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Motherhood Beyond Boundaries: A Philosophical Study of Ashapurna Devi and Sara Ruddick/ মাতৃত্বের নতুন পাঠ : আশাপূর্ণা দেবী ও সারা রুডিকের দার্শনিক ভাবনা
No full text‘Motherhood’ is often seen as something naturally tied to womanhood. I have always found this idea both simple and complicated. In this paper, I try to look at it a bit differently. My discussion moves between two very different writers, one is our Bengali author Ashapurna Devi and the other one is Western feminist thinker Sara Ruddick. As I read their work, I keep noticing how the idea of motherhood changes with context and culture. Feminism, as we know, has long questioned traditional norms and demanded freedom from gender-based injustice. In contrast, Care Ethics, which grew more recently, reminds us that feelings and relationships are also a kind of moral wisdom. Within this space, the idea of motherhood becomes rich and worth thinking about. Ashapurna Devi’s trilogy (Prathom Protishruti, Subarnolata, Bakul katha) always draw me in. As all we know She never called herself a feminist, yet her characters often speak of quiet resistance. Through their daily lives and small choices, they challenge the old rules without even naming it. When I read her, I feel a closeness to the feminist way of thinking, though she never used that word herself. Sara Ruddick, writing from a different world, sees motherhood as a form of thinking, a practice of patience, care, and reflection. Though the two women lived in separate cultures, both see motherhood not as duty alone but as a moral way of being. By putting their ideas side by side, I try to see how feminism, care, and motherhood connect. It is not a fixed concept anymore, it grows and changes with emotion, experience, and time
The wandering of Kalkut : A Reflection of Society and His Times/ কালকূটের ভবঘুরেবৃত্তি : সমাজ ও সমকালের নির্মাণ
No full textThe theme of bhabaghurebritti (wandering)—wandering without a clear aim—appears only occasionally in Bengali novels. The word bhabaghure, as explained in Bangiya Shabdakosh1, refers to one who roams without purpose, a homeless and unsettled figure. In life, as in fiction, most people remain within the safe boundaries of family and the familiar. Yet, Bengali literature has given us characters that repeatedly leave these enclosures to seek new paths. Kalkut, the literary persona of Samaresh Basu, is one such character.
While Samaresh Basu wrote extensively under his own name, his novels under the pseudonym Kalakut focus on journeys beyond the home. Kalkut openly admits to a “passion for seeing people.” He does not go to the Kumbh Mela for religious merit, but to witness the diverse gathering of people from across India. For him, this diversity is sacred. Kalakut is a free wanderer whose primary goal is to experience the varied expressions of human life.
Born in 1924, Basu grew up during a time of global unrest that culminated in the Second World War. In the years that followed, India faced communal violence, Partition, and political turmoil. Democracy was established, but it also brought shameless power struggles and the seeds of distrust. It was in this troubled mid-twentieth-century context that Kalakut emerged— a name that itself means ‘deadly poison.’ His writing reflects the unrest of his times and the doubts of the educated middle class, where suspicion and ego often replaced trust. His wanderings became a way to search for freedom from narrowness and to discover greatness within ordinary human beings.
The journeys of Kalkut take place in an age defined by decline and distrust. Against this backdrop, he searches for faith—faith in humanity, in goodness, and in the ability to keep one’s heart open2. His works such as Amritakumbher Sandhne and Kothaẏ Pabo Tare clearly reveal this quest.
Thus, the driving forces behind the wandering of Kalkut are threefold: a passion for observing people, a search for trust, and a longing for beauty—not superficial beauty, but the inner beauty of the human spirit, often clouded by urban deceit and selfishness. This paper explores why Kalkut could not remain bound by familiar enclosures, why he was compelled to take to the road again and again, and how his wanderings embody the marks of modern society and his turbulent times. Through this, the study shows how the wandering of Kalkut is a reflection of his age
Memory Studies and the Writing of Bengali Literary History: Cultural Consciousness, Reading Practices, and Historical Construction/ স্মৃতি অধ্যয়ন ও বাংলা সাহিত্যের ইতিহাস : সাংস্কৃতিক চেতনা, পাঠ-প্রক্রিয়া ও ইতিহাস নির্মাণ
No full textMemory Studies has emerged as a powerful framework in rethinking literary historiography. Literature is not merely a site of aesthetic creativity but also a repository of national identity, cultural memory, and collective experience. Theorists such as Pierre Nora, in his concept of “Lieux de Mémoire” and Paul Ricoeur, through his reflections on “Memory, History and Forgetting”, emphasize that memory acts as a central mode of reconstructing history. In the Bengali context, literary historiography has been deeply shaped by collective memory of socio - cultural religious chronological faith or practices, colonial encounters, nationalist struggles, partition trauma, and socio-political movements. This paper explores the methodological significance of ‘Memory Studies’ in rewriting Bengali literary history, examining how memory intersects with narrative, identity, and cultural consciousness. By engaging with English quotations from modern theorists alongside Bengali literary references, the paper argues that the study of memory is indispensable for constructing a dynamic, plural, and living tradition of Bengali literary history
Political consciousness in the early phase of Subhash Mukhopadhyay’s poetry/ সুভাষ মুখোপাধ্যায়ের প্রথম পর্বের কবিতায় রাজনৈতিক চেতনা
No full textThe 1940s in undivided Bengal were marked by political upheaval and revolutionary fervor. Against this backdrop of national unrest and global conflict, poet Subhash Mukhopadhyay emerged as a powerful literary voice. His political poetry of the time deeply absorbed the tension of the era. Although his poems carried strong ideological messages, they never collapsed into empty slogans. Instead, they were artistically restrained, shaped by a deliberate poetic craft. Subhash consciously employed poetry as a tool of political resistance, rejecting romantic escapism and choosing instead to align himself with the working class and their struggles. His poetic journey thus began not in the serenity of personal musings, but in the burning sun, among the oppressed masses.
