Papers by Raj Raj Mukhopadhyay
The Contour - An International Peer-Reviewed Online Journal, 2019
The eminent Bengali litterateur Saradindu Bandyopadhyay is famous for his
two extremely popular c... more The eminent Bengali litterateur Saradindu Bandyopadhyay is famous for his
two extremely popular characters, notably Baroda, the bhutanweshi or the
ghost-hunter and Byomkesh Bakshi, the satyanweshi or the truth-seeker.
However, the frameworks within which these two figures operate are entirely
different from each other. Whereas Byomkesh Bakshi, being the detective uses
his scientific and logical reasoning faculty to search the truth and solve the
case; Baroda encounters supernatural events in his life and proceeds to
narrate his occult experiences which are devoid of any apparent rationality.
Nevertheless, the author presents a unique glimpse when these two fictional
characters confront each other attempting to establish the supremacy of their
respective ideas and thinking processes.
My paper entitled “When Detective seeks the Ghost: Exploring the Paranormal
in Saradindu Bandyopadhyay’s Baroda and Byomkesh Stories” is a modest
attempt to explore the intricate structure of both detective fictions and ghost
stories of Saradindu Bandyopadhyay. In the story “Byomkesh O Baroda” the
detective Byomkesh Bakshi is able to outwit Baroda proving his explanation of
paranormal activities as vague and irrational. However, in another story
“Shailarahasya”, Byomkesh succumbs to Baroda’s notion of ghost as he
himself experiences the existence of ghost or unearthly spirit, which becomes a
crucial factor in solving the crime. This study aims to provide a critical
response to the antithetical treatment on part of the author where neither
scientific rationality nor supernatural theories achieve predominance. This
paper also focuses on the problematic representation of Baroda’s character
who manages everyone into believing his concept regarding the existence of
ghosts and evil spirits.
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The Contour - An International Peer-Reviewed Online Journal, Oct 25, 2018
My paper entitled “Marginalisation, Negligence and Crisis of the Tribals: A Glimpse through the S... more My paper entitled “Marginalisation, Negligence and Crisis of the Tribals: A Glimpse through the Silver Screen” is a modest attempt to analyze the two Indian films- Prakash Jha’s Chakravyuh(2012) and Vivek Agnihotri’s Buddha in a Traffic Jam (2016), which are basically social commentaries on the issues of distress and sufferings of the innocent people of tribal communities, their long negligence by the government that propels them to be inclined towards the Naxalites (extreme militant leftist group generally regarded as ‘terrorists’), and their mental dilemma whether to support the state or the revolutionaries.
This paper aims to examine the colossal crisis and anguish of the tribal people in the context of globalization and industrial development. These films provide a glimpse about the tribals who experience the worst form of oppression by being deprived of their own land and forests. Both the protagonists, Kabir in Chakravyuhand Vikram in Buddha in a Traffic Jam, discover a new dimension of power politics operating between capitalist ideology and socialist demands. My paper also interrogates the complex structure of the moral and ideological orientation of the tribal people, who are trapped between the intricate nexus of state machinery and reactionary impulse. This ultimately leads to socio-political unrest that provides no satisfactory result to the actual problems of the tribal people.
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Langlit - An International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal, Feb 2016
My paper entitled " Interrogating the Margins and Marginality in Chandalika: A Pertinent Quest fo... more My paper entitled " Interrogating the Margins and Marginality in Chandalika: A Pertinent Quest for Self-Realization " is a very modest attempt to examine the aspect of marginality and the attainment of Tagore's efforts to bridge the difference in a caste-segregated society. This study also interrogates the complex interlacing of aesthetic and socio-cultural milieu that have possibly influenced Tagore to promote the determination of a female subaltern individual who proclaims her desire to break the socially imposed obstacles in order to unite with her anticipated love. However, at the end of the play Tagore restricts himself to affirm such a union, which at once compels us to think about the social obligations of the contemporary Bengali society that have probably insisted him to leave remnants of the imperishable differences between the upper and lower castes.
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The creation of borderlines demarcating the geographical boundary of the state has always problem... more The creation of borderlines demarcating the geographical boundary of the state has always problematized the discourse of nation incorporating the issues and debates of race, class, religion and historical events. It is also significant how it presents the ongoing process of the construction of personal ‘identity’ and the cultural determination of one’s selfhood. In the Indian subcontinent, the case is more interesting and complex as nation building takes place in heterogeneous, even fragmented lingual and cultural societies all over our country. The idea of ‘nation’ in the Subcontinent is much complicated, where the question of ethnicity and other forms of religious and political identities play a key role.
