'Kanchangram' Epitomises the Heritage of a Millennium

Shamsuddin Abul Kalam's 'Kanchangram' is one of the major novels of the last decade not only in the novel world of Bangladesh but in Bangla literature as well.Subrata Kumar Das evaluates this novel very critically and analytically.

SHAMSUDDIN Abul Kalam ( 1926-1997) deserves to be treated as one of the major novelists of contemporary Bangla literature, though it is true that he is neither widely read nor well-known. At the outest of his career he was able to draw attention as a fiction writer of many readers for his 'Shaher Banu' (1945). which was a collection of short stories and his first book also. Later, his first novel 'Kashbaner Kanya' (written in 1355 B.S. and published in 1361 B.S.) credited him much along with the previous book. But his next 40-year stay on a foreign land took him completely out of our minds, though he never stopped writing and the quality of his novels never degraded. The novel 'Kanchangram', that was written twice with a long gap and was published in 1998 after his death, can easily guarantee him as one of our prominent novelists.

Before, the publication of his first novel, he wrote some volumes of short stories like 'Path Jana Nei' (1948),' Anek Diner Asha' ((1949),' Dheu' (1953), etc. The other books of short stories by him are 'Dui Hridayer Teer' (1955), 'Pui Dalimer Kabya' and 'Moja Ganger Gaan' (both published in the 1980). Immediately after the publication of 'Kashbaner Kanya', his another novel 'Alamnagarer Upakatha' (later on renamed as Dui Mahal) came out. The other novels written by him are 'Kanchanmala' (1956), 'Jibankando' (1956), 'Jaijangal' (1978) and, in the eighties, novels like 'Samudrabasar', 'Nabanna', 'Jar Sathe Jar' and 'Moner Mato Thain'.

His 'Kanchangram', however, should be ranked as one of the best novels of present-day Bangla literature. There is a long story behind the completion of this voluminous novel of 582 pages. The first draft of the novel was written in 1972. Its screenplay was written, in both English and Bangla, in the same year. Around the years 1986-87, he rewrote the novel and did not manage to get a publisher before 1997. The author narrates a story of the human habitation and life in this land in the book. Memory, legend and imagination are the real protagonists in it. Human characters and stories about them are merely the means to illuminate the culture, heritage, tradition and customs of the country.

As we stated above, 'Kanchangram' is not merely a novel having an attractive story. Rather it stretches beyond the present to touch the very distant past of our history. The whole time-span of the Buddhist period to the pre-liberation time gets gradually illuminated in the novel live through the last years of the Pakistan regime. The days of the near past around the later British days in the subcontinent, the creation of Pakistan and the conception of Bangladesh liberation are more prominently presented. What does Samsuddin Abul Kalam himself say about the subject of his novel? “I have tried to relate the big or small incidents of the life struggle of the people of my homeland. Gradually I felt a deep inspiration to demonstrate that in the context of huge experience and consciousness. (Abdul Matin quotes from Samsuddin Abul Kalam in relation to the manuscript of 'Kanchangram'. Translated by the present author.) Shamsuddin Abul Kalam relates this long history of one thousand years of Bangladesh by creating some characters. These characters are not mere characters in the ordinary sense - they are tools to demonstrate the grand theme of the novel.While talking about 'Ulysses' (1922) of James Joyce (1882-1941) J. Arthur Honeywell comments “Novelists lost interest in constructing logical or rational sequences and turned to the third possibility, that of structuring the events of a novel so as to present a coherent world or vision of reality. (Plot in the Modern Novel,' Essentials of the Theory of Fiction', Ed. by Michael J. Hoffman and Patrick D. Murphy, USA, 1993, P-242). 'Kanchangram' is also such a vision of reality which has incorporated all the beliefs and heritage of the Bangalee nation starting in the remote past till the pre-liberation period. The conscience of the whole populace of this soil takes a picture here. No individual, rather a totality is in the design of the author. Consequently the person who emerges as the protagonist of this novel is not a person rather he is the region itself which is great in its own history and glory. All these make 'Kanchangram' a great one as “great literature is great because its characters are great, and characters are great when they are memorable” (William H. Grass, — The Concept of Characters in Fiction, ibid, p-269).

Let us examine how Samsuddin Abul Kalam introduces his novel to his readers. First comes an excerpt from Bodhisattwadan Kalpalata. Then a line from Marcel Proust (1871-1922), the French writer and philosopher, where he tells about the reality in our memory. These two are given before the title page. After that comes the foreword from the writer, Abdul Matin, and the publisher. Then again an excerpt from Bertrand Russel after which comes Mangalik. Later on Samsuddin Abul Kalam begin his story. Upacramanika and Abataranika, both of 25 pages each, help the writer last of all to formulate the foreground for his plot.

The most prominent person of the novel is Jalal Mian. Illiterate but not ignorant, Jalal Mian is rather an embodiment of long and diverse experiences. Inheriting a deeper root, he beholds everything from a unique viewpoint. He thinks that the fact that people began to leave off their birthplace for individual interest caused damage to our glorious past. Jalal Mian dreams, if all these people throng back again, our village i.e. our country will again be embellished with happiness and beauty.

