‘Shabarcharit’ upanyase adibasi narider karmajiban o samajjiban/ ‘শবরচরিত’ উপন্যাসে আদিবাসী নারীদের কর্মজীবন ও সমাজজীবন

Abstract

Tribal communities can be observed living on the southwestern border of west bengal. The social life of these tribals is deeply connected with the natural environment. Fiction writer Nalini Bera has published many works in the Bengali literary world, focusing on the so-called non-Aryan Bharatvarsha, i.e. the unexplored marginal regions. The novel 'Shabarcharit' is written around the daily events of that marginal region. The novel can be called the history of the Lodha Shabar nation. In this novel, just as the identity of the lives of tribal women is found, so too is the picture of their constant struggle to survive with their own society and the outside society. They simultaneously fight for gender, caste, education and food. These women who survive by working constantly suffer from self-criticism and job-criticism. They are determined to break the traditional social customs that deprive tribal women of their freedom. Various elements related to the multidimensional life of tribal women are seen in the novel. Women of the Lodha Shabar caste continue to handle the overall responsibility of the family throughout their lives. Therefore, while collecting various necessary materials in the forest and jungle, girls and old people can be seen in groups. In this society, women of all ages have equal responsibilities. This class of people, who are not used to farming, depend on the forest and jungle for their livelihood. Therefore, they enter the deep forest in groups in rows to search for vegetables, mahul, chhatus, etc. But there they have to be oppressed by the guards. When their rights over the forest and jungle are reduced due to the Forest Act, they become helpless and go east to work.  There too, the evil eye of the outside world falls on the Lodha Shabar women, resulting in the downfall of the 'trees' of the society, i.e. the girls. Even in educational institutions, lower class girls have to suffer various kinds of harassment. A Lodha girl has tried to reach the source of light from this dark society. The hope of the entire Lodha society is on her. It remains to be seen how far this stubborn, courageous girl can take their society forward. This article is written keeping in mind the daily incidents that happen to Lodha, Shabar, and Santal women. The issues mentioned in the novel are the main basis of this article.