Kalkut-er ‘Shambaw’: mulyabodher obokkhoye jonojagoroner daak/ কালকূটের ‘শাম্ব’ : মূল্যবোধের অবক্ষয়ে জনজাগরণের ডাক

Abstract

Renowned Novelist Sri Samresh Basu has written a number of travel-novels based on Indian mythology under the pseudonym ‘Kalkut’. The novel, here we are discussing is ‘Shambaw’. This was first published in the 1978 issue of ‘Sharadiya Desh Patrika’. In this novel how ‘Kalkut’ has drawn a mythological character ‘Shambaw’ as a real-life, struggling character and by reconstruction of mythology how the novel has become a contemporary life story, that's the main point of this discussion. Shambaw's novel is based on an insignificant story and character of the Indian mythology, but here Kalkut has been able to reconstruct parts of the mythology from the very beginning. Due to the inevitable curse of his father Sri Krishna, Shambaw came down with terrible disease leprosy. This sudden calamity in the life of the improbable handsome Shambaw, saddens him but does not discourage. He faces destiny. As the father instructed, he patiently moves forward on the difficult path to release from the curse. In this journey, not only alone Shambaw, but also many others leprosy sufferers like him are encouraged by Shambaw to get rid of this disease. Here, Shambaw is presented as an inspiration to those who have lost hopes in their life. The tone of transition from doubt, crisis, despair that were formed in the turbulent political situation of that real time, can be heard in the character of ‘Shambaw’, written by Kalkut. How Shambaw called for soul-searching and great mass-awakening, despite the decline of values of that time by defeating so many obstacles, ​​is the main focus of this discussion.