Along with Jalal Mian, there is Abdul Master, a learned school teacher who illustrates the good souls of the youths. Moreover, Abdul Master represents the whole young generation of his time who after much thought and careful analysis, took active part in the Liberation War. He represents all our people who wanted to liberate our nation from all shackles.

Through the interactions between the past and the present by Jalal Mian and Abdul Master, the long past of our nation becomes evident. Janardan Karmakar, Hedayetullah or Rupa are the other persons who by this way or that help them perform their duties. The other characters around them are Kadabanu (daughter to Rupa), Kanu (son to Rupa), Kalur Ma, Dabiraddi, Shaymoli or Shimuly, who among a lot of other persons, prove themselves more essential. There is Makbul Khadem who is a maulavi but not a fanatic. Regarding the foundation of Pakistan in the name of Islam he says “There is irreligious activities in religion everywhere in the world” (427).

In 'Kanchangram' there are a lot many things on which people may controvert. The controversy is more possible regarding the recent past incidents, as they are possible about some political personalities. And the success of Samsuddin Abul Kalam lies in the fact that he has given forth the truth only, no biased opinion. With the passage of fictional time there emerge Jinnah, Fazlul Huq, Sheikh Mujib and others. In this discourse opinion” and counter opinions please the readers. Makbul Khadem’s though about sheikh Mujib (282) or Jalal Mian’s opinion on Fazlul Huq’s activities (323) prove how Shamsuddin Abul Kalam has presented the different views in his story.

If we say all the major characters of Kanchangram are mere symbols, it will not be very untrue. The short familial story around Jalal Mian, Rupa and Abdul Master is undoubtedly a metaphorical demonstration which also contributes to the main manipulation by the writer himself.

Jalal Mian hails from such a family which, though by now are completely deprived from all their land properties, inherits the Budhist linkage. Later, Persian tradition also influenced their family. Rupa is a bereaved woman having two grown-up children - Kadabanu and Kanu. She, with her two children, took a shelter at Jalal Mian’s family since her husband missed. Kadabanu and Kanu are brought up no less as Jalal Mian’s own children. At the end of the novel when the people become rowdy during the last years of Pakistan, Jalal Mian decides to marry Rupa because he thinks evil people who previously talked nonsense about Rupa, would not let her stay at his house. It is Rupa who discovered the ancient icons at Jalal Mian’s house and thus the Persian linkage of the family gets exposed. On the other hand, Janardan Kamakar presents that Hindu temperament which takes enough care and sincerity to make a rehel (a bookstand) for the nearby mosque where Makbul Kahdem serves as the Imam. Through these characters, the writer thus draws the patient amity between the Hindu and Muslim communities of this region.

'Kanchangram' ends where the Liberation War begins, though the untidy social environment right before the Independence War has been illustrated very minutely and precisely. We get different views and opinions regarding the future war in the book. Mass people’s stand against the Pakistan army and their collaborators has also been delineated at the end of the book. It should be remembered here that the other name of Shamsuddin Abul Kalam was Kanchan alias Kanchu. The novel 'Kanchangram' sketches the inner mind and dream of the author.

Samsuddin Abul Kalam was one of the four pioneers who steered the novel of Bangladesh. The resist three were Sawkat Osman ('Janani', 1961) Abu Ishaq” ('Surya Dighal Bari', 1955), and Syed Waliullah ('Lalsalu', 1948). From the very early days of his authorial life he had to struggle with his surrounding world, even with his name. As there was as eminent Journalist named Abul Kalam , Samsuddin, he changed his name into the present form. This sort of defeat never ended in his life.

We should not forget that even by now we haven’t been able to make a complete list of all works of Shamsuddin Abul Kalam. From his letter to Abdul Matin and D. Das we can know that his books entitled 'Natyamandap', 'Pal Tala Nadi', 'Dheu Bhara Nadi', 'Sagar Thikana', 'Kalyaniyashu' and 'Kameliake Chithi' are yet to come into light. His books in English. 'The Garden of Cane Fruit', the English version of 'Nabanna' and 'The Battle of Bangladesh' are also be published.

We all know that Shamsuddin Abul Kalam left his motherland due to some unwanted affairs in his family. Later on, the reality was that he even stopped all correspondence with known figures of our literary arena. We should not keep ourselves in dark any more about him. If we ignore an author like him, the posterity will not forgive us.

___________________________________________________________________________________Subrata Kumar Das was born at Kamarkhali in the district of Faridpur in Bangladesh in 1964.He started writing since the year 1992. His fields of interests are critiquing literature and analyzing education system. His books are: ''Nazruler 'Bandhonhara'' (2000) and 'Bangla Kathasahitya:Jadubastabata Ebong Onayanyo'(Feb.2002).His 'Selected Essays ,Letters,and Speeches of Kazi Nazrul Islam'(translation) is going to be published soon. He is now working on: 'A Glimpse of the Novels of Bangladesh'; 'Prosongo:Engregi Shiksha' ;'Sabitry Ray:Jibon O sahitya';and 'Nazrul: Koyekti Prosongo'. Subrata lectures at Bangladesh Rifles College, Peelkhana, Dhaka, Bangladesh.