Late Prahlad Chandra Biswas and Late Panchu Bala Biswas
Manohar Mouli Biswas is the pseudonymous appellation adopted by Manohar Biswas, a distinguished and arguably the preeminent bilingual poet, essayist, and luminary figure in Dalit Literature emanating from the Bengal region.[1][2][3][4][5]
Life and career
Manohar Mouli Biswas, born into the Namasudra caste in Dakshin Matiargati, Khulna, East Bengal, in 1943, navigated a challenging trajectory marked by profound poverty during his formative years.[6] Overcoming adversities, he surmounted obstacles to attain an education, ultimately establishing himself as a distinguished Dalit writer in India. Strikingly, none of his ancestors had the privilege of formal schooling. Witnessing the hardships and humiliation endured by the illiterate masses, he openly acknowledges his status as a first-generation learner within his family. The accumulation of these experiences and the associated pain served as the impetus for his foray into writing.
His transformative encounter with Dalit communities and the Dalit literary movement in Maharashtra during his residence in Nagpur in 1968–1969 significantly altered the trajectory of his literary pursuits.
Manohar Mouli Biswas occupies a venerable position as the current President of Bangla Dalit Sahitya Sanstha. He has steered the editorial direction of the ground-breaking bi-monthly literary magazine "Dalit Mirror" in English for over a decade. This periodical serves as a staunch advocate for the Dalits in Bengal.
His literary oeuvre encompasses four volumes of poetry, a collection of short stories, seven essay anthologies, and an autobiography titled "Amar Bhubaney Ami Benche Thaki" (2013). The latter has been translated by Angana Dutta and Jaydeep Sarangi as "Surviving in My World: Growing Up Dalit in Bengal" (2015).[7] This translated autobiography has garnered national and international acclaim, securing inclusion in the curricula of various universities. Jaydeep Sarangi has further contributed to the scholarly discourse on Biswas by editing a collection of essays titled "Bangla Dalit Writer Writes Back" (2019).
Poems in translation
His poems are translated widely from Bangla into English and into other languages. His translated poems are gradually attracted by the wide-readers, and have come into the scholastic discussions. A Rose of Revolt: Two Poems in Bengali by: Manohar Mouli Biswas[8] –
ফুলন দেবী
চব্বিশবারের বদলা নিয়ে ছিলে একুশটি ইচ্ছা তো ছিল চব্বিশটির এই সাহস তোমাকে কে দিয়েছিল? অপমান, না লজ্জা ঢাকার পণ? শুনেছি, হে ফুলন, তুমি শূদ্রা ছিলে দূর গাঁয়ের দরিদ্র দুর্বলার যারা বলাৎকারী জেনে নিক এই সত্য বেহড়বাগী ফুলন প্রতিটি রমনী।
Phoolan Devi
At the age of twenty four
She gun fired all
Against humiliation
Her determination registered
Oh! Phoolan, you have come from
The lowest caste
From a marginalised village.
Oppressors of women, be aware of it—
She resists at some points;
Every woman is a Phoolan in spirit
সংগ্রাম
আমার শরীরের জ্যান্ত মাংসের মধ্যে কিল বিল হাঁটে, কাটে, পোকা? ভিনসার অলিতে গলিতে ক্যান্সার, খরার গোটা শরীরটাকে টুকরো টুকরো- হায়রে, খান্ খান্ ঝরে কেন? লাল পতাকা রক্তের নেশা প্রতিরোধ কনিকার প্রয়াস তরতরে তাজা ব্যক্তিতে আমার গোটা শরীরটার প্রয়োজন ওই সংগ্রাম প্রতিটি ক্ষয়িত কোষের বাঁচার।
Warfare
In the flesh alive of my body
The worms eat up, bit by bit.
Why does the cancer spread in streets of the whole body?
Red flag has thirst for blood;
A rose of revolt.
All my decaying cells
Restore the spirit I have
To live as rails of protest.
An Interpretation of Dalit Literature, Aesthetic, Theory and Movements: Through the Lens of Ambedkarism (January 2017), published by Shubhra Biswas on behalf of Bangla Dalit Sahitya Sanstha, and Chaturtha Dunia, Kolkata, ISBN978-81-926702-7-0