My paper entitled “Exploring the Illusive Borderlines: Construction of Identity in the Indian Subcontinent” is a very modest attempt to get a glimpse into how the formation of borderlines by the partition of India delineates the construction of racial, religious and cultural ‘identity’ of an individual. This paper aims at studying few short stories like Intizar Husain’s “An Unwritten Epic”, Saadat Hasan Manto’s “Toba Tek Singh” and films like Srijit Mukherji’s “Rajkahini”, Deepa Mehta’s “Earth”, exploring the inherent complexities that arise while defining one’s identity, which is determined by one’s socio-cultural and religious position. The arbitrary lines that the British had drawn in order to divide the entire nation have resulted in the creation of two distinct and separate identities, which are hostile and inimical to each other. The Partition not only unleashed immense bloodsheds and communal riots, but also brought out the perplexity of the common masses to determine their ‘national’ identity that is predefined by their religion. Husain’s “An Unwritten Epic” portrays the character of Pichwa, who fought for the creation of Pakistan but unfortunately had to become a refugee there, leaving his homeland Qadirpur in India. This intense agony of Pichwa to locate his own native place is similar to Bishan Singh of Manto’s story “Toba Tek Singh”, who although being a Sikh refuses to go to India as his hometown Toba Tek Singh was situated in Pakistan, and eventually dying on the ‘no man’s land’. The brothel in Srijit Mukherji’s film “Rajkahini” is the epitome of a larger nation where the Radcliffe line has passed right through the courtyard. It depicts the complications that emerge while sundering the house into two, blending it with the Partition, demarcated by the illusive borderlines. The construction of identities of the subaltern people who fall on the trope of nation building is also a significant aspect. Deepa Mehta’s “Earth” reflects the transformation of a skeptical and liberal person into a religious fanatic roaming on the streets of Lahore with vengeance in his mind, witnessing the hatred originated by the creation of Pakistan. Considering the aforementioned texts, this study also interrogates the formation of distinct national and religious identities in the Subcontinent, at a time when it was taking root in the context of Partition and beyond.
Keywords: Borderlines, Nation, Identity, Partition
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Papers by Raj Raj Mukhopadhyay
two extremely popular characters, notably Baroda, the bhutanweshi or the
ghost-hunter and Byomkesh Bakshi, the satyanweshi or the truth-seeker.
However, the frameworks within which these two figures operate are entirely
different from each other. Whereas Byomkesh Bakshi, being the detective uses
his scientific and logical reasoning faculty to search the truth and solve the
case; Baroda encounters supernatural events in his life and proceeds to
narrate his occult experiences which are devoid of any apparent rationality.
Nevertheless, the author presents a unique glimpse when these two fictional
characters confront each other attempting to establish the supremacy of their
respective ideas and thinking processes.
My paper entitled “When Detective seeks the Ghost: Exploring the Paranormal
in Saradindu Bandyopadhyay’s Baroda and Byomkesh Stories” is a modest
attempt to explore the intricate structure of both detective fictions and ghost
stories of Saradindu Bandyopadhyay. In the story “Byomkesh O Baroda” the
detective Byomkesh Bakshi is able to outwit Baroda proving his explanation of
paranormal activities as vague and irrational. However, in another story
“Shailarahasya”, Byomkesh succumbs to Baroda’s notion of ghost as he
himself experiences the existence of ghost or unearthly spirit, which becomes a
crucial factor in solving the crime. This study aims to provide a critical
response to the antithetical treatment on part of the author where neither
scientific rationality nor supernatural theories achieve predominance. This
paper also focuses on the problematic representation of Baroda’s character
who manages everyone into believing his concept regarding the existence of
ghosts and evil spirits.
This paper aims to examine the colossal crisis and anguish of the tribal people in the context of globalization and industrial development. These films provide a glimpse about the tribals who experience the worst form of oppression by being deprived of their own land and forests. Both the protagonists, Kabir in Chakravyuhand Vikram in Buddha in a Traffic Jam, discover a new dimension of power politics operating between capitalist ideology and socialist demands. My paper also interrogates the complex structure of the moral and ideological orientation of the tribal people, who are trapped between the intricate nexus of state machinery and reactionary impulse. This ultimately leads to socio-political unrest that provides no satisfactory result to the actual problems of the tribal people.
My paper entitled “Exploring the Illusive Borderlines: Construction of Identity in the Indian Subcontinent” is a very modest attempt to get a glimpse into how the formation of borderlines by the partition of India delineates the construction of racial, religious and cultural ‘identity’ of an individual. This paper aims at studying few short stories like Intizar Husain’s “An Unwritten Epic”, Saadat Hasan Manto’s “Toba Tek Singh” and films like Srijit Mukherji’s “Rajkahini”, Deepa Mehta’s “Earth”, exploring the inherent complexities that arise while defining one’s identity, which is determined by one’s socio-cultural and religious position. The arbitrary lines that the British had drawn in order to divide the entire nation have resulted in the creation of two distinct and separate identities, which are hostile and inimical to each other. The Partition not only unleashed immense bloodsheds and communal riots, but also brought out the perplexity of the common masses to determine their ‘national’ identity that is predefined by their religion. Husain’s “An Unwritten Epic” portrays the character of Pichwa, who fought for the creation of Pakistan but unfortunately had to become a refugee there, leaving his homeland Qadirpur in India. This intense agony of Pichwa to locate his own native place is similar to Bishan Singh of Manto’s story “Toba Tek Singh”, who although being a Sikh refuses to go to India as his hometown Toba Tek Singh was situated in Pakistan, and eventually dying on the ‘no man’s land’. The brothel in Srijit Mukherji’s film “Rajkahini” is the epitome of a larger nation where the Radcliffe line has passed right through the courtyard. It depicts the complications that emerge while sundering the house into two, blending it with the Partition, demarcated by the illusive borderlines. The construction of identities of the subaltern people who fall on the trope of nation building is also a significant aspect. Deepa Mehta’s “Earth” reflects the transformation of a skeptical and liberal person into a religious fanatic roaming on the streets of Lahore with vengeance in his mind, witnessing the hatred originated by the creation of Pakistan. Considering the aforementioned texts, this study also interrogates the formation of distinct national and religious identities in the Subcontinent, at a time when it was taking root in the context of Partition and beyond.
