romantc
bent o) mnd- ;e e/en ponts out ho1 Sha%espeare has occuped a place n the hstory o) *engal
lterature and ctes )our reasons )or t> 58 the lo/e )or Sha%espeare s not a ne1 )eature but t has got
mmuned n the colonal and cultural communty o) *engal hegemony- 58 Secondly he )eels that
Sha%espeare`s plays and poems represent the realstc l)e?? that the sensuous sentments o) the
*engals and sng the songs o) trumph- 58 *ose tells that Sha%espearean lterature s the success)ul
representaton o) the anmated l)e- Sha%espearean heroes spea% and act as the readers or audence
1ould pre)er to do n that stuaton- 5/8 ;e )urther ctes that sentment and ntellect are the t1o
rudmentary trats o) the *engals- That s 1hy _$etaphyscal Coetry` appealed to the *engals snce
the early t1enteth century and Tagore hmsel) had Auoted Donne n hs no/el _SeserKabita' 5The 2nal
Coetry8- Sha%espeare`s 1or%s ha/ng the )nest sensbltes became so acceptable-
The ne9t artcle by "malendu *ose _Sphatiker #ong: Shakespeare-er Saadarsita' 5_The
Colour o) Crystal> Sha%espeare`s Sense o) @Aualty`8 s a symbolc s%etch on the potental creat/ty o)
Sha%espeare- ;e ponts out ho1 the characters n the plays ha/e been created 1th a %een nsght and a
sense o) tolerance that loo%s l%e a crystal- ;e calls ths Sha%espearean pro)undty and )eels ths to be
the atomc po1er o) Sha%espeare`s genus- ;e )urther asserts that *an%m Chandra and !abmdranath
Tagore despte possessng great talents and patches o) Sha%espearean phlosophy could ne/er come n
comparson 1th the bard o) "/on- 4t s the author`s con/cton that ) one reads Sha%espeare )or the
entre l)e then also he 1ould be mentally sats)ed 1th the po1er o) reasonng+ ethcs and practcal
2!?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
approach to l)e- Ths may appear hyperbolcal but *ose )eels that these Aualtes o) the bard beams n
hs plays l%e a crystal- Sha%espeare possesses eAualty but he s )ar a1ay )rom partalty n hs 1rtngs
)or portrayng hs characters- 4n the end+ he sums up n Tagorean apprecaton>
G0e is present in all the characters but ne$er lost in any character< 0e is nobler than all
the characters as the creator is greater than his creation and God is brighter than all
his creationsQ<
5_Shakespeare &' Bangali'8 5_Sha%espeare and the *engals`+ p-'8-
*habotosh Dutta ma%es a )ne comparat/e study o) the lterary contrbutons o) !abndranath and
Sha%espeare n hs artcle _#abindraSahitye Shakespeare' 5_Bttarsuri' 4
th
ssue+ 1'64+ p-.2.?20-8 ;e
ponts out ho1 Tagore 1as n)luenced by Sha%espeare`s dramatc style- Sha%espeare`s characters and
stuatons attracted Tagore+ 1hch possess psychologcal sharpness and nternal con)lcts- !abndranath
1as %een on usng allegory and he had done t brllantly 1hle Sha%espeare 1as )ar a1ay )rom usng
though Tagore ntally had adopted the Sha%espearean style+ a)ter _"rayaschitto` 6?CLC7 6!2piation
"enance7< Tagore e9cels n creatng eternal human characters+ 1hch has made hm reach the 7enth-
Dutta ctes nstances )rom _Galpoguccho' 5The Collecton o) Short Stores8 to sho1 Tagore`s
ndependent approach to l)e+ d))erent )rom Sha%espeare`s o1n- ;e e/en sho1s 1hy Tagore has
dscarded Sha%espeare`s dar% mystery- ;o1e/er+ Tagore had been greatly n)luenced by Sha%espeare
and hs poems n _Balaka' are the )nest e9ample- ;o1e/er+ n ths study Dutta proclams 1th applause
Tagore`s n/ent/e po1ers though he had conce/ed Sha%espearean pattern Aute early n hs l)e-
Stangsu$atra`s artcle _Banglai Shakespeare Charcha' 6"arichay- .ay ?CNKO p-.11?2.8 5The
Study o) Sha%espeare n *engal8 dscusses that Sha%espeare study among the *engals has been
nsu))cent+ as none o) the crtcs ha/e dscussed hs plays )rom scholastc pont o) /e1- $ost o) the
academc scholars ha/e con)ned themsel/es to classrooms and they )eel elated 1hen they are
recogn7ed as _authorty` on Sha%espeare- Ths mght appear roncal but ne/ertheless t s true- ;e
ctes an nstance 1hen deas 1ere corroborated to popular7e Sha%espeare among the masses n 1'04
through the establshment o) _Bangiya Shakespeare "arishad'< Ths attempt 1as )utle as there 1as
al1ays a dchotomy bet1een academc pursut by scholars and stagng Sha%espeare n orgnal or
through adeAuate translatons about supremacy n the structural pattern- 4n a 1ay+ Sha%espeare study by
*an%m Chandra and $adhusudan Dutta d))ered )rom that o) !abndranath Tagore regardng the
2!6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
earthy lo/e and l)e`s phlosophy- Despte some o) the best e))orts made by GrshGhosh and others+
Sha%espeare could not be popular as the academcs sho1ed s%eptcal and )astdous atttude )or the
stage- The artcle possesses enough matter but the manner o) presentaton lac%s organ7aton and
elegance snce the 1rter de/ates unconscously )rom hs )ocus and )als to mantan un)ormty-
The greatest thespan o) *engal a)ter Grsh Chandra Ghosh s Ssr Kumar *hadur and despte
beng a pro)essor o) @nglsh Eterature and an ardent )ollo1er o) Bestern theatre+ he 1rote lttle on
Sha%espeare- ;s essay enttled _Shakespeare' 5SaradiyaIugantar+ 1'.'3 p- '?1.8 s readable+ as he has
compared Sha%espeare`s 1or%s and characters to the epc characters o) $ahabharata- ;e e/en ponted
out Sha%espeare`s un/ersalty e/en durng the tyranncal rule o) ;tler and $ussoln- ;e sho1ed ho1
Sha%espeare`s appeal s beyond all barrers and hs genus s llumnated 1th the nstncts o) human
mnds- *hadur sho1s by nstances that Sha%espeare 1as nether )or the arstocrats nor )or the
)eudalsts but the themes and characters possess and symbol7e man)old attrbutes- @/en n the modern
age 1hen 4bsen had tremendous mpact on play1rghts l%e Sha1+ Sha%espeare`s un/ersalty ne/er
dmnshed- *eng a noted thespan+*hadur could better ha/e dealt 1th the techncal problems and
emendatons o) Sha%espeare`s stage per)ormance n *engal than dol7e the dramatst-
$uch younger than *hadur and one o) the leadng thespans o) recent tmes !udraprasad Sen
Gupta 1rote an n)ormat/e artcle ttled _Bangla Natake Shakespeare-er "robabh<` 5Carchay ?CNK- p-
Sha%espeare`s .04?.718 5_The 4n)luence o) Sha%espeare on *engal Drama-`8 ;e emphas7ed ho1
Sha%espeare study n *engal gradually crept )rom classroom to stage per)ormance- 4n dong so+ the
@nglshmen must be applauded- They not only acAuanted the *engals 1th 1estern plays but also
enthuse the *engal play1rghts l%e $chael $adhusudan Dutta+ Dnabandhu $tra+ (yotndranath
Tagore+ D- E- !oy+ Khrod Crasad ,dyabnod et al to 1rte *engal plays based on Sha%espeare`s
prototype- Some o) them also amalgamated the strct rules o) Sans%rt plays and the lberal tradton o)
Sha%espeare`s plays to compose the *engal plays on Sha%espearean model- Sen Gupta sho1s ho1
$adhusudan 1as oblged to Sha%espeare to ntroduce _character based tragedy`+ _the use o)
Sha%espearean blan% /erse` and _the comc n tragedy` n hs *engal plays
l%e_"adabati'and_Krishnakuari'< The latter ho1e/er s the )rst tragedy n *engal lterature and
_BhiSingha' s more a tragc protagonst l%e _Kng Eear`+ beng estranged )rom hs daughters- ;e
notes that l%e Sha%espeare+ $adhusudan ne/er ended any act n sheer lamentaton or be1lderment-
2!7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
4n !udraprasad`s e/aluaton+ Dnabandhu $tra 1as another talented dramatst 1ho 1as so
much de/oted to Sha%espeare that he used Sha%espeare`s Auotatons n hs plays- These 1ere used
ether n stuaton+ n dalogues or n theatrcal con/entons- The play _Nabin*apaswini'had the mage
o) Sha%espeare`s _The $erry B/es o) Bndsor`+ 1here the character o) _(alandhar` had the shado1 o)
2alsta))- $all%a and $alat are 1tty and &olly as $rs- 2ord and $rs- Cage- 4n another play l%e
_KaaleKaini'- Dnabandhu used some lnes o) _$acbeth` n the epgraph- Sen Gupta notces that the
theme o) dsguse has been 1onder)ully dealt n the play _)ilabati' 1hen he panted _Champa` as a nun-
(yotndranath Tagore s another sgn)cant name n the hstory o) translaton studes on
Sha%espeare`s plays- *eng 1ell acAuanted 1th 1estern lterature+ hs orgnal plays had mmense
mpact o) Sha%espeare and other @l7abethan play1rghts+ opnes Sen Gupta- The play l%e _(shruati'
had also Sha%espearean echoes as the character o) Selm remnded the audence o) Lthello- Selm l%e
Lthello suspected hs 1)e`s credblty and )delty and out o) ths en/y+ he %lled her and laments
ntensely l%e the Sha%espearean hero- @/en _"unarBasanta' had resemblance 1th _" $dsummer
#ght`s Dream` n epsodc organ7aton and structural pattern-
!udraprasad Sen Gupta then sho1s ho1 Grsh Chandra to1ards the end o) nneteenth century
had translated and enacted Sha%espeare`s plays 1th enormous mpetus+ declarng+ GSha%espeare s my
dol- 4 am )ollo1ng hs )ootstepH-The play _Sira+-ud-Daulla' had remnscences o) Sha%espeare`s
_!chard 44` n both structural pattern and thematc seAuence- #e/ertheless+ hs translaton o) $acbeth
1as too chaste to appeal the common *engal audence-
D1&endralal !oy+ popularly %no1n as D- E- !oy+ 1as nclned to Sha%espeare so much that hs
play _Shah ;ahan' 5"ct ,+ Scene 8 possesses )ree translaton o) the )amous _Storm Scene` o) _Kng
Eear`- ;s creaton o) the hstorcal character o) Nur;ahanbears great resemblance to Sha%espeare`s
creaton o) the character o) Eady $acbeth+ )eels Sen Gupta- ;e )urther ponts out ho1 D- E- !oy 1as
n)luenced by Sha%espeare`s concept o) tragedy- Khrod Crasad ,dyabnode+ a contemporary o) D- E-
!oy+ 1as e/en no less n)luenced by Sha%espeare`s _The Tempest` as the herone Sarbani o) hs play
_#aksha#aani' bears plent)ul smlarty n sprt to $randa- "nother play _Nara Narayan' )ollo1ed
the style o) Sha%espearean tragedy-
Sen Gupta concludes hs artcle 1th a detaled analyss on the mpact o) Sha%espeare`s plays
on !abndranath- ;e ponted out by nstances ho1 Tagore`s play _Shesh#aksha' 5_The East Sa/e`8 s an
2!D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
echo o) Sha%espeare`s early play _The Comedy o) @rrors`- ;o1e/er+ such comparsons are )orced than
genune- !udraprasad has e/en notced Sha%espearean style re)lected n the play _#a+a & #ani' that
1as 1rtten n the early phase o) Tagore`s lterary career-To1ards the end o) Tagore`s lterary career+ he
shed o)) Sha%espearean n)luence and adopted hs o1n style because he real7ed that the *engal
audence or readers 1ould not accept the lo)ty @l7abethan style- 4n !udraprasad`s /e1+ these )actors
made Tagore more a naturalst+ an allegorcal or a symbolc dramatst than a mere Sha%espearean
de/otee- Sen Gupta at least )or once dd not admt that the prme ntenton o) all the /ersatle 1rters o)
the late nneteenth and early t1enteth century had been to dol7e Sha%espeare as a colonal con-
$odern *engal poet *shnu Dey`s artcle _Shakespeare &' Bangla' 6"arichay- ?CNK- pK?K-?C7
5Sha%espeare and *engal8 contans some rare n)ormaton about Sha%espeare study- ;e suggests that
,dyasagar`s_BhrantiBilas' and $chael $adhusudan`s_0ector Badh' are the t1o e/ent)ul 1or%s that
tell us about Sha%espeare`s adaptatons- ;e ponts out ho1 the dalogues are /ery rele/ant n ma%ng
Sha%espeare the greatest dramatst n 1orld lterature- Dey compares Tolstoy 1th Sha%espeare and
sho1s ho1 the t1o 1rters ha/e e9celled n the t1o genres o) lterature- ;e ta%es up t1o *engal
translators o) Sha%espeare l%e #rendranath !oy and Sunl Kumar Chattopadhyay and sho1s ho1
they had d))erent modes o) approach relatng to the art o) translaton- Bhle the )ormer )ollo1s the
classcal pattern+ the latter g/es a popular renderng+ 1hch becomes not only lucd but also more
applcable to the stage- Dey`s artcle possesses mert as he co/ers an enormous perphery )rom
!abndranath to NtpalDutt and he suggests that actors l%e Dutta and *&an *hattacharyya must ha/e
enacted and drected Sha%espeare more on the stage to popular7e hm to the common *engals-
"&t Kumar Ghosh`s artcle _Bangla Natake Shakespeare-er "robabh' 6#abindra Bharati
"atrika- ?CNFO p- .'?0.8 5The 4mpact o) Sha%espeare on *engal Drama8 s based on Sanat Kumar
$tra`s boo% _Shakespeare &' Bangla Natak'<Ghosh g/es t1o reasons )or the popularty o)
Sha%espeare n post?colonal *engal- 4n the )rst place+ the study o) Sha%espeare n the academc
currculum had a lucrat/e mpact and secondly+ the per)ormances o) the plays n both @nglsh and
/ernacular brought hm much closer to the people- "bo/e all the ntermnglng or amalgamaton started
snce the days o) Grsh Ghosh 1hen he met $rs- Ee1s o) _Ee1s theatre`- ;e )urther g/es nstances
o) the stagng o) Sha%espeare n Da/d ;are "cademy and Crcular Semnary and response to t-
2!9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
$oreo/er+ he g/es reasons 1hy early translatons and adaptatons n)luenced the 1rters o)
/ernacular plays that had a m9ed )orm o) 4ndan and Bestern style- $chael $adhusudan`s plays
_Saristha' and _"adabati' started 1th Sha%espearean pattern but became more 4ndansed n
approach- #e/ertheless+ sometme later 1hen he 1rote _Krishna Kuari'+ t had more Sha%espearean
resemblances- Ghosh mentons n hs study 1hy !abndranath shed o)) Sha%espearean n)luences n hs
symbolc plays e9cept n _#a+a & #ani`+ _ChirakuarSabha' and _Bisar+an'< The artcle s pac%ed 1th
nterestng )nds and presents a chronologcal account o) the /arous 1rters and scholars+ ther
response to Sha%espeare n ther o1n 1ay and re?presentng hm to the common *engal mass-
4n 2::2 _!bon .usaera'+ 58
th
year+4
th
ssue+ (an? $arch8+ a tr? monthly *engal maga7ne that
deals 1th lterature and popular culture had publshed a specal ssue on _;amlet` under the edtorshp
o) SubolSamanta+ n 1hch the academcs and the ntellgentsa ha/e e9pressed ther /e1s on the play
n a ne1 dmenson- There are altogether )orty?three artcles and se/en )ragmentary translatons o) the
play _;amlet` n *engal made at d))erent phases snce the second hal) o) the eghteenth century- The
basc ntenton here s to sho1 ho1 they ha/e adapted to the changng nterpretaton o) the play and
tred to pro/e the /aldty o) our bele)s 1th regard to the tragc hero- There are e/en e9cerpts )rom the
past l%e _$urel $organ Gbbon`s` report on the /st o) the Crnce o) Bales at Copenhagen )or the
nauguraton o) the "nglo?Dansh e9hbton-
(agannath Cha%rabarty has &ust)ed 1th reasons 1hy _;amlet` s the most 1dely read and
crtcally e/aluated 1or% n the 1orld lterature but he has at tmes been repett/e n hs approach and
)aled n clar)yng hs proposton- ;e ctes T- S- @lot`s statement on ;amlet beng the G$ona?EsaH o)
lterature as t holds a /arety o) complcatons??delay+ nacton+ re/enge?play and abo/e all a great
tragedy- ;amlet`s nacton has caused the brth o) the drama`s actons and gradual progresson-
Cha%rabarty agrees 1th crtcs 1ho had /e1ed that the reasons )or ths delay s not e9ternal but
purely nternal and he )eels that ;amlet`s mentalty s purely responsble )or such a delay- ;o1e/er
nternal s ths delay+ t s long?termed- Cha%rabarty ho1e/er+ )eels that ;amlet`s plans and applcatons
sho1 us a hgher process o) acton+ 1hch s nterln%ed 1th hs dealsm- Sha%espeare portrays an
deal person n hs mnd that he regards )or hs reasonng+ acton and bele)- ;e ne/er bele/es n the
theory that malce has ts re/enge+ as Colonus possesses such an atttude- The con)lctng beha/our o)
;amlet s a str%ng )eature that creates an oscllaton n hm- Nltmately+ Cha%rabarty opnes that
;amlet s at 1ar 1th hmsel) to destroy the compromsng atttude o) hs character but does not
22(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
succeed at all- "udences are enthralled by hs solloAuy and he struggles aganst hs mnd but
surrenders )nally to lo1er mentalty at the end by utterng>
G4`ll not be &uggled 1th
To hell+ allegance+ /o1s to the blac%est de/lI
UConscence and grace+ to the pro)oundest ptI 4 dare damnaton-H
Shbnarayan !oy`s essay enttled _0alet - #ahasya: Nayak- Natak &' Bpanyaser-Bpakraanika'
5The ;amlet !ddle> ;ero+ Drama and 4ntroducton to 2cton8 s an nno/at/e study hghlghtng 1hy
Goethe has dent)ed ;amlet as a handsome+ pure and a person 1ho s capable o) shoulderng great
responsblty- !oy )eels that Goethe studed Sha%espeare 1th %een attenton and )elt ho1 a personal
tragedy turns nto a un/ersal one- ;e )urther Auotes !obertson and T- S- @lot and concludes+ GSo )ar
)rom beng Sha%espeare`s masterpece+ the play s certanly an artstc )alureH 5@bon $usaera pg-.68-
!oy ctes @rnest (ones+ the bographer o) 2reud+ 1ho had /e1ed that ;amlet s a youth o)
strong personalty but he s nclned to hs mother )rom hs chldhood through the deology o) GLedpus
Comple9H- !oy has notced the presence o) ths comple9 n ;amlet`s character n e/ery aspect o) hs
actons- (udgng ;amlet`s mental set?up and hs assertons the thn%ers o) Span l%e S- de- $adaraga
has called ;amlet both sel)sh and rude 1ho /alues hs o1n nterest abo/e e/erythng and tres to hde
hs mental con)lct by sheer /erbal po1er- The German scholars l%e Ltto !an% and Kuno 2scher also
bear the same /e1- !oy ends hs compact artcle o) t1el/e pages by mentonng that most crtcs ha/e
noted the ncompleteness o) the play _;amlet` n terms o) "rstotelan dctum- The source materals
ha/e been reshu))led by Sha%espeare not merely to present a story )or mere entertanment but to depct
the sprt o) !enassance humansm by portrayng characters n hs o1n tantal7ng perspect/e )or
aesthetc reasons+ 1hch made hm the greatest dramatst-
"lo%eran&an Das Gupta`s study o) _Goethe`s ;amlet` sho1s Sha%espeare`s ad/ent n Germany
started 1th Eessng 1ho )rst staged the play _;amlet` success)ully thrty?tmes- 2rom ths
per)ormance+ Goethe has e9pressed hs o1n /e1 on _;amlet` by mentonng that Sha%espeare`s
openness enabled hm to rase the strength o) )reedom and reasonng- ;e 1as success)ul enough n
untng the !enassance and the modern 1orlds- *s1anath Chattopadhyay`s essay _.ukhar Nayaker
Birabana' 5The Credcament o) the Garrulous ;ero8 sho1s that n lterature )e1 characters ha/e had
22!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
so much attenton as _;amlet` had- 4n Chattopadhyay`s /e1+ ;amlet s not a character 1ho l/ed )our
hundred years bac%- Ln the contrary+ he s /ery much a contemporary o) today+ )ull o) l)e and /talty-
Consderng the greatest tragc heroes+ the author )eels that $acbeth s a poet+ Lthello s magnat/e+
and Eear s an orator but none o) them s as thought)ul as _;amlet`- 4n )act+ the adm9ture o) se/eral
responses n hs character s so engrossng that he becomes typcally a ba))lng character )or 1hom 1e
)eel pty and pan- ;e ponts out to the )emnne trats n ;amlet`s character and that ;amlet lac%s the
masculne po1er to per)orm- 2or ths+ he /acllates n ta%ng re/enge o) hs )ather`s murder- ;e s eager
to ad/se others but reluctant to accept t because o) hs egostcal nature-
Dpendu Cha%rabart`s stmulatng artcle _(rai 0alet' 5Be "re "ll ;amlet8 sho1s that to
understand the present day stuaton 1e need to read Sha%espeare- Nn/ersalty s not a rgd a))ar3 t
changes ts dentty n /arous 1ays- The problem o) ;amlet s that o) an ntellectual- *eng a
un/ersty student+ he s an a/d reader+ but he )nds t d))cult to ln% hmsel) 1th the content o) the
boo%- Cha%rabart also hnts at ;amlet6s Ledpal relatonshp 1th hs mother+ yet he regards hs )ather
to the utmost- ;s cyncal and rude atttude to1ards 1omen has dstanced hm )rom hs mother-
Cha%rabart compares ;amlet 1th those ntellectuals o) our tme 1ho )ght aganst n&ustce and
become tred- 4n spte o) all these+ ;amlet ta%es re/enge o) hs )ather`s death at the cost o) hs o1n l)e-
Cha%rabart`s nno/at/e deas deser/e apprecaton-
" seres o) artcles both n theme and content ha/e been 1rtten n ths ssue-
CarthaCratm*andopadhyay mentons n _(ader 0alet' 5Lur ;amlet8 the poet *shnu Dey`s t1o
poems l%e _&phelia' and _!lsinore' ha/e rea1a%ened the nterest o) the common *engals` response on
ths tragedy- ;e )urther )eels that ths ;amlet s more a *engal 1rter`s 1or% than Sha%espeare`s+ as
1hen he s at a loss a)ter hs )ather`s death and hs mother`s )ralty+ he 1ants to l/e n Lphela`s lo/e-
;o1e/er+ *andopadhyay &ust)es the reasons )or ;amlet`s procrastnaton n ta%ng the re/enge- Such
stuatons appear l%e household a))ars n today`s *engal and 1e are all but ;amlets 1th our pans
and su))erngs- Though ths essay lac%s proper )ocus+ t possesses )ragments o) brllance- The study
also )als to sho1 ;amlet`s reason n hs madness-
Sudeshna Cha%rabarty`s artcle _Denark-er ;ubara+ Banglai: 0alet-er-Bangiya #up' 5The
Crnce o) Denmar% n *engal?The *engalsaton o) ;amlet8 s a study o) the /arous translatons and
adaptatons o) the plays snce the days o) the *rtsh rule- Ths sho1s the )ondness o) the *engals )or
222@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Sha%espeare and that n no other 4ndan language had Sha%espeare been 1or%ed upon so much tll date-
Cha%ra/orty )eels that adaptatons appealed more to the audence than cultural translatons+ as they
lo/ed to see the characters n 4ndan costumes and local names- So+ Grsh Ghosh`s translaton became
less popular 1th the masses though crtcs ha/e acclamed t hghly-@/en t s true 1th ,dyasagar`s
adaptaton o) _Bhrantibilas'< ;er artcle on _Bange .acbeth' s more comprehens/e than ths
"bh&t Sen n hs essay _Shakespeare-er .ancha Nirdesh &' 0alet' 5Sha%espeare`s Stage
Drecton and ;amlet8 g/es an account o) the stage drecton durng the early modern perod n
@ngland- ;e compares the stage set?up o) Sha%espeare and *en (onson and sho1s 1hy the latter 1as
better though Sha%espeare had hs audence n hs mnd 1hle 1rtng the plays- *eng an actor+
play1rght and partner o) the producton+ Sen con)rms that Sha%espeare`s ad/ce made the productons
more acceptable and drectons more e))ect/e-
"mtabha !oy n _Shakespeare-er 0alet na (aderR'54s t Sha%espeare`s _;amlet` or oursF8+
admts canddly that all theatre producers across the 1orld bele/e that theatrcal e))orts reman
ncomplete ) they do not stage Sha%espeare`s _;amlet` at least once n ther career- 4) ths appears
hyperbolc+ !oy ctes nstances o) t1enteth century leadng drectors n the 1hole o) @urope- $odern
drectors do not lmt ;amlet smply as a product o) G!enassance humanstH but more as a humanst
1ho )osters the phlosophy o) our l)e+ tme and socety- @/en today+ 1e /sual7e the agony as 1ell as
e9hlaraton o) the tragc protagonst n our socety as ) the play has been a product o) the recent tme-
The play has not been restrcted to a de)nte perod but hs /oce echoes through generatons- !oy tres
to contempor7e ;amlet n the post?colonal perspect/e-
$an&ubhash $tra`s artcle _1reud-er (loke 0alet' 5;amlet n the lght o) 2reudan
4nterpretaton8 s a study 1hch manly hghlghts ho1 the tragedy o) _;amlet` has enormously helped
2reud to establsh hs psychoanalytcal doctrne o) the GLedpus Comple9H- $tra n hs study ctes the
e9ample o) Kenneth $ur 1ho opned n one crtcal essay n an antthetcal tone+ to say that+ GLedpus
Comple9H s the %ey to ;amlet`s character s to under/alue the comple9ty o) the play- Ln the contrary+
$ur suggests that super?ego seems to be more mportant )actor n analy7ng the character o) _;amlet`
but 2reud bele/ed that super?ego s the result o) GLedpus Comple9-H $tra )eels that accordng to
2reud`s nterpretaton+ he regarded ;amlet as a ne1 ncarnaton o) Kng Ledpus- ;e could not shed
o)) hs chldhood GLedpus Comple9H as hs )ather 1as hs model- $oreo/er+ had he been more
223@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
engrossed n hs 1orld o) lo/e rather than egostcally en/yng hs mother`s con&ugal l)e+ much o) the
tragedy could ha/e been a/erted- ;o1e/er+ $tra seems to be abrupt n hs treatment o) 2reud and
Sha%espeare-
There are other artcles l%e _0alet: Chinta &' Sanbitti' 5Thoughts and Conscousness8 by
Satya *andopadhyay+ _0alet: Kichu Katha: Bangla Natak &' .anche 0alet' 5;amlet> Some
Lbser/atons> *engal Drama and the Stagng o) ;amlet8 by "&t Kumar Ghosh+ _!lsinorer;ishu' 5The
(esus o) @lsnore8 by Tapat Gupta+ _Ccasso+ "argau+ ;amlet` by Sam% *andopadhyay and _0alet
baBangaliBhadrolok' 5;amlet or the *engal Gentleman8-Keta% Kusar Dyson+ one o) the
dstngushed contemporary *engal scholars l/ng n @ngland translated a )e1 songs o) Lphela- "
)e1 sgn)cant translatons o) the play`s selected passages l%e (atndranath Sen Gupta`s _;amlet` 54+ ?
8+ "&t Gangopadhyay`s 54+/8+ Tarun Sanyal`s 54+ +8 So/a Sen et al ha/e been ncluded n the lst to
mar% Auatercentenary year o) the play- "nother notable obser/aton s that some dstngushed
crtcsms on the play by emnent crtcs l%e T- S- @lot+ *ors Casterna%+ and 4an Kottha/e been
translated )or the *engal readers+ though they are not o) hgh mert- ;o1e/er+ the endea/our to brng
out such a boo% deser/es apprecaton )rom the readers to scholars- Cror to ths publcaton+ *engal
lttle maga7nes brought out artcles+ 1hch had arbtrary topcs and re/ol/ed round the perphery o)
apprecaton )or Sha%espeare and hs rele/ance n today`s 1orld rather than any crtcal or analytcal
e/aluatons-
The *engals ha/e made Sha%espeare ther o1n 1rter n the last t1o centures not only by
mere translatons or by adaptatons o) the plays and poems but also by ther stage per)ormances and
pedagogcal studes- ;o1e/er+ the academcs )aled n most cases n brngng out nno/at/e
nterpretatons and e/aluatons o) the plays n %eepng 1th the taste o) the a/erage *engals-
Comparat/ely+ the lttle maga7nes had e/o%ed a better response )or the *engalsaton o) the bard o)
"/on-
6on+lusion
*ut+ all sad all done3 certan unpalatable thoughts ne/tably haunt our mnd 1th a regret)ul note
1hch s e9pressed n bre) as )ollo1s>
*engal had 1tnessed ts cultural heydays durng the nneteenth century and early t1enteth
century 1th an aura o) *engal !enassance+ the splendour o) the legendary stal1arts n the )eld o) art+
224@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
lterature+ )ne arts etc- Kol%ata n the *rtsh perod had an edge o/er other ctes n 4nda as t 1as the
captal o) the country tll 1'11- !ghtly enough s Kol%ata called the cultural captal o) 4nda- The
aphorsm G1hat *engal thn%s today+ 4nda 1ll thn% tomorro1+H stll re/erberates n the *engal ar-
@n&oyng such prde o) place n so )ar as cultural e9cellence s concerned+ Kol%ata s /ery logcally
e9pected to ha/e reaped the most plent)ul and brllant har/est n Sha%espeare studes or stagng o) hs
plays n the country-
Ths e9pected phenomenon+ ho1e/er+ remaned unattaned- Sha%espeare crtcsm both n terms
o) Aualty and n Auantty e/nced ts hgh and lo1 1th )lashes o) brllance at tmes and palng nto
medocrty /ery o)ten- *esdes+ t has been ponted out+ Sha%espeare crtcsm most )reAuently
remaned under the long shado1 o) the "nglo?"mercan crtcs- " shade more o) nno/at/e brllance
1as ndeed e9pected than toeng the Best6s lne n most parts n the 1hole gamut o) the crtcsm-
Sha%espeare studes too n the academc spheres 1ere charactersed by /ery rregular radance- *oth
crtcsm and standard o) academc studes could rarely soar up to the heghts o) nternatonal glory-
Bhen t comes to stagng o) Sha%espeare`s plays *engal had o) course a )e1 productons+
1hch+ apart )rom beng popular+ deser/ed to be ran%ed hgh+ though most o) the rest may be
consdered as most commonplace- @/en )lm ma%ng n *engal 1hch has catapulted Kol%ata to the
specal porch n 1orld )lm n terms o) Aualty 1th the genuses l%e Satya&t !ay+ $rnal Sen and a
)e1 others+ almost sho1s a /acuum n producng )lms 1th the storylne or themes o) Sha%espeare`s
plays- Ths /acuum s ndeed /ery surprsng and de)es e9planaton-
Nntl date+ 1e ha/e not )ound anythng l%e 4an Kott`s percepton o) Sha%espeare n the
contemporary conte9t- Cerhaps our colonal hango/er s responsble )or our lac% o) courage to see
Sha%espeare through our o1n eyes- The *engal Sha%espeare scholars ha/e )aled n ma%ng a mar%
and that s 1hy "nglo? "mercan Sha%espeare studes hardly re)er to *engal Sha%espeare scholars-
"t the end+ t must be admtted that n spte o) the *engal academcs` e9tens/e e9posure to the
*rtsh studes+ there has not been a *engal crtc counterpart o) 4an Kott 1ho can o))er a ne1
perspect/e on Sha%espeare studes n terms o) our 4ndan culture and socety- 4n the ultmate analyss+
our Sha%espearean studes are largely "nglo?centrc and ha/e to go a long 1ay be)ore 1e can assert an
ndependent /oce-
22?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Boo#s >eferred
"hsan+ #a7mul- Translaton n 1'
th
Century *engal Theatre-Dha%a> *angla "cademy+ 1''0-
*aner&ee+ Sr%umar 5@d-8 and others-Shakespeare Caturtha ;ana Sata$arsa Saraka Grantha<
Calcutta :Sata$arsikSaity- 1'64-5Sha%espeare Duater Centenary Celebraton Commttee+ Calcutta+
1'648-
*andopadhyay+ Satya- Shakespeare &'*anr *heatre 6Sha%espeare and ;s Theatre-7??" Collecton o)
@ssays on Sha%espeare-Kol%ata> Crathbhas+ 2::2-
*hattacharya+ $ohn $ohan- @l7abethan Stage+ the "udence+ and Sha%espeare`s Clay+ Kol%ata>
Calcutta Nn/ersty+ 1'0.
*s1as+ Dnesh Chandra- Sceptcsm n Sha%espeare and other @ssays 5Bth a )ore1ord by Cro)- S-C-
Sen Gupta8 Calcutta+ !abndra *harat Nn/ersty+ 1'87-
Sha%espeare n hs L1n Tme+ #e1 Delh> $acmllan+ 1'7'-
Sha%espeare`s Treatment o) hs Sources n the Comedes-Calcutta> (ada/pur Nn/ersty+ 1'71-
*ose+ "malendu 5@d-8 Calcutta @ssays on Sha%espeare+ Calcutta> Calcutta Nn/ersty+ 1'66-
Cha%ra/orty+ (agannath- The 4dea o) !e/enge n Sha%espeare 1th specal re)erences to
;amlet-Calcutta>(ada/pur Nn/ersty+ 1'6'-
??? Kng Eear> Sha%espeare`s @9stental ;ero-Calcutta3 The Sha%espeare Socety and "/at?Garde
Cress+ 1'':-
Cha%ra/orty+ S1apan- _Shakespeare` 2+ Ganendra$tra Eane+ Kol%ata = 4-
??? G*angalr4ngre&SahtyaCharchaH 5@ssays on Eterature+ Sha%espeare+ ;story
and "esthetcs8 Kol%ata ?'+ "nustoop+ 2::6-
Chaudhur+ Sarban- Sha%espeare and the Dscourse o) Crotest- Calcutta+ Sarat *oo% ;ouse+ 1''8-
??? 5@d-8 !e?Cresentng Sha%espeare- 54nterpretatons and Translatons8 Dept- o)
@nglsh+ Nn/ersty o) Kalyan+ Kalyan+ 2::2-
??? 5@d-8 !e?Cresentng Sha%espeare-5Te9t+ Cer)ormance and "nalyss8 Dept- o)
@nglsh+ Nn/ersty o) Kalyan+ Kalyan+2::2-
Chaudhur+ Su%anta-4n)rm Glory=Sha%espeare and the !enassance 4mage o) $an+ L9)ord+ Clarendon
Cress+ 1'81-
??? !enassance Castoral and ts @nglsh De/elopments+ L9)ord+ 5L9)ord Nn/ersty
Cress8 1'8'-
226@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
??? Sha%espeare 1thout @nglsh> The !ecepton o) Sha%espeare n #on?
"nglophone Countres- @dted by Su%anta Chaudhur+ Chee Seng Em3 5Cearson
@ducaton+ #e1 Delh+ 2::68-
??? "n "nthology o) @l7abethan Coetry3 5L9)ord Nn/ersty Cress8+ 2::8-
??? The $etaphyscs o) Te9t3 5Cublshed by Cambrdge Nn/ersty Cress on (anuary
1+ 2:1.8-
??? !enassance Themes> @ssays Cresented to "run Kumar Das Gupta 5@dted =by
Su%antaChaudhur> "nthem Cress+ 2::'8-
Chatter&ee+ *habotosh 5@d-8 @ssay on Sha%espeare3 *urd1anNn/ersty-*ombay+ Lrent Eongman
1'60-
Chatter&ee+ Kalyan Kumar 5@d-8 Studes n Sha%espeare3 51th an 4ntroducng by Kalyan Kumar
Chatter&ee-The Nn/ersty o) *urd1an+ Best *engal-8
Eahr+ Krshna Chandra-Cedagogues n Sha%espeare3 Calcutta+ Sr ,&ay Krshna Cra%ashan+ 1'67-
Eal"nanda and Su%antaChaudhur 5@d8-Sha%espeare Ln the Calcutta Stage = " Chec% Est- Calcutta
7:: ::43_Capyrus`+ 2 Ganendra $tra Eane+ 2::1-
$atra+ Stangsu- Sha%espeare`s Comc 4dea-Calcutta+ 2rma K- E- $u%hopadhyay+ 1'6:-
$tra+ Sanat Kumar- Shakespeare '&' Bangla Natak- 5*engal8 5Sha%espeare and *engal Drama8
Eecture del/ered n $emory o) Sr "shutosh $u%her&ee+ 51'7883 Kol%ata = '+ Custa%*pan+ 1'8.-
4ndan #atonal Ebrary+ Calcutta-Sha%espeare n 4nda3 5"n e9hbton o) boo%s and llustraton to
celebrate the 2ourth *rth Centenary o) Bllam Sha%espeare8+ Calcutta+ 1'64-
Candey+ #- K- "n 4ntroducton to the Study o) Sha%espeare Crtcsm?_" Study n Changng Catterns`+
Calcutta+ $odern *oo% "gency+ 1'67-
!ay- C- C- The Sha%espearan Cu77le @ndea/ours")ter ts Soluton+ Calcutta+ The Nn/ersty o)
Calcutta+ 1'41-
Samanta+ Subol 5@d-8- 0alet+ 5" Collecton o) Crtcal @ssays8+ 5*engal8-.8<"<a #abndas !oad+
Kol%ata = ':-@bon $usara+ (an?$ar+ 2::2-
Sen+ Tara%nath+ 5@d-8 Sha%espeare Commemoraton ,olume- Calcutta+ Cresdency College+ Calcutta+
1'60-
227@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
??? Three @ssays on Sha%espeare 54ntroducton by S- C- Sen Gupta8-Calcutta+ !upa+
1'78-
Sen Gupta+ Satyaprasad- _Shakespeare' 5*engal8+ Kol%ata+ Cuthpatra+ 1'74-
??? Some "spects o) Sha%espeare`s Sonnets3 1th a )or1ard by ;arold 2- *roo%s+
2
nd
@d-#e1 Delh+ 1'81-
??? Trends n Sha%espearean Crtcsm3 51th a )or1ard by Geo))rey Tllotson-8
Calcutta+ ,dyodaya Ebrary+ 1'60-
Sen Gupta+ Subodh Chandra Sha%espeare3 " *oo% o) ;omage- Calcutta+ (ada/pur Nn/ersty+ 1'60-
??? Sha%espearan Comedy- Calcutta Geo))rey Cumberlege+ L- N- C- Eondon+ 1'0:-
??? "spects o) Sha%espearan Tragedy+ Calcutta+ L-N-C- 1'72-
??? Sha%espeare`s ;storcal Clays-Eondon+ L-N-C- 1'0:-
??? " Sha%espearan $anual-Calcutta+ L-N-C- 1'77-
??? _Sha%espeare and Keats` = 5" $onograph-8Calcutta+ Sha%espeare Socety and
"/ant?garde Cress+ 1'86-
??? The Bhrlgg o) Tme> _The Croblem o) Duraton o) Sha%espeare`s Clays+
Calcutta+ Lrent Eongman 1'61-
Sha%espeare Through the "ges- Sha%espeare Duarter Century ,olume- *ombay+ Lrent
Eongman 1'60-
Sen+ Tara%nath+ 5@d-8 Sha%espeare Commemoraton ,olume- Calcutta+ Cresdency College+ Calcutta+
1'60-
??? Three @ssays on Sha%espeare 54ntroducton by S- C- Sen Gupta8-Calcutta+ !upa+
1'78-
Sen Gupta+ Satyaprasad- _Shakespeare' 5*engal8+ Kol%ata+ Cuthpatra+ 1'74-
??? Some "spects o) Sha%espeare`s Sonnets3 1th a )or1ard by ;arold 2- *roo%s+
2
nd
@d-#e1 Delh+ 1'81-
22D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
??? Trends n Sha%espearean Crtcsm3 51th a )or1ard by Geo))rey Tllotson-8
Calcutta+ ,dyodaya Ebrary+ 1'60-
Sen Gupta+ Subodh Chandra Sha%espeare3 " *oo% o) ;omage- Calcutta+ (ada/pur Nn/ersty+ 1'60-
??? Sha%espearan Comedy- Calcutta Geo))rey Cumberlege+ L- N- C- Eondon+ 1'0:-
??? "spects o) Sha%espearan Tragedy+ Calcutta+ L-N-C- 1'72-
??? Sha%espeare`s ;storcal Clays-Eondon+ L-N-C- 1'0:-
??? " Sha%espearan $anual-Calcutta+ L-N-C- 1'77-
??? _Sha%espeare and Keats` = 5" $onograph-8Calcutta+ Sha%espeare Socety and
"/ant?garde Cress+ 1'86-
??? The Bhrlgg o) Tme> _The Croblem o) Duraton o) Sha%espeare`s Clays+
Calcutta+ Lrent Eongman 1'61-
Sha%espeare Through the "ges- Sha%espeare Duarter Century ,olume- *ombay+ Lrent
Eongman 1'60-
S%dar+ Ep%a- Sha%espeare n the $eda- Calcutta+ The Sha%espeare Socety and "/ant?grade Cress3
1'''-
Arindam %u.her/ee is an .<(- .<"hil- in !nglish )iterature fro Bni$ersity of Calcutta where he has
recently subitted his doctoral thesis on %*he Changing Bengali #esponse to Shakespeare: ( Critical
Study of Shakespeare Criticis by Bengali :riters @ (cadeics<' 0e has also published an article on
%Narratology@ its De$elopentsin Biblical Sason- .iltonic Sason @ 0ollywood Sason<' 0e wrote
soe articles in Bengali for $arious Bengali )ittle .aga/ines published fro Kolkata< 0e also
participated acti$ely and presented papers in the %:orld Shakespeare Conference- ALLL<' (t present- he
teaches !nglish at GhutiaBa/ar .allickBati "athsala60<S7 in 0ooghly- :est Bengal- India<
,ra+ing the :istori+al >oots of "ol#ataEs North-South
/i&ide
3adhusree 6hatto0adh1a1
$'stra+t> Kol%ata e9perenced a process o) a ne1 pattern o) urbansm n the )rst hal) o) the t1enteth
century manly n the southern part o) the cty- Ths paper see%s to trace the de/elopment o) both north
and south Kol%ata n the colonal tmes and tres to )nd 1hy the physcal appearance o) the cty
d))ered n the t1o parts o) the cty+ ho1 )rom the late eghteenth century the t1o Kol%ata+ namely the
_Sahebpara` or the @uropean Auarter and the nat/e porton also labelled as the _blac% to1n` gre1 up+
that /ast areas o) the southern locatons 1ere rural areas 1th s1amps and marshland e/en n the )rst
hal) o) the t1enteth century and ho1 the act/tes o) the Kol%ata 4mpro/ement Trust led to the
emergence o) a )ashonable+ 1ell?ordered GsouthH 1hle the )alure o) the Trust to reshape the north led
to the contnuance o) the hstorc north =south d/de o) the cty-
I
4n the study o) the process o) the urban7aton o) Kol%ata 1e can put )orth t1o smpl)ed categores+
the urbansm o) the banyan?landlord?merchant class gong bac% to the eghteenth century on the
northern part o) Kol%ata and the ne1 urbansm o) mddle and upper mddle class+ mostly n the south
)rom the early decades o) the t1enteth century- 4n the early nneteenth century a ne1 style o) l/ng
de/eloped and the _Bellngton SAuare?College Street?Corn1alls Street a9s 1th lanes and by?lanes
radatng )rom t or meetng t 1as eagerly sought a)ter as an alternat/e to the )ar older Chtpur !oad?
*urraba7ar a9s`-
1
Eater n the second hal) o) the nneteenth century+ Kol%ata began to gro1 )ast 1th a
concerted plan o) go/ernance along 1th a cohes/e to1n plan beng lad out+ outlnng mpro/ed
