Vidhibala and other women inThe Man from ChhinnamastaThe shrine of Kam - PDF document

Vidhibala and other women inThe Man from ChhinnamastaThe shrine of Kamakhya which is situated on the bank of the Brahmaputra is an awe inspiring place. The natural beauty of the place stands in sharp contrast to the poverty and ignorance of the people, the cruelty and savagery of religious observances like sacrificing animal, and the pathetic plight of women in a society which owes its allegiance to a female deity. In The Man from Chhinnamasta (2006), Goswami presents Dorothy Brown, the betrayed wife of a professor and Vidhibala, daughter of afanatic worshipper of goddess as somewhat identical with the animal sacrificed before deities. The only difference is that animal does not know the language of protest whereas Dorothy and Vidhibala have revolted at least through their . When Vidhibala’s father, Sinhadatta, following the norms of society wants to marry her off to a middle aged high caste man before the onset of her puberty, she denies obeying him. But her father never listened to her and came to Kamakhya to offer abuffalo calf to the deity to celebrate the occasion. At night frustrated Vidhibala requests Ratnadhar, who is in love with her, to release the animal and save its life. Ratnadhar does so and at this angry Sinhadatta swears that he will sacrifice two buffaloes insteadof one. Vidhibala unable to protest against herfather openly, quietly leaves the house and joins a group of prostitute, who were sailing back to their home in Shekhadari. However, she keeps herself aloof from them, refuses to eat anything and dies within a month. In this way, through her death she protested against her father. She did not join prostitution for money but only for revolting against her father’s crude decision. Then there is Dorothy Brown, whose husband has started living with another woman in her absence. Hurt by her husband’s such behaviour she broke her relationship with him and started living all by herself in a small abandoned house near the Kamakhya shrine, to get some mental peace. But some of thepriests living there wanted to gain sexual favour from her. When they failed in their attempts they started spreading rumour about her character. On the other hand, her husband with patriarchal mind set also could not take the fact that Dorothy could so easily leave him. That year, at the time of Devadhvani, in Kamakhya along with the animals a human life was also sacrificed and it was Dorothy Brown’s. Though the identity of the murderer of this strong lady was not established but it was certain that the bullet aimed at her was meant for destroying her revolutionary selfvii. In this way, even though both Vidhibala and Dorothy lost their lives due to the wishes of their father and husband, representative of patriarchal male dominated society, still they have sung the song of woman’s will power and selfrespect. In all these mentioned above novels, a strong protest against the orthodox and conservative tradition of the Hindu society that stands in the way of man’s desire to live as human being finds a very strong and artistic expressionviii. Vidhibala and Dorothy have raised voice againsttheir father and husband through their action but in the processes have lost their lives. Then there is Giribala who falls in love with Christian lover. In her of falling in love with Christian we can find elements of woman freedom and a strong step towards revolting against conservative society and family. www.galaxyimrj.com Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal ISSN 2278-9529 Vol. II Issue IV 3 July 2013 viiAsam Sahitya Sabha Patrika 67year 1issue.ppviiiMamoni Roysamar Abha aru Pratibha.327 www.galaxyimrj.com Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal ISSN 2278-9529 Vol. II Issue IV 5 July 2013 When Giribala returns to her father’s home, after her husband’s death, womenfolk living in the neighbourhood come to see her, but there is nosympathy in their words. They warn each other “Don’t touch her! You women with sindoor! She is a widow now” Such warning shows how women themselves work to perpetuate the rules and regulations determined by male members of the society.Durga, with traditional mind set, wants new generation woman Giribala also to follow the societal rules and regulationsthat a widow should live with. Just like Durga, n our society, there are many illiterate women who want to follow the strictest rules of society withoutany grudge. Even though these painful laws hurt them, they accept these laws as universal truth and cannot even think of changing them. At first, Giribala seems to accept the Sattriya society’s traditional principles. But later she protests against the cruelty of this orthodox society. She has started saying, “Moi Durga aiba Saru Gohenir dore basi thakibo noru ore jeeban, khaynakhi sahib moi mori t hoi jam”দুর্গানাইবাসৰুগহেনীৰদৰেবাচিথাকবানৰোঅৰেজীৱনসন্ন্যাসীচাহাবমৰিভূতযামn her mother’s house as well as in her inlaws she experienced the problem of coping with the religious orthodoxy. In both the houses, she found it difficult to live as a human being experiencing social customs that suppress her human instincts. For example, once there was a feast in her mother’s house and Giribala was lockedin an isolated house as beinga widowshe cannot touch meat. But someone stole some mutton curry from the kitchen and concealedit in this isolated room. Being lured by the smell Giribalacould not resist herself and started eating that. But shewas discoveredin her act of transgression, and then beaten upcruelly. Such treatment meted out to her madeher wish to die. Once, when she was with Mark Shahib, the mad elephant appeared in front of them. Scared Giribala hides in Mark Shahib’s arm. At that moment, tired of her life she wishes to die in Mark Shahib, an outcaste’s,arm and whispers to herself, ‘Mar! mar! ei melshor bahupakhot thakutei toi muk mar’ মাৰমাৰম্লেচ্ছৰবাহুপাশতথাকোঁতেইমোকমাৰGiribala wasbrought back to the Sattravisafely, but the inlaws of Giribala werescandalised by her growing intimacy with Mark Sahib. They arranged for her return to her late husband’s home, but Giribala did not like the idea. And so, at midnight, defying a terrible downpour, she reached Mark Shaib’s house, seeking his protection from the men who would take her to her inlaws. She requestedhim to take her away from the society which is oppressing herarkwasmoved byher