Itihaser nirman : Raktakarabi o Muktadhara/ ইতিহাসের নির্মাণ : রক্তকরবী ও মুক্তধারা

Abstract

The extreme nationalism of the First World War and the capitalist imperialism transformed commonman’s life into a nightmare. To emancipate humanity from this condition, Rabindranath Tagore has composed two plays named ‘Muktadhara’ (1922) and ‘Raktakarabi’ (1924) keeping in mind both the national and international contexts. In both the plays, Tagore has not only dismantled the ill-effects of capitalism, imperialism, and extreme nationalism, but he has also referred to the path of freedom from the oppression. In the play ‘Raktakarabi’, Tagore has portrayed how Modern European capitalism has controlled nature and human civilization through the use of scientific knowledge and technological advancement. This capitalism has also become the apparatus for control and exploitation. By portraying the socio-economic politics of the mining area, Tagore has dismantled the harsh reality of capitalism. He has also referred to the dialectical relationship between the labour and master societies. In the play ‘Muktadhara’, Tagore has shown how extreme nationalism negatively affects trust and humanity. Using the advantage of geographical positioning, a country tries to take control over its neighbouring country by restricting the necessary water flow. King Ranajit does not trust his uncle Biswajit; the civilians do not trust their king; the army general cheats Avijit; Bhibhuti is suspicious about his spies and creates an environment of mistrust. These pictures represent the ill-effects of extreme nationalism. This play also portrays how extreme nationalism transforms human beings into animals and thus creates history.