TIME IS RUNNING OUT :Isolato Prof Mahato In Jharkhand, unlike its neighboring states, we have not had that moment when we looked at an individual and said that he is the quintessence of dignity and identity of our indigenous culture having austere asceticism and self-sufficiency of literary wisdom. In a segment, where true intellection is mysteriously missing and intellectual snobbery with ostentatious adore for Jharkhand by the intruders is overriding, we ought to salute one who seems to be solace for our eerie era, he is Prof. Bankim Mahato; a wholesome Jharkhandi. “ee hamar desh, ee hamar mati” –is the ‘Sound of Flute’ played by Bankimda that sings his unsung folk literature and folk philosophy. His intellectual achievements are epoch making for the indigenous peoples of Jharkhand. The academic who is down to the earth reminds us the ideal of a life lived according to nature as well as culture. Dr. (Prof) Bankim Mahato, retired Head of the Bengali Literature in Jamshedpur Co-operative College, is one of them who have no place at their own home. However, there is sensuous quality in his fond of portraying his people and the plateau that he excels at cultural description is direct but poetic. He has a highly developed intellect and great mental ability that uses both memory and intelligence in order to think, reason creatively and understands concept of indigenous people of Jharkhand. In the sublime works of his intellection, where he has restored the true Intellectualism, that is to say, a love of scholarly things. He dares to ponder whether ‘prince pilfers the paupers’ in the context of cultural hegemony by pointing “rajar hasta kangaler koto kori churi karechhe- ” in his Jharkhandi Bangla Shabdakosh (Dictionary of Indigenous Words). The only aim of his life is to emphasize the inimitably liberal stream of the folk culture of Jharkhand. According to him, “culture is the lubricant of life, if its source is impeded the development gets in the way and eventually annihilation is inevitable. It is time to think with concern about the foreseeable truth.” Bankim da resolves to make his life calm and tension free, and works towards it by going creative. Consistency and concentration to be his strong attributes at work. He manages to raise fund for his publication venture himself. Apart from literature and research works he is interested in unfolding learning society having Indigenous Peoples’ school for reunderstand and reappraisal of education and development. He designed core curriculum for the children to liberate the vision and understanding of ongoing faulty education and to develop learning spaces and opportunities that liberate full potential of original folks. Dr. Mahato says, academic competence and inherent knowledge are equally important for the research on tribal way of life. If someone has both the traits then he could be best for the task. As a son of the soil, he inherits the time-honored tradition of Jharkhand by birth. He is a teacher by occupation but poet by attitude and having sociologist’s dedicated soul for his soil. Overall his exceptional technique to explain the spirit of art forms. Thus, his work is a unique combination with full of feeling and taste. Some of his texts, the ‘Jharkhander Loko-sahitya’ (the Folk Literature of Jharkhand), ‘Jharkhander Lok-bhavna’ (the Folk Philosophy of Jharkhand), and ‘Jharkhandi Bangla Shabdakosh’ (the Dictionary of Jharkhandi Bengali) are masterpiece in the milieu of folklore and those speak for him. The real picture of Jharkhand is tiny hilly hamlets embracing its simple living tribes amidst the natural as well as cultural bounties. For Bankimda, it’s not just a picture perfect postcard but to be with it, he found a tiny house next to the legendary Bibhuti Bhusan Bandopadhyay’s cenotaph in Ghatsila, which has been his home for all the time after his retirement. It is his castle, his retreat, his hideaway, his Camelot. I went to see Prof Mahato, who is ailing for quite some time and admitted in the Brahmananda Hrudayalaya Hospital; it was disheartening. An enthusiast of English literature once, Mahto turned to be a wholesome Jharkhandi thereafter displaying brilliant ambidexterity; lost his wife in early life and only child met a tragic end after his master degree but Bankimda never lost the zest for life and the zeal for writing. His thriving talent can be judged by his publications and enormous poems and essays published in the famous journals like The Desh and The Parivartan. Such an excellent literary input was never before from this repudiate region. Sad, he, who deserves the best decoration of the state as well as the Sahitya Akademi comprise the Akademi of Folklore, is let alone coldly. We talk about the Aesthetics Movement, the Folklore Movement and William John Thoms. In addition, the United Nation Law asserts in international agreements that “Indigenous Peoples has the right to restitution and restoration of their culture, intellectual, religious and spiritual values. This includes the remains of their ancestors taken from them without their full consent and in breach of their customary laws and traditions.” But when time comes to welcome own folk culture and its scholars our Folklore initiatives bear out as snobbish or flirt with kitsch art. What hurts us most is the nonchalant – neither the administration nor the elites of the state acknowledge his contribution. No organized effort is made to let people feel passionate about his intellect. This is an ill-timed ethic. Albeit, Prof Mahato‘s place is secure in the pages of history of Jharkhand as the pioneer scholar, who has dignified cultural identity of the repudiate region; what about us? The time is running out not only for the professional excellence but also for the tribal populated Jharkhand. We ought to listen this time around. “Injustice against merit fuels corruption!” -KADE MAHTO kademahto@yahoo/facebook
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 14:23:59 +0000
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