31

Asif Currimbhoy believes in the fact that literature is meant to represent the society.

As a social critic, he exhibits his excellence in portraying the social condition as

prevailing in the contemporary time. Jr. Martin C. Caroll has also commented that the

chief function of literature is “to reflect with meaning the totality of the contemporary

human condition.”1 We see that an artist brings out social truths and that literature is

a reflection of social process. Thus the literature influenced by its milieu reflects the

contemporary social structure. Asif Currimbhoy is a close follower of the above

mentioned view. Each play has a touch of reality due to its connection with some

major event or incident of the past or the contemporary time. He targets the impact

of the social issues over the lives of people. Walter Meserve remarks:

Currimbhoy‟s plays are concerned wih the problems of man

everywhere. He lends breath to his thought…even when he deals with

India, he becomes the voice of universal revolt and anguish screaming

itself hoarse at the seemingly immovable societies around the world.2

The plays of Currimbhoy are based on the issues related to the society,

politics, religion, human life and relations etc. He takes up particular incident

happened in the country and presents it in a realistic way. As the plays Inquilab, The

Refugee, The Hungry Ones are based on any particular issue in the nation and its

impact on the society. The Bengal Trilogy by Asif Currimbhoy includes Inquilab

(1970), The Refugee (1971), Sonar Bangla (1972). It has been named as The

Bengal Trilogy because the plays in it deal with Bengal and its problems at different

points of time.

1 Martin C. Carroll, Jr., “Watersheds of American Literature”, The Literary Criterion, vol. 3, Winter. 1962.

7.Print. 2 Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab, Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1993. Ix. Print.

32

In the play Inquilab, Asif has followed Aristotelian view that tragedy is an

imitation of an action. The play presents an imitation of the violent Naxalite

movement that overtook Calcutta in 1970. At that time, Calcutta was burning with

Naxalite violence, as is evident from Asif Currimbhoy‟s remark: “The city was under a

cloud of palpable fear. There were bombs, burnings, killings of policeman,

retribution, decapitation of status, assassination of professors and vice-chancellors

or just plain innocent people.”3 He witnessed the horrible picture of the city Calcutta

at that time which compels him to write about it. During a lecture to the faculty and

students at the Graduate School of Drama and University in New York city on 4th of

November 1992. Currimbhoy comments:

The proximity of bloodthirsty violence rent the air, and before you knew

it, it had pervaded the countryside, the classroom, the revolutionary,

the intellectual, the deprived…and fear crept over the entire city…the

atmosphere was compelling for any creative artist, concerned not

necessarily with the rights and wrongs but rather with the ultimate and

desperate reality of poverty, despair, hunger and injustice.4

Another play in this series is The Refugee which deals with other major

incident happened in Bengal ie the influx of Bangladesh refugees into India during

1971.

The play The Refugee, a one act play, presents the miserable condition of the

refugees from East Bengal on one hand, and on the other, the play throws ample

light on the effects of the refugee problem in the social life in India. During 1971,

about 9 million refugees from East Pakistan entered into India to take refuge and to

3 Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab, Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1993. iv. Print

4 Ibid. iii. Print.

33

save themselves from the cruel atrocities of the West Pakistan armed forces. In

addition to bringing a heavy burden to the Indian economy, these refugees created

other social and political problems. The play The Refugee very successfully

dramatizes all those problems. The story of the play begins shortly after March 25,

1971 when talks between the 3rd president of Pakistan,Yahya Khan and a politician

and statesman, Sheikh Mujib fail which led to the partition of East Pakistan and influx

of Bangladesh refugees in India. It not only created bitterness in Indo-Pak relations

but also put a heavy burden on Indian economy. On May 24, 1971, addressing

Indian parliament, Mrs. Gandhi expressed a great concern over the influx of the

refugees to Indian territories:

we all felt our country was poised for rapid economic advance and a

more determined attack on the age old poverty of our people. She said

in a pensive mood. Even we were settling down to these new tasks, we

have been engulfed by a new and gigantic problem, not of our

making…so massive a migration in so short a time is unprecedented in

history. Three and a half million have come in the last eight weeks. On

the present estimates the cost of relief to the government of India may

exceed Rs. 180 crores for 6 months.5

Currimbhoy focuses on all sections of society. In his plays, he tries to depict

the people from the lowest to the highest strata of society. He believes that each

political incident has a far reaching effect on society. This play presents the problem

of refugees as a result of political incidents in 1971.

5 Mrs. Indira Gandhi, ‘Address to Parliament’, May 24, 1971. Quoted by Dr. Mankekar, Pakistan Cut to Size,

New Delhi. Indian Books Company. 1972. 13. Print.

