Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay's novel 'Aranya-Banhi': Narrative of an Indigenous Tribe/ তারাশঙ্কর বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের ‘অরণ্য-বহ্নি’ : আদিবাসী জনজাতির আখ্যান

Abstract

The writings of Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay reveal the history of the struggle of the people of Birbhum district which is inhabited by tribals, both in the pre-independence and post-independence periods. The bloodthirsty eyes of the English merchants, exploitation³ and oppression, the deception and fraud of the local landlords and moneylenders, and the ruthless exploitation made the life of the tribals unbearable. The narratives of all these tribal people living in their own land are also found in Tarashankar's novels. 'Aranya-Banhi' (1966) is a popular novel of that genre, which is written in the context of the Santal rebellion of 1854-1855. Here, the author has constructed the history of the past glory of the Santal people by combining historical facts and truths and a folk-friendly historical concept. Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay has chosen the voice of history as a protest against the social degradation, political oppression, violence or the accumulated discrimination at all levels of the sixties after independence. Therefore, Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay’s 'Aranya-Bahni' is an exceptional alternative historical narrative of the helpless suffering and pain of the indigenous people.