Keywords: Borderlines, Nation, Identity, Partition
two extremely popular characters, notably Baroda, the bhutanweshi or the
ghost-hunter and Byomkesh Bakshi, the satyanweshi or the truth-seeker.
However, the frameworks within which these two figures operate are entirely
different from each other. Whereas Byomkesh Bakshi, being the detective uses
his scientific and logical reasoning faculty to search the truth and solve the
case; Baroda encounters supernatural events in his life and proceeds to
narrate his occult experiences which are devoid of any apparent rationality.
Nevertheless, the author presents a unique glimpse when these two fictional
characters confront each other attempting to establish the supremacy of their
respective ideas and thinking processes.
My paper entitled “When Detective seeks the Ghost: Exploring the Paranormal
in Saradindu Bandyopadhyay’s Baroda and Byomkesh Stories” is a modest
attempt to explore the intricate structure of both detective fictions and ghost
stories of Saradindu Bandyopadhyay. In the story “Byomkesh O Baroda” the
detective Byomkesh Bakshi is able to outwit Baroda proving his explanation of
paranormal activities as vague and irrational. However, in another story
“Shailarahasya”, Byomkesh succumbs to Baroda’s notion of ghost as he
himself experiences the existence of ghost or unearthly spirit, which becomes a
crucial factor in solving the crime. This study aims to provide a critical
response to the antithetical treatment on part of the author where neither
scientific rationality nor supernatural theories achieve predominance. This
paper also focuses on the problematic representation of Baroda’s character
who manages everyone into believing his concept regarding the existence of
ghosts and evil spirits.
This paper aims to examine the colossal crisis and anguish of the tribal people in the context of globalization and industrial development. These films provide a glimpse about the tribals who experience the worst form of oppression by being deprived of their own land and forests. Both the protagonists, Kabir in Chakravyuhand Vikram in Buddha in a Traffic Jam, discover a new dimension of power politics operating between capitalist ideology and socialist demands. My paper also interrogates the complex structure of the moral and ideological orientation of the tribal people, who are trapped between the intricate nexus of state machinery and reactionary impulse. This ultimately leads to socio-political unrest that provides no satisfactory result to the actual problems of the tribal people.
My paper entitled “Exploring the Illusive Borderlines: Construction of Identity in the Indian Subcontinent” is a very modest attempt to get a glimpse into how the formation of borderlines by the partition of India delineates the construction of racial, religious and cultural ‘identity’ of an individual. This paper aims at studying few short stories like Intizar Husain’s “An Unwritten Epic”, Saadat Hasan Manto’s “Toba Tek Singh” and films like Srijit Mukherji’s “Rajkahini”, Deepa Mehta’s “Earth”, exploring the inherent complexities that arise while defining one’s identity, which is determined by one’s socio-cultural and religious position. The arbitrary lines that the British had drawn in order to divide the entire nation have resulted in the creation of two distinct and separate identities, which are hostile and inimical to each other. The Partition not only unleashed immense bloodsheds and communal riots, but also brought out the perplexity of the common masses to determine their ‘national’ identity that is predefined by their religion. Husain’s “An Unwritten Epic” portrays the character of Pichwa, who fought for the creation of Pakistan but unfortunately had to become a refugee there, leaving his homeland Qadirpur in India. This intense agony of Pichwa to locate his own native place is similar to Bishan Singh of Manto’s story “Toba Tek Singh”, who although being a Sikh refuses to go to India as his hometown Toba Tek Singh was situated in Pakistan, and eventually dying on the ‘no man’s land’. The brothel in Srijit Mukherji’s film “Rajkahini” is the epitome of a larger nation where the Radcliffe line has passed right through the courtyard. It depicts the complications that emerge while sundering the house into two, blending it with the Partition, demarcated by the illusive borderlines. The construction of identities of the subaltern people who fall on the trope of nation building is also a significant aspect. Deepa Mehta’s “Earth” reflects the transformation of a skeptical and liberal person into a religious fanatic roaming on the streets of Lahore with vengeance in his mind, witnessing the hatred originated by the creation of Pakistan. Considering the aforementioned texts, this study also interrogates the formation of distinct national and religious identities in the Subcontinent, at a time when it was taking root in the context of Partition and beyond.
Keywords: Borderlines, Nation, Identity, Partition