courage and vulnerability but he wasunable to take any decision which would jeopardise his life as a scholar and a missionary. WhenGiribala was discovered with Mark, it caused uproar and a ritual expiation is prescribed for the sin of getting involved with an outcast. A straw hut is built in the open field. Amidst chanting of purificatory mantra, they set fire to the shed with the instruction to Giribala that she should come out of it when the fireengulfed . But even after the fireengulfed the shed, Giribala did not come out. In this way, by immolating herself, she preferred death instead of a life of bondage and humiliation. Her suicide is her final act of defiance against a system which grants no freedom to a widow.Smell of burning human body spreadover the banks of Jogoliya. This smell was not only the smell of burning Giribala’s flesh but the smell of burning women’s dreams and aspirations alive. www.galaxyimrj.com Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal ISSN 2278-9529 Vol. II Issue IV 2 July 2013 A depressed woman’s such protest is a protestof the entire women communityRevolutionary female character Giribala desperately wanted to end the sufferings of a life of widowhood. Suicide was the only option left in front. She committedsuicide in order to protest against the set norms of the conservative society. But there are still such women who actlike agents of patriarchal society and try to pass on its rules and regulations to the generations to come. Mamoni Raisom was well aware of this narrow mindedness of women and therefore has brought forth this issue in many of her novels. With some of her brilliant character portrayals she wants us to think about the age old orthodox norms exercised under the banner of religion and such other elements.In both these novels, she seems to ask how can a woman break the shackles of patriarchy and achieve her selffulfilment in a world full of numerous restrictions imposed by religion and custom. Works Cited:audhury, N.D.R.Critical Perspectives. New Delhi. Swarup and Sons.2005. Dhawan, R.K. Commonwealth Writing.New Delhi. Prestige Books.1994. Goswami, Mamoni Raisom. Adha Lekha Dastavej. Guwahati: Students Stores, 1998. Chinnamsastar Manuhto. 3rd edn.Chandra Prakash, 2011. . The Man from Chinnamasta.1 edn.Katha Books. Delhi. 2006. Dantal Hatir Une Khowa Howdah. Guwahati: Students' Stores, 2010. Assamese. Moth Eaten Howdah of a Tusker. Delhi: Rupa & Co, 2005. Neel Kanthi Braja. 4th Edn. guwahati: Lawyers Book Stall, 1998. The Fictional world of Indira Goswami. BR Publlishing House, n.d. Mamoni Roysamar Abha aru Pratibha.2008.Chandra Prakash.ed.Nikumoni Hussain. Asam Sahitya Sabha Patrika.67 year.2012. Notes: Asam Sahitya Sabha Patrika 67year 1issue.pp117----.ppMoth Eaten Howdah of a Tuskercannotlive my entire life like Durga or Saru goheni, Mark Saheb I willdie and will bea ghost.Kill me kill me, while I am in the arms of this outcast. viSattraa feudal religious establishment in Assam owning large tracts of land and rules by an adhikar or religious head. www.galaxyimrj.com Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal ISSN 2278-9529 Vol. II Issue IV 4 July 2013 Rebellious SingersMamoni Raisom Goswami’s Women CharactersJyoti Rupa Deka PhD Research ScholarJawaharlal Nehru University, New DelhiThe common element in Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s literary work is the concern for women. This concern of her gets reflected at many contexts of her works. She raises questions on severalfacets of women’s empowerment in India. Foremost among them are attitude to girl children, marriage and widowhood. There are many more aspects to Goswami’s feminism. In her autobiographyAdhalekha Dastavej(1998) she recalls how she accepted a suggestion to choose a life in Vrindavan. She spent two years amidst the adhashyami widows in Vrindavan. She stayed there as a compassionate member as well asa researcher. Perhaps, writing about the pain of these women helped Goswami to come into terms with her own grief and frustration and keep a hold on her sanity. Generally the widows in the novels of Goswami’s could be grouped into two different typesAs for example, we can talk about the two different female characters of “The MothEaten Howdah of the Tusker”, Durga and Giribala. Durga accepts the society’s norms whereas Giribala stands against them. Giribala courageously protests against the strict norms which society imposes on widow. Giribala and other women inThe Moth-Eaten Howdah of the Tusker” The main theme of The MothEaten Howdah of the Tusker” (2005) is the fight of farmers against landlords, feudal system and the sorrowful saga of women residing in the south Kamrup District of Assam and the voice of protest against it. In the revoltof farmers, the person who losses his life is Indranath, the representative of feudal system. In the fight for the ghts of women the one who sacrifices her life is Indranath’s sister Giribala. he story of the novel revolves around three widows of the Gosain family viz. Durga, Saru Gosainee and Giribala. Durga is the eldest of the three. Her portrayal is under the shadow of darkness and death. She surrenders to the traditional norms and regulations mutely and uncomplainingly. Durga is the representative of many such women who do not know the language of rebellion. They know only to tolerate. The other widow, Saru has attraction for a man calledMohidhar, a Brahmin,who helpsfor herto collect rent. She has fantasizing dreams about him. In return, greedy Mohidhar cheats on her and tries to sell her land on a forged letter of authority. After witnessing the treachery of this selfish man her dreams of love and faith are shattered and ruined. Giribala is the youngest. She just cannot accept the restrictions imposed by the society. She revolts against these restrictions and as a result faces lots of crisis.In sharp contrast to Durga who is eagerly waiting to go back to her in laws, Giribala getsscared at the news that her inlaws have sent people to take her back to her husband’s house. Giribala is not in favour of keeping her life in dark with the remembrance of her dead husband who was engaged in extramarital relationship when he was alive. Giribala wants freedom from a life which is like a graveyard. She wants freedom from a life bounded with strict rules. www.galaxyimrj.com Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal ISSN 2278-9529 Vol. II Issue IV 1 July 2013