Lokenath Bhattacharya
Encyclopedia
Lokenath Bhattacharya (1927–2001) was a prolific Bangla
writer who chose remain in isolaiton. Though 15 of his books have been translated into French, only 'Babughater Kumari Maach' (The Virgin Fish of Babughat) has been translated into English. He finished his doctorate study in Paris
. After spending his working life in India
, he went back to France
to spend the last decade of his life with his wife who is French. He has translated the poetry of Rimbaud, Henri Michaux
into Bangla. He died in Egypt in a car accident.
, India
. His initial training was in Sanskrit
. He then went to the Visva-Bharati University
in Santiniketan
for higher studies. After studying French in the Alliance française
in Kolkata
, he went to University of Paris
for his doctoral degree on French government scholarship. He immersed himself in French literature and translated Rimbaud, Henri Michaux and Descartes into Bangla. Despite his significant literary output, Lokenath never received the kind of critical attention he deserved in the Bangla literary circle. As Meenakshi Mukherjeer writes in the introduction of The Virgin Fish of Babughat, "He remained a writers' writer, discussed in little magazines and exclusive literary journals, forever an outsider in the mainstream literary world of Kolkata. Apart from the unfamiliarity of his imaginative world, the fact that he spent most of his adult life outside Bengal might also have accentuated his alienation."
He also wrote four volumes of poetry, three plays, two collections of short stories, and two books of discursive prose.
"The novel is set in a sinister detention camp where men and women are divested of their clothes and their past, but provided with all the luxuries of life including unlimited sexual gratification.
The narrator, a writer before he was brought to the prison, has been meted a unique punishment: he must fill up a stack of paper with words every day. He turns this task into a life line, writing frantically to recapture a world that is he has lost, to resuscitate the very language that he is in dance of forgetting, and to record the systematic dehumanization which is taking place around him. Yet, his account is not altogether bleak: there are lively accounts of people and events, humour, tenderness, love, and even hope."
This book has some interesting similarity with Margaret Atwood's
The Handmaid's Tale
(1985).
When the novel was written, India and West Bengal was going through a troubled times. The Naxal movement was at its peak in West Bengal. The government was using repressive measures to suppress the violence generated by the Naxalites. According to Mukherjee, the novel may have been a reference to the incidents. Kiranmoy Raha, a critique wrote this after Emergency was declared in India in 1975 (cited in Mukherjee):
"'Babughater Kumari Maachh' is a futuristic allegory which projects the culmination of what the author feels to be present tendencies. It is an examination of the human situation in extremis. For an observer of the social scenre around, Lokenath Bhattachary's novel gives an uncomfortable feeling that the future may not be that far away, after all. It may be already there"
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
writer who chose remain in isolaiton. Though 15 of his books have been translated into French, only 'Babughater Kumari Maach' (The Virgin Fish of Babughat) has been translated into English. He finished his doctorate study in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. After spending his working life in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, he went back to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to spend the last decade of his life with his wife who is French. He has translated the poetry of Rimbaud, Henri Michaux
Henri Michaux
Henri Michaux was a highly idiosyncratic Belgian-born poet, writer, and painter who wrote in French. He later took French citizenship. Michaux is best known for his esoteric books written in a highly accessible style, and his body of work includes poetry, travelogues, and art criticism...
into Bangla. He died in Egypt in a car accident.
Life and Education
He was born in an Orthodox family in Bhatpara West BengalWest Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His initial training was in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. He then went to the Visva-Bharati University
Visva-Bharati University
Visva Bharati University is a Central University for research and teaching in India, located in the twin towns of Santiniketan and Sriniketan in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Visva Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India...
in Santiniketan
Santiniketan
Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, approximately 180 kilometres north of Kolkata . It was made famous by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became what is now a university town that attracts thousands of visitors each year...
for higher studies. After studying French in the Alliance française
Alliance française
The Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...
in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, he went to University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
for his doctoral degree on French government scholarship. He immersed himself in French literature and translated Rimbaud, Henri Michaux and Descartes into Bangla. Despite his significant literary output, Lokenath never received the kind of critical attention he deserved in the Bangla literary circle. As Meenakshi Mukherjeer writes in the introduction of The Virgin Fish of Babughat, "He remained a writers' writer, discussed in little magazines and exclusive literary journals, forever an outsider in the mainstream literary world of Kolkata. Apart from the unfamiliarity of his imaginative world, the fact that he spent most of his adult life outside Bengal might also have accentuated his alienation."
Major works
Novels:- Bhor (Bangla: ভোর, Daybreak ) 1966
- Jato Dawa Tato Aranya (যত দাওয়া তত অরণ্য, As Many Doors as Forests) 1966
- Dui-ekti Ghar, Du-ekti Swar (দুই-একটি ঘর, দুই-একটি স্বর, One or Two Rooms, One or Two Voices) 1967
- Babughater Kumari Maach (বাবুঘাটের কুমারী মাছ, The Virgin Fish of Babughat) 1972
- Theater Arambho Sare Saattay (থিয়েটার আরম্ভ সাড়ে সাতটায়, The Play Begins at Seven-Thirty) 1983
- Ashwamedh (অশ্বামেধ, 1997)
- Gangabataran (গঙ্গাবতরণ, 1998)
He also wrote four volumes of poetry, three plays, two collections of short stories, and two books of discursive prose.
The Virgin Fish of Babughat
'Babughater Kumari Maach' (বাবুঘাটের কুমারী মাছ, The Virgin Fish of Babughat, 1972) is the only works of his that has been translated into English. Here's the description from the back flap of Meenakshi Mukherjee's translation:"The novel is set in a sinister detention camp where men and women are divested of their clothes and their past, but provided with all the luxuries of life including unlimited sexual gratification.
The narrator, a writer before he was brought to the prison, has been meted a unique punishment: he must fill up a stack of paper with words every day. He turns this task into a life line, writing frantically to recapture a world that is he has lost, to resuscitate the very language that he is in dance of forgetting, and to record the systematic dehumanization which is taking place around him. Yet, his account is not altogether bleak: there are lively accounts of people and events, humour, tenderness, love, and even hope."
This book has some interesting similarity with Margaret Atwood's
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel, a work of science fiction or speculative fiction, written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood and first published by McClelland and Stewart in 1985...
(1985).
When the novel was written, India and West Bengal was going through a troubled times. The Naxal movement was at its peak in West Bengal. The government was using repressive measures to suppress the violence generated by the Naxalites. According to Mukherjee, the novel may have been a reference to the incidents. Kiranmoy Raha, a critique wrote this after Emergency was declared in India in 1975 (cited in Mukherjee):
"'Babughater Kumari Maachh' is a futuristic allegory which projects the culmination of what the author feels to be present tendencies. It is an examination of the human situation in extremis. For an observer of the social scenre around, Lokenath Bhattachary's novel gives an uncomfortable feeling that the future may not be that far away, after all. It may be already there"