34

The play The Hungry Ones is one of Asif‟s social plays which aims at

depicting the real picture of the city of Calcutta during the 1960s. This play was

published in 1965 and is based on the journey of two beatnik poets Allen Ginsberg

and Peter Orlovsky. During 1960-70, Allen Ginsberg visited Calcutta along with his

partner Peter Orlovsky. Both were highly influenced by the city and its condition.

When American beatnik poet Allen Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky came

to Calcutta not long ago, they created a sensation. They walked around

the streets of teeming city in dirty khaki shorts and dishevelled beards,

attracting college students like moths to a candle-flame. About the

same time came the cry of „hungry generation‟ from the hovels and

coffee houses of Calcutta, and what effects the Americans had on it is

not known, there was definite sense of identification with the beatnik

poets.6

The Hungry Ones shows that hunger and love are not easily affected by the

urgent need of circumstances. The dramatist reveals that hunger and love “stand

out prominently in an environment of arson, loot and rapine as much as in an

environment of transcendental humbug.”7 At the time of its production at Café La

Mama of Ellen Stewart, instead of pleasing the viewers, the play gave rise to

bitterness among both the Americans and the Indians. Some foreigners who felt bad

about it, considered it as an insult to them and they regarded it “as being promoted

by ex-colonial resentments.”8

6 Currimbhoy, Asif. The Hungry Ones. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1965. 21. Print.

7 Reddy, P. Bapaya, The Plays of Asif Currimbhoy, Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1985. 106. Print.

8 Rao, Girija. “No Laurels for Asif at Home”, The Sunday Standard, 23 June 1968.

35

Currimbhoy puts his effort in presenting the reality on the stage. Through

characters, images and action, he has successfully presented the picture of

prevailing conditions and its severity. In the play Inquilab, due to the Naxalite

Movement, the city of Calcutta burns into the fire of violence. The violent scenario is

being portrayed through the character Prof. Datta, a distinguished professor of law.

He says:

Ah…yes…aren‟t we all…understandably…restless…before the break

of Durga Puja holidays. …impatient? Let us not get carried away,

young men. Difficult times, I admit. Calcutta, my Calcutta, a “dying

city”? processions? Strikes? Revolt? Gheraos? Violence? Bandhs?

Breakdown of law and order? Revolt? Naxal revolt, my friends?

Slogans of Gandhi or Mao?...are there bombs in your head or brains,

gentleman? I hear… there are some amongst you… the tyranny of the

minority I call it… who question these holy institutions of learning…9

Prof. Datta‟s dialogue reveals that the Naxalite revolt of the early 1970s is the

central theme of the play. And by giving expression to this political revolution, he has

followed the tradition of Satre and Camus, Osborne and Wesker. In fact, “Satre and

Camus in France, Osborne, Wesker, Littlewood and Richardson in England have

attempted to respond to the political imperatives of their age by creating a theatre of

political commitment.”10 And like them Asif has also portrayed the contemporary

political ethos in the play. We can easily trace the influence of French naturalists on

Asif. “Under the impact of French naturalists like Zola and Balzac, he has indulged in

objective representation, photographic portrayal, and minute mimesis of socio-

9 Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1971. 56. Print.

10 Gerald Rabkin, Drama and Commitment, Bloomington, 1964. 291. Print.

36

political milieu of Bengal and orgy of Naxalite violence.”11 In the play, Ahmed, Amar

and Shomik represent this violent Naxalite ideology.

In the play The Hungry Ones, the monkey act performed by the two Indians in

the first scene is actually the projection of the pitiable condition of the poor people

who hardly manage their food of two times. The description of the monkey act or the

hungry act arouse the feeling of pity and sympathy for the poor class:

The man now lies prostrate, as though without arms and legs, writhing

has body forward, inching forward painfully, his flesh picking up the filth

of the pavement, cutting itself on sharp stones till blood shows on dirty

cloth, all the time slapping his bare brown stomach, his eyes hollow, till

the sound of his empty stomach sounds very much like the empty

drum, that drives him on and on.12

Currimbhoy does not simply presents the picture of society in regard to a

major event but he also throws light on the causes of its occurrence. The reasons

which give rise to disparity, are openly discussed among the characters so that the

viewers get aware of the causes which led to the destructive outcomes of the

violence in the nation.

The play Inquilab raises several questions regarding this violence in the city.