Subhash Mukhopadhyay was born in 1919 in Naogaon, Rajshahi (present-day Bangladesh). In 1930, his family moved to Kolkata, where he studied at Bhawanipur Mitra Institution and later at Scottish Church College. The sociopolitical events of the 1930s greatly influenced him. In 1935, students in Kolkata organized anti-fascist demonstrations. That same year, the All India Progressive Writers’ Manifesto was published, leading to the formal establishment of the All India Progressive Writers’ Association in 1936. The Bengal chapter was officially formed on 25 June 1936, with significant intellectual and literary figures involved—including Subhash himself. Rabindranath Tagore was one of its patrons. Other major participants included Naresh Chandra Sengupta, Hirendranath Mukherjee, Buddhadeb Basu, Bishnu Dey, Samar Sen, and Satyendranath Majumdar.
Until the 1930s, Marxist influence in Bengali literature was minimal. However, the 1931 launch of Parichay magazine, edited by Sudhindranath Dutta, became a key platform for Marxist thought. By 1939, the Communist Party had established district units in 28 districts of Bengal, gradually expanding the influence of socialist ideology across the region. Writers and cultural activists, including Subhash, contributed to this ideological shift with life-affirming progressive literature. Subhash’s first poetry collection, Padatik, was published in 1940. It was followed by numerous other notable works, including Agnikon (1948), Chirakut (1950), Phul Phutuk (1957), Ei Bhai (1971), and Dharmer Kol (1991). His poetry evolved in style, tone, and technique, yet remained rooted in a deep commitment to social justice
Samaresh basu\u27s Uratia in the lence of evolutionary psychology/ বিবর্তনী মনোবিজ্ঞানের আলোকে সমরেশ বসুর গল্প ‘উরাতিয়া’ : Samaresh basu\u27s Uratia
No full textSamaresh Basu was a well-known short story writer in Bengali literature. He has been popular for using various life narratives through his writings. ‘Uratia’ is one of them. In the short story Uratia there are two characters, Lakhpati and Ghamari. They have their job to control the railway gate. But that job didn’t bother them. It has only ensured their human-like survival. We would like to convey by this essay that sometimes the psychology of a man may be dominated by their sexual instinct. They live in our worldly environment. But they did not act as our worldly norms. Lakhpati and Ghamari are both muscular men. They always fight. Not for their survival, but they express their manly power by this. In this scenario, in between them, the woman Uratia came. She has the power of mesmerism. Both of them know to fight for proving their bodily strength. But Uratia has some different power. If Lakhpati and Ghamari are the symbols of manliness, then Uratia will be the female way of putting that manliness down.
In this essay we have tried to understand this man-woman dichotomy. We have used evolutionary psychology to decode their behaviours. We have tried to understand how even in this civilised world the man and woman are both using their precivilised instincts
Women in the short stories of Swarnakumari Devi: Women as seen by a woman/ স্বর্ণকুমারী দেবীর ছোটগল্পের কয়েকজন নারী : নারীর চোখে নারী
No full textThe social status, personality, dignity, fight for self-respect and many other aspects of women are highlighted in the short stories of Swarnakumari Devi. In different stories, different women characters have become alive in such a way that the readers can feel them as in their everyday lives. In the stories the unbeatable, indomitable but soft and emotional hearts of the female characters are well exposed. These characters are beyond time and limit. The time the stories were composed showing the social status of the women of that time, claims to be innovative indeed. This essay discusses the efforts to express women’s’ suppressed desire which is excellently depicted in the short stories of Swarnakumari Devi
The Making and Unmaking of Myths and Legends : Hansuli Banker Upokatha/ মিথ ও পুরাণের ভাঙ্গা-গড়া : ‘হাঁসুলী বাঁকের উপকথা’
No full textFrom the earliest time of civilization, people have very much adopted to the reforms and beliefs of the ancestors. Religion and division are associated with this belief. This belief and reform are seen in many literature. In Bengali literature, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay wrote a number of novels to make this myth alive. The myth has been uncovered since the beginning of this novel. The story begins with the focus of an unknown whistle. However, the Karali wants to free the entire neighbourhood from the myth’s cover, by discovering the true cause of the sound. In this novel, myth- centric superstition can be noticed between the Banwari and Suchand and the openness of modern thought can be notice in the Karali. The protagonist has fought against many myths of Bashbadi from the very beginning. Sometimes the reason of the sound was due to a Russell’s viper snake being burned, at times when he was in a dispute with his neighborhood for making a pakka house and when he chose a new life in Chandanpur. Not only did he chose himself a better life, but during the war, all the people of Bashbadi village were dragged to Chandanpur for giving them a better life. However, the path of the Karali was not smooth. Banwari and Suchand had always tried to promote the greatness of ‘Kartababa’ of Hansuli Bank. The conflict of veteran and newcomer is the core concept of this novel and the reality of the myth and mythology has gained prominence in the story. However, the author has cut off the old myth very nicely and implemented the latest myth