santary and muncpal n)rastructure- "s tme rolled on+ the process+ nature and e9tent o) the urban
de/elopment o) the cty o) colonal Kol%ata n the last decade o) nneteenth and )rst hal) o) the
t1enteth century sa1 rapd strdes- The perod around 1'11 can be seen as an mportant 1atershed-
23(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Ths partcular year sa1 t1o sgn)cant e/ents ?namely the trans)er o) captal )rom Kol%ata to Delh
and settng up o) the Kol%ata 4mpro/ement Trust+ both the e/ents that remar%ably a))ected Kol%ata`s
urban destny- 4t can be suggested ho1 conscous cty buldng pro&ects+ especally the act/tes o)
Kol%ata 4mpro/ement Trust 1hch came nto e9stence n 1'11 n the )ootsteps o) *ombay
4mpro/ement Trust+ le)t ts mpact on the cty`s urban hstory- The Trust emphas7ed more on the
demolton o) old + dlapdated buldngs rather than remodellng and restorng old structures as Ga
permanent and e))ect/e soluton o/er other less drastc measures`` leadng to a steady loss o)
promnence o) the northern secton o) the cty- Nnder the a9e o) Trust the glorous days o) north
Kol%ata 1aned a1ay )ast and the erst1hle _babus` /anshed n the ar- Smultaneously t came up 1th
plans )or de/elopment by road buldng+ mpro/ed se1erage and smlar beaut)caton plans that led to
e9tenson o) the cty to1ards the southern part l%e n *ho1anpur and later to1ards *allygaunge and
other southern localtes+ along 1th mo/ement o) people to1ards these ne1ly de/elopng areas-
II
4n most o) the lterature o) the late eghteenth century and early nneteenth century there s menton o)
the t1o Kol%ata+ namely the _Sahebpara` or the @uropean Auarter and the nat/e porton also labelled as
the _blac% to1n`-
2
The perod )rom 16':?180: sa1 the pattern o) @nglsh settlement n Kol%ata+
resultng n a process o) urban7aton and e9tenson o) to1n?lmts and the gro1th o) the cty 1th a
G1hte to1nH and a blac% to1nH 1here the nat/e populaton resded- These 1ere surrounded by
perpheral hamlet 5Dihi8+ )ormng a /ared range o) agrcultural and )shng settlements+ sacred spots+
tradng halts+ and other nodal pont- The @nglsh to1n clustered round the old )ort+ 1hch occuped the
ste o) present Customs ;ouse and Cost L))ces- "s tme rolled on the @uropean Auarter began to
spread behnd the Cho1rnghee+ connected by three man routes runnng nearly east and 1est- = the
Car%?Street+ Theatre !oad+ and Eo1er Crcular !oad- S%rtng the @uropean Auarters on the north and
the east 1ere the nat/e Auarters- Kol%ata 1as nterspersed 1th bastis or nat/e hamlets o) mud hut-
@ast1ards )rom Chtpore !oad these bastis became numerous- Durng the perod 1707 to 18::+ the
reclamaton o) the 1aste and &ungle?lands became rapd- ")ter the battle o) Classey+ a greater sense o)
securty enabled the @nglsh to bult houses a1ay )rom the )ort- ;ouse buldng act/tes began on a
large scale- @arler there 1ere /ery )e1 _pucca' d1ellngs+ partcularly n the nat/e Auarter+ and most
23!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
houses 1ere bult 1th stra1 and mud- ;ence)orth+ the constructon o) pucca d1ellngs s1elled up
-Ths mar%ed the begnnng o) rapd phase o) urban7aton n early Kol%ata- Durng ths perod the
nat/e resdents 1ere remo/ed )rom the /llage o) Go/ndapur to Sutanut and the ne1 2ort Bllam
began to be erected- Smultaneously the old r/er )ront 1as gradually abandoned and ne1 buldngs
came to be erected to1ards the south )ace o) the @splanade- The southerly locaton o) the ne1 )ort
ren)orced a south1ard thrust to the @uropean Auarter-
Nnl%e the nat/e Auarter on the north that generated an mpresson o) utter dsgust and
contempt+ the @uropean part had semblance and order+ and appeared pleasng to the spectator- The
@uropean Auarter 1as )ar better+ 1th 1ell lad out road- 4n )act the @uropean to1n stood n dar%
contrast to the nat/e Auarter 1th ts huts and other runous d1ellngs- The @uropean Auarter 1as long
been celebrated )or 1ell stoc%ed gardens+ long lnes o) casurnas+ tall bushes o) tamarnd and banyan
trees- 4t lay n the south end o) the cty- The beaut)ul plan called the $adan stretched a mle and hal)
long+ e9tendng to1ards the r/er- GThe madan spreads o/er a spacous area+ ntersected by /ery broad
roads+ and on t1o sdes o) ths superb Auadrangle a part o) the cty and the )ashonable suburb o)
Cho1rnghee e9tend themsel/es-H
.
2ort Bllam stood on the centre o) the r/er ban%- The plan 1as
al1ays green+ and contaned se/eral old trees+ along 1th large 1ater bodes- The resdence o) the
@nglsh bordered nner sde o) the plan- The houses 1ere adorned 1th 1hte 1alls+ broad /erandas+
and green ,enetan 1ndo1s- George (ohnson
4
1rtes Gn the best streets there are chmneyless )orms
o) the house+ 1th ther coloumned /erandahs+ and spacous 1ndo1s`` that remnded hm o) the hey
days o) "thens+ &ust)yng the ttle _the cty o) palaces Gto Kol%ata- "ll the mportant go/ernment
buldngs )aced the plan to the north- Ln the @ast+ 1ere the )nely bult houses o) the suburb o)
Cho1rnghee-
"t the cross?road opposte the 2ort+ a )ne panoramc /e1 o) Kol%ata n the rght could be seen+
1th Cho1rnghee on the le)t and 2ort Bllam+ r/er and shppng n the )ront 1hte pllared buldng
and a sunlt atmosphere = a grassy plan 1th coconut+ clumps o) bamboos rearng thn )eathery sprays
n the ar- " dr/e+ along the Crcular !oad brought the /stor nto more mmedate contact 1th the
morasses and 1lderness 1hch surround the habtatons o) the @uropeans n the outs%rts o) the cty-
Ths part o) Kol%ata s che)ly the resdence o) shop%eepers+ cler%s etc+ both *rtons and 4ndo?*rtons+
especally the latter+ and seldom men )rom the )ashonable porton o) the cty /st ths place- The nat/e
to1n occuped nearly s9 sAuare mles o) the entre cty- 4t 1as also called the *lac% To1n+ and
232@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
e9tended along the r/er n the #orth- 4t )lled all the northern end+ and ran to the South along the bac%
o) the @nglsh Auarter- Ths part o) the cty s lttle to boast o)+ and 1as much lo1 n standard than those
o) the old localtes )ound n Delh+ *enaras or Npper 4nda- @9cept a )e1 trun% roads bult by the
*rtsh+ the streets+ roads and lanes 1ere too narro1 -@mma !oberts 1rtes Ga more 1retched loo%ng
place can scarcely be magned+ drty+ cro1ded+ ll?bult and aboundng 1th beggars and bad smells-H
0
$on%land 1rtes as e/ery cty n the )ace o) the earth has some labyrnth n the care+ so also the cty o)
palaces s not 1thout lanes+ alleys+ and dtch+ blac% as style rat?n)ested- There 1ere numerous ba7aars
n the localty+ that 1ere al1ays n a cro1ded state- The *araba7ar 1as almost n a runous state- There
1ere numerous shops+ sellng tems o) myrad /aretes+ and the roads 1ere lttered 1th dust . The
nat/e ba7aar 1as )ull o) unsghtly artcles o) e/ery descrpton- 2e1 o) the houses+ e9cept those
e9clus/ely o1ned by the @uropeans 1ere %ept n good shape and repar The courtyard o) the houses
1ere )ull o) ltter and there 1as an ar o) sAualor spread o/er the 1hole area- The streets n nat/e
Auarter 1ere remar%ably narro1 and n a cro1ded state+ dotted 1th stagnant and conseAuently
o))ens/e dran+ that seem prophetc o) masma and pestlence- ;o1e/er scattered o/er the cty+ though
on narro1 streets+ 1ere the )amly mansons o) nat/e gentlemen+ 1th ther broad central courtyard+
pllared /erandahs and numerous rooms- Some 1ere palaces n appearance+ but 1ere surrounded by
)lthy drans+ many 1ere out o) repar+ The 1alls 1ere eaten by saltpetre+ the courtyards 1ere )ull o)
heaps o) rubbsh+ o/ergro1th o) 1eeds and threatenng to tumble nto run+ sgn)yng the rse and )all
o) the )ortune o) the nat/e gentry- To most @uropean eyes 1hat 1as str%ng 1as that palatal structure
and mserable mud huts o) nat/es stood sde by sde- The to1n 1as bult 1thout any care to beauty or
regularty- @mma !oberts 1rtes that amdst mud hut and small dngy brc% tenements and the
dlapdated ba7aars o) the mddlng and lo1er classes o) nat/es+ there are good?loo%ng houses
enclosed n court?yards+ belongng to the "rmenans merchants+ Carsees and the *engal gentlemen o)
great 1ealth and respectablty- The a/enues 1hch lead to these mansons are e9ceedngly narro1+ but
most buldngs had beaut)ul garden+ 1here )lo1ers o) many /arety blossomed- " mud hut+ or ro1s o)
nat/e ho/els+ constructed o) mats+ thatch and bamboo o)ten rest aganst the outer 1all o) palaces-
III
(ames Eong n an artcle publshed n the GCalcutta !e/e1H ttled GCalcutta n the Llden Tmes> 4ts
EocaltesH
6
g/es descrpton o) many old localtes o) the late eghteenth and early nneteenth century-
233@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
;e begns 1th Khdrpur- The localtes that are descrbed n successon are Chaurngh+ thence to Tan%
SAuare and ts /cnty and then Chtpore- The descrpton ends 1th the Crcular !oad- 4nterestngly+
only three places are descrbed on the south o) 2ort Bllam n detals+ namely Khdrpur+ Garden
!each and "lpore ndcatng that the rest o) the areas 1ere almost unnhabted and had no proper
means o) communcaton- Khdrpur could be approached )rom nland by the ;astngs` *rdge+ 1hch
stood near the much )amed Surman`s Garden- South o) the garden 1as the lmt o) Company`s colony
called Go/ndapur- Close to t 1as the Batson`s Doc%- The Damond ;arbour !oad termnated at
Khdrpur- The 1ay )rom Khdrpur to *ursea 1as lned 1th trees+ e9tendng thrty nne mles to
Damond ;arbour- The ne9t localty o) mportance 1as Garden !each+ mentoned e/en n the map o)
General $artne 5176:8- 4t 1as a )a/ourte place o) resdence Gout o) the to1nH+ and contaned many
)ne bunglo1s- Eong n)orms us that Bllam (ones 1ho l/ed n Garden !each tra/elled /a Khdrpur+
as then there 1ere no drect route )rom Garden !each to Kol%ata n those days- 4n those days the
neghbourhood o) the old )ort 1as too stu))y+ and the only open spot )or )resh ar 1as the !espondenta
1al%+ lyng beyond Chandpal Ghat+ )or most the outlyng land 1as )ull o) &ungle n)ested 1th 1ld
anmals- Ceople returned to Kol%ata n the cold season )rom ther country /llas+ many o) 1hch 1ere n
Garden !each- Smlarly "lpore+ 1th *el/edere+ 1as a )a/ourte spot o) ;astngs- 4t 1as the country?
house n those days+ as 1as *arrac%pore n the tme o) Bellesley- The General ;osptal 1as pre/ously
a garden house o) an nd/dual and later purchased house o) an nd/dual and later purchased by the
go/ernment- #orth o) "lpore )lo1ed the GTolly`s #ullahH+ ts old name beng Go/ndapur cree%+
1here the )amous nat/e merchants named Seths resded-
The ne9t mportant localty 1as Chourong+ a )a/ourte spot o) retreat )rom the hot and
unhealthy to1n- Cho1rnghee orgnated )rom the Grage )or country houseH- 4n the eghteenth century t
1as a )ar?a1ay place and )or )ear o) dacoty and robbery+ pal%?bearers charged double )are-
7
Eater t
de/eloped nto a localty )ull o) garden houses- @mma !oberts 1rtesH 518.78 Gthe Suburb o)
Cho1rnghee had lately e9tended o/er a large tract o) countryH- 4t 1as the )a/ourte resdence o) the
@uropean communty- $ost houses here stood separate+ standng n the mdst o) garden- #o partcular
plan 1as )ollo1ed 1hle they 1ere erected+ but most o) these are pleasant+ and the trees and )lo1erng
shrubs adorned the place- 2rom the roo)s o) these houses the r/er 1th d))erent %nds o) /essels+ and
the to1ers and pnnacles o) ma&estc buldngs can be seen + and nearer at hand+ s1amps and patches
o) unreclamed &ungles-
8
234@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
To1ards the close o) the eghteenth century+ more houses come to be erected- Np&on`s map
sho1s t1enty )our houses n Chourong+ bet1een Dharmatala and *r&talao+ the Crcular !oad and the
Clan- Car% Street n Np&on`s map 517'48 s called *ural Ground road+ beng out o) to1n n the
eghteenth century and a route )or burals )rom northern part o) Tan% SAuare-
Cerhaps the most mportant and )amous localty n the south 1as Kalghat+ )reAuented both by
the @uropeans and the nat/es- $on%land
'
recollects hs /st to GCalla GhatH- The latter 1as stuated
on the ban%s o) a small GnullahH+ or channel o) communcaton Gbet1een the Sunderbans and ;ooghly-
The temple appeared n hs eyes to be an mposng structure and a Gsubstantal mason 1or%H+ standng
n the mdst o) seres o) common stra1 thatched nat/e hut- " great number o) nat/es came to ths
place- $on%land 1rtes that e/en _SatH 1as per)ormed here- $ary Carpenter also recollects her /st to
Kalghat- (ames Eong accompaned her to the /st o) the temple o) Kal-She sad that the temple 1as
stuated on a Gthc%ly populated suburbH+ 1th narro1 lanes and small shops on ts both sdes-
1:
2urther south+ thc%ets o) trees+ 1eeds+ pools+ small stagnant tan%s+ &heels+ and )orests abounded
e/ery1here on each sde o) the road )rom Cho1rnghee+ *re&eeltullah+ to the end o) !ussapuglah+ on
each sde o) the Kalghat !oad+ on to Tolly`s *rdge+ on each sde o) the Tolly`s #ullah- 4n the md
nneteenth century the "lpore &al 1as the healthest part o) the southern localtes- The 1hole o)
"lpore 1as hgher+ and better draned+ the sol s sandy+ and hardy- "lpore &al 1as an open space+
clear o) &ungle+ and the prsoners could breadth pure ar+ )or there 1as absence o) &angal+ )lth+ bad
1ater and other nusances 1hch normally a))ected the other localtes n the outs%rts- The ar 1as
clear+ and the &al tan% 1as probably the best+ o) any+ ether n or near Kol%ata- "lso n *allygunge+ the
sol condton 1as less harm)ul )or health- The sol o) *allygunge beng sandy+ could absorb 1ater and
Glands to the south?east as )ar as Gurrah?haut+ and /ery )ar beyond that place are an open plan+
occasonally 1th the e9cepton o) garden cult/aton+ cult/ated 1th rce or tobacco to the e9tent o)
many mles+ say t1enty+ and t s only here and there that /llages are to be seen+ and these at a great
dstance )rom each otherUH-
11
The nundaton o) 18.. caused sc%ness n e/ery house o) Garden
!each+ and other parts o) suburbs+ e9cept *allygunge and "lpore &al- Great mortalty a))ected the
nat/e populaton- The )loodng e/en a))ected the health o) the cty+ rate o) mortalty nearly doubled n
18.. - 2-C- Strong re)ers to Crnce Sooroodeen+ 1ho allo1ed &ungles to gro1 up to hs /ery doors at
!ussapuglah- Strong also re)ers to resdence o) a nat/e doctor+ 1hose )amly house 1as at
23?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*ho1anpur- 4t 1as a place o) &ungle 1th an old pggery+ nhabted by chamars and ther pgs- The
nat/e ded o) dseases caused by ths e9tremely unhealthy atmospherc surroundngs- 4n Garden !each+
scarcely a house escaped the epdemc )e/er- $artn obser/es that n all these places+ not s9 sAuare
acres o) sol occuped by the nat/es 1ere there 1hch dd not contan marsh+ and other concentrated
source o) perodc )e/er + leadng to dsease o) spleen and )atal darrhoea- #early t1o thrd o) the poor
1ho manly l/ed n ths localty ded o) these dseases- Kdderpore+ 1hch 1as less populous+ had
greatly surpassed *ho1aneepore n ts unhealthness- #o part o) *engal or Lrssa+ had a localty so
generally bad - 2e/er 1as general throughout+ e/en n the healthest season+ along 1th 1ant o) good
1ater- There 1as not a sAuare )oot that 1as not n a surprsng state o) neglect and portons bet1een the
*rdge end and Kyd`s doc% 1as one entre +heel 5shallo1 la%e8- *oth *ho1aneepore and Khdderpore
1ere pecularty e9posed to the e))ects o) nundaton-
IV
The south contaned a )la/our o) ruralty e/en n the early parts o) the t1enteth century- !ecollectons
o) these places n se/eral autobographes and memors o) ths tme amply descrbes the ctyscape -
"hndra Choudhury recollects that on the Shambhunath Candt Street+ 1here later Calcutta Club 1as
bult+ stood the house o) the agent o) the Tram Company- *ehnd t 1as the tram depot and also a stable
)or horses+ )or carrage 1as the prncpal means o) transport n those days- 4t had beaut)ul /y creeper
on all sdes- ,ctora $emoral 1as yet to be completed- Ln the east o) ths land stood the _;abldar
Tan%`+ used by common people )or bathng- There 1ere t1o bg banyan trees+ and n )ront o) the church
stood a huge )eld called _church? )eld`- 4n part o) ths ground the garden o) the ,ctora $emoral 1as
lad out later- Ln ts 1estern sde o) t 1as the !ace Course-
12
@/en *allygaunge o) ths tme e9hbted
an ar o) ruralty- The ba7aar o) ;a& Dasm stood at the ste o) the present crossng o) !ashbehar
"/enue- Ln the south?east o) ths crossng stood the haunted house o) Tpu Sultan- ;uge banyan trees
gre1 on ts roo)top- The place generated an eere sensaton- Lne 1ould )eel scared to go there e/en
durng daytme-
1.
The tram ran up to the Garahat crossng- Then one had to 1al% to mo/e ahead- ,ery
)e1 houses stood here and there- *allygaunge 1as sparsely populated- There 1ere )e1 /ehcles on the
road+ but only the slo1?mo/ng tram that ran la7ly o/er the !ashbehar "/enue- ;ouses 1ere )e1 n
number- $ost o) t 1as open )eld 1th greenery on all sdes- $any 1al%ed ther 1ay through the bye
lanes to catch the tram- The &ungles 1ere not yet cleared- *ulloc% carts mo/ed n a ro1 on the road-
236@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The 1ay ahead 1as almost dar%- There 1ere some small grocery shops- The land 1as marshy and
s1ampy- Dense gro1th o) 1ater hyacnth )loated on numerous 1aterbodes that dotted ths localty--
*allygaunge 1as not a )a/oured choce o) resdence e/en n the early decades o) the t1enteth century-
Those 1ho had bult houses near *allygaunge staton? on the Staton !oad lamented that there 1ere no
tenants 1ho 1ould l%e to compromse the ad/antage o) the cty and come to l/e n a place )ull o)
&ungle+ 1th the ho1l o) the &ac%al that could be heard n the bac% yard o) the house-
L) the total eght sAuare mles o) area+ the nat/e Kol%ata occupyng the northern hal) o) the
1hole 1as about )our sAuare mles- Ths part o) the to1n lyng on the #orth 1as a Gscattered and
con)used chaos o) houses+ sheds+ huts+ streets+ lanes+ alleys+ 1ndngs+ gulleys+ sn%s and tan%s+ &umbled
together nto an undstngushed mass o) )lth and corrupton-H
14
Eater 1hen the commercal pro)le o)
the cty mpro/ed+ GkutchaH houses 1ere replaced by masonry buldngs erected on the same ste-
Calatal houses came to be erected on the narro1est 1ndngs- 4n north Kol%ata there 1ere large areas
1here at least hal) the masonry buldngs 1ere unapproachable by any 1heeled /ehcle - 4t 1as mostly
courtyard type houses because o) the Gpurdah =systemH- Ths type o) house dsallo1ed n)ltraton o)
sunrays or )ree )lo1 o) ar- 2urther there 1as nnate un1llngness o) some people to lea/e the area o)
ther ancestor- The *engal )amles had an e9traordnary a))ecton )or ther ancestral house and 1ere
apathetc to sh)t e/en ) the house 1as n the 1orst dlapdated condton- 2urther the GnadeAuate
buldngs la1s and the nclnaton to e/ade e/en those 1hch e9sted + produced an e9traordnary
number o) buldngs upon lands 1hch under modern condtons 1ould not be a/alable )or buldng at
all- 4t 1as a common )eature o) the to1n to )nd an e9pens/e and 1ell constructed buldng ha/ng ts
)rontage upon a lane a )e1 )eet n 1dth+ and the ground )loor and e/en some o) the upper )loors both
lghtless and arless- 4nterspersed 1th these brc%?bult houses 1ere bloc%s o) mud and bamboo huts-
The most str%ng )eature o) the archtectural pattern o) Kol%ata 1as the number o) bustee d1ellngs o)
a more or less nsantary character n almost e/ery part o) the to1n- The &u9taposton o) good and bad
buldngs 1as eAually notceable- These 1ere e9tremely unhealthy because ther )oundatons 1ere
damp and they harbored rats+ the transporters o) plague- The rregular 1ndng lanes+ co/ered dtches+
se1ers 1ere n many cases the /entlaton channels )or propertes 1hch 1ere themsel/es nsantary- Dr
Cra%e`s !eport on the santary condton o) the to1n sho1ed that almost 18-7h o) houses 1ere
Ghopelessly nsantaryH mostly because o) nadeAuate street system-
10
237@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
There 1as e9treme congeston n the northern Auarter o) the cty and an ncrease o) populaton
n already densely populated areas by the begnnng o) the t1enteth century- Ths 1as because the up?
country mmgrant labourers pre)erred to l/e 1th ther )rends n areas already congested+ leadng to
an unchec%ed gro1th o) slums- Congeston n the basts 1ere on the burstng pont- 4t appeared as ) the
GCurse o) $dasH )ell on the cty- The concentraton o) trade n *urraba7ar 1as the most mportant
)actor that caused street congeston- *ecause the trade o) the cty centered so largely on ths area+ t
)ollo1ed that a large porton o) the goods tra))c ether orgnated or termnated n ths area+ 1thn
1hch there 1as not one good road- Bth the sngle e9cepton o) ;arrson !oad3 the remanng
connectons 1ere nothng but narro1 lanes+ n the greater number o) 1hch t 1as mpossble )or t1o
bulloc% or bu))alo carts to cross?n )act+ the poston 1as so bad that that the replacement o) bulloc%
and bu))alo carts by motor transport 1ould result n no mpro/ement- There 1as no doubt that the
roads+ 1th the sngle e9cepton named+ 1ere dsgrace)ully narro1 and are totally nadeAuate )or the
tra))c- 5transported almost entrely by means o) bulloc% and bu))alo carts8 1hch they are called on to
carry- The /ery poor road )acltes and the prmt/e methods o) transport accentuated the d))cultes
arsng )rom the concentraton o) trade 1thn an nsu))cently large area- The result 1as an area 1hch
1as hopelessly o/ercro1ded+ both ndoors and n the streets+ 1hch 1as dngy and nsantary and
1hch had no means o) /entlaton ? a most unsats)actory state o) a))ars consdered n the lght o) the
/alue to the cty o) the trade carred on n the area- "long 1th ths streetlessness and e9tens/e slum
bore ts ne/table conseAuences the plague- " sur/ey o) the area bounded by the Chtpore !oad and
;allday Street on the east+ 1here stood Bard #umber 8- e Kolutola area sho1ed e9tremely narro1
streets and close and bad arrangements o) buldngs - Ths area 1as at the /ery centre o) Kol%ata- L)
the 206 masonry buldngs ..h 1ere un)t )or human habtaton+ 04h partally nsantary and only
12-0h )t )or l/ng- 4t 1as a densely populated 1ard 1th 208 persons per acre- 4t 1as one o) the )/e
1orst plague =rdden 1ards+ 1th a ma&orty o) mmgrant male populaton-
16
"part )rom that the 1orst
plague areas 1ere Bards ,5(orabagan 8+ ,45 (orasan%o8+ ,445*araba7ar8+ ,4445Kalutola8-"lso the coole
classes 1ho mgrated to Bards d4d5@ntally8 and dd5*enapu%ur8 1ere the carrers o) plague-
V
To1ards the second and thrd decade o) the t1enteth century south Kol%ata 1as gradually de/elopng +
e9hbtng a complete contrast 1th the northern part- $etropoltan Kol%ata 1as emergng )ast n ths
23D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
part o) the cty- #e1 roads 1ere lad out and ne1 houses appeared on ne1ly reclamed land- Bhle
northern part o) Kol%ata 1as declnng + ne1er localtes as *ho1anpur 1as comng nto promnence
durng the )rst part o) the t1enteth century- 4t appeared as ) a ne1 cty 1as comng up n ths part
-The roads 1ere all ne1- The cty has g/en brth to a ne1 c/l7aton here- 4t 1as the ne1born chld o)
the t1enteth century- The arstocracy o) *o1ba7ar 1as mssng here+ but there 1as a %nd o)
sophstcaton- E%e the houses o) ths localty 1hch 1ere o) a d))erent pattern+ so also the resdents
1ho loo%ed d))erent- There s no arstocracy o) north Kol%atan type+ but there 1as a %nd o) re)nement
and culture- ;ere the guard at the man gate addressed the o1ner o) the house _saheb`+ the *engal
counterpart o) 1hte gentleman and not the _babu`+ 1ho l/ed n the eghteenth and early nneteenth
century as a nat/e 1th hs o1n separate dentty besde the 1hte to1n o) the @uropeans- Ths 1as a
tme at the da1n o) the t1enteth century+ 1hch sa1 the gro1th o) a ne1 mar%et economy and smlar
economc possbltes- Ths led to the emergence o) a ne1 class o) entrepreneurs+ 1ho shed o)) not
only the earler )eudalstc pretentons but also ther choce o) resdence by mo/ng mostly to1ards ths
southern part o) the cty- " graphc descrpton o) the ne1 south comes )rom the pen o) *mal $tra n
hs GKor Dye KnlamH- The garden o) ;a& Dasm 1as ra7ed to the ground and ne1 houses 1ere bult
there- The gurudwara o) the S%hs 1as set up on the broad road on the le)tern sde o) the par%-
17
Bth
!ussa !oad beng 1dened and e9tended+ localtes as *allygaunge+ Southern "/enue and the l%e 1ere
de/elopng rapdly- The houses n *allygaunge 1ere o) latest )ashon 5_hal fashioner`8- The man
entrance o) such houses 1ere an ntrcately decorated 51th desgned entrance gate+ tall to1er and
glass?)tted 1ndo1s8 = all aesthetcally desgned+ )ollo1ng the modern concepts o) archtectural
%no1ledge-
$an% *andopadhyay`s no/el GShahartalH g/es a detaled descrpton o) the )ast changng
landscape o) the suburban localtes- *road roads 1ere lad out- $any ne1 houses o) )asonable desgn
1ere beng bult- Llder shops 1ere decorated and g/en a )acel)t- $any others o) an unmpress/e
style ga/e 1ay to ne1 type o) shoppng destnatons- Streets 1ere 1ell lt-
18
@/en nsgn)cant areas 5as
4s1ar Ganguly Eane n Kalghat bore e/dence o) an _mpro/ng Kol%ata`- Great changes ha/e ta%en
place there- @/erythng loo%ed d))erent- The ol pressng machne o) "hsoo+ the localty o) the
charcoal sellers 1as no more- @arler bus or car could not reach the narro1 4sh1ar Ganguly Eane- #o1
that the roads 1ere 1dened+ any /ehcle can mo/e upto the house named G"ghor ShaudhH that stood
on ths lane- "uthor Cratbha *asu recalls ho1 !ussa !oad loo%ed around 1'.:s- The 1de street
239@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
glttered l%e a polshed mrror- Trees stood n neat ro1s on t1o sdes o) the road- *eaut)ully desgned
houses stood separated )rom each other on ths road-
The process o) urban7aton gatherng momentum+ along 1th mpro/ed transport and
communcaton o) roads and ral1ays+ to1ards the second decade o) the t1enteth century+ a
burgeonng group o) mddle class? la1yers+ doctors+ teachers+ cler%s+ authors and ntellectuals sho1ed
an ncreasng pre)erence to bult ther resdence n the ne1er areas south o) *ho1anpur 1here the
4mpro/ement Trust 1as buldng ne1 roads and e9tendng muncpal )acltes- " ne1 urban culture and
mentalty 1as comng up- Se/eral localtes o) Kol%ata+ ndcated ho1 these small areas 1thn the cty
stuated n close geographcal pro9mty+ had ther respect/e urban e9perence and each acAurng
nd/dual and dstnct/e characterstcs n the last thrty years precedng ndependence and partton-
Bhle some localtes as Kalghat gre1 up as a mddle class localty 5_adhyabitta para`8+ *allygaunge
gradually became the resdental hub o) the upper mddle class-
The )rst Charman o) the Calcutta 4mpro/ement Trust @- C !chards 1rote G4t s only south?
1ards and south =east1ards that Calcutta can de/elop )reely and largely n a suburban 1ayH because
she s hemmed n by the r/er on the 1est+ by comparat/e narro1ness o) habtable land on the ;o1rah
sde+ and by s1amps to the north+ north?east+ and near?east-
1'
The drecton o) suburban de/elopment
1as naturally on the north and south?east- 4t 1as *allygaunge+ Tollygunge+ and round about Damond
;arbour !oad 1here e9panson 1as possble- 4t 1as thought that !ussa !oad and Eansdo1ne !oad
mpro/ements 1ould g/e ready access to *allygaunge and Tollygaunge suburb and 1ould materally
)acltate rapd transt to the southern areas- The Trust also outlned drect routes )rom the suburbs to the
commercal centres o) the cty- Tollygaunge+ *ha1anpore+ and the neghbourng dstrcts could ha/e
drect and ample approach to the cty /a the !ussa !oad 1hen 1dened- *allygaunge 1ll ha/e drect
access to the cty /a Eo1er Crcular !oad and Camac Street+ or Car% Street 1hen 1dened3 Eoudon
Street+ "mherst Street South+ !pon Street dagonal+ Bellesley Street+ Crncep Street and $angoe Eane
or *entnct Street 1ere also to be 1dened- The tra))c o) Bards d4d5@ntally8 and dd5*enapu%ur8 can
be pro/ded by Car% Street or !pon Street dagonal route- Smlarly $anc%tala can be ser/ed by
$an%tala dagonal+ Central "/enue and ;arrson !oad 1hle people )rom Cosspore and Chtpore
could reach cty /a Corn1alls Street+ $an%tala dagonal and Central "/enue- The latter 1as o)
mmence mportance )or t a))orded easy and drect route bet1een north and south o) the cty+ rele/e
the congeston o) the Chtpore !oad and help to open up large nsantary areas o) the northern outs%rts-
24(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
The mportance o) the suburb o) $anc%tola and a drect access )rom here to the centre o)
Kol%ata s hghlghted+ along 1th a sh)t o) populaton here to sol/e the problem o) congeston-
2:
$r-
*ompas and hs *oard o) Trustees turned attenton at the /ery ncepton o) the Trust to1ards
$anc%tola n a))ordng an ob/ous soluton to the congeston o) Kol%ata- 4t 1as clearly outlned that
the day 1as not )ar a1ay 1hen the lo1?lyng s1amps o) $anc%tola draned by large se1ers and
ntersected by a complete system o) broad+ 1ell?lghted roads+ 1ll attract people n thousands )rom the
arless and congested area o) northern Kol%ata- Ths 1as not a dream+ but an ne/table stage n the
mo/ements o) the populaton o) a great cty l%e Kol%ata- The suburb o) ;o1rah also got specal
attenton o) !chards-
21
")ter thorough study o) ts gro1th as an ndustral centre+ ts ad/antageous
poston opposte Kol%ata6s busness area+ the e9stence o) brdge connecton+ and the ral termnus+ he
lad specal emphass )or a 1der ;o1rah *rdge and tramlnes on t to brng commuters straght to
Kol%ata and de/elop ;o1rah as a )uture resdental and 1or%ng class suburb- ;o1rah can be not only
be de/eloped admrably to a /ery good resdental ste 1th all modern com)orts and )acltes o)
con/eyance attendng sutable home to busness men 1ho are huddlng n the garrets o) Kol%ata but
also presented an e9cellent opportuntes )or both 1or%ng class and second class suburban
de/elopment- 4t represented the open land along 4: per cent+ o) the north Kol%ata borders- Bth but one
nsu))cent brdge+ and the cty tram ser/ce cut n t1o by the same+ d1ellngs at ;o1rah 1ould
eagerly be occuped by Kol%ata people- The brdge 1ll be o) great mportance to the )uture operaton
o) the Trust- " sur/ey o) ;o1rah 1as partally underta%en by Trust soon to be ntmately connected to
cty by a double ser/ce o) electrc tram cars+ carred by the #e1 ;o1rah brdge- The unbro%en tram
ser/ce 1ll accentuate de/elopment o) ;o1rah as a bg manu)acturng and resdental suburb o)
Kol%ata- There 1ere men n nearly e/ery bg Kol%ata L))ce+ 1ho resded n ;o1rah+ and the /llages
near by- 4n the report publshed n 1'1.+ ttled GGeneral $an !oad !eport+ Cart?4+ Che)ly on the 1dth
o) #e1 ;o1rah *rdge and ts mportance to the Trust @- C+ !chards suggested that a G brdge o)
nearly 112 )eet 1dth s reAured to the tra))c o) the ne9t )e1 decades+ t s absolutely essentalU"
1der brdge s reAured n /e1 o) the gro1th and e9panson o) populaton+ trade+ ral1ay passenger
and goods tra))c and tram car tra))c n Calcutta and ;o1rah-H
The de/elopment o) Kol%ata to1ards south demanded )or buldng stes n the area 1hch
4mpro/ement Trust 1as then de/elopng n !ussa !oad and the @9ca/aton "rea- 4n 1'10 a sancton
1as obtaned )or a scheme )or de/elopment o) suburban areas o) about 10: acres n the south o) the
24!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
cty to accommodate persons dsplaced due to operaton o) the Trust- Durng the year 1'10?16+ the bul%
o) the acAuston o) the 4mpro/ement Trust 1as n the "rea 4mpro/ement Scheme n *ho1anpore
1here land 1as cheap+ )or acAuston n more e9pens/e Auarter o) the to1n+ the Trust )eared that
e9pendture 1ould go hgh- 4t 1as also )elt that no loss 1ould be ncurred n acAurng certan portons
o) the !ussa !oad area )or connectng the same 1th the Garahat !oad- The Go/ernment appro/ed the
Trust to obtan earth )or )llng tan%s and rasng the areas under 4mpro/ement schemes )or /llages o)
$udal + *aro&+ Go/ndapur+ Dha%ura+ and Garahat n Dh Canchannagram+ + Cargana Khaspur+ n
dstrct T1enty? 2our Carganas-
22
"t one tme t 1as thought that though de/elopment o) the south may be ne/table+ but t could
not be )easble to ntate e9panson to1ards the east and north o) the cty- ;o1e/er n the absence o)
any clearly de)ned dranage polcy+ the 1or% o) 4mpro/ement Trust n $anc%tola 1as held up- "t
$an%tola there 1as unlmted room )or e9panson n a lo1? lyng area- 4t 1as thought that the
$an%tola harbor 1ould enable a large area o) lo1?lyng land to be rases to a le/el at 1hch t can be
properly draned and 1ould con)er a /ast bene)t to Kol%ata by mpro/ng ths nsantary area- 4t could
create a ne1 ndustral area and possbly a ne1 resdental suburb along the canal- *ut the pro&ect 1as
not pursued serously n the later years- The problem o) congeston o) the northern part o) the cty could
not be remeded- Ln the contrary the operaton o) the 4mpro/ement Trust manly led to large?scale
demolton n northern part o) the cty-
$ost mportantly cleanng o) slum areas 1as not ta%en up serously- The *araba7ar scheme 1as
not ta%en up as t 1ould ha/e loc%ed up the lon`s share o) the )und o) the Trust- The de/elopments n
the later years ha/e been lad out almost 1holly n the south and the south 1est neglectng the most
congested areas+ )or t 1as )ound to be a ;malayan tas% to mpro/e the congested north- Nntl the
Grand Trun% Canal scheme could be e9ecuted+ plans o) dranage or road lay? out )or the northern
suburbs could not be ta%en n hand- Though by 1'1' some o) the problems to the de/elopments o) the
north 1ere cleared+ the problem o) )nance appeared as a stumblng bloc%- Thus prospect o) de/elopng
the northern suburb 1as th1arted )or the tme- The outbrea% o) the 2rst Borld Bar 51'14?1'188 ga/e a
brea% to the e9ecuton o) the plans- Crces o) buldng materals soared hgh ? tram lnes could not be re?
lad + brdges could not be bult or dranage 1or% be e9ecuted- ")ter the 1ar there 1as a boom )ollo1ed
by slump n Kol%ata that a))ected land prces- = the assets o) the Trust 1as )ro7en - 4n 1'1' cost o)
buldng became so hgh that t became e9tremely d))cult )or men o) ordnary means to buld a ne1
242@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
house- The cty o) Kol%ata and the northern Auarters san% nto a phase o) horrble d))culty and mess-
The cty 1as desperately n need o) buldng land )or de/elopment3 but+ )or that+ a cty plan 1as
necessary and 4mpro/ement Trust had no po1ers to produce a cty plan or to produce streets-
"n mpresson o) #orth Kol%ata n the pre? ndependence days can be obtaned )rom *mal
Kar`s no/el GDe1alH- There s a descrpton o) one 2at% Dey Eane n one o) the most promnent
locatons o) #orth Kol%ata+ namely *ahuba7ar- Nnl%e the south there 1as no grandeur n ths localty-
The lane 1as e9tremely narro1- Durng monsoon months )loodng 1as ne/table and drt and )lth o)
e/ery %nd )ound easy 1ay nsde the houses o) the localty+ causng utmost su))erng to the resdents o)
the place- 6Bahuba/arer 1atik Dey )aner cheharae chatak nei< )atae patae +atata baro- gaye gatare
tatata khato< 0ar +ir+ire< krisha- karun- garanta par+anta adbhut< Kachhaper pither oto anektaO
dudik dhalu- a+khane unchu< Golite +al +ale du pash thai- thai< Kharkuta- nongra- ento-kanta- al >
ayela bhaste bhaste anyer sadare dhuke +aye<7 " smlar pcture o) #orth Kol%ata o) the same tme
can be obtaned )rom a recent publcaton o) the recollectons o) the emnent economst o) the tme
Cranab *ardhan+ ttled GSmrt%undayanH- ;e tells us ho1 the GetharsQ or the s1eepers used to clean
e/ery day the localty 1here he spent hs chldhood and ho1 1thn &ust hal) an hour the place ganed
bac% ts orgnal unclean state+ beng a receptacle o) all sorts o) nusance and ob&ects that 1ere
o))ens/e to the /sual as 1ell as the ol)actory ner/es- 5G #o+ sakalbela ora aader goli o tar
nardaaguli +hant diye parishkar kortoSSSS<tarpar adh ghantar oto saay golitake ektu dekha
+eto< Kintu alpa saayer adhyei +anaprabahr +abatiya abar+ana- thonga- ar paner pik-e goli tar
purba rup dharan korto<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Q<7
2.
" completely contrary pcture 1as e9hbted by
*allygaunge o) 1'..- GBhat a d))erence bet1een the heart o) the cty and *allygaungeI ;ere green
soothes the tred eye and a gentle sense o) peace secured+ sats)es the st)led sprt- Lne could go nto
ecstases o/er the respectabltes generated here by good l/ngUUUUU------H
24
Thus by the md?
nneteenth century South Kol%ata began to de/elop nto a )ashonable + sophstcated and re)ned
localty 1hle the #orth 1th ts narro1 lanes and croo%ed alleys led to the contnuance o) Kol%ata6s
hstorc Gnorth? south d/de-
243@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Notes
1- Cradp Snha+ 51'788+ Calcutta n Nrban ;story 5Calcutta > 2rma KE$8 -
2- See #ar`s collectons o) Calcutta n the 17th + 18
th
+ and 1'
th
century-