The first question is about the cause of this Maoist revolution. Asif emphasizes on

the reasons which compelled the characters Amar, Shomik and Ahmed to adopt the

nefarcious path of Naxalite Movement. They become violent Naxalites in order to

make the peasants being exploited by the greedy landlords, free. The exploitation of

11

Dwivedi, A.N. Studies in Contemporary Indian English Drama. New Delhi. Kalyani Publishers. 56. Print. 12

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Hungry Ones. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1965. 26. Print.

37

peasants led to the hunger and starvation everywhere. The plight of the poor

peasants touched the heart of these characters and turned them into Maoist

revolutionaries. Amar expresses his feelings towards the pitiable condition of the

poor in this dialogue:

Look around, father, open your eyes: the poverty, the terrible poverty,

People dying of hunger, father. Look at the gap between rich and poor.

It‟s growing, father, dangerously…and unfairly. It‟s true, the city is

dying, your old beloved city of the privileged. Do you feel the

stranglehold? The bustees growing, enveloping the city with the stench

of feces and dirt.13

In this dialogue, it is clear that Amar, the younger son of Prof. Datta, shows

the sympathetic attitude towards the victims of social injustice and especially for the

poor farmers. He is extremely dissatisfied with the prevailing conditions, such as,

hunger, injustice, corruption, sin and ugly stratified social structure. Amar is in pain

because “a great proportion of the population is suffering from hunger, poverty and

social oppression.”14

Like Amar, Shomik and Ahmed are also staunch supporters of this movement.

In fact, they encourage Amar to join and become the part of the movement. They

believe,

within the capitalist system…they (upper class exploiters) mutilate the

labourer into a fragment of a man, degrade him to the level of an

appendage of a machine: destroy every remnant of charm in his

13

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1971. 13. print 14

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1971. 29. Print.

38

work…they distort the conditions under which he works, subject him

during the labour process to a despotism…15

On account of this, in the dialogues of Amar and Ahmed, there is a sense of

pity towards the farmers along with the hatred towards the exploiters. They don‟t

have faith in the laws of government. They feel that the laws in the constitutions

patronize the inequality in the society directly or indirectly and, however, the laws

which are formed for the betterment of the poor class, are not implemented

successfully by the government. Apart from this, they believe that the domination of

the landlords on the peasants and the poor people has become one of the norms of

the society. According to them, “the majority of people, the people who labour are

condemned to toil for no more than the barest necessities of life…while on the other

hand…the owner of means of production, the property owners enjoy leisure and

luxury.”16

The injustice towards peasants fills their heart with wrath and they get

obsessed to redeem the poor from the clutches of the landlords. The obsession

reaches to that level where they are ready to adopt any means to bring the change in

the society and the system. The terrible bitterness in the dialogues of these three

characters towards the landholding class can be noted. For example, in the

dialogues of Ahmed where he propounds the Maoist dictum of eliminating the

exploiter class with force, “appoint area committees to launch violent struggles…as

Mao put it bluntly, „it is necessary to bring about a brief reign of terror in every rural

15

Ibid. 16. Print. 16

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1971. 30. Print.

39

area.‟ Learn to combine persuasion, terror and aid… organize the peasants union,

the Krishak Sabha.”17

In the play The Refugee, the chaos in the society is due to the heavy influx of

Bangladesh refugee in India which led to the dissatisfaction among the common

masses. Sen Gupta, one of the major characters of the play, has great warmth for

the refugees. He says that he is ready to welcome refugees as long as there is food

to share and place to live in his house. His daughter Mita works very hard day and

night in the refugee camps and his son too devotes himself to the cause of the

refugees. As the number of refugees increases day after day, the warmth of his heart

begins to decrease. The rising number of refugees creates a serious concern in the

people. Sen Gupta remarks:

No. of course I feel sorry for the refugees outside, but look at what a

filthy mess they‟ve made of things. Where‟s my open field and coconut

palms and pond? They...they‟re encroaching. How long are they going

to stay there? When will they return…anti social? And they are

growing in numbers all the time. We‟ve called an emergency meeting

of the town elders. This can‟t go on. We‟ll seal the borders.18

Sen Gupta‟s speech reflects the social unrest that was being caused due to

the heavy pressure of the refugees. India at that time was ceaselessly striving for

self reliance. After a long period of depression, Indian economy was looking up. The

people of India were looking for a better life but the refugee problem shattered all

those hopes and dreams. In this connection Dr. D. R. Mankekar remarks, “The

financial and economic strain with the resultant socio economic tensions in the

17

Ibid. 20. Print. 18

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Refugee. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1971. 18. print.

