Implementation of Creative Myth in context of Soharab Hossain’s Novel ‘Gang Baghini’/ সৃজনশীল লোকপুরাণের প্রয়োগ : প্রসঙ্গ সোহারাব হোসেনের ‘গাঙ বাঘিনি’ উপন্যাস

Abstract

People living in extreme geographical regions tends to be dependent on the geological and ecological forces of their native land for the very sake of maintaining their existence. Those uncontrollable forces become godlike entities, which the people fear. Gradually, they weave lore about the wraths and boons of those gods, exercise taboos and make sacrifices to keep those heavenly or hellish bodies content. This myths become an essential part of their lives and their sustenance—which, sort of, defines the people in their entirety. Sundarbans, the southern part of West Bengal and Bangladesh, is one of such extreme locations where maintaining life means continuous struggle with the unpredictable sea-weather, vicious wild-life and severe lack of enough food, drinking water and means of earning. Turbulent sea-waves or hurricanes destroy their homes, their family members get killed by ferocious tigers, crocodiles or snakes while collecting honey, wax or timber from the jungle. Thus, these entities become Gods in their fear-induced mythologies—for example, the tiger becomes ‘Dakshinray’, the emperor and sole owner of the honey and wax of ‘Bhati’ area. ‘Banabibi’ and ‘Shahjanguli’ are the godsend saviours of the oppressed. The myth-believers implement these larger-than-life figures as the symbol of eternal oppressors and recurrent saviours even in present time as well. Since the time of Independence, the socio-political-economic consequences of being an international coastal border area disturb the peacefulness and simplicity of the life of inhabitants. The poachers, weapon dealers, pirates, illegal immigrants along with the coastguards, foresters, politicians, military and the middlemen such as ‘aratdars’ or ‘khatidars’ leech on the lives of the helpless locals. These greedy, evil entities seen as incarnations of ‘Dakshinray’, while some wise or brave locals believed to be avatars of ‘Banabibi’ or ‘Kapil Muni’ create the base of ever-enriched seedbed of ‘Creative Myth’—which is newer and creative iterations of old mythical lore. Eminent Bengali novelist Soharab Hossain’s novel ‘Gang Baghini’ is centred round the life and situation of Sundarbans. How the novelist implemented a newer version of the local myth, is the object of our discussion.