.- @mma !oberts+ 518.78 ?Scenes and Characterstcs o) ;ndostan 1th S%etches o) "nglo?4ndan Socety 5n T1o
,olumes8Second @dton+ Endon+ Bm- ;-"llen and Co+ Eeadenhall Street-

4- George- B- (ohnson+ 5184.8+ The Stranger n 4nda 3Lr Three Mears n Calcutta +,olume?4+ Eondon+ ;enry Colburn+
Cublsher -
0- @mma !oberts+ 518.78 ?Scenes and Characterstcs o) ;ndostan 1th S%etches o) "nglo?4ndan Socety 5n T1o
,olumes8Second @dton+ Endon+ Bm- ;-"llen and Co+ Eeadenhall Street-
6- !e/- (ames Eong 5b1802+ 186:c 1'748+ _Calcutta n the Llden Tme > 4ts Eocaltes< Ceople`+ Calcutta !e/e1+ d,444 and
ddd,+ December 1802 and September 186: 5reprnt+ Calcutta > Sans%rt Custa% *handar8-
7- @mma !oberts+ 518.78 ?Scenes and Characterstcs o) ;ndostan 1th S%etches o) "nglo?4ndan Socety 5n T1o
,olumes8Second @dton+ Endon+ Bm- ;-"llen and Co+ Eeadenhall Street-
8- bd
'- $on%land 518288+ E)e n 4nda or the @nglsh at Calcutta + ,olume =4+ 44+ Eondon + ;enry Colburn + #e1 *urlngton
Street-
1:- $ary Carpenter + 518688? S9 $onths n 4nda+ ,olume?4+ Eongman`s+ Green+ and Company+ Eondon -
11- 2-C- Strong+ 5b184'c<1'788+ @9tracts )rom the topography and /tal statstcs o) Calcutta3 reprnted n "lo% !ay+ ed-+
Calcutta Keepsa%e 5Kol%ata> !ddh 4nda8-
12- "hndra Cho1dhury+? #&e%e ;araye Khun& 5Cart? 4 and 448 +Saptarsh Cra%ashan+ "ugust+ 2:11- Ths autobography
g/es detals on *ho1anpore o) late 18
th
and 1'
th
century-
1.- *mal $tra+ 51'02+ 1'7:8+ Sahb *b Golam 5Calcutta > #e1 "ge8? 2or the lterary mpresson o) Kol%ata durng tme-
14- @mma !oberts+ 518.78+Scenes and Characterstcs o) ;ndostan 1th S%etches o) "nglo?4ndan Socety-
10- See @- C+ !chards+ !eport by !eAuest o) the Trust on the Condton+ 4mpro/ement and To1n Clannng o) the cty o)
244@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Calcutta and Contguous "reas + Chapter d4, 5 Lrgn o) Calcutta slums8 and d, 5 Some e/l results o) streetless areas
and slums8 -
16- "nnual !eport o) the Calcutta 4mpro/ement Trust- 51'12?1'1.8-
17-*mal $tra+ ?Kar dye Knlam5Cart =4 and 448
18-$an% *andopadhyay+ 5 *hadra 1.7'8 ?Sahartal+ 52rst and Second Cart8 + $ondal *oo% ;ouse+ #e1 @dton+ Kol%ata-