40

affected region flung a spanner into the government of India‟s ambitious

development plans.”19

Thus the heavy influx of refugees created social discontent at many places.

Affected by the changed situation, India herself was struggling against

unemployment and poverty. The addition of nine million refugees to the population of

India added to her difficulties. The refugees were given a number of facilities which

the common masses was devoid of. It was another major cause of restlessness in

the society. Sen Gupta refers to the problem thus, “The refugee, with this minimum

rations, is better fed than the local unemployed. Some thing‟s going to explode

soon.”20

The spirit of unrest in the society is further brought out when Prof. Mossin

says that he has provided Yassin with a job which has caused resentment among

other unemployed persons of the city. He tells Sen Gupta, “I don‟t know how longer

he can hold on to it. It has naturally created some resentment amongst the other

unemployed…besides, the University Grants Commission‟s funds are not enough to

support the problem as a whole.”21

Thus, the causes generate dissatisfaction in the people which compel them to

raise their voice against the prevailing condition. The attitude of people towards the

problem or the issue which clearly express their frustration and the serious demand

for change is being projected by Currimbhoy. The feeling of frustration reaches to

that extent where it gives way to the sense of revenge. In the play, Inquilab, Ahmed

and Shomik are the most rebellious ones in nature. Their concept of revolution is

19

Mankekar, D.K., Pakistan Cut to Size. New Delhi. Indian Book Company. 1971. 29. Print. 20

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Refugee. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1971. 94. Print. 21

Ibid. 94. Print.

41

based on their love for peasants. Ahmed escapes into the Mizo hills only to return

as the „guru‟ of the Naxals. Shomik works for the liberation of the peasants through

revolt. He inspires the peasants by exposing them to the thoughts of great men on

equality and revolution. He wants to take revenge on those who are responsible for

the cruel slavery of the peasantry. The anger towards the landlords is evident from

the conversation between Sarala and Shomik:

Shomik: (clenched teeth, twisting iron rod again) I want my revenge.

Sarala: revenge? Why? What for? Has anyone harmed me, your

children? Your parents? This I don‟t understand.

Shomik: (unreasoning) others have been harmed. Do you know most

of the peasants still live in a state of cruel slavery? It can speak for

them. Ours is a common cause. I must show it.22

Ahmed, an angry young man, wants to put his Naxalite theory into practice.

He feels that revolution should start from villages. He also feels that non-violence

cannot bring any change in the society and the revolt has its own role to play. He

says, “only the root cause of revolt and liberation…where passion reaches furthest,

the unrealizable becomes true and life is reborn in a desire that defies all fulfillment

so revolt is conceived.”23

In the play The Refugee, the refugees were burning with the fire of revenge.

They had lost their near and dear ones and had been driven away from their

motherland. They had been humiliated and butchered at their own place. The result

of this spirit of revenge was the formation of the Mukti Bahini. To avenge the wrongs

22

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1971. 30. Print. 23

Ibid. 19. Print.

42

done to them, all the East Bengalis united themselves under one banner. Even the

school going boys too, preferred to join the Mukti Bahini instead of going to school,

“thousands of other boys threw their books and trekked to the border and begged to

be accepted in the Mukti Bahini, so that they could, with their own hands, fight and

kill the Pakistanis and drive them out of their land.”24 Sen Gupta‟s son Ashok who is

only twenty, wants to join the Mukti Bahini. For him the classroom studies are

useless without the liberation of Bangladesh. Yassin, the hero, too decides to join the

Mukti Bahini at the end. His conscience prompts him that the only way for him is to

join the Mukti Bahini.

The origin of any turbulence in the society is always due to some clashes. The

clashes or the conflicts occur among the groups because of the contrasting

approaches and principles. When the society is divided into groups on different

grounds then the conflict takes place. This conflict is very well observed by

Currimbhoy and projected in the play. In the play Inquilab, the focus of Asif is on the

clash between the two different approaches of bringing change in the society. He

raises questions about the cruel ways of Naxalite rebels whether it is appropriate or

not. The opposite approach is non-violence which is represented by Prof. Datta. He

strongly disapproves the violent struggle of the Naxals. He thinks that the

constitutional democracy is quite capable of eradicating the social inequality. He

disagrees with the Naxal point of view that the land of the rich should be forcibly

grabbed. Rather, he thinks that the constitutional methods should be adopted to

solve the problems of society. He remarks:

Some have described land-grabbing as moral, legitimate and legal. I

am not here to contest the moral aspects of the problem:this is purely

24

Dwivedi, A.N. Studies in Contemporary Indian English Drama. New Delhi. Kalyani Publishers. 63. Print.

