BOOK REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW

Lokoshilpey o Ganajagaroney Grambangla (Village of Bengal in the light of folk art and public awareness)

Shanti Sinha, Sakalbela Rabibar, 22 january, 2012, 7 magh, 1418, Page 4.

Getting the book on “Anti-Witch Movement of Purulia,” living in Purulia for 41 years, a special chapter came up in my mind.  The dense forests that encircle the mountains from Bandowan to  Maanbazaar, Hurakashipur, Baghmundi, Jhalda, Raghunathpur, Hetjari, Ragoonkodor, Barabazar, etc. and other remote areas, the densely populated area have superstitions of the Middle Age lifestyle.  It is a preplanned story of calling a woman as a witch and pointing some men as wizard in the public life.  We are against the dangerous social evil and a protest has been started once by Saradaprasad Kisku in Darikadoba village who was a teacher and poet.  Mahadev Hansda became their co-warrior, teacher-poet Gomosta Prasad Soren, Poet  Kalendra Mandi, Maheswar Besra, poet-dramatist Rupchand Hansda, teacher Manmoth Baskey, poet Baleswar Soren, etc. are the creative minded citizens.  Mahasweta Devi, a writer and a social worker from Kolkata, journalist Niranjan Haldar, in the style of a journalist Bikraman Nayar , journalist Lakshimdra Kumar Sarkar went to the spot many times.  Then the exploited tribals required support and he gave resignation and worked in the tribal regions of Purulia, Bankura and devoted his life in this work.  These incidences occurred 20 years ago.

Lakshimdra Kumar Sarkar was connected with the tribal development since then.  A service center has been set up in the red soils.  I have seen his social work through my own eyes.  He has written a documentary book  on anti-witch movement.   On the basis of a population census and by interviewing those who were exploited as witches, this is a true account.  In the trial of the murder of Lakshman Tudu, the verdict of Sudhir Milan Tudu in the court of Purulia, the leader of the anti-witch movement, the social unrest leading to the news  of Jagaran Soren, the biography of sarada Prasad Kisku and his letters have been  compiled in the book.  At the beginning of the book, the emergence of the Santals and their migration, hunting festival, folk belief on witch cult, the women’s right in Santal society and the history of the anti-witch movement has been explained in simple words along with photographs has been discussed.  Lakshimdra Kumar Sarkar   has been connected with tribal population for a long time and on the basis of population census, he wrote this book.  His dedication, honesty and personal touch is really praiseworthy.  In this type of primary source book, many editions are really painful.  I feel the future editions of the book will be better.  

PURULIAR DAINI BIRODHI ANDOLAN (THE ANTI-WITCH MOVEMENT OF PURULIA), LAKSHIMDRA KUMAR SARKAR, SANCHAYAN PRAKASHANI, Rs. 200.