1'- @- C+ !chards+ !eport by !eAuest o) the Trust on the Condton+ 4mpro/ement and To1n Clannng o) the cty o) Calcutta
and Contguous "reas-

2:- Calcutta 4mpro/ement Trust+ 51'2.8 #ote on the 4mpro/ement o) $anc%tola by $- !- "t%ns+ Calcutta> C4T-
21- @- C+ !chards+ 51'1.8 C4T+ General $an !oad !eport+ Cart?4+ Che)ly on the 1dth o) #e1 ;o1rah *rdge and ts
mportance to the Trust-
22- "nnual !eport 1'10?1'16+ also see the same )or schemes regardng road and brdges sanctoned n ths year by the
go/ernment-

2.- Cranab *ardhan ?Smrt%undayan+ Desh+ 17 (an+2:12-
24- GSuburbanaH + *y Suburban *allygungte Calcutta $uncpal Ga7ette+ 1
st
- (uly+ 1'..-
Bi'liogra0h1
Boo#s-
1- Carpenter + $ary 518688? S9 $onths n 4nda+ ,olume?4+ Eongman`s+ Green+ and Company+
Eondon-
2- Chaudhur+ Su%anta+ ed- 51''08+ Calcutta+ The E/ng Cty+ ,olume 4+ 44- 5Calcutta+ Lrental
Nn/ersty Cress8-
.- (ohnson+ George- B- 5184.8+ The Stranger n 4nda3 Lr Three Mears n Calcutta+,olume?4+ Eondon+
;enry Colburn+ Cublsher-
4- Eong+ !e/- (ames 5b1802+ 186:c 1'748+ _Calcutta n the Llden Tme> 4ts Eocaltes< Ceople`+
Calcutta !e/e1+ d,444 and ddd,+ December 1802 and September 186: 5reprnt+ Kol%ata > Sans%rt
Custa% *handar8-
24?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
0- $on%land+ 518288+ E)e n 4nda or the @nglsh at Calcutta + ,olume =4+ 44+ Eondon + ;enry
Colburn + #e1 *urlngton Street-
6- #ar+ C- Than%appan+ compled 51'848+ Calcutta n the 18
th
Century b4mpressons o) Tra/ellersc
5Calcutta> 2rma KE$ Cr/ate Emted8-
7- #ar+ C- Than%appan+ ed- 51'8'8+ Calcutta n the 1'
th
Century bCompany`s Daysc 5 Calcutta >
2rma KE$8-
8- !oberts+ @mma 518.78+ Scenes and Characterstcs o) ;ndostan 1th S%etches o) "nglo?4ndan
Socety-
'- Strong+ 2-C- 5b184'c<1'788+ @9tracts )rom the topography and /tal statstcs o) Calcutta3
reprnted n "lo% !ay+ ed-+ Calcutta Keepsa%e 5Kol%ata> !ddh 4nda8-

6al+utta I%0ro&e%ent ,rust >e0orts-

1-Calcutta 4mpro/ement Trust+ Cty and Suburban $an !oad Cro&ects+ (ont !eport by
(ames $aden and "lbert De *os Shrosbree 5Calcutta> Trust @ngneer and Che) ,aluer`s L))ce+
1'1.8-

2- @-C- !chards+ Calcutta 4mpro/ement Trust> !eport by !eAuest o) the Trust on the
Condton+ 4mpro/ement and To1n Clannng o) the cty o) Calcutta and Contguous "reas
5;ert)ordshre > (ennngs and *e1ley+ 1'148-
.- $- !- "t%ns +Calcutta 4mpro/ement Trust+ 51'2.8 #ote on the 4mpro/ement o) $anc%tola+
Calcutta> C4T-
4- @- C+ !chards+ 51'1.8 C4T+ General $an !oad !eport+ Cart?4+ Che)ly on the 1dth o) #e1
;o1rah *rdge and ts mportance to the Trust-
0- Calcutta 4mpro/ement Trust + "nnual !eport 1'10?1'16+
246@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
6al+utta 3uni+i0al 2a9ettee-
1- GSuburbanaH + *y Suburban *allygungte Calcutta $uncpal Ga7ette+ 1
st
- (uly+ 1'..