43

subjective. I will give you…my legal opinion…(goes up to the

blackboard; writes: INDIAN CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 31 SECTION

(A)(I) ARTICLE 19. As he writes, he speaks)…our constitution

guarantees…all citizens…the right to hold or dispose of private

property…including land…any attempt therefore to grab land is an

attack on this fundamental right…if excess land held by some persons

is to be made available to those who are deserving and desirous of

using it for agriculture, our law provides the power to acquire land for

this purpose but it also protects the owner…under article 31, no person

can be deprived of his property save by authority of law.25

Thus, we find that Prof. Datta feels that our Constitution guarantees all

citizens the right to hold or dispose of private property, including land. He has his

faith in the laws of constitution and thinks that the dignity of democratic methodology

should be maintained while fighting for the poor peasants. That is why he strongly

condemns the Naxalite violence. Against the violent movement of the Naxals, he

stands for democratic order, as is evident from his dialogue: “Boys! Boys! Order!

Order! Democracy! Democratic freedom! Protest without violence! Rationalism!

Sanity! Reason! Constitution! The ultimate! Man‟s law in society! Law and order!...”26

Thus, we see that Prof. Datta believes in potential capacity of Indian

Constitution and its system to eradicate the social inequality. He believes that

Naxalite shortcut will bring no good to the society. On the other side, the Naxalites

find it impossible to eradicate the old tradition of exploiting the poor and the labour

class without violence because the landlords consider it their right to dominate and

25

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 41. Print. 26

Ibid. 77. Print.

44

rule over the poor. For them, it is the destiny of the peasants to live at the mercy of

the landlords. These Marxist rebels think that when property is being taken away

from the oppressors, they will lose their power. In their view, only a violent revolution

can destroy the structure of capitalist society. Thus we see that under the impact of

Marx, the Naxal rebels have opted for violence to bring change in the society as well

as the system.

As in the play, the brutal killings of Prof. Datta and landlord Jain arouse fear

and pity in the hearts of viewers which are the most important element in a tragedy

according to Aristotle. The murder of Jain is described as, “a scream; a penetrating

horrifying scream: Suprea‟s shattering…simultaneously two images: the tenth arm of

Durga carries a bloody severed head of clay and together the beam of the torch

shines full on Jain‟s severed head hung on two poles, eyes dilated into death, hair

dripping with blood.”27

Thus, the play succeeds in arousing the emotions of pity and fear through

such descriptions and scenes. Asif successfully brings out the conflict between the

two approaches of bringing a change in the society. He presents both the sides

impartially and leave it to the readers/viewers to choose the right one. Another

conflict in the play is between the rich and the poor. It is evident in the conversation

of Amar and the landlord Jain:

Amar: (measuring his shout) that‟s what I say! Enough! You have

enough land! Don‟t go putting it in your brothers‟ and sisters‟ and dogs‟

names. Don‟t go on having captive labour through compulsion or

reward. The land belongs to the tiller!

27

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 65-66. Print.

45

Jain: (quivering with his anger) it belongs to me: me! Me! My father, my

grandfather, my son, my grandson! No one‟s going to grab it from me!

I have worked as hard, harder than my labourers…look at my hands,

son! Look at the callouses! Just because I‟m fat and rich doesn‟t mean

that I don‟t work. I work harder than you…you idler! I don‟t sprout

theories like you, nor write law books like your father. I work with my

hands. (passionate) that land‟s mine, son. I‟ve tilled it and I shall reap

its harvest till I die. And I shall kill anyone who lays a hand to grab it.

Even my friend‟s son, be he the labourers or the men with whom I

break my bread.28

The argument of Jain depicts his mind set that he is not ready to accept the

wrong done on his part. Instead of accepting Amar‟s views, he justifies his actions

and rights. Though we cannot call him completely wrong in his views because he is

adhering to one of the social norms which in itself has become the established order.

He is not the only one who owners lands and lands on his name but one of the

representatives of the group of exploiters.

This clash between the traditional landlords and the rebel Naxalites brought

the disastrous outcomes. On account of this approach of the landlords towards the

peasants, the Naxalites exhibit their strong disapproval. This class struggle has been

existing from ancient times in India and has always remained the cause of

turbulence in the society. Marx and Engeles have commented on class conflict: “free

28

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 19. Print.

