Author interview: Tapan Das on his debut Bengali novel-News in twfindia

Yes.

The novel is in Bengali. Which Bengali authors have been your inspiration over the years?

Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay.

The novel is written in the backdrop of this novel is Assam in 1979  during the language riot. How a riot can kill thousands of Bengalis brutally; can set fire to homes; can burn people alive; forces people to leave the village. The novel describes them all. The “Shahi” family is destroyed. How a girl survives; how does she grow up, how is she married —  this novel contains a detailed description of the physical and mental sufferings after marriage. After the marriage, the story of the tragic consequences of the life of her husband is known through this novel.

Another major feature of the novel is the women’s helpless situation, the exploitation of women by men, the misery of women, and the place of women in society. I believe that the characters in the novel will compel many to find themselves in these characters. The novel is  combination of reality and imagination.

This novel shows the determination of a woman to fight against fate. Therefore, leaving the path of any unfortunate suicide, inspiration to fight fate will be found in this book, it can be said.

While the novel began with the language riot, the main aim of the novel was to present the harsh and real story of a woman’s life in front of the Bengali readers.

The purpose of this novel was not to show the murder by a particular community. But how with one community attacking another, so many things are destroyed — families perish, villages are destroyed, and lives of many take a sad turn.

Although a woman was born in a royal family, her family was burned only for the sake of inhuman interest. The woman has been crying since then.

Readers who are in suffering or who have been dealt a cruel card by fate yet are keen to conquer the problems in life.