Citerature-
1-*andopadhyay+ $an% 5 *hadra 1.7'8 ?Sahartal+ 52rst and Second Cart8 + $ondal *oo% ;ouse+
#e1 @dton+ Kol%ata-

2- *ardhan Cranab + 17 (an+2:12+ Smrt%undayan+ Desh -
.- Cho1dhury+ "hndra + "ugust+ 2:11+ #&e%e ;araye Khun& 5Cart? 4 and 448 +Saptarsh Cra%ashan-
4- Kar+ *mal 51''.8+ = De1al+ "nanda Cublsher C/t- Emtes + Kol%ata-
0 -$tra+ *mal 51'02+ 1'7:8+ Sahb *b Golam 5Kol%ata > #e1 "ge8
?Kor Dye Knlam-
3adhusree 6hatto0adh1a1 s "ssstant Cro)essor o) ;story+ Serampore College+ ;ooghly+ Best
*engal+ 4nda- She s currently pursung doctoral research on a topc related to colonal Kol%ata-
S+anning "ol#ata Stage through the .1es of 7i&e /o1ens-
$ >e&ie4 of Brat1a BasuEs Boo# of Inter&ie4s
Soura& 2u0ta
;e Kotha Boloni (ge- ! Bochor Sei Kotha Bolo? " Collecton o) 2/e 4nter/e1s o) Theatre Cersons
ta%en by *ratya *asu- 5Cublsher> Kalnd *ratya&an<Kol%ata<2:14<;ardbound8
4n a tele/son nter/e1 ta%en a )e1 years ago on the e/e o) the brthday o) the legendary theatrcan
Sambhu $tra+ *ratya *asu had pens/ely remar%ed> GI think he 6.itra7 is arguably the greatest
aong the fathers of our theatre<Q *asu e/dently re)lected the deep respect he possessed )or hs
predecessors n theatre- 4n hs speeches+ 1rtngs and also n)ormal dscussons+ he seems to be /ery
passonate and 1ell n)ormed about hs senors n Kol%ata Theatre- Ther %no1ledge+ hard 1or% and
act/tes o/er the years ha/e )ound place n *asu`s photographc memory- Though *asu s %no1n )or
challengng the e9stng norms n both play1rtng and theatre phlosophy and brngng an altogether
)resh ar n these paradgms+ he has been a proud legacy?bearer o) Kol%ata Theatre- @/en a)ter he too% a
partsan poltcal stand and the Kol%ata theatre )raternty gettng sharply d/ded on the bass o)
poltcal deology n recent tmes+ *asu has personally mantaned a good relatonshp e/en 1th the so
called GothersH l%e !udraprasad Sen Gupta and "sho% $u%hopadhyay- 4n an e))ort to ntrospect deep
nto the thetrcal &ourney o) the contemporary stal1arts+ *asu nter/e1ed )/e o) them each year )or
G*ratya &an #atyapatraH+ the theatre &ournal o) hs out)t _Kalnd *ratya&an`- The boo% G(e Kotha
bolon "geU-H+ ttled aptly a)ter a poem by the late Sha%t Chattopodhyay+ sho1cases )/e nter/e1s
ta%en by *asu n hs sgnature style?n)ormal but broodng- The nter/e1ees ha/e also been bene)tted
by the sharp+ ra7or edged Auestons o) *asu as t helped them to /ent out ther )eelngs to the truest-
The seres starts 1th !udraprasad Sen Gupta + 1ho had a dsturbed soltary chldhood+ a
turbulent+ 1ay1ard youth 1hch ultmately )ound dscplne n theatre 1here he 1as ntroduced by
24D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
theatre great "&tesh *andyopadhyay- ;e 1ent on to trans)orm *andyopadhyay`s group _#and%ar` nto
one o) the most dscplned theatre group n 4nda- ;s nter/e1 traces hs l)e as 1ell as the changes
that too% place n post colonal Kol%ata and the l/es o) the people n the cty- 4t s really an ntrgung
descrpton o) the de/elopment o) the communst mo/ement n *engal and ts )allaces )rom an
nsder`s pont o) /e1- Sen Gupta /ery canddly e9plans hs relatonshp+ d))erences o) opnon 1th
contemporares l%e the colossus "&tesh *andyopadhyay and Keya Cha%arbarty- ;s e9pressons
rea))rms hs capabltes as a $an o) Theatre+ an organ7er par e9cellence+ 1ho at 74 s eAually
energetc to gude 6#and%ar6 to ne1er a/enues- "t the same tme+ largely due to *asu`s adept Aueryng+
the dlemma o) a )ather and husband+ torn bet1een personal relatons and theatre also re)lects and one
has to applaude Sen Gupta that he pre/aled o/er e/erythng to ma%e Theatre hs prorty- Lne actually
)eels nspred at the end 1hen he concludes+ G theatre has gi$en e a share- a share in bridge with
life<Q
Nnl%e Sen Gupta+ 1ho )ell nto Theatre by accdent+ */as Cha%rabarty+ hs contemporary 1as
dra1n to the act early n l)e+ at Srhatta n und/ded @ast *engal- Cost partton problems taught hm
to be accommodat/e and unl%e many 1ho cannot )orget the trauma o) the partton and rehabltaton+
he too% t nto hs strdes- @/en a)ter establshng hmsel) as an mportant drector n the 1'7:s+
Cha%rabarty states that he has ne/er been carred a1ay 1th success- ;e admts hs desre to become a
leader but also clams to be unambtous nsde- The nter/e1 un)olds Cha%rabarty`s creat/e thoughts
behnd hs masterpece productons- 4t also traces the underlyng reasons o) hs departure )rom theatre
groups l%e Nandikar K*heatre :orkshop and hs deologcal d))erences 1th the CC45$8- ;e appears
sats)ed 1th the comng up o) the _"nya Theatre *ha1an` as a tangble contrbuton to Theatre and at
the same tme e9presses )rustraton o/er the standard o) theatre 1or%ers he has to 1or% 1th- That he s
an artst to the core becomes e/dent 1hen Cha%rabarty 1shes to become an artst n hs ne9t brth
also-
The boo% becomes a real treat 1hen *asu nter/e1s $ano& $tra- $tra and *asu both beng
acclamed play1rghts turn the con/ersaton to a coachng manual )or asprng dramatsts- "dded to
that s $tra`s ntrnsc sense o) humour 1hch ma%es the pece a delectable readng- 4t re/eals ho1
$tra has blended hs %no1ledge o) phlosophy 1th hs personal e9perences+ man)ested real l)e
characters nto hs plays- The partton o) 4nda and ts pangs are portrayed 1th empathy through the
ntal lnes o) the nter/e1 as $tra comments about 16
th
"ugust 1'47+ GChhatrahara seidin thekeiQ
249@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
5)rom that day 4 became de/od o) shelter8- The t1o master play1rghts d1ell nto the depth o) lterary
ssues l%e plot ma%ng and realsm- *asu through hs Auestons and nterpretatons actually opens up a
ne1 1orld o) seeng $tra`s plays the most sgn)cant o) 1hch s an allegaton that the latter has not
posed )ath n characters belongng to the young generaton- $tra+ 1tty that he s+ ta%es t as an
nterestng anecdote to %no1 hs sel)- 4ne/tably+ cnema also )orms a /tal part o) the con/ersaton-
*asu`s one on one 1th /eteran drector "run $u%hopadhyay a starts o)) 1th the latter assertng that
poltcs or poltcal algnment should not a))ect the soltarty o) artst )raternty?somethng 1hch Best
*engal has notced n the recent tmes- The nter/e1 traces the upbrngng o) $u%hopadhyay n
;o1rah+ ad&acent to Kol%ata+ as a naughty+ nnocent boy 1ho once )led )rom home as a passonate
mo/e bu))- 4n)act+ hs stnt as a drector started 1th the enactment o) the scrpts he adapted )rom these
)lms n hs resdental stage durng Durga Cu&a- ;e 1as nclned to communsm )rom hs early theatre
days n 4CT" 1hch )nally culmnated nto )ormng hs o1n theatre group _Chetana` )ollo1ng a
success)ul stnt at Coordnaton Commttee o) go/ernment employees- Throughout hs &ourney n
theatre+ "run $u%hopadhyay has been torn bet1een progress/eness and reactonary+ theatre and
cnema+ actor and drector+ success and )alure+ son and sel)- *ut amdst all these oppostes he has
bele/ed n hs penchant )or drectng plays that has enabled hm to pre/al o/er all %nds o) crss- *asu
has also beaut)ully brought out the muscal aspect that s so ntegral to "run $u%hopadhyay-
The last nter/e1 1as o) "sho% $u%hopadhyay+ once agan depctng the turbulence o)
partton + ndependence as the bac%drop o) hs upbrngng n Kol%ata- #urturng the dream o) a brght
career n "cademcs+ $u%hopadhyay 1as struc% by a thunder n the )orm o) "&tesh *andyopadhyay
and he could not resst hmsel) )rom &onng theatre act/ely- ;s )reAuent changes n &ob locatons
couldn`t hnder hs passon )or theatre- ")ter a bre) and rregular apprentceshp under "&tesh
*andyopadhyay n _#and%ar`+ he gre1 nto an emnent actor under the drecton o) */as Cha%rabarty
n _Theatre Bor%shop`+ the group 1hch 1ould be later led by hm as the che) play1rght?actor?
drector- *asu 1th hs sharp+ ra7or l%e Auestons brng out the theatrcan n $u%hopadhyay n )ull
spectrum? startng )rom hs relatons 1th comtemporares+ soco poltcal stuaton+ poltcs n theatre+
the changng paradgm o) Group Theatre n *engal- The con/ersaton smoothly strolled along d))erent
Auarters l%e theatre+ poltcs+ socety+ lterature and ma%es a palatable readng-
2?(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
*asu has done a great )a/our to the upcomng young generaton o) theatre 1or%ers n *engal as
ths collecton has become a great document o) the paradgm o) theatre practce pre/alent n *engal
bet1een the 1'6:s to the present- ;e has set up the nter/e1s so 1ttly that t no longer remans a
personal /e1 but becomes a re)lector o) tme+ phlosophy and thro1s up debatable areas o) 1hat 1as
rght and 1hat 1ent 1rong n the perod- *asu has dssected personal l/es+ phlosophcal and
deologcal orentaton o) hs senors n a 1ay that can teach the ne9t generaton o) theatrcan- 4t ndeed
s a commendable &ob by *asu and specal menton should also be made o) hs assstants Shobhan
Gupta and !a&arsh Dey too- Lne )eels an eerness n *asu`s Auestons at tmes as one cannot )orget
that t 1as he 1ho at the turn o) the century started Auestonng and challengng the set norms o) the
then status Auo o) Kol%ata Theatre Scenaro and ths collecton s &ust a cross chec% o) 1hat he has been
ad/ocatng-
Soura Gupta (ssistant "rofessor- (ssistant "rofessor at Centre for ;ournalis @ .ass
Counication in Central Bni$ersity of &rissa- Koraput- India< 0e is one of the (ssistant !ditors in
;ournal of Bengali Studies< 0e has been a noted draatist and is founder of *heatre Spandan- Kolkata
and has currently set up Koraput,s first theatre group<
Aor#sho0
Co&e and "ol#ata- SiF Poe%s
,a%al /asgu0ta
Prefa+e
Nrban poems can capture the )leetng moments+ )ragmentary strollng o) an alenated ctyscape along a
lane+ an alley+ or a street- Kol%ata snce the days o) Kobigaan to Chandrabndoo has been represented n
/arous 1ays n poems-
Cty poems spea% o) a )ascnaton 1th the perpatetc+ chaotc l)e o) the )laneur+ as opposed to
the organc serenty o) nature- Cty de)nes tsel) as culture+ that 1hch s made by humans+ as opposed
to nature-
2urther+ a poem that dent)es tsel) 1th certan locatons n a cty act out aganst any grand
desgn or bg narrat/e and pro)ound deas3 n other 1ords+ such poems ha/e de)ned the post?Tagorean
sensblty n *engal poetry- Cty poems come nto that category o) the narro1ly spec)c+ as opposed
to the broadly un/ersal- They spea% )or the momentary and the local+ e/en 1hen they spea% o) the
transcendental+ they ha/e a sense o) hstory+ change and rootedness as an ntegral part o) that 1hch
appear to transcend-
The )ollo1ng poems )oreground Kol%ata- Some o) them are 1rtten 1th an e9le6s longng )or
one6s cty o) orgn+ so then they spea% o) a dsplacement- They are sometmes about a pr/leged
nsder6s careless e9stence n Kol%ata+ and the memory attachments o) a cultural geography spea%
)orth-
2rst the *engal poems+ and then the @nglsh translatons )ollo1-
?????????????????????
2?2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
পপম ও কলককতক: পচচরঙঙ সননট
dনBর Xত ¯চXকl ¯র প¸dননhlনরত- ¯Xl§ নUন*ব§ ত¸নX ছনবX এবসন¯ব¬ ক¯lXlক নWবb- নশ¬: এর ছXব§। এ¬নß ছতlXlর ছসই
তîV d^ব+র Vত ºনকব§ ^l§নন। ছসই ছdশ Ulব¬l-¯নX ¬¸¬ন¯ ¬l¬-সlদl পরত- অdlh¯ র5Xl:স ¬¸বড় ছতlXlর Ylরক ত¸ব¬
¯নl ^lক<<<
শহর এ¬নß ছXlন রব§ব¯+ ছতlXlর A7 ছ¬বA এ¬নß পlবকর ছdন+বত
Uldন¯+ এই ছতl কব§ক dTl---3AX চ¸X¸র পবর
¯সব¬ অবনক ^¸A ছকবbব¯+ Xবh¯ এবসব¯ কব§কbl Xহlবদশ
ߧlন ßব§র ছস§lনl *îdন+ Xl4রl7l§ ছকlব³বক এ¬ ছতlXlর চ¸ব¬র A7---
¯নX এই রlত নচনন+ ¯র এই ¯ব¬l ¯নX ¯বAß ছদব¬ন¯¬lX।
¯নX *lনন এই ছচlরঙîর ¹¸bপlবA ¯*ß ত¸নX ¯নX ছহবb ^lন'
ছতlXlর ছকlXবর হlত ছরব¬+ এই শহবরর কlপl 7^lরl উপবUlA¯
হl4l শîবতর j§lশl§+ ছসlনl এ¬নß ত¸নX কlবh ননºlস ছ¹¬ব¯l।
একbl ¯!¸¬ নdশপস হlউবস+ অন¯ ¯!¸¬ ছসT প¬বসর শîব^
ছFXdন* হব§ ¯¯ ত¸নX রlন¯র ছ¹l§lরlবত+ ¯নX ছসই ক¯lবXরlর সlVî
এß *lনন ¯নX এV¸নন ^নদ পবকb হlতড়lই+ ছ5নTb কlT নl+ দ¸?¯!¸ব¬ ºh¸ছতlর ¯নd উব3 ¯সবd
îক ছ^Xনbl হত ³+lন¬+ ছতlর ছ¯l§l ¯*ß ¯Xlর *lXlর ছUতবর
2?3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
ছসই অdlh¯ শlবbর ³রন¬নপ দ¯l¬ dদ¬l§ নন
ক¬কlতl ¯র Ulব¬ldlসl ¯*ß এবক অন¯বক ছ¯বড় ^l§ নন
Co&e and "ol#ata- 6ho4ringhee Sonnet
"s sudden and predetermned as ran+ you came do1n on Camac Street drenchng me+ grl )rom the
land o) clouds- Stll the 1ounds g/en )rom your sharp ran)alls are not dry- Bell then+ let me open up
the red and 1hte bandage+ and dg up your memento o) de)ant blood and )lesh-
The cty6s stll slent+ your smell stll stc%s to the Car% benches
4 1as thn%ng+ t6s &ust a )e1 hours--- a)ter the )rst %ss
"ctually many eras passed+ a )e1 contnents came bet1een you and me
Cle/er l)e o) one 1ay tra))c+ 1here )rom the smell o) your har comes n the mddle o) the road---
4 %no1 ths nght+ and 4 sa1 ths lght earler too-
4 %no1 that on ths Cho1rnghee pa/ement me and you are 1al%ng e/en today
Sh/erng en/es o) ths cty are en&oyable 1th my hands around your 1ast
4n the mst o) ths mld 1nter+ dear+ you are stll breathng on my shoulders
Lne )nger s on *shop6s ;ouse+ another s on the top o) St Caul6s Cathedral
Mou are )lmed n the )rame o) the )ountan o) nght+ 4 am a 1tness to that camera
4 %no1 ths too+ ) 4 loo% nto my poc%ets rght no1+ not a credt card+ )ngertps 1ll )etch your photo
E%e t used to be+ grl+ your touch s stll nsde my shrt
#otatons o) that unruly shrt ha/en6t changed3 loo%+
Kol%ata and lo/e stll ha/e not le)t each other6s noo%-
2?4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
পপম ও কলককতক -২
ß ছকন ¯Xlবক ছরl¯¸ বর ছ¹ব¬ *ব¬ T¸d নদবত ^lবdF
d7নদন পবর Xবন পড়l+ dl¬+ কনdতlর Xত+শরîবরর Xত+ সlদlকlব¬l ¯lবপ+ ছকন ¯Xlবকই এক¬l নdবক¬ ¯* নAব¬ ¬lবd îক
নAব¬ ¬lবd 3ldর ¯র ছAlনক সদবন ছচসবdlT ¯র ন*বন ন¹বক ছ¬d¸চl ¯র দ¸?একbl চ¸X¸কlড়বd ---
নdবক¬ নA¬বd ¯Xlবক+ এনদবক ত¸নX পlকWîবb ^lবd
এ¬lবন ºকবনl অAচ ছদব¬¯+ ß ছচব¬ ছদ¬ব¯ 4নlর ¹¸¬4¸নর
ছকlAlকlর এক উbবকl *ব¬র ছতlড় এবস ছhl§ ßর ছদহ ছAবক ¯Xlর ছদবহর নচ*+ ¯নX নহ:সl§ নî¬d+ , ¯নX 3l 3l দ¸প¸বরর
উ^lদ+ ¯নX শ^¯lর XdU¸নXবত ºবনন¯ দ¸বর শlߧlবরর শ²+ ¯নX ছতlবক নদব§ নন7T
¯নX এß *lনন ¯* স7¯l§ এই রlVসî ছকlA *l§Al§ ছকlনß অন¯ প¸d^ ¬¸*বd...
¯নX রTন Wîবbর চldlক+ ¯নX ছরl* hlর কবর ছতlর শরîবরর Xl¬ন চlbবত এবসন¯+
¯নX Tlস ¹lইবUর Tপ¯উb+ ¯নX dড় তlড়lতlনড় শরîবর ¯Gন+ ¯Gবন ¯বX*+ ¯বXব* Xরবত নশব¬ন¯
¯নX নdশ' হlউবস U¸ত হব§ পlবশ উনক ছXবর এক রlবত ছদন¬ ছকlনß 3¯lbl ছXX নdব§ করব¯+
তlই ক¯নATlব¬র ¯ব¬l§ ¯হl ছস নপরl¬î 4+lhlরl§ h¸ব' রlবতর রl7l*¸বড় রl¬l এক G' bAর¹¸¬+ ¯র ছসই ¹¸¬Gন¬ ºকব¯ন
নdক + ক +চ*+ ^lরl ¬lননক ¯বAই নসরl* সনরব§ TlইU d¯lblবক ¯নব¬ন+ ¯র দ¸Alপ¸ব*lর ºd ¯র এই শহবরর হ§ প¯ন
¯র XîরকlনশবXর চ5lবd T¸বd Xlরl ^lন রl*dলU+ ¯র ন*jXlর ¹lনসবত ছ4lব¬ন ইব* এd: ছহন³:স এর ¯ব¬+ ¯নX এ?সd
Yনতর সlVî+ এ ছXব§বক ¯নX (কবশlর ছAবক ছরl* 4lনড় ছXবর এবসন¯
এই ছXব§ তlই ¯Xlবক নUবV ছদ§ নl
2??@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
এই স7¯l§ ত¸নX অবন¯র dl7¬Jl+ ত¸নX dlস*নX চবর ¬l'+ তবd ছ¹রdlর পA ছ¬l¬l ছরব¬l+ রlত ¬lননক AUîর হব¬ ³+lন¬ ছতlXl§
¯dlর ¬¸*বdl+ ¯নX এই ন*বর দশblর পবর ছ¹lন কবর ছ¹র d¬d+ ছXব§ ¯*ß ¯নX হl*lর d¯র ¯বAকlর কl¬îX¸নতর নlবX
শপA কবরই d¬ন¯: ºh¸¯¸ব§ নদß একdlর1 ছকননl+ ছতlXlর *শ ¯lড়l এ 9শlন ¯Xlবক ছন§ নl
Xl4রlত এব¬ উড়বত ছdনড়ß+ Tlইনন
নUবTlনর§lর dlAlবন ছ^?সd চlবদর ¹¸ব¬র ¯Gন *বXব¯ এতনদন+ ¯র Xh¸¯¸ব§ন¯¬ Xlইবক¬+ ছসই ন¸নড়র নদনd¯ রইব¬l+ ত¸নX তlর
ছAবক h¸নন *lন¬ß+ ¯র এর ছdনশ ছ3X ছকlনßনদনß ¯নX ছতlXlর কlব¯ ছতl চlইনন
Co&e and "ol#ata -2
Bhy 1ould she lea/e me n the sun and ta%e a dp n 1aterF
Comng to mnd a)ter ages+ hell+ l%e a poem+ l%e a body+ n blac% and 1hte mpressons+ 1hy the lone
a)ternoon 1ll ha/e to de/our me today the hor7on 1ll surely do and the chessboards o) Gor%y Sadan
and the mld lemon tea at #andan and 1ll steal a1ay a )e1 %sses