46

men and slaves…lords and serfs…, in a word, oppressor and oppressed stood in a

constant opposition to one another.”29

The play The Refugee portrays several conflicts at different levels. One of the

main conflicts is between Sen Gupta and his son Ashok. The former is selfish, cold,

hypocritical, and suffers from a crisis of conscience. The latter is concerned very

much with the problems of refugees. Ashok joins the Mukti Bahini against the will of

his father. We see the internal conflict in Yassin who is unable to choose the right

path. Later, with the help of Mita, he is able to come out of the dilemma and decides

to join the Mukti Bahini. He states, “I almost said nothing through force of habit. But

something has. The inevitable. Man really has little choice in life. He is often forced

into a situation…where there is no way out. A decision, an action…gets destined,

almost involuntarily.”30 The focus of the play is on Yassin and his search for

conscience in the confusing world of political standards.

The internal conflict can be seen in the play Inquilab also. Amar was in the

dilemma of adopting the right application or theory for reformation. In the beginning,

he is the staunch follower of Naxalite Movement and has faith in its principles but

after the killings of Prof. Datta and landlord Jain, Amar also “realizes that the

Naxalite shortcut will not bring about „socialist revolution‟ and that his father‟s

approach was right.”31 He begins to feel that reformation can be brought about in

Bengal society only through democratic ways and not through the orgy of Naxalite

violence. This change in Amar‟s views is evident in his conversation with Ahmed:

29

Dwivedi, A.N. Studies in Contemporary Indian English Drama. New Delhi. Kalyani Publishers. 54. Print 30

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Refugee, Calcutta. Writers workshop. 1971. 102. Print. 31

Reddy, P. Bapaya, The Plays of Asif Currimbhoy. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1985.33. Print.

47

(a fareway look of sadness) I…I think…my father was right. I

mean…his approach was right. That…that change should come

through the will of the majority. That society…such as we live in, must

follow certain norms…of law and order…to make such democratic

expression possible…32

In fact, Amar who was a radical rebel in the beginning of the play begins to

realize that the constitutional norms are the best to reduce the pains of poor farmers.

He thinks that instead of indulging in futile violence, he should adopt the path of love

and compassion. Through the character of Amar, Asif Currimbhoy has conveyed the

idea that the Naxal shortcut is no solution and that we should harbor feelings of love,

compassion and pity for one another. Thus, Currimbhoy shows his abiding faith in

the power of love. In this connection, P. Bapaya Reddy has commented:

Currimbhoy‟s plays are a legitimate product of his abiding faith in the

efficacy of love and compassion. In fact, his whole approach to the

drama is conditioned by his vision of life that love and compassion also

matter and that they serve as panacea to the ills of society. This

philosophical basis can be recognized in the titles of his plays and in

the kind of people he presents. His plays spring from his belief that in

spite of endless arson and hopeless nuance, there is scope for values

like love, peace and understanding. What he seeks to convey through

his plays is that man should search for some meaning in life and the

heaven of security may rest in his faith in basic humanity and love.33

32

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 80. Print. 33

Reddy, P. Bapaya, The Plays of Asif Currimbhoy. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1985. 151. Print.

48

Currimbhoy has criticized the society on several grounds. As he highlights the

prejudices deeply rooted in the society and has turned out to be the established

order of the society. There are several wrong notions in the society which has been

accepted by people and has become one of the set norms. For example the

exploitation of poor or labour class is continued from generation to generation and

thus it has been set as an established order of society. In the play Inquilab, Naxalites

have no hope for any improvement in the condition of peasants as they think that the

constitutional and democratic ways to achieve social equality have badly failed. It is

evident in the dialogues of Ahmed when he says, “Parliamentary democracy is not

an effective weapon for socialist revolution : and armed struggle is inevitable… a

revolution in backward countries can only be brought by peasants: start organizing

peasants for militant action….”34

Shomik, the village Messiah also favours the views of Ahmed. He is bribed by

Devdas, a politician and Jain, a landlord but he resists the temptation of money

offered by both. He is determined on his idea of revolt and does not pay heed to the

advice of his father and wife. It shows the extent of his anger on account of the

pitiable condition of the poor class. Like Ahmed, he also has lost his faith in the

constitution. He says, “Constitutional change did us no good, we waited… and

waited. Until hope died and the new life withered, cruelty…(reminiscing)…is

inevitable.”35

The exploitation has turned out to be the established order of the society. This

established order of exploitation of peasants is represented by Jain in the play. He is

the landlord who opposes the Naxals and their philosophy. He does not consider it

