Shibsankar Mitrer Sunderban-kendrik Uponyas: Nimnabarger Manus O Bonyopranir Dwandwik Samparker Akhyan/ শিবশঙ্কর মিত্রের সুন্দরবনকেন্দ্রিক উপন্যাস : নিম্নবর্গের মানুষ ও বন্যপ্রাণীর দ্বান্দ্বিক সম্পর্কের আখ্যান

Abstract

Sivashankar Mitra's book 'Sunderban  Samagra' focuses on the five novels 'Sunderban’er Arjan Sardar', 'Sunderban', 'Bede Baule', 'Bana Bibi', and ‘Royal Bengaler Atmokotha’ discusses the dialectical relationship between the terrestrial wildlife of the Sunderban region, especially the Sunderban’s tiger and the subaltern people. The main aim of the essay is to gain a deep understanding of the daily struggles that have been a part and parcel of the lives of the people of Sunderbans, for the past several years; as brought to life in the above mentioned novels. This essay analyses the first three of the five novels.

             Partha Chatterjee's discussion of 'Nimnavarg’er Itihas-charcha’r Itihas’ suggests that Italian communist leader and philosopher Antonio Gramsci first used the term ‘subaltern’ in his famous 'Prison Notebooks'. Gramsci used the term ‘subaltern’ ('subalterno' in Italian) as a synonym in two situations. Firstly, the 'subaltern class' in a capitalist society is the working class. The second being - in any class-divided society, anyone oppressed by the 'dominant' class is a part of 'subaltern' class. The equivalent of ‘subaltern’ in the context of Bengali society, as suggested by Ranjit Guha, is ‘Nimnavarga’. The social relationship is tied to a particular structure of dominance and subordination. The 'dominant’ aristocracy rules over the helpless, the ‘Nimnavarga’. The Nimnavarga thus entails the deprived farmers, workers, landless people, in addition to the marginalized sections of the society.

             The sustinence people of the Sunderban region, a product of this social structure, includes the Mauals, Bawalis, Molangis, Gharamis, Majhi-Mallas, Gunins and others engaged in agriculture and fishing. The Nimnavarga of coastal Sunderbans survive as free scavengers; evidently in the pursuit of livelihood. Every step must be taken with caution for any miscalculation can result in the loss of a limb or life. The love for their motherland, the desire to know and thrive in the Sunderbans is passed on through the generations; often superceding the struggles of a life here. This conflict of the coastal Nimnavarga with wildlife is reflected in their social behavior.

            Unfortunately, our socio-economic infrastructure perpetuates this dialectical relationship. The forest, despite its dangers, is a symbol of strength to them, thus garnering tremendous respect for the goddess of the forest, ‘Bana Bibi’. Perhaps the very will to survive and thrive amidst all adversaries is what proves Man to be a worthy opponent to Wildlife of the Bada region. Such day-to-day stories of not backing down find their mention in these three novels.