Ths a)ternoon de/ours me+ 1hen you6ll be a Car% Streeter
4t6s dry here+ but see+ she s tastng )re1or%s o) 1ater)alls
Bhere the hell ths upstart )lo1 o) 1ater comes )rom+ to 1ash my sgns o)) her body+ 4 am en/y blue
and shoddy+ 4 am madcap o) 4ndan summer noon+ 4 ha/e heard the sounds o) sho1er6s doom+ )rom the
desert o) bed+ ha/ng g/en you 4 am slent and dead
4 also %no1 1here ths lama 1ll search )or other men n ths e/enng---
2?6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
4 am carpe dem o) !o1den Street+ 4 too% loans e/eryday to come to lc% up your body6s butter
4 am a drop?out o) class )/e+ 4 %ne1 too early o) body6s )re+ &oy n )re+ and death n &oy6s )lutter
*ecomng a ghost at *shop6s ;ouse 4 peep sde1ays one nght to see a brash 1hte1oman6s 1eddng
So n the Cathedral lghts oh those comprador )ountans )lood a bunch o) &asmne across the roads o)
nght+ and those )lo1ers are smelled by #obo%rshno Krshnochondro+ 1ho &ust a lttle ago remo/ed
Sra& to brng that Cl/e blo%e+ and the start o) Durgapu&o and ths cty s set up and !a&ballabh s
dro1ned by $r%asm6s plottng+ and #uncoomer s hanged by 4mpey and ;astngs+ 4 am 1tness to
these memores+ 4 ha/e esped on ths grl snce her teenage
So ths grl does not g/e alms to me
4n ths e/enng you are n the arms o) someone else+ you are gra7ng on grasslands+ but %eep your 1ay
bac% open+ 1hen ths nght gro1s deeper 4 shall agan search )or you dear+ ")ter ten o6cloc% n the nght
4 shall call up ths number+ to say agan+ grl+ 4 s1ear e/en today n the name o) the thousand year old
Kal dol+ &ust touch me once- *ecause+ 1thout your touch ths crematon ground does not ta%e me-
Ta%e to )lyng+ 1tch+ 1hen t6s mdnght
The )res o) the moon )lo1er 1hch gathered so )ar n the garden o) ,ctora+ and the mead touched by
$chael+ )or those pebbles6 sa%e+ you )lame up your bon)re )rom them+ and 4 ha/e ne/er demanded
)rom you any more lght
2?7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
পপম ও কলককতক -৩
অবhক d¸ক কld+¯ ¯র dlনক অ:শরl রlবতর শহর
রVl কবর চ¬ব¯ ¯*ß সlবdক Yনতর ত*l3হর
A+সঙîবত d*Al§ক স¸র ছX¬lন' নশব* lবFননক
রlবতর hXত¬l§ *lনX নA¬ব¯ ¯Xl§ ক +নddর
দ¸6ব§ক ছdlত¬ X¯lবন* করl ¯বX* ¯Xlর hlবরই চব¬
¯নX ¯র নতন কld+¯X§ কবনlব³d¬ ¯উbরlবX
এ ßর A¬l *নড়ব§ hবর Uldন¯ এই ছ^ নs Xlব³h§lস
রlত ছপlহlব¬ই ^¸• হবd ¬lশ Ulসld Aঙl*ব¬
d€ কd++ d€ কd++ ¯হl ছdl4lর ছচBl কdন
d€ কd++ d€ ¬lচlর+ d€ ছd?dস দ¸নন§lদlনর
চlরবb Xlন¸^+ নতনবb ছননড়+ এd: নক¯¸ছহন• ¯Gন
ছকlরlস Alইন¯+ ছদ¬¸ন দlদl স¸ব^lA ছপব¬ ¯নXß পlনর
2?D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Co&e and "ol#ata 3
" hal) bosom)ul o) pty and the rest s the nght6s cty bloc%s
Stll %eep on guardng my past memores and dro1sy cloc%s
Choral snger n mass songs+ %eepng n tune sch7ophrenc
*lac% holes de/our me at ths @splanade o) nght ha1%s
" bottle or t1o managed+ &oys 4 al1ays borro1
"t Lutram me and three constables )ull o) sorro1
;uggng one another+ here are three $us%eteers
Bll ma%e corpses )loat on Ganga 1hen nght6s o/er3 there 1ll be a 1ar tomorro1
4t6s )ull o) pty+ try to grasp ths dtty
4t6s pathetc+ t6s dsabled+ t6s a rudderless perspcacty
2our men+ and three street dogs and some stunnng )re
Sng together> g/en a chance 1e too can dance n ths cty-
পপম ও কলককতক - ৪
এXন dসd নদবন---বকড়ড় পফর Xl:স নকবন---
এই সd dসd স7¯l§ প¸dYনত ন¹বর ¯বস+ ¯র ত¸নXß ¯Xlর কlব¯ ছ¹রlর ছচBl কবরন¯ব¬+ ^¬ন Xবন হব§ন¯¬ স*¸+ Xlন¸^*^
ছকবb ^lবd ºh¸অতîতকAবন+ ¯র ¯!¸¬ ¯¸ইব§ পlরনXতl ছকবb পড়¬ অAচ dনড়বত ছXlবb সlবড় ¯bl+ ¯নX ছসরকX স7¯lর শপA
ননব§ d¬ন¯+ dইবX¬l X§দlন ছAবক সবর ^lߧlর দ¸:¬ ¯Xরl এ¬নß দ¸ই U¸dর Xlব4 *নXব§ রlন¬+ ¯র ¬¸d স‚dত ¯নX এই
*dlনdন* ছশ^ হߧlর ¯বAই ক¬কlতl ছ¯বড় চব¬ ^ld+ তlই dব¬ ত¸নX উড়l¬প¸¬ নদব§ নUবTlনর§l ছAবক পlক সlকlবস ^lߧlর
সX§ ক¯lXlক নWবbর নদবক অপlবঙ তlকlবনl d7 ছকlবরl নl+ কlর+ ߬lবন নUP TlইবXনশবন ¯Xlবদর দ¸একh 3নত'নd এ¬নß
উ¯র অনUX¸ব¬ ছহবb চব¬ব¯+ ছ^Xন দ¸হl*lর এক সlব¬ ¯Xরl ছহবb চ¬তlX+ ¯নX ¯র ¯Xlর প¸d^d7¸ অনUন*ত+ সXldরlব¬
ছসই ¬V¯হîন এƒlইT ছ^¬lবন ¯Xlর প¸dপ¸d^রl একh সßদlAনর ¯নপবস d:শপর*রl§ চlকনর করবতন+ এß d¬l দরকlর ছ^
2?9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
হl*রl ছAবক ছ¬ক Xlবকb প^d পlব§ব¬র হlত hবর হlbবত ছAব¬ ত¬ন ছকlনß প¯lবরlব¬র ¯বdদন করবত হত নl+ ¯* ছ^রকX
3dlস ছAবক ন¹রবত ছAব¬ করl dlh¯তlX¸¬ক+ এ নক ¬ldব+¯ প¸+ 3l+ Alইবত ছAব¬ ¯* এই সd প¸বরlবনl পlপlচlর dড় Xবন পড়ব¯+
কlর+ ¯* ছdXlনlন রকবXর পনd¯ 3ব¹শবন চব¬ এবসন¯+ অAচ এ¬lবন ¯সlর কAl ন¯¬ নl+ dldl ^তîবন ছপন§: ছA³ হব§
Alকবত Alকবত নক কবর ছ^ন ¯নX ছদড় হl*lর নকব¬lনXblর দ¸বর চব¬ এবসন¯+ নক„ ক¬কlতlই ছতl কlব¯ পড়ত+ এনদবক কসdl§
d7¸র চlরত¬lর …¯lবb দ¸Alপ¸ব*l§ অBXîর রlবত এক Xত Xlন¸^বক d7 দর*l§ করldlত করবত ছশlনlর পবরß ¯নX শl¬l
Xlƒdlবদ নdºlস হlরl¬lX নl+ তবd Ulব†র ছdনন§lনXবনর চ¯l¬l হব§ ^lߧl ³lUlনdক ন¯¬+ অdশ¯ একসX§ এই ¯নXই
এসএ¹¯ই এর নXh: এ dবস স‡lবসর নd7lনরত পনরক0নl§ অ:শ ননব§ ছUবdন¯¬lX+ নdˆd এUlবdই দîd*îনd হবd---
পবহন¬ dlর<<<Xহ•ত নক হ¯l§<<<¯¬নর dlর<<<Xহ•ত নক হ¯l§
¯Xlবদর পlb b¸র নসb পবড়ন¯¬ ছসT ছ* নU§lবস + ¯র নতন d¯বরর কব¬* *îdন ছশ^ হব§ এ¬ ছ^নদন+ ¯Xরl অবনবকই d¸4বত
পlনরনন এরপর ছকlAl§ ^lߧl দরকlর+ ছXব§রl পরîVl নদব§ন¯¬ ¯চl^ *Aদîশ dস¸কব¬ব*+ রdî* সদবন G¬তlনন করlর *ন¯
একন¯ত হব§ ছদ¬l ছA¬ ¬¸d ¹lকl ¹lকl ছ3কব¯+ তlই ¯Xরl Al ছdব^ *বড়l হব§ dস¬lX+ অবনবকই AU^‡+l কlবক dব¬ d¸4বত
পlরন¯¬+ কlর+ dতXlবনর AU ছAবক Uনd^¯ত এdlর *^ ননবত চlইব¯+ ছ^Xন ¯dহXlন কl¬ hবর চব¬ ¯সব¯+ ¯Xরl রdî*
সদন ছAবক নdন*ত¬lß ন¹বর ছদ¬¬lX+ তlরপর ছহন³ ¯ন¬প¸নরর ¯7lনl ছd¬বUনT§lর হব§ উ‰সU¸নXবত ন¹বরন¯+ হl*রl ছXlবড়
ত¬ন রlত সlবড় নblর ক¬কlতl উ¯র?¯বŠ^ ত ন‹ ননব§ ºব§ ¯ব¯+ এd: ছসই ¯lড়l¯lনড়র পবর ¯Xরl সdlই ¯র ক¬বনl
একসবঙ ছদ¬l করবত পlনরনন+ এন¬§b পlবক দ¸হl*lর ন§ সlব¬ ছচBl হব§ন¯¬ অdশ¯+ কlর+ পlনর*lবতর কlî ছরl¬ এ¬নß
¯ব¬lচনlর ছসরl সঙত+ ^নদß ^X¸নl+ ছŒld ¯র ¬lইb হlউস এ¬ন d7 হব§ ^lߧlর ¹ব¬ ¯Xরl পlক Wîবbর উ¯বর ছ^বত
ছকlনß উ‰সlহ ছপ¬lX নl+ ননউ এ*l§lবর নহন* ¯নd+ ^lবত সdlই একXত হ¬ ছ^ ছdlর কন¬কl¬ চ¬ব¯ ক¬কlতl§---
*lদ¸হ¯l§ নশl হ¯l§- ত¸4বকl U¸¬lবক অd ^lউ কlহl
হldlb ছদব¬ 3চ¸র d¯lX ছ¬ব§ প¸বরlবনl ক¬কlতlবক ছ3X ননবdদন কর¬lX কব¬* নWবb+ অAচ ছস XlনAbl চব¬ ছA¬ hlপlর Xlব3
নX¬নবX¬l§ 5¯নX ¯*কl¬ হনর§lননU নশ¬ন¯ ছস*ন¯ নক¯¸ dVতl চব¬ ¯সবত পlবর8+ ছdlhহ§ d¯A ছ3নXবকর Xত ¯নX
¯*îdন ক¬কlতlবক ¹¯lTlসlই* কবর ^ld+ তবd এß ছতl îক ছ^ ¯নX অ¬îক নদAবd ছ*শ¯l¬ এ*¸বকশন ছ* lবন নAব§ একপl¬
ছXlব^র তlড়l ছ¬ব§ ß3lর ¯বAই ^lদdপ¸বর ছ¬নTস ছহlব³ব¬র dlইবর ছতlXlর সবঙ পনরdlর পনরক0নl কবর ছরব¬ন¯¬lX+ এd:
এUlবd Xlন¸^ •¯l*¸ব§b ছAবক ছপl³ •¯l*¸ব§b হব§ ßব3+ তবd ¯§রনন এই ছ^ Xকlইdlনড়র চl ¬lߧlর *ন¯ ¯Xlবক ক¬কlতl
26(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
ছ¯বড় নদনল ¯সবত হ¬---
দ নBবত 4রlß ¯Gন- ইনতহlস ছসবক ছনবd dh
ß¹ নক *dন¯ ¯Gন ছ*ব¬ব¯ এই স¸*র ³+lন¬ স7¯l+ ¯র ¯Xlবক সlVî ছরব¬ ত¸নX ন¯lশনl¬ ¬lইবðনর কXপlউবŽ ছতlXlর
ছ3lব*T ছ3lবপl* l¬ হlߧl§ উনড়ব§ নদব§ একbl ছ¯l• j¯¸¯lনlবক ননব§ ¯দর কবর ছ^ dl!lন¬ ছরlX¯lনTকতl ছদ¬lব¬+ তl ºh¸এই
কlরব+ ন§ ছ^ ত¬ন সনত¯ Aঙlর নদক ছAবক ¬¸d হlߧl dইন¯¬+ ¯সব¬ ¯ন¬প¸বরর ¬lচl§ Alকl dld নস:হরl Xlব4 Xlব4 dlইবর
ছdনরব§ এবস 7বদl 7বদl 3ব¹সরবদর একh Al•ড় ছXবর ছ^বতই পlবর+ ^lরl কব¬* সlনUস কনXশবন নসনপএX এর এবblকlbl ছচবb
ছচবb AŽlর হব§ ছAব¯+ ¯র ¯নX U¸¬ d¬ব¬ ºhবর নদß+ ¯নX ক¬কlতl ছ¯বড় ¯সlর রlবত ছতlXlর অর7ন ন¯¬ ^তদ¸র Xবন
পবড়+ ছতlXlর হতlশl dblব¬ ¯নX দ¸:ন¬ত+ নX§l jইপl+ তবd ¯নX ^¸•বV¯ ছ¯বড় পl¬ld Ulনdনন ক¬নß+ এd: ¯নX ¯* এ ^¸ব•
নত¸ন FT ¬¸¬ন¯ পন‘X3lবd+ ত¸নX প¸dনদবক ¯Xlর অবপVl§ ছAক+ ¯Xlবদর ছদ¬l হߧlর স‚ldনl ইনতহlস উনড়ব§ নদব' নl---
Co&e and "ol#ata 4
Such a Sprng day6s treat+ go home a)ter buyng meat---
Ln such sprng e/enngs past memores come bac%+ and you also tred to return to me+ 1hen t seemed
l%e ths entre human l)e 1ll be spent n tal%ng about the past+ and Camela escaped rght a)ter ma%ng
a contact 1th her )ngertps though t 1as &ust s9 thrty on the cloc%+ 4 s1ear n the name o) such an
e/enng+ 1e stll nurture bet1een our eyebro1s the sorro1 o) the boo% )ar6s remo/al )rom the $adan+
and most l%ely 4 shall lea/e Kol%ata be)ore ths con)esson s e/en complete+ but despte that you
please do not stop ta%ng a sdelong glance at Camac Street 1hle tra/ellng on the )lyo/er )rom
,ctora to Car% Crcus+ because there+ n a d))erent dmenson a )e1 re)lectons o) us are stll 1al%ng
north1ards+ l%e 1e used to 1al% n the year t1o thousand and one+ me and my boy)rend Lbh&t+ on
the parallel that /ery goalless @9de 1here my )ore)athers used to 1or% at a mercantle )arm )or
generatons+ and t too s necessary to be sad that one dd not need to appeal )or a parole to 1al% )rom
;a7ra to Ea%e $ar%et holdng the hands o) Cayel+ l%e t s mandatory today n order to return )rom
26!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
so&ourn+ these old /ces throng my mnd too 1ell ) 4 try to sng a Tagore song today+ because 4 ha/e
arr/ed at an unsutably pous pro)esson+ but hell+ 4 1as not supposed to come here+ 1hle stayng as a
payng guest at *agha (atn 4 someho1 tra/ersed a dstance o) a thousand and hal)+ but Kol%ata 1ould
ha/e been nearer+ and stll at Kasba at a )rend6s thrd )loor apartment e/en a)ter ha/ng heard a dead
human %noc%ng on the 1ndo1 durng the nght o) &shtoi o) Durgapu&o 4 dd not lose )ath n
$ar9sm+ but t 1as natural to ha/e become a )ollo1er o) Balter *en&amn+ though t 1as me only 1ho
once thought that re/oluton 1ould thus l/e long ha/ng partcpated n detaled plannngs o) red terror
n S24 meetngs
Eo/ed )or the )rst tme+ lo/ed )or the last tme---
The seat o) our graduaton )nal e9am 1as at St da/er6s+ and the day 1hen the three years o) college
l)e came to an end+ many among us could not understand 1here to go ne9t+ the grls ga/e e9am at "(C
*ose college+ and 1hen 1e came together a)ter1ards at !abndra Sadan 1e )elt a /acuum around us+ so
1e became dense and sat do1n touchng each other+ as many among us could understand 1hat labour
pan s+ because no1 )uture 1anted to be born o) the present+ l%e t s happenng snce eternty+ 1e
retrospected *r&talao )rom !abndra Sadan+ then 1al%ng across *el/eder+ the den o) ;aste "lpur
1e returned to the land o) orgn )or one last tme+ the Kol%ata o) '-.: pm 1as then lyng at ;a7ra
$ore 1th post?&oussance sats)acton+ and a)ter that separaton 1e ne/er 1ere able to see oursel/es
together+ though there 1as an attempt at @llot6s Car% n t1o thousand nne+ because the Kat 1raps o)
Car&at are stll the best accompanments o) gossp+ although 1e dd not )eel enthusastc to go )urther
north past Car% Street o1ng to the closure o) (amuna+ Globe and Eght ;ouse+ and as a ;nd mo/e
1as gong on at #e1 @mpre+ e/eryone agreed that Kol%ata 1as no1 seeng ts end o) days
There6s magc and there6s cra/ng )or more+ ho1 can 4 )orget and 1here can 4 go---
4 1as s1ollen a)ter 1atchng 0erbert and proposed to old Kol%ata+ but that btch 1ent to the dsposal
ground o) Dhapa on @$ *ypass 54 am learnng ;aryan/ these days so a bt o) roughness may come to
262@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
the speech8+ perhaps l%e a )aled lo/er 46ll %eep on )antassng Kol%ata all my l)e+ but ths s also true
that be)ore beng chased by a herd o) bu))aloes at the specal educaton 7one by unreal hor7ons 4
already dd a )amly plannng 1th you outsde the Eades ;ostel at (ada/pur+ and ths s ho1 a man
goes )rom graduate to beng a postgraduate+ though the rony s that n order to taste $o%abar tea 4
had to lea/e Kol%ata and come to Delh---
Eet )res ran )rom your eyes+ so that hstory may coo% ts rce---
Lh 1hat a bloody )re s rased by ths pleasant e/enng o) burnng gold+ and your *engal romantcsm
n blo1ng o)) the torn peces o) your pro&ect proposal n the 1nd 1hle cuddlng a puppy n the
#atonal Ebrary compound 1th me as ts 1tness 1as not only &ust o1ng to a lot o) bree7e comng
)rom the r/ersde+ but actually the tgers and lons l/ng nsde the cages o) the "lpur 7oo can
sometmes come out and slap the hea/y1eght pro)essors 1ho turned nto !hnos a)ter lc%ng the
le)to/ers o) CC$ at college ser/ce commsson+ and correct me ) 4 am 1rong+ the )ar 4 remember you
%ept a )ast the nght 4 le)t Kol%ata+ 4 am sorry ) 46/e caused despar n you+ ea culpa+ but 4 ne/er
thought that 4 1ould lea/e to escape the battle)eld+ and today n ths 1ar 4 open a ne1 1estern )ront+
you 1at )or me on the east+ hstory s not rulng out the possblty o) you and me meetng agan---
পপম ও কলককতক - ৫
নয় &য় #য়য় %খ'য়খর 4প5 র আনয়$ শনই
শসখনখ6 3ন আখ+ শপয়ল আর বখখ+য়বখ নখ
263@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
ন7 4-#খ$6 শ8খখট বখ2খয়লই 9:খয়1নখ
শকখয়;র /খষখ6 9ন: শলখয়ক জখনয়& নখ
সব /খষখ6 সব !য়<র খয়ন জখনয়$ শনই
শ$খর শ&খখয়খ6 $খই আর 3 =খল কখ+য়বখ নখ
/র সয়>য় শ+খখ শয়র শ*য় ?5 ল@5 টর
+A  শসখনখ6 কখল 9ট?স শকয়ট শ, কটর 
কলকখ$খ6 +A 9ট?স শকয়ট শ, কটর BBB
Co&e and "ol#ata ?
Do not brng such a)ternoons o) ransac%ng breadth
Grl+ 4 1on6t be able to l/e a)ter such 1armth
T1o spoled hands and lps+ ) go on turn nto aerals
Ths s cpher and others are not n the %no1-
#ot all languages and sounds are )or decodng
Mour touch s here+ 1ll ne/er agan 1ash ths %erche)-
264@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2restc%s bln%ed n the mddle o) ths e/enng
;ey+ let6s bun% o))ce and ha/e a date tomorro1
Kol%ata+ let6s bun% o))ce+ let6s go on a date tomorro1-
শ, ' কলকখ$খ  C
ব2 9বল)লখDয় +55  শখয়ল+ শসখনখE
5 য়খ শ% আFন ট&লE প5 য়2য়& স)খনখE
আয়Gয়ট*ন %খরখ !য়< ট/য়জয়&
,ট$কখর শ/য়ব %খরখ পয়H *খখট2য়য়য়&
শ%খখয়ন 9ন: Iর শ?য়র Jখট;য়পখ
বখটল.KE রখয়$ নখক+খটব  #খটরয়য়য়&E
শকননখ শস সয়য়রখ খ5 ব 3য়লখয়য়লখ
শ8খখয়ট শয়! শ8খখটE আর Lখয়স Lখস শয়!E
,+M কNয়ন শ$খর 9ল"খর
খয়স শ.য়ল+ ?5 টটOজ' শ$খয়ক /খয়লখবখয়সE
শ!ষ Jখ +য়ল %খয়বE শ!ষ বখস' %খয়বE
রখটPর কলকখ$খ+ আখয়ক জ2খয়বF
26?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Co&e and "ol#ata 6
Mou %ssed 1th so much ease dear-
$y boundares got burnt- Mour lps had )re-
Those )ery days that got drenched n sounds
Those 1ho thought t a remedy and too% to street )ght
E%e the other /oce returnng to Tram depot
"t *allygunge- The nose rng 1as lost at nght-
*ecause those moments 1ere too unruly
Eps n lps and breaths n breaths ensue
Bhen sheer /bes made your &e1el
2all+ ths )ootbrdge too )ell n lo/e 1th you-
East bus 1ll go a1ay- East tram too 1ll lug-
Kol%ata o) nght+ 1hat about g/ng me another hugF
????????????????????????????????????
6oda
Nrban e9stence s about a sharply de)ned aesthetc o) locatons 5ncludes e/ery street+ e/ery landmar%+
e/ery alley3 each has a dstnct )eel o) ts o1n3 urban locales are unAuely dstngushable )rom each
other8- They supply an mpress/e arsenal o) ob&ect/e correlat/es )or any poet+ and )or any poet 1ho
s n lo/e 1th Kol%ata+ ths cty s an ndspensable repertore> ts hor7ons o) s%yscrapers and )lyo/ers+
ts hstores o) banshment and betrayal+ ts neghbourhoods o) a Shaare Chuattor l%e communty and
0erbert l%e alenaton+ ts nghts o) )loursh and )utlty+ ts magnesum o) a morbund Co))ee ;ouse+
266@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
ts sulphur o) protest ralles+ ts landmar%s bearng colonal mprnt as 1ell as the suppressed )ootsteps
o) the martyrs+ ts neon lghts o) dread and dust and mst composng urban )ary tales 1here lo/ers
unte> they all pro/de space?tme coordnates )or a poet6s language- These translatons ha/e attempted
to transcreate Kol%ata+ the Auntessental *engal cty nto a globally understood medum o) @nglsh-
There 1ll al1ays be a gap bet1een the *engal orgnal and @nglsh translaton- 4 cannot e9pect them
to concde- 4n @nglsh translatons+ rhymes ha/e sometmes been abandoned and sometmes
reproduced+ metrcal schemes o) *engal orgnals ha/e almost al1ays been dspensed 1th+ and ths
has been done 1th no )9ed plannng+ as the pro&ect 1as underta%en n an automatc+ spontaneous )lo1
o) transcreaton+ &ust l%e ths unplanned colonal cty )lourshed n a spontaneous manner-
Do these poems translate Kol%ata bac% nto CalcuttaF They don6t+ because hstory cannot be
re/ersed+ and ths 1rter?translator+ beng n/ol/ed n a *engal natonalst pro&ect+ s %eenly a1are o)
the tra&ectory o) hstory o) Kol%ata- Bhy translate and preser/e these poems nto a language o) global
communcatonF *ecause 1e n ths 1or%shop are n transt+ 1e are passng )rom one terrtory to
another+ 1e are comng nto contact 1th a 1der audence 1ho are nterested n the 1or%s done by us
at (*S and mght not ha/e mmedate access to *engal language- Bhen 1e %no1 that 1e are
tra/ersng through a no?man6s land 1here 1e need to emt some sgnals and rece/e some others+ 1e
need to resort to a semantc pool that s commonly shared- Kol%ata s a complete lngustc un/erse )or
me+ 1hen 4 )rst 1rote the orgnal poems n *engal+ n a sense they too translated the tme and space
o) that cty+ and no1 4 ha/e tred to transact that language called Kol%ata n these orgnal and
translated poems across the 1ndo1 o) (*S- CheersI
Tamal Dasgupta is editor of ;ournal of Bengali Studies- a teacher of !nglish literature and a creati$e
writer< 0e is a Kolkata aficionado<
Sister Ni&edita in "ol#ata- $ Nation $4a#ens
3ousu%i Band1o0adh1a1
Bhle payng homage to the memory o) Sster #/edta+ #e/nson+ a Bestern crtc says that he
remembers her as a solder n the Bar o) Eberaton = a solder 1th a )lamng s1ord- Be remember her
today as an eptome o) #atonalsm = as a passonate )ghter )or 4nda`s )reedom- ;o1e/er+ )e1 o) us
remember her socal deas 1hch 1ere str%ngly orgnal and her role as a relentless )ghter aganst
socal e/ls+ oppresson+ n&ustce and corrupton n her chosen karabhui+ place o) 1or%+ 1hch 1as
Kol%ata- Sster #/edta adopted Kol%ata as her home and tll her death toled ceaselessly to mtgate
su))erngs o) her )ello1 Kol%atans- ;er l)e s a pro)le o) courage and de/oton = a trbute to
patrotsm- #/edta played a stellar role n the a1a%enng o) *engal and o) 4nda at a crucal &uncture
o) hstory- She nurtured the cultural and poltcal mo/ements o) the tme- The most mportant o) all+ she
had studed 1th metculous care ;ndu 1ays o) l)e+ thoughts+ legends+ arts and archtecture and thus
she had become thoroughly _*engalcsed` n outloo% and she lo/ed and understood 4nda better than
many enlghtened 4ndans- 4n )act+ she+ 1th her percept/eness+ ga/e *engal l)e a ne1 meanng and
purpose that sophstcated+ 1esternsed Kol%ata )ello1s 1ould )al to recognse-
The nneteenth century can be earmar%ed as a perod o) sprtual and ntellectual regeneraton o)
*engal- 4n the nneteenth century the 1a/e o) creat/ty permeated nto the cultural l)e o) *engal and
the e))ect 1as an unprecedented sprtual and ntellectual regeneraton- The natonal a1a%enng n the
nneteenth century+ %no1n as the *engal !enassance+ 1as the )orerunner o) the 4ndan !enassance-
S1am ,/e%ananda 1as not only a premum product o) the !enassance+ but ts _moulder and
)ashoner as 1ell`-
1
#neteenth century *engal absorbed the mpact o) Best and ths absorpton helped
to brng to the )ore)ront people l%e !a&a !ammohan !oy+ $chael $adhusudan Dutta+ *an%m
Chandra Chatter&ee+ 4s1archandra ,dyasagar+ and S1am ,/e%ananda- 4n S1am ,/e%ananda+ the
Catrotc and sprtual mpulses mngled n a supreme desre to upl)t the humanty n 4nda+ 1th a /e1
o) restorng her+ to her proper place among the natons o) the 1orld- ;e bele/ed that the present
26D@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
1arrng 1orld mght be sa/ed by sprtual teachngs 1hch ;ndusm could mpart+ but be)ore 4nda
1ould do ths+ she must en&oy the respect o) other natons by rasng her o1n status- 4t 1as
,/e%ananda 1ho )or the )rst tme n the modern age boldly proclamed be)ore the 1orld the
superorty o) ;ndu culture and c/l7aton+ the greatness o) her past and the hope o) her )uture- Ths
combned 1th hs patrotc 7eal+ made hm an embodment o) the hghest deals o) the renascent 4ndan
naton-
2
Sster #/edta+ 1ho 1as among the most ardent dscples o) S1am ,/e%ananda+ 1as not a
product o) the *engal !enassance+ but t )ormed the bac%ground aganst 1hch her entre l)e 1as
dedcated to the upl)tment o) 4nda+ *engal and most mportantly+ Kol%ata-
$argaret @l7abeth #obel 1as the orgnal name o) Sster #/edta and she 1as born at
Dungannon n the County Tyron n 4reland on 28
th
- Lctober 1867- She breathed her last n Dar&eelng
on 1.
th
Lctober 1'11 1th l)e span o) lttle less than )orty )our years- ;er )amly 1as orgnally )rom
Scotland and had settled n 4reland n the )ourteenth century- *orn n 4reland+ Gtraned and educated as
@nglsh grls areH+ $argaret 1as the product o) the @uropean c/l7aton 1hch 1as then at the /ery
_7enth o) ts po1ers` n e/ery sense o) the 1ord- ;er mnd had the pr/lege o) beng nurtured n ts
ntellectual ambence- The @nglshmen o) the nneteenth century 1ere prepared to reconstruct ther
socety- Ths perod 1as a testmony to the dsco/ery and )lourshng o) the n/ent/e genus o) the
@uropean people- Ther supremacy may largely be attrbuted to the ne1 s%lls and machnes born
durng the 4ndustral re/oluton and to the e9traordnary and parallel gro1th n ther numbers- 4reland+
ho1e/er 1as not blessed 1th the bene)ts o) the 4ndustral re/oluton and the 4rsh people 1ere le)t
1th ;obson`s choce o) ether emgratng or smply star/ng- $argaret`s grandparents had a large
contrbuton to the 4reland`s struggle )or ndependence )rom the clutches o) *rtsh rule- Samuel
!chmond #obel+ the )ather o) $argaret 1as nspred by the same dealsm to lead men to sal/aton
and set 4reland )ree- #/edta 1as pro)oundly n)luenced by these deals o) attanng sal/aton o) the
people and the )reedom )rom )oregn yo%e )rom her chldhood- She could relate the stuaton pre/alng
n 4nda 1th that o) her o1n country and dedcate hersel) to the cause o) our people 1hen she came to
our country- #/edta met S1am ,/e%ananda n Eondon n 18'0+ 1ho 1as loo%ng )or a 1oman 1ho
could help n the ameloraton o) 4ndan 1omen 1thout 1hose upl)tment + no real regeneraton o)
4nda could be ache/ed- ,/e%ananda had occason to 1rte to #/edta as )ollo1s> GEet me tell you
)ran%ly that 4`m no1 con/nced that you ha/e a great )uture n the 1or% )or 4nda- Bhat 1as 1anted
1as not a man+ but a 1oman3 a real loness+ to 1or% )or the 4ndans+ 1omen especallyH-
.
269@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
#/edta responded 1hole?heartedly to ths call o) ,/e%ananda and came to 4nda n 18'8 and
de/oted the remanng )ourteen years o) her l)e to _(ana desha dharma`+ the people+ the land and the
relgon o) the country o) her adopton- ;er arr/al n the cty o) Kol%ata+ the poltcal and cultural
captal o) Colonal 4nda+ mar%ed the begnnng o) an era o) relatonshp 1th the soul 1th the cty as
Kol%ata 1as the cty o) ,/e%ananda+ her mentor- She could )eel the pulse o) Kol%ata and relate 1th ts
stuaton as t 1as /ery smlar to the place 1hch she haled )rom+ a Colonal Construct o) the *rtsh-
Kol%ata 1as at the epcenter o) all the ma&or act/tes- "t that tme+ culturally and poltcally *engal
1as 1ay ahead o) the other states o) the country- #/edta n/ol/ed hersel) totally n dr/ng the
natonalst and re/olutonary mo/ements based n Kol%ata- She )elt an mperat/e need )or a natonal
a1a%enng o) 4ndan masses as a precondton o) the natonalst mo/ement+ and she )elt that Kol%ata
1as &ust about the rght place to ntate that- ;er relatonshp 1th the cty 1as ntact tll the tme o) her
death- Though she had to go bac% to @ngland )or some dre needs+ she returned bac% to the cty 1th
rene1ed /gour and a stronger bondng emerged 1th the cty+ 1hch 1as her home n mnd and sprt-
Lccdental notons o) patrotsm and natonalsm+ htherto un%no1n n nneteenth century 4nda+
gradually percolated nto the gntng 4ndan mnds and the concept o) *rtsh democratc system o)
go/ernance nspred the thought process o) 4ndans- ConseAuently+ the 4ndan #atonal Congress 1as
born at the end o) the century+ 1hch ga/e mpetus to the poltcal a1a%enng and so1ng the seeds o)
patrotsm and natonalsm and un)ed the approach as that o) a naton+ despte the d/ersty n the
languages and communtes- Then came the l)e and tmes o) Sster #/edta+ GThese 1ere the years o)
)ery speeches and )erce 1rtngs and o) bomb thro1ng3 o) mass ralles and secret socetes3 o) )earless
demands and brutal repressons3 o) bold aspratons and agonsng su))erngs3 o) the mendcants and the
mltants-H
4
These years 1ere a testmony to the partton o) *engal+ boycott and S1adesh = 1hen
#atonalsm as a sentment combned 1th #atonalsm as a mo/ement to o/erthro1 the *rtsh
su7eranty- "urobndo could n)er some smlartes bet1een the *engal !enassance and that o) the
Celtc mo/ement n 4reland 1here a rsng natonalsm 1as n Auest )or a ne1 mpulse o) sel)
e9presson to g/e sprtual )orce to a spectacular re?a1a%enng- ;e 1rtes G---n 4reland ths 1as
dsco/ered by a return to the Celtc sprt and culture a)ter a long perod o) eclpsng @nglsh n)luences+
and n 4nda somethng o) the same %nd o) mo/ement s appearng and has especally ta%en a
pronounced turn snce the poltcal outburst o) 1':0-H
0
These 1ere the )ormat/e years )or 4nda`s
struggle )or ndependence- #/edta not only l/ed durng these years but 1as one o) the creators o)
27(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
hstory )or ths perod- She del/ed nto 4nda`s glorous past 1hle g/ng the re/tal7ng )orce on the
ed)ce o) 1hch she enuncated the )uture- To g/e mpetus to the latent natonalsm she nterpreted
4nda`s art and culture+ the soco?relgous customs as 1ell as the tradtons n the lght o) ,edanta as
taught by S1am ,/e%ananda- ;er msson 1as the lberaton o) the 4ndans )rom an alen culture and
)rom colonal ser/tude- She car/ed the path to1ards the creaton o) 4ndan #atonalty- "s a matter o)
)act+ Sster #/edta le)t her mprnt as a sngle nd/dual+ n gudng and nsprng a number o)
leadng mo/ements o) the late nneteenth and early t1enteth century`s that ultmately culmnated nto
4ndan ndependence-
Sster #/edta came to Kol%ata n 18'8 and made t her home e9cept )or t1o nterruptons tll
breathng her last n 1'11- Bhen she )rst landed here she 1as a *rtsh sub&ect n mnd and sprt and
though she de/eloped a )ondness )or 4nda+ her loyalty to the @nglsh throne remaned undmnshed )or
long- *ut 1thn a )ortnght o) the demse o) S1am&+ 1hen the msson authortes as%ed her to chose
ether the msson or poltcs+ she chose the latter as 1th her prudence she could real7e that the need o)
the hour 1as a poltcal struggle /rtually leadng to the lAudaton o) the *rtsh @mpre- The entre
)ocus o) ,/e%ananda`s teachngs 1as amed at brngng about a resurgence n ;ndu socety and a
natonal rea1a%enng through the regeneraton o) the masses- ,/e%ananda 1as nstrumental n
nstllng a sprt o) natonalsm and a natonal conscousness n the mnds o) the people- "lbet 1thout
any poltcal a))latons+ S1am&`s teachngs could not steer clear o) poltcal repercussons-
#atonalsm n *engal+ more spec)cally mltant natonalsm under the leadershp o) *pn Chandra
Cal and "urobndo Ghose 1ere pro)oundly n)luenced by the #eo?,edantc mo/ement o) S1am
,/e%ananda- 4t 1as hs dscple Sster #/edta+ 1ho Gtoo% the )re and ble1 t among the young
#atonalsts 1ho 1ere see%ng a ne1 Cath-H
6