34

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 25. Print. 35

Ibid. 61. Print

49

all wrong to dominate the peasants. He argues with Amar and tries to defend

himself. As Shomik comments:

comrads, both sides are right, but our cause is the only cause that

matters: liberation through revolt! Nobody denies that our landlord,

Jain, is just. Nobody denies that he works as hard as we do. But he‟s

working on our land and not we on his! We want our law! Not the

landlord‟s, and not the government‟s! Our father were serfs, and even if

we‟re not, we‟re not free either! No…no…no more waiting. The law

cannot work equally for both of us. It‟s either ours or theirs. At the

moment it‟s theirs, so we have to reject it.36

This conversation of Amar and jain reveals that the exploitation has become a

part of society which is absolutely right according to these landlords. Along with this,

Currimbhoy also brings out another depressing fact that any turmoil in the society

largely affects the poor and the common class. The large number of victims belong

to the underprivileged. The provoking speech by Naxal rebels in the play Inquilab

clearly presents the pitiable condition of the poor peasants. As one of the Naxal

rebels speaks:

Young man: (to villagers squatting around kerosene lamp) you get

what you deserve: hunger, want and death. You give your children an

even larger share: scurvy, slavery, deprivation and death. Every bigha

zamin you toil for, you‟ll make them toil harder. For whom? For whom, I

ask? (rustle of discontent amongst peasants; shouting) for the damned

bloody, greedy zamindar! Who never worked for a day in his life! Who

36

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 28. Print.

50

sucks your blood like a leech, grovels in food and luxury; what gives

him right to own, and you to suffer! Peasants!37

In the similar way, the play The Hungry Ones also throws light on the pitiable

condition of the poor. As the hungry act in the first scene is in itself an example of the

extent of poverty and misery. The scene ends with the voices of the two Indians

speaking: “…so you want to become one of us, stranger, a hungry one…? Then

learn, stranger, learn…HUNGER.”38

This dialogue clearly expresses the condition of the poor who are victims of

natural disaster ie famine in Bengal. The two Americans continue their struggle to

understand the mystery of India. In their journey, they come across the ugly sight of

poor natives. Asif presents the atmosphere of gloom, melancholy and despair. He

makes use of visual image and gives the description:

Sam and Al look around slowly, peering through the darkness. They

see along the footpaths, rows upon rows of maimed and deformed

beggars, some begging for alms, some moaning softly, some bearing

patiently, some waiting. They start at the beginning of the row, lighting

matches to see the faces of each individual beggar that blazes out

shockingly in disease and deformity.39

In the play The Refugee, the condition of the refugees is discussed between

Yassin and Mosin during their visit in refugee camps. They see the refugees as

“pathetic helpless creatures, concerned only with food and safety, and shelter,

stories of repression and terror, wanting only time to get back their breath from the

37

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Refugee. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 26. Print 38

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Hungry Ones. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1965. 30. Print 39

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Hungry Ones. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1965. 38. Print.

51

horrible tragedy.”40 In this way, Currimbhoy puts forward the truth that any political or

social issue mostly harm the section which is the innocent one in the society.

Currimbhoy criticizes the proceedings of political leaders as they are unable to

sort out the problems which leads to the destructive outcomes. In the play, Inquilab,

the political leaders fail to take the right decision on the right time because they are

afraid of loosing their votes. Their self centred attitude create disturbance in the

nation. In the play Inquilab, Ahmed speaks to Devdas, “In order to get votes you are

following the same path, having to pander to people like the landlord, who in the last

analysis still controls the Government.”41

Currimbhoy delves into the root of the problem and bring it out before his

audience. He believes that the problem is not related to the law and order. It occurs

because of mal administration. The people working for the security of nation are

responsible for occurings like violence and riots. It can be clear through the

conversation of Devdas and inspector:

Inspector: the problem at its roots is not one of law and order.

It‟s…(coughing)… one of administration.

B. W. : ( turning to Devdas) Well, Devdas?

Devdas: (giving the Inspector a nasty stare) Easier said than done.

We‟ve got fourteen splinter parties in Government here. You said you

were the minority in the centre; well, we are the majority here but it

doesn‟t make the problem any simpler… everyone‟s vying for a vote

here. And everyone‟s climbing on each other‟s back. We‟re jockeying

40

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Refugee. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 98. Print. 41

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1971. 38. Print.