Vijay Tendulkar\u27s \u27Kanyadaan\u27: A crisis of Nation-Society-Politics and Values/ বিজয় তেন্ডুলকরের ‘কন্যাদান’ : জাতি-সমাজ-রাজনীতি ও মূল্যবোধের সংকট
No full textVijay Tendulkar, a well-known playwright of Marathi Language, presented the oppression of women, political voluntarism, hypocrisy of the middle class, the superior values in the social caste system and the protestant mentality of the lower castes in the narrative of the drama. \u27Kanyadaan\u27 is a popular play by Vijay Tendulkar written about the conflict between upper and lower caste values, the problem of inter-caste marriages and the selfish mentality of political leaders who exploit casteism. The Drama has been established in the discussion of how Dalits are neglected, deprived by the Brahminists for thousands of years. The playwright wants to say that masculinity is pervasive in religion, culture, and morality in all levels of society through the character Jyoti Delolakar. At the same time, the Dramatist Vijay Tendulkar has raised several questions about the moral values of the society
Unveiling the silent stories of women’s experiences in Bengali Folklore/ বাংলা রূপকথার আড়ালে নারীমনের অব্যক্ত কিছুকথা
No full textFairy tales are intertwined with the sweet memories of human childhood. Due to the fantastical world and unrealistic characters presented in fairy tales, many consider them suitable only for children. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that these stories often reflect real-life issues beneath their fantastical surface. In Bengali fairy tales, there is a close connection with women. The central themes of these tales revolve around women, and for centuries, women have primarily carried these stories forward through oral tradition.
In pre-colonial Indian society, women’s basic rights, such as education, artistic expression, and personal freedom, were not recognized. Women were expected to remain under male dominance throughout their lives. Within this specific social context, women have left their mark on Bengali nursery rhymes, songs, folk tales, and fairy tales. These creative works express women’s unspoken pain, exploitation, and oppression through metaphors.
This discussion focuses on selected Bengali fairy tales to explore women’s social issues, their criminal tendencies, and their perspectives on society. The analysis highlights women’s struggles, marital problems, and the establishment of personal identity within the societal framework
The Rise of Bengali Women in the 19th Century: From Domestic Seclusion to Professional Life/ উনিশ শতকে বাঙালি নারীর উত্তরণ : অন্তঃপুরের জীবন থেকে পেশাগত জগতে প্রবেশ
No full textWith the advent of British rule and the spread of Western education, a wave of Renaissance swept through Bengali society. Breaking through the chains of stagnation, the society gradually moved toward progress. The true measure of a society\u27s progress lies in the status of its women. If women are denied advancement, that society cannot truly claim to be progressive. From this standpoint, it is evident that colonial Bengal experienced a progressive transformation.
Bengali women, though restricted by traditions like sati, child marriage, and the kulin system, slowly began to emerge as capable and contributing citizens. Their difficult journey toward self-expression and empowerment was aided by Western-educated Indians, foreign educators, and missionaries. Through their efforts, and with support from the colonial government, certain regressive customs and discriminatory practices against women were challenged and gradually abolished through legislation.
As a result, women began to step out of the domestic seclusion (antahpur) and entered the world of education. They not only embraced learning but also began to establish themselves professionally, shoulder to shoulder with men. This major social transformation unfolded predominantly during the 19th century. While the beginning of the century witnessed women as victims of purdah, child marriage, and sati, by the end of the century, some had emerged as modern doctors and professionals. This transition redefined 19th-century Bengal in a profound way.
A closer analysis reveals how social evils acted as barriers to women\u27s progress in the early 19th century. At the same time, it is essential to examine how these barriers were dismantled through reform efforts, allowing women access to education and self-awareness. Eventually, breaking the veil of purdah and defying conservative backlash, women tasted the fruits of education. Once they entered the academic world, many began dreaming of a life beyond domestic confines. Gradually, they stepped into the professional sphere.
Teaching and medicine became preferred career paths for educated women of the time. However, this transition was far from smooth. Even the educated sections of society were divided on the necessity and appropriateness of women pursuing careers. In addition, conservative ridicule and governmental restrictions posed significant challenges.
This essay attempts to present a comprehensive picture of the social journey of Bengali women during the 19th century, highlighting both the obstacles and achievements that marked their path toward empowerment