Ln enterng the 4ndan poltcal arena+ Sster #/edta met 1th a number o) d/erse poltcal
opnons and act/tes all o/er 4nda- " ne1 era n the poltcal l)e o) 4nda began 1th the )oundaton
o) the 4ndan #atonal Congress to1ards the end o) the year 1880- 4t 1as the )rst organsed e9presson
o) the 4ndan #atonal mo/ement on a Can?4ndan scale- The perod )rom 1808 to 1':0 s re)erred to as
the tme o) gestaton o) #atonalsm n 4nda- Tll 1':0 the #atonal $o/ement 1as domnated by the
moderates+ 1hose method 1as prayer+ pettons and pleadng to the go/ernment )or re)orms- ;o1e/er
ths method dd not become /ery popular and ultmately the 4ndan #atonal Congress )aled to secure
27!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
)rom an unsympathetc go/ernment any sgn)cant poltcal re)orms 1hch t had been demandng )or
o/er t1o decades snce ts ncepton- 4t could not %eep pace 1th the changng poltcal deals and )aled
to cope up 1th the enhancng sense o) natonalty and patrotsm 1hch gre1 n the last Auarter o) the
nneteenth century- There 1as a rsng dsenchantment amongst a secton o) the #atonalsts and
ne/tably the stuaton ga/e brth to a set o) ne1 leaders 1ho 1ere more radcal n ther demands and
bele/ed n a more mltant )orm o) natonalsm- These leaders came to be %no1n as the e9tremsts and
the che) e9ponents o) ths school 1ere Eo%manya Tla%+ *pn Chandra Cal+ "rabndo Ghosh and Eala
Ea&pat !a- Bhle the moderate leaders could garner ther support )rom the enlghtened elte class+ the
ne1 leaders 1ere accepted by a 1der crcle o) lo1er mddle classes+ students and some sectons o)
1or%ers and peasants- Ta%ng recourse to the means o) pass/e resstance through non?cooperaton and
boycott o) )oregn goods 1th S1adesh as the soluton+ they set ther ob&ect/e as S1ara& or complete
ndependence- The e9tremsts 1ere at the heght o) ther po1er durng #/edta`s act/e years n
poltcs- Met another mo/ement o) the mltant natonalsts 1as also runnng at the same tme- The
re/olutonary natonalst mo/ement 1as a )allout o) the suppressons and repressons o) the *rtsh
go/ernment and the resultng poltcal dscontent- The young mltants tred to ache/e poltcal
)reedom by creatng terror n the hearts o) the rulers- #/edta played the role o) harmonsng 1th all
the three streams o) poltcal opnon and act/tes+ though she 1as partcularly 1ell connected 1th the
mltants and natonalsts- Durng the act/e years o) #/edta the @9tremsts 1ere at the pnnacle o)
ther n)luence and po1er-
"mong the moderates+ #/edta 1as partcularly close to leaders l%e G-K- Go%hale+ !-C- Dutt
and "nandamohan *ose- Tme and agan they came to her house at 17 *osepara lane+ *agba7ar- Bhen
#/edta a)ter her strenuous 1or% n @ast *engal n 1':6 durng the natural calamtes o) )lood and
)amne there+ had )allen ll and had been recuperatng at Dum Dum n the house o) Shr "-$- *ose+ she
1as also /sted by the leaders regularly- 4t s sad that Go%hale spent se/eral nghts at her bedsde
crushng and applyng ce on her head- $r- Go%hale came to her house regularly durng the Kol%ata
sesson o) the 4ndan #atonal Congress to dscuss /arous burnng ssues o) #atonal 4nterest- $r-
Go%hale n/ted #/edta at the annual con/enton o) The 4ndan #atonal Congress held n *enaras n
December 1':0 1hch 1as attended by her- She not only attended all the sessons but also ga/e the
/ote o) than%s- !-C- Dutt+ another close )rend o) #/edta+ ga/e an nsght o) the 4ndan economy and
ts blatant abuse by the *rtsh go/ernment to her-
272@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
@/en a)ter ha/ng close tes 1th the moderates+ #/edta de/eloped an nclnaton to1ards the
#atonalsts and mltants- Durng the perod o) re/olutonary natonalsm+ se/eral secret socetes 1ere
de/eloped among 1hch the most mportant 1ere the "nushlan Samtes o) Kol%ata+ the (ugantar o)
Kol%ata and $tra $ela )ounded by the Sa/ar%ar brothers o) $aharashtra- #/edta 1as assocated
closely 1th the "nushlan Samt rght )rom the tme o) ts ncepton- $r- Satsh Chandra *asu+ one o)
the leadng lghts o) the "nushlan Samty+ tells us that 1hen he 1ent to #/edta be)ore the )ormaton
o) the Samty and she had sad GMou %no1 the teachngs o) S1am&3 so you should mpro/e your
health and do all %nds o) physcal e9ercse ncludng the use o) lath and other thngsH-
7
*ut the role
played by #/edta n the re/olutonary mo/ement apart )rom g/ng ad/ce s d))cult to ascertan- *ut
1hat can be proclamed 1th certanty s the )act that she de/oted hersel) to the cultural regeneraton o)
4nda and her 1rtngs and speeches had a pro)ound n)luence among the youth o) *engal- *ramhachar
"rup Chatanya 1rtes+
She ne/er too% any act/e part n the re/olutonary mo/ement but %eepng hersel) n the
bac%ground she ga/e encouragement to the re/olutonares- She 1as 4rsh by brth- 4reland had
)ought )or her )reedom- She o)ten e9pressed /e1s n )a/our o) 4reland`s ndependence- Eater+
comng to 4nda+ she+ 1hle not ta%ng any drect part n the )reedom struggle o) 4nda+ ndrectly
e9horted the youth to plunge nto the )reedom mo/ement- She thought that 4ndans 1ere 1ea%
n heart and soul+ but she )elt ) the gospel o) )reedom and natonalty 1as dpped nto the ears
o) the 4ndans they 1ould 1a%e up and ma%e sel) sacr)ces )or the ndependence o) the
country-
8
4n )act #/edta )reAuently /sted the secret socetes and ga/e them boo%s on 4rsh re/oluton+ hstory
o) mutny+ the "mercan 1ar o) ndependence+ the l/es o) $a77n and Garbald as she thought that
1ould nspre and mot/ate them-
There s lot o) speculaton regardng the role o) #/edta n the poltcal mo/ement o) 4nda at
that tme- There are many 1ho thn% that she helped n ma%ng bombs n $urarpu%ur !oad laboratory-
4t s also stated that there 1as a close te bet1een "urobndo6s re/olutonary party and #/edta to such
an e9tent that "urobndo`s party came to be %no1n as #/edta`s party- 4t s also common %no1ledge
that Sster #/edta 1as closely assocated 1th the 1or%ng and tranng o) ts members- E7elle
!eymonds+ the bographer o) Sster #/edta 1rtes G#/edta dd not hestate to help ths amateur
273@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
chemsts as best as she could- Darngly+ she smuggled them nto the laboratores o) Cresdency College
as assstants o) (-C- *ose and C-C- !ay 1ho 1ere Cro)essors o) ChemstryH-
'
;o1e/er Crabra&%a
"tmaprana+ n her )amous 1or% on her+ strongly re)utes Sster #/edta`s act/e partcpaton n such
act/tes- *ut payng due respect to "tmaprana+ t 1ould be pertnent to menton+ as opned by the
emnent hstoran Dr- !-C- $a&umdar+ that the role played by #/edta n the )ormaton o) secret
socetes n *engal lea/es no doubt that she dd not altogether dscard terrorsm as a method o) poltcal
1ar)are- The re/olutonares 1ere solely nspred by the dea o) o/erthro1ng the *rtsh rule n 4nda-
The re/olutonares had lo)ty deals+ e9emplary courage and noblty o) souls+ so much so that any
naton n the 1orld 1ould )eel proud o) them- Be are )ortunate enough that Sster #/edta understood
the true sgn)cance o) ths mo/ement and ceaselessly %ept on nsprng the young re/olutonares-
#/edta 1anted the real a1a%enng o) 4nda and she thought that young people must arse and assume
a death?de)yng atttude- "bo/e all she thought that 4nda`s destny should be le)t to be 1or%ed out by
the $other?the mother beng none else than Goddess Kal- #/edta had the bla7ng+ burnng )ath n
mother Kal+ the ma%er as 1ell as the destroyer o) the un/erse- ,/e%ananda mbbed hs respect )or
Kal )rom hs master !ama%rshna and Kal 1orshp 1as turned by ,/e%ananda to a poltcal purpose-
4t 1as consdered by hm as a means o) re//ng the degenerated 4ndan strength- #/edta 1as also
con/erted to ths cult o) Kal 1orshp and as Kal 1as a sub&ect 1hch roused the strongest o) emotons
n those days+ #/edta decded to spea% on the sub&ect- "ccordngly she spo%e at the "lbert hall+
Kol%ata on 1.
th
2ebruary 18'' be)ore a learned audence 1hch ncluded among others Dr- $ahendra
Eal Sar%ar+ Shr Satyendra $ohan Tagore and Dr+ #sh%anta Chatter&ee- ;ere n her speech #/edta
e9planed the real meanng o) Kal and so mpress/e 1as her speech on Kal at ths meetng that
shortly a)ter ths another n/taton came )rom the trustees o) the Kal temple o) Kalghat n/tng her to
spea% on the same sub&ect- She accepted and on $ay 28 18''+ she spo%e at Kalghat be)ore an audence
o) three thousand ncludng some @uropeans- Kal as 1ell as Kalghat s also a hallmar% o) the cty o)
Kol%ata hence #/edta`s lecture had an added sgn)cance and #/edta became nseparable )rom the
sprt o) Kol%ata- To the re/olutonares and n the secret socetes 1orshp o) goddess Kal 1as
customary- #/edta beng pro)oundly n)luenced by the cult o) Kal came e/en closer to the
re/olutonares and the natonalsts -
There mght be some d))erence o) opnon n the n/ol/ement o) #/edta n the Gcult o)
bombH+ but there s absolutely no doubt o) her assocaton 1th the Gcult o) #atonalsmH- The partton
274@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
o) *engal ga/e an mpetus to the #atonalsts to )urther strengthen themsel/es and ther polces o)
boycott and S1adesh became natonal ssues o/ernght- Sster #/edta 1as n total agreement 1th
ther polces and 1hole?heartedly patronsed the S1adesh- She used S1adesh commodtes and
abandoned all )oregn goods and 1as e9tremely hope)ul about the success o) the S1adesh mo/ement-
4n her o1n 1ords+
4t s necessary to say+ and 4 )eel that t cannot be sad too strongly that n the S1adesh
mo/ement the 4ndan people ha/e )ound an opportunty to ma%e themsel/es respected by the
1hole 1orld- 2or the 1orld respects that 1hch sho1s that t s to be )eared+ and the one thng
that s )eared by all s strong+ ntellgent and unted acton- Be conAuer a sngle elephant 1th
ease- *ut 1here s the man 1ho 1ould attac% a herdF The note o) manlness and sel) help s
sounded throughout the S1adesh mo/ement- There s here no beggng )or help+ no crngng )or
concessons- Bhat 4nda can do )or hersel) that she 1ll do- Bhat she cannot at present do )or
hersel) 1ll be consdered herea)ter-
1:

Ln natonal educaton also her /e1s 1ere eAually note1orthy- Ln the appontment o) the Nn/ersty`s
Commsson by Eord Cur7on n 1':2+ she sad> GBe ha/e had a Nn/ersty Commsson lately+ 1hch
had ts /ery best to %ll all educaton and especally all Scence educaton- Ths s the pont n 4nda`s
1rongs that )res me+ the rght o) 4nda to be 4nda+ the rght o) 4nda to thn% )or hersel)+ the rght o)
4nda to %no1ledge--H-
11

She 1as an ardent #atonalst to the core o) her beng and there cannot be a deeper )eelng and better
e9presson than ths- #atonalsm )or #/edta 1as much more than a poltcal mo/ement- "mongst
other aspects o) #atonalsm+ one sgn)cant part 1as to mot/ate people to 1or% n the sprt o) ntense
de/oton to the country- !egardng educaton+ she had a /ery spec)c approach 1hen she says-
@ducaton n 4nda today has to be not only natonal but #"T4L#?$"K4#G- Be ha/e seen
1hat a natonal educaton s+ a tranng 1hch has a strong colour o) ts o1n and begns by
relatng the chld to hs home and country through all that s )amlar but ends by ma%ng hm
free of all that s true+ cosmopoltan and un/ersal- Ths s the necessary condton+ n all
countres+ 1hate/er ther poltcal poston or stage o) de/elopment- These general statements
are as true o) @ngland and 2rance as o) 4nda+ as true n happness as n ad/ersty-
12

