সায়ন্তনী পূততুন্ডের ‘কৃষ্ণবেণী’ (২০১৭) উপন্যাসে একুশ শতকীয় নারীর অধিকার, আত্মমর্যাদা ও মূল্যবোধের পুনর্মূল্যায়ন/ Re-evaluation of Women’s Rights, Self-Respect, and Values in the Twenty-First Century in Sayantani Putatunda’s Krishnabeni (2017)

Abstract

With the passage of time, society inevitably undergoes transformation, and this change is reflected in literature as well. In Bengali literature, the twenty-first century marks a period of new thinking and the re-evaluation of human values. In this era of advanced communication, both society and human psychology across the world have undergone significant changes. Particularly, people’s lifestyles and perceptions of life have gradually developed new perspectives. At the core of this transformation lies women’s struggle, resistance, and the establishment of self-respect. In the writings of Sayantani Putatunda, a versatile writer of the twenty-first century, we observe the emergence of rational, protest-oriented women who challenge patriarchal oppression. The self-respecting woman of this era reassesses traditional culture and heritage, as women’s liberation remains incomplete even in times of progress. Overcoming obstacles, women of this century are striving to build a society and life that ensure their rightful independence.

In Sayantani Putatunda’s novel Krishnabeni (2017), women’s life struggles, protest identity, and the re-evaluation of human values are vividly portrayed. The protagonist Krishnabeni represents a woman who fights alone against exploitation, deprivation, injustice, and inhuman practices hidden behind social customs and religious rituals. She raises her voice against the Devadasi system prevalent in South India and seeks to secure a safe and beautiful future for her daughters. She breaks free from the chains of silent exploitation and oppression embedded in that system. In this novel, Krishnabeni is not merely a character but a symbol of human values. Humanity, compassion, and the right to freedom belong to every individual, and denying them is unjust.