human condition.” - inflibnetshodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/21906/7/07_chapter...
TRANSCRIPT
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.