27?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
She 1anted the re//al o) art+ the creaton o) great lteratures n d/erse pro/ncal languages to brng
about a cultural renassance n the country- She strongly bele/ed that the rebrth o) art 1as essental )or
the rema%ng o) the naton- "banndranath Tagore+ the ,ce?Crncpal o) the Kol%ata School o) "rt 1ho
1as mbbed 1th )oregn deas ntally+ later 1as to a great e9tent+ due to #/edta`s nspraton+
s1tched o/er to the 4ndan style- Bhen "banndranath panted the _*harat $ata`+ #/edta 1rote GBe
see n ths dra1ng somethng )or 1hch 4ndan art has long been 1atng+ the brth o) the dea o) those
ne1 combnatons 1hch are to ma%e the modern age n 4nda-H
1.
4n

ths conte9t t 1ould be pertnent to
re)er to her lecture on goddess Kal at Kalghat 1here 1hle g/ng ans1er to a Aueston that 1hether
@uropean sculpture 1as superor or not she e9pressed her /e1s 1th a clear natonalst )er/our- 4n her
1ords+
Bth regard to ther o1n mythology+ and ther o1n 1or%s+ the 4ndan people ught to ta%e ther
eyes o)) the Best and cease to compare- Eet the go on puttng more and more dealsm and
re/erence n ther o1n 1ay nto the portrayal o) the mother3 and they 1ould at last produce
somethng natonal and great- Lther1se they 1ould be msled by the mere super)cal prettness
o) )oregn e9ecuton 1thout understandng ts deep nspratons and deals+ and so 1ould stll
)urther /ulgarse and degrade ther o1n by @uropeansng t-
14
2rom the entre dscusson t s e/dent that #/edta had been n/ol/ed deeply n the re/olutonary
mo/ement o) *engal that had ts centre n Kol%ata- "t the same tme #/edta 1as much greater than a
mere 1or%er n the secret re/olutonary )eld- She 1as a 1oman o) hgh ntellectual stature and she
acAuanted hersel) deeply 1th the sprtual and cultural treasures o) 4nda accumulated )rom the earlest
perod to the modern perod-
#atonalsm s actually based upon a common hertage o) memores o) the past 1hether o)
su))erng and sacr)ce or o) ache/ement and glory- #/edta re//ed the memores o) the hstory o)
4nda and 1th ths hstory as the bac%ground + she ga/e a ne1 and broad based nterpretaton o) 4ndan
#atonalsm- 4n dong so+ she endeared hersel) to the common people on one hand and on the other
hand she became /ery close to the emnent and reno1ned Kol%atans- Dr- (agadsh Chandra *ose
l%ened her to the _lady o) the lamp` and shr "urobndo thought she 1as )re 5S%hamoyee8- She 1as
phlosopher and gude to Go%hale and Tla%+ and _$ahas1eta` to "banndranath- !abndranath haled
#/edta as _Eo%mata` or _$other o) the Ceople` as she 1as the Auntessental embodment o) sprtual
276@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
motherhood 1th her span spread beyond the )amly borders to the entre naton- ;er sngle pont
agenda 1as the upl)tment o) the naton and she 1as personally responsble )or )acltatng the natonal
a1a%enng- $any years pror to that S1am ,/e%ananda had already presented her n a poem n 1hch
he had con/erged all the hopes+ aspratons and good 1shes o) the master )or hs dscple- S1am&
1rote G*e thou to 4nda`s )uture son+ the mstress+ ser/ant+ )rend n one--H- "nd S1am&`s prophecy
1as absolutely on the dot as #/edta dd e9actly 1hat S1am& 1anted 1hle layng the )oundaton
pllars o) a rea1a%ened 4nda- The contrbuton o) Sster #/edta s mmense but much o) 1hat she dd
s not 1dely %no1n- The e9tent and nature o) her sel)less ser/ces s yet to be apprecated by the
present 4ndan socety cuttng across the borders o) *engal-
>eferen+es-
1- Santana $u%her&ee3 Sster #/edta n Search o) ;umanty+ Kol%ata+ 1''7+p-21
2- !-C- $a&umdar+ ;-C- !oychaudhur+ K-K- Datta3 "n "d/anced ;story o) 4nda+ Eondon+ 1'6.+
p-886
.- Eetters o) S1am ,/e%ananda+ Kol%ata+ 1'7:+ p-.6.
4- !a%hohar Chatter&ee3 Sster #/edta n the bac%ground o) contemporary 4ndan poltcs n
San%ar Crasad *asu K Sunl *ehar Ghosh @d-+ Bhagini Ni$edita- ;anasatabarshiki Sarak
Grantha ,ol?4+ Kol%ata+ 1'66+ p-70
0- Santana $u%her&ee> op<cit-+p+2.
6- Ibid
7- !a%hohar Chatter&ee3 op<cit-+p+88
8- Duoted n Dr- *plab !an&an Ghosh+ Sster #/edta and the 4ndan !enassance+ Kol%ata+ 2::1+
p-1.
'- E7elle !eymond3 The dedcated> " *ography o) #/edta+ 4nda+ 1'80+ p-..7
1:- The Complete Bor%s o) Sster #/edta ,ol?4,+ Kol%ata+ 2:1:+ p-276
277@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
11- !a%hohar Chatter&ee3 op<cit-+p-'1
12- The Complete Bor%s o) Sster #/edta ,ol?4,+ Kol%ata+ 2:1:+ p-.47
1.- !a%hohar Chatter&ee3 op<cit-+p-'1
14- The Complete 1or%s o) Sster #/edta+ ,ol?44+ Kol%ata+ 2:12+ p-4.6
%ousumi 0andyopadhyay is (ssociate "rofessor of 0istory- Si$anath Sastri College- Kolkata- India<
(fter doing "ostgraduation fro =is$a-Bharati- Santiniketan- she went on to do her ."hil and "hD
fro ;ada$pur Bni$ersity- Kolkata< She has published a onograph titled Kadambn Ganguly> The
"rchetypal Boman o) #neteenth Century *engal<
Ci&ing :eritage- Boats of "ol#ata
S4aru0 Bhatta+har11a
Kol%ata has retans ts old character through some 1ooden tradtonal boats- There are a great /arety o)
dstnct/e boats /sble n Kol%ata and ts /cnty and many /aratons o) the same type+ re)lectng
local tradtons+ adaptatons to na/gatonal reAurements and user demands- Lld photographs+ pantng+
etchng and s%etches g/es us clue about the 1ater transport n 18
th
+ 1'
th
and 2:
th
century- 4n ths
pctoral depcton three typologcal boat /aretes ha/e been emphas7ed-
T;@ C"#S4
2gure 1> !/er Ganges near "utram Ghat n late 1'th century
Booden salng shps anchored near "utram Ghat o) Kol%ata- Calcutta ;gh Court 1hch 1as bult n
1872 s /sble n rear sde- Str%ngly though 1e ha/e lost these ggantc salng shps but the smaller
boats 1hch are /sble are stll /ery much n e9stence n ths area tll no1- These smaller boats are
called Cans- Spoon shaped round hulled shell bult such boats are used )or pleasure trp to !/er
Ganges- 4n older records t has mentoned that the Cans s a passage boat /ery con/enent )or nland
na/gaton- Cans s con/enent only )or short passage- $anly a ro1ng boat+ t can act as 1ater ta9-
279@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Semcrcular shed s not con/enent )or a longer &ourney- There 1as no pro/son )or coo%ng- Stern
porton o) the boat s placed n hgher poston than the stem-
Sol/yns mentoned Gthere are others 1hch carry s9 oars+ and are better eAupped> those go
do1n the r/er to ta%e passengers to and )rom the shpsH- "ccordng to (diral "aris's Nati$e Boats+
GThere are a great /arety n the lne and s7e o) ths name3 they ha/e no %eel + are longer and less )lat
than _dnghs`+ and are easer to salU "lmost all carry a cabn made o) plan%s and mattng+ 1th a
thatched roo)-
2gure 2> Kol%ata Cans 5Lld Chotograph8
2gure .> Cresent day Cans 1th sem?crcular shed
2D(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 4> Kol%ata Cans 1th sem?crcular cabn supported by t1o /ertcal beams
2gure 0> Cans+ 2- *- Sol/yns+ 17''
2gure 6> Cunsoee+ Coles1arthy Grant+ !ural E)e n *engal+ 1866
2D!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 7> Calcutta Cans1a+ G- "- Crncep+ 18.:
,:. B:8MCIN$
2gure 8> Contoon *rdge o) !/er Ganges5Lld Chotograph8
" pontoon brdge s a brdge made o) se/eral boats %eepng sde by sde are especally use)ul n r/er
crossngs- To connect ;o1rah and Kol%ata ths brdge 1as opened n Lctober 17+ 1874 n the e9act
place o) todays ;o1rah *rdge 5!abndra Setu8- 1028 )t long+ 62 )t 1de brdge 1as later replaced by
the present brdge- 4nterestngly the abo/e photographs s sho1ng a boat 1th a cabn at the a)t- Small
and narro1 such boats 1ere used on that tme to carry passenger s no more /sble n the /snty o)
Kol%ata- The typologcal name o) ths small and narro1 boat s *auleah<*haule- 2- *- Sol/yns n hs
Calcutta edton o) ( Collection of *wo 0undred and 1ifty Coloured !tchings > Sec- ,444+ #o- 0-
Calcutta+ 17'' mentoned *aa1alee?a+ a large narro1 boat )or e9pedton- Coles1orthy Grant n !ural
E)e o) *engal+ 1866 has also ndcated the presence o) a mast-
2D2@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure '> *aa1alee?a 5@tchng o) 2- *- Sol/yns+ Cars @dton 18:8?1812
2gure 1:> *houlya+ Coles1arthy Grant+ !ural E)e n *engal+ 1866
*ahulya<*auleah<*haule s a long and narro1 r/er boat 1th )our to eght oars- ;obson?&obson re)ers
to as a %nd o) lght accomodaton boat 1th a cabn+ n use on the *engal r/ers- *uchanan ;amlton
1rtng about 182:+ says> GThe bhaulya s ntended )or the same purpose+ 5con/eyance o) passengers8+
and s about the same s7e as the "ansi< 4t s sharp at both ends+ rses at the ends less than the "ansi-
2D3@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 11> *hauleah+ G- "- Crncep+ "n "ccounts o) Steam ,essel--- 18.:
2gure 12> *haulya on !/er Ganges n 2:th Century 5Lld Chotograph8
2D4@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 1.> *haulya on "d Ganga n 1'th Century 5boat located centrally8
L`$alley n Dstrct Ga7etteers o) $dnapore 51'118 re)erred the boat /arety- ;unter n Statstcal
"ccount o) *engal> n ,ol 4 524 Carganas8 51870?778 has mentoned *haula as a ro1ng boat o)
generally 4 to 6 oars and 1th one small cabn- 4n present tme *haulya boat type s no more n
e9stence n Kol%ata- *ut people o) *enaras stll recogn7ed the boat type and re)erred to a boat type
1hch s not a%n to the older boat type-
,:. S$C,I
!ectangular shaped long and narro1 such boats used to carry grans and other ob&ects )rom Kol%ata to
South T1enty 2our Carganas- Llder photos ha/e sho1n that ther presence n "d Ganga !/er- These
boat /aretes are not common n other parts o) *engal- Stll those %nd o) boats are )ound n parts o)
Sonarpur+ *arupur area- "uthor has dent)ed smlar %nd o) boat n Karan&al o) South T1enty 2our
2D?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Carganas Dstrct 1hch s meant to carry stra1- (ames ;ornell n hs Bater Transport 51'468
mentoned the Salt s a dugout made o) sal tree 5Shorea robusta8- L`$alley re)erred the boat 1th
dmenson o) 2: )eet or more 1th 2 )eet n 1dth- Nsually the boat s propelled by bamboo poles- Such
%nds o) boats are eAupped )or small passengers as 1ell as small burdens- Cresent day salt s not o)
that %nd- 4t s essentally a plan%ed boat but ha/ng the smlar rectangular shape-
2gure 14> Salt on "d Ganga 5Lld Chotograph8
2D6@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 10> Salt on "d Ganga 5Lld Chotograph8
2gure 16> Salt on "d Ganga 5Lld Chotograph8
2D7@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 17> Salt on Kalghat 5Lld Chotograph8
2gure 18> Salt n Karan&al
(ames ;ornell n hs Bater Transport mentoned the Salt as a dugout- 2- *- Sol/yns n hs etchng has
also re)erred smlar %nd o) structure but termed t as @%gachee- @%gachee n *engal denotes a boat
1th a sngle log- 2rom the dagram t s also clear that ths type o) boat s made up o) a sngle trun% o)
a tree- Closer /e1 o) @%gachee also suggests that the stem and stern porton o) the )gure 18 are
dentcal- 4t character7ed that though the method o) buldng o) such boats ha/e changed but ts
appearance remans same-
2DD@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 1'> @%gachee> Sol/yns
N8M"8;N8M"$
Spoon shaped long and 1de boats 1hch carry greater amount o) commodtes are popularly %no1n as
#ou%o<#ou%a- #ou%a s a generc term denotes all %nd o) boats- 4n cognton #ou%o s bgger n
dmenson than the Dng- Sometmes these boats are called as $aha&an #ou%a<$aha&an as these
boats supply goods to ther respected clents- Ther capacty ranges )rom 1::: to 0::: mounds- ,arous
old photographs re/ealed that they 1ere concentrated manly n t1o regons- Lne s n and around
Costa regon o) Kol%ata and other s n the Chetla <Kalghat regon on !/er "d Ganga- Chetla 1as
)amous )or trade on grans- *oats )rom d))erent parts o) *angladesh used to unload ther paddy n
Chetla- Chotographs ha/e sho1n that /arous types o) boats 1ere unloaded n Chetla- *alam a
typologcal boat used to come n Chetla )rom *a%hargan& and *arsal o) present *angladesh- !ce they
carry n those boats termed as *alam-
2D9@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 2:> Gran boats o) Kol%ata near Chetla on !/er "d Ganga- *oat structures suggests *alam
boat /arety 5Lld Chotograph8
2gure 21> Clgrm boats on 2ebruary 8+ 18'1
29(@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 22> Chhot> " boat o) ;o1rah Dstrct n Kalghat- _,` shaped such boats are no more /sble n
Kol%ata- *ut one can )nd t n (unput+ Soula+ Khe&ur as )shng boat- 5Lld Chotograph8
2gure 2.> Chhot o) Ghatal
29!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 24> Clgrm boats along 1th other boat /arety n Kalghat- T1o bgger boats o) the rght sde
thatched 1th gol pata 5Nipa frutican8 5Lld Chotograph8
2gure 20> $aha&an #ou%a 5Lld Chotograph8
292@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 26> The Cans 5Cargo8 carryng sand- Lld photograph o) )gure 20 and ths boat are practcally unchanged
o/er the century-
2gure 27> $aha&an #ou%a 1th 1: ro1ers 5Lld Chotograph8
293@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure 28> $aha&an #ou%a unloadng grans- The boat /arety has e9tnct 5Lld Chotograph8
2gure 2'> Stra1 carrer+ no more a/alable n *engal- 5Lld Chotograph8
294@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure .:> Khoro Kst another typologcal /arety replaced the round hulled /arety o) stra1 carrer
depcted n )gure 2'-
2gure .1> *hanr> a cargo 1th .:::?0::: mounds capacty- Such boats are no1 e9tnct 5Lld
Chotograph8
29?@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure .2> $aha&an #ou%a carryng tmbers 5Lld Chotograph8
2gure ..> unloadng banana n (agannath Ghat 5Lld Chotograph8
296@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure .4> $aha&an #ou%a eAupped 1th sal unloadng /egetables 5Lld Chotograph8
2gure .0> $aha&an #ou%a carryng brc%s 5Lld Chotographs8
297@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
2gure .6> $aha&an #ou%a carryng all sorts o) household tems
The Sangor+ Khoro Kst+ Chhot+ *alam+ Salt+ *haula+ *hanr+ and many other /arety o) boat 1e ha/e
lost- *ut stll 1e ha/e $aha&an #ou%a+ Cans 5pleasure boat8+ Cans 5cargo8+ Tala+ /arous /arety o)
)shng Dng 1hch can llumnate us about the past glorous hstory+ hertage and cra)tsmanshp-
S!arup 0hattacharya- Curator- .aulana (/ad .useu- Kolkata- India is a renowned specialist on
Bengali boats and the ancient na$al and aritie history of Bengal< 0e has worked for the
(nthropological Sur$ey of India< 0is e2pertise in ancient arine and na$al technology is highly $alued
by the central go$ernent as well as different state go$ernents of India<
,raditional Sans#rit Cearning in "ol#ata
So%nath Sar#ar
Bhen a retrospect/e &ourney s done through the corrdors o) hstory to re)resh our memores o) the
orgn+ e/oluton and de/elopment o) Sans%rt studes n *engal+ specally n Kol%ata+ then 1e come
across /csstudes o) 4mages- !e)erences about *engal are dra1n )rom /arous ancent sources-
Baudh4yanadharasTtra 51-1-208+ the epcs 5#44yaUa and .ah4bh4rata8+ COmn`s (354dhy4yV
56-2-1::8 etc- 4n course o) tme+ especally durng Gupta and COla perod+ concrete lterary sources came
nto e9stence- The Gupta perod also sa1 the emergence o) certan ne1 dmenson o) techncal shastras
l%e the @lephantlore called 0asty4yur$eda- Chandragomn de/eloped the Gondea school o) non?
pOmnan Sans%rt grammar- Durng the pOla perod+ #yOya and ,edOnta de/eloped ne1 degrees o)
maturty- DharaW4stra o) *engal+ especally 1th ts proposton o) D4yabh4ga o) (Xmnta/Ohana+ 1as
a ne1 mlestone and became a treatse par e2cellence<
The e/oluton and de/elopment o) Sans%rt studes n *engal+ especally n Kol%ata n *rtsh and
post?*rtsh perod 1tnessed the parallel currents o) Nn/ersty system as 1ell as the tradtonal system
represented by 5ols also %no1n as catu3p45his > Ln one hand the Nn/ersty o) Calcutta+ 1th a rch
department o) Sans%rt+ establshed by Sr "sutosh $oo%her&ee+ 1ho 1as the )rst ,ce?chancellor o)
the Nn/ersty+ )ondled the saplngs o) Sans%rt+ and on the other hand+ Go/ernment Sans%rt College+
Calcutta+ de/eloped on the )ertle ground prepared by the great academcan and phlosopher 4sh1ar
Chandra ,dyasagar- "t ths &uncture t becomes pertnent to ac%no1ledge the e))orts made by *angya
Sans%rt Sh%sha Carshat and /arous /oluntary Sans%rt nsttutons runnng on tradtonal lnes-
*angya Sans%rt Sh%sha Carshat+ as 1e %no1+ 1as establshed by Go/ernment o) Best *engal as a
department under the drectorate o) educaton- The role assgned to *angya Sans%rt Sh%sha Carshat
1as to super/se the act/tes o) the 5ols also called catu3p45his+ to conduct e9amnaton n tradtonal
Sans%rt and a1ard degrees o) 4dya- adhya and up4dhV also called tVrtha<
There are more than 6:: catu3p45his or the centers o) tradtonal Sans%rt learnng n the state-
"mongst them there are certan catu3p45his 1hch ha/e gro1n n terms o) act/tes- The act/tes o)
299@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
some o) the 5ols are d/ergent enough l%e publcatons+ holdng nternatonal semnars+ ta%ng up and
completng the academc pro&ects o) the $nstry o) ;uman !esource De/elopment 5$;!D8+ Go/t- o)
4nda and dent)yng+ catalogueng ther manuscrpt holdngs- @9ample could be g/en o) the Sans%rt
Sahtya Carshat+ Kol%ata+ an organ7aton 1hch s more than 1:: years old and can boast o) a /ery
rch lbrary and large number o) manuscrpts- "nother e9ampleXSr Staramdas Lm%arnath Sans%rta
S%sha Samsad and Sr Staramdas ,ad% "darsh Sans%rt $aha/dyalaya and many others are eAually
n/ol/ed n promoton o) Sans%rt- These nsttutons publshes boo%s+ &ournals and also underta%e the
tas%s o) )ree tradtonal Sans%rt teachngs- 4t holds semnars and Sans%rt dramas also-
Bhen 1e tal% o) tradtonal Sans%rt learnng and catuZpOohs system+ 1e cannot a))ord
to )orget the contrbuton o) scholars+ l%e Candt #tyananda Smrttratha+ $ahamahopadhyaya
,dhuse%har Shastr+ Kalpda Tar%acharya+ Sddhes1ar Chattopadhyay+ Candt Dnanath Trpath and so
many others-
Tradtonal learnng o) Sans%rt language 1as based on $anuscrpt?tradtons- The collecton o)
manuscrpts n Kol%ata ncludes /arous meda l%e handmade paper+ Calm lea)+ palmyra lea)+
parchment+ "ssamese paper+ d))erent languages such as Sans%rt+ Cra%rt+ $edae/al *engal+ "rabc+
Cersan+ Lrya and addresses more than eghty )our sub&ects- The range o) sub&ects s /ery 1de and
ncludes medcne+ astronomy+ astrology+ musc+ hstory+ phlosophy+ lterature+ Dramaturgy+ prosody+
Grammar+ cosmology+ ethcs+ CurOma+ Geography+ cosmography+ le9con etc- These manuscrpts are
1ell preser/ed n the d))erent repostores o) Kol%ata tll date- Such asX
Go/ernment Sans%rt College lbrary+ The "satc Socety+ 4ndan $useum+ Sans%rt Sahtya
Carshat+ *angya Sahtya Carshat+ ;o1rah Sans%rt Sahtya Sama&+ *aranagar Cath *ar lbrary+
!abndra *harat Nn/ersty central lbrary+ School o) ,edc Studes+ !abndra *harat Nn/ersty+
Calcutta Nncrsty $anuscrpt lbrary etc-
;eads o) all 5ola and catu3p45his taught ther dscples 1th the help o) those manuscrpts- The
learned scholars transcrbed each and e/ery letters or graphs )rom the manuscrpt and collated 1th
other source materals- 4n ths /ery 1ay the tradtonal learnng 1as procsedng-
#o1+ 4 1ould l%e to )urnsh same mportant manuscrpts n the repostores o) Kol%ataa
3((@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
Na%e of the No. of 3anus+ri0ts I%0ortant 3anus+ri0ts
re0ositor1 in 0ossession
Calcutta Nn/ersty $ore than Yi$4gaatantra 3
$anuscrpt lbrary 8:+:: 5@ghty (35as4hasrik4?
Thousand8 "ra+Z4p4rait4 3
#44yaUa o)
Kptt/Osa 3
;aiVyabh4rata 3
Some *uddhst?
Sans%rt te9ts-
The "satc Socety $ore than .aitreya$y4karaUa 3
one la%h [aUukhakalpa 3
4llustrated
YrVadbh4ga$ata 3
"rayogaratna4l4 O
Bh434ratna O
Kub+ik4ataO
K4lacakr4$at4ra-
Saputa5ik4 etc-
Sans&rut Sahtya $ore than Yunyapur4Ua-
Carshat 0:+::: 52)ty Saubh4gyaratn4kara-
thousand8 Cikits4aZ+arV-
(r3ar44yaUa 3
Yai$a-4gaa-
Go/ernment $ore than K4lacakratantra-
Sans%rt College .:+:: 5Thrty Subodhik45Vk4 o)
thousand8 .ugdhabodha$y4karaUa-
3(!@(ournal o) *engal Studes+ ,ol- .+ #o- 2
"ll abo/e those manuscrpts are htherto unpublshed- Eearned scholars o) Kol%ata and other
areas may edt these te9ts crtcally- 4n ths /ery 1ay the tradtonal Sans%rt learnng and also the
$anuscrpt studes are )lourshed day by day n Kol%ata-
!e)erences>
1- Indian Graars+ ed- George Kardona and Deshpande+ $otlal banarsdass+ Delh3 2::6-
2- Kriti #akshana 5/ol-7+ no- .8?" b monthly publcaton o) the #atonal $sson )or
$anuscrpts- Gen- ed- $rnmoy Cha%raborty+ #atonal $sson )or $anuscrpts 3 #e1 Delh+ 2:12-
.- Sanskrit for 0uan Sur$i$al+ ed- %alan Kumar Cha%ra/arty+ !ashtrya Sans%rt Sansthan 3
#e1 Delh+ 2:12-
4- Si2ty Iears of Sanskrit Studies 5/ol-18+ ed- !adha/allab Trpath+ !ashtrya Sans%rt
Sansthan 3 #e1 Delh+ 2:12-
Somnath Sar.ar- "hD- is (ssistant "rofessor of Sanskrit at Kanchrapara College- AK "GS6N7- :est
Bengal- India< 0e has published any scholarly articles and pre$iously held a fellowship of (siatic
Society- Kolkata<
>ead us, rea+h us, 0ost 1our +o%%ents and find the
6all for Pa0ers at
htt0-;;'engalistudies.'logs0ot.in;
6onta+t us at
edit's=g%ail.+o% and sho0todina=g%ail.+o%