Syed Waliullahs Writings Mirror of Socie

Syed Waliullah’s writings, mirror of society
Syed Waliullah is one of the best known novelists in Bengali literature. He is a

modern Bangladeshi writer who writes inboth Bengali and English languages with
equal efficiency. He was born on 15 August, in 1922 in Chittagong and died on 10
October, 1971 in France. He is mostly known for his first novel Lalshalu,
translated by the author himself as Tree Without Roots (though its literal
translation Red Cloth). Besides a novelist, he is a story writer and playwright
Published : Tuesday, 31 October, 2017 at 12:00 AM Count : 19
Mohammad Jashim Uddin
Syed Waliullah is one of the best known novelists in Bengali literature. He is a modern
Bangladeshi writer who writes inboth Bengali and English languages with equal
efficiency. He was born on 15 August, in 1922 in Chittagong and died on 10 October,
1971 in France. He is mostly known for his first novel Lalshalu, translated by the author
himself as Tree Without Roots (though its literal translation Red Cloth). Besides a
novelist, he is a story writer and playwright.
His most known novels are: Lalsalu (Tree Without Roots (1948)), The Ugly Asian (1959),
Chander Amaboshay (Dark Moon) (1964), and Kando Nadi Kando (Cry, O River) (1968).
The popular plays are: Bahipir (1960), Tarangabhanga (1964), and Sudanga (1964). The
two well-known short story books are: Nayanchara (1951), and Dui Tir O Anyanya Galpa
(Akte Tulse Gaser Khine).
In 1940s, Bengali writers were divided into two major groups: one was totally Marxist
and the other was Islamist. In Sikandar Abu Zafor, Shanaul Haq, Syed Waliullah, Marxism
was significant; in Golam Mostafa, Shahadat Hossain, Talim Hossain, Farrukh Ahmed,
Islamism was significant. Among them, Syed Waliuullah was different because he was
also an existentialist.
Class discrimination is a common factor from the ancient period to present. In ancient,
there were two types of class: one is Royal class and the other was peasant class. Royal
class was dominated by Church and they presented them as a part of God. But after the
industrial revolution, upper, middle and lower class were introduced. Middle class
people have no rights to speak at all anywhere else and lower class people do not care
anything else.
Bengal was not also far away from this class division. In the Sen Period, Hindus were
mostly divided into four major casts. Except Bramhan, no one had any freedom of
choice anywhere. When the Muslims period was started the situation became changing
a bit gradually.
But new dimension aroused in that time. First, some peers were introduced as the
representatives of Allah. As a result, some illiterate and hypocrite people supported
them blindly, and they earned gigantic power. This was their business. So, they made a
wall between their followers and non-followers.
Second, some rich and Mughals called them Asrafh, the best human being in the
religion, and they treated the other as Atrafh, the worthless and trivial people who were
sent to carry the order of Asrafh. This discrimination is nothing but a clear suppression
on marginalized people by the central people.
Besides, Syed Waliullah highlighted another kind of discrimination in his writings. When
the East India Company conquered the subcontinent, they treated us as slave because
we are brown. So, in India, the British introduced a racial division based on religion and
skin colour. Later, they took a policy, divide and rule, to control the Indians (now
Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis). Because of the policy, the relations between
Hindus and Muslims were broken and started the communal conflict.
Syed Waliullah represented all these aspects in his writings. At the same time, he took
some initiatives to focus the internal problems of Muslims. Lalshalu (Red Cloth),
translated name Tree Without Roots is two excellent examples of his excellence in this
regard. The novel has also been translated in French by Ann-Marie Thibaud. The novel
has also been translated in Urdu, Garman and Czech.
In the novel, both Majeed, the protagonist and a representative of central and rising
capitalistic society, as an individual and the people of Mahabbatpur collectively make
their choice to survive or strengthen their existence in this world. Instead of having an
existentialist approach, the novel portrays a newer conscious conscience of Majeed to
establish him as a modern hero in the Tree Without Roots.
Majeed represents the capitalistic society, for whom innumerous people are made
illiterate and encouraged to believe in superstitious. Besides Lalshalu, Syed Waliullah's
Nayanchara, a collection of short stories, is a mirror of society.
According to Saylen Gosh, "When people of the undivided Bengal were crying for food,
the ancient hidden cruel instinct came out nakedly to human being. This shy is
portrayed as a photograph in his story. No one could feel the truth like him. But two
stories in Nayanchara focused on the skeleton of 1943's famine in Bengal."
The other critic claims- Syed Waliullah need not have been any other stories to be
remembered forever as he has written 'Nayanchara'. In it, we see in the dark night when
the starving people are walking from one door to another door for some food in a city
which is made of bricks, some cruel and greedy ones are waiting to banish them. In the
story, light of cigarette symbolizes the ferocity of the British colony.
Then we see a young girl is waiting for a customer as all the family members are starving
in famine. So, she decides to sale her body for money. It is a great question whether her
intention should be considered as prostitution.
In conclusion, we hope Syed Waliullah will be studied more and more to explore his
desire to decorate Bangladesh. Though he lived abroad almost his career life, he never
forgot his country. As a result, we see he contributed in our Liberation war in 1971 and
every writing of him is reflected the society.
The writer is a senior lecturer at English Department of Northern University Bangladesh
www.observerbd.com/details.php?id=103292

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Syed Waliullah’s writings, mirror of society

Syed Waliullah is one of the best known novelists in Bengali literature. He is a

The writer is a senior lecturer at English Department of Northern University Bangladesh

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