52

behind me. I handle the situation too tough, and the political doves

flutter; handle it too soft, and the hawks start pecking. So you see: I‟m

no better off than you.42

Currimbhoy combines the major issues with other problems such as

communalism as it is also led by other issues. It suggests that one problem gives

way to other problems. In the play The Refugee, Besides creating social unrest, the

influx of refugees also led communalism in some places too. Most of the refugees

were Hindus. When they came in such a helpless state in India it created tension

between the Hindus and the Indian Muslims. Sen Gupta says to Mosin in this

connection:

..Mosin my friend, you know as well as I do, the greatest threat posed

by the refugees. Listen: as every week goes by, who‟s coming in? no

longer university intellectuals, persecuted politicians and defeated

Bengal rifles. No! they‟re Hindus now- minority Hindus being

exterminated and driven out to purge Pakistan! If this pressure keeps

and the hoards of Hindu refugees grow, how much longer will we in

India remain secular?43

Asif Currimbhoy observes the reaction of the political incidents on the social

life and depicts it very artistically and naturally in his plays. The attitude of the Muslim

countries during the massacre in Bangladesh adds further to tension and

communalism among the people of India. Asif focuses on this aspect too. The

conversation between Sen Gupta and Mosin brings to light the spirit of communalism

that was gradually spreading:

42

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1971. 64. Print. 43

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Refugee. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 95. Print.

53

Sen Gupta: (acidly) I can see that the Muslim community in India has

been remarkably restrained. (the old man is stung.)

Prof. Mosin: (quietly) I‟ll pass that, my friend.

Sen Gupta: (angry at having hurt his friend, but unable to stop himself.)

well, you can‟t deny it, Mosin! There‟s a massacre taking place out

there- in a muslim country- and their Islamic brothers keep quiet here!44

Asif further portrays the fact that the heavy influx of refugees created a rift

between Hindus and Muslims and thus adversely affected the existing communal

harmony. Yassin‟s friendship and closeness to Prof. Mosin irritates Sen Gupta and

disturbs the friendship of the two friends. Yassin himself observes this change. He

says to Mosin, “you mean…there is a difference between me and you. you also

mean the presence of the Pakistani Muslim, the refugee, jeopardizes the position of

the Indian Muslim in India.”45 When Prof. Mosin tries to defend, Yassin brings the

reality more clearly on the surface and ask Prof. Mosin, “no. I m not ! tell me, hasn‟t

my presence affected your…relationship, disturbed your friendship…ever so slightly

with the Sen Gupta family? And who am I ? a bird of passage. Whereas you have to

live your lifetime here..”46 Thus Asif Currimbhoy very artistically presents the travails

and problems that society in India had to face during 1971 as a result of this

unprecedented influx.

Moreover, The refugees brought along with them other problems. Cholera

epidemic broke out and Indian economy was adversely affected by this. Asif

presented this aspect of the problem also in the play. Sen Gupta who previously had

44

Ibid. 95. Print. 45

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Refugee. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 103. Print. 46

Currimbhoy, Asif. The Refugee. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. 103. Print.

54

a soft corner for the refugees gets worried seeing the rapidly increasing number of

the refugees. He exclaims: “I am worried, Mosin my friend, I‟m worried about the

whole thing. It all started as a small thing- a few refugees across the border- it

happens every year. Now it‟s a holocaust and we‟re completely unprepared for it.”47

In the play The Hungry Ones, the conflict between Hindu and Muslim is

evident through the relation of Razia and Ramesh as both are not allowed to have a

happy life in the society. Ramesh, a Hindu who is in conflict with Razia‟s brother,

goes to Guru who asks him to meditate so deep that none is able to disturb him. The

dramatist wants to show that love is possible even in an environment of arson, loot

and rapine. The play comes to the end as both Sam and Al leave for America,

bidding farewell to Razia who is broken, shattered and who yearns for the love of her

husband, Ramesh.

The three plays discussed above, clearly present the condition of Bengal at

different times. The plays deal with different social issues and problems prevailing in

the contemporary times. The plays Inquilab, The Refugee, The Hungry Ones deal

with social realism. “Social realism is the acute awareness of the social forces that

surround the individual, their power to influence the lives of men and women and the

overall interaction of individual and society.”48

Asif, as a social critic, throws light on the serious issues related to the society

and instead of giving his own opinion, he enables the viewer to form his own idea

about the particular issue. He has taken different themes from contemporary Indian

society and presented them in the realistic manner. Asif Currimbhoy, as a social

critic and a dramatist, himself remarks: “the theatre is in the life and blood of the

47

Ibid. 94. Print. 48

Reddy, P. Bapaya, The Plays of Asif Currimbhoy, Calcutta. Writers Workshop. 1985. 35. Print.

55

Bengali people. They are proud of their heritage of being rebels and learned men at

the same time. Their temperament stretches from the volatile to the philosophic and

peaceful. This was my hunting ground.”49

49

Currimbhoy, Asif. Inquilab. Calcutta, Writers Workshop. 1971. Iv-v. Print.