ALAM'S OWN HOUSE - SEPARATION FROM THE ROOTS

 ABOUT PALIT

Dibyendu Palit was a renowned writer of Bengali literature, who wrote poems, novels, and short stories. He was also a recipient of several prestigious awards, such as Ananda Purashkar, Bankim Puraskar, and Sahitya Akademi Award. He was born on March 5, 1939, at Bhagalpur in Bihar, British India, in a large and conservative Brahmin family. He lost his father at a very young age and took responsibility of his family. His struggling days were a source of inspiration for most of his writing.

He completed his master's degree in comparative literature from Jadavpur University in Kolkata. He started his literary career by publishing his first story Chandapatan in 1955 in the Sunday edition of Anandabazar Patrika, a leading Bengali newspaper. He also worked as an editor for various magazines and journals. He wrote more than 40 novels and 200 short stories, as well as poems and essays on various topics. His works reflect his sensitivity to the social and political issues of his time, such as the Indian independence movement, the partition of India and Pakistan, the Naxalite movement, and the communal riots.

Some of his famous novels are Antordhan, Aboidho, Anusaran, Swapner Bhitor Dheu, Sahojhoddha, Sabuj Gandho, Aeka, and Bristir Pore Binidro. Some of his famous short stories are Mukhguli, Mukabhinoy, Sukresoni, Chilekotha, Alomer Nijer Bari, Munnir Songe Kichukkhon, Ruth O Onnanyo Galpo, and Onek Dure. Some of his famous poems are Shindu Barowa and Sheet Grismer Smriti. His novel Agnisakshi (Fire, My Witness) won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977. His novel Antordhan (Disappearance) was adapted into a film by Tapan Sinha in 1991. His story Mukhabhinoy (Mime) was adapted into a film by Shyamanand Jalan in 2005.

He was also involved in social and cultural activities. He was a member of the Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi and the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad. He also participated in various literary festivals and seminars across the world. He was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence) by the Government of Pakistan in 2012 posthumously.

He died on January 3, 2019, at the age of 79 in Kolkata. He left behind a rich and diverse legacy of literature that continues to inspire and challenge readers and writers across the world. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of Bengali literature and one of the most courageous and controversial voices of his time.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE OF THE STORY

The title of the short story 'Alam's Own House' by Dibyendu Palit is a metaphor that captures the main theme and message of the story. The story is set in the aftermath of the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, which involved mass killings, rapes, lootings, and displacements of millions of people on both sides of the border. The story focuses on the plight of a young man named Alam, who has left his ancestral house in Calcutta and moved to Dhaka with his father after a personal exchange of property during partition. He returns to Calcutta after three years to attend a conference on friendship between divided nations, and also to visit his old house and his childhood love Raka. He finds that his house has changed and Raka has disappeared. He realizes that he has lost his home and his love, and also his sense of identity and belonging.

The title of the story refers to Alam's quest for his own house, both literally and figuratively. Literally, Alam wants to see his old house where he was born and brought up, where he had many happy memories with his family and friends, especially Raka. He wants to relive those moments and reconnect with his roots. He wants to reclaim his house as his own, even though it has been given away to another family. He wants to feel at home in his homeland, even though it has been divided by a new border.

Figuratively, Alam wants to find his own house in terms of his identity and place in the world. He wants to know who he is and where he belongs, after being uprooted from his original culture and community. He wants to find a balance between his past and present, between his Hindu and Muslim heritage, between his Indian and Pakistani citizenship. He wants to find a house that can accommodate his complex and hybrid self, without compromising or rejecting any part of it.

The title of the story also implies that Alam's quest for his own house is futile and tragic. He cannot find his own house because it does not exist anymore. His old house has changed physically and emotionally, as it has been occupied by another family who have their own memories and attachments to it. His old house has also become a symbol of the violence and trauma that partition inflicted on millions of people like him, who had to leave their homes and loved ones behind. His old house has also become a reminder of the loss and betrayal that he faced from Raka, who did not meet him during his visit and who wrote him a letter saying that she had faced "resistance" from her family and society for loving him.

In conclusion, the title of the story 'Alam's Own House' by Dibyendu Palit is a metaphor that signifies the theme of exile and belongingness that runs throughout the story. It reflects Alam's quest for his own house, both literally and figuratively, as well as his failure and frustration in finding it. It also conveys the main message of the story, which is to question the validity and meaning of partition, which separated people and nations along religious lines, and to empathize with the pain and struggle of those who were displaced and dispossessed by it.

SUMMARY

'Alam's Own House' by Dibyendu Palit is a short story that deals with the theme of exile and belonging, love and loss, identity and alienation, that the protagonist Alam experienced during and after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. Alam belongs to a Muslim family that lived in Calcutta before partition, but had to migrate to Dhaka after exchanging their property with a Hindu family during partition. He returns to Calcutta after three years to attend a conference on friendship between divided nations, and also to visit his old house and his childhood love Raka.
The story begins with Alam's arrival in Calcutta by train, where he is greeted by his old friend Prabir. He tells Prabir about his plan to visit his old house and Raka, who still lives there with her family. Prabir warns him that things have changed a lot since partition, and that he should be careful about his identity and safety. Alam assures him that he has nothing to fear, as he has come with a valid passport and visa, and that he has no intention of staying permanently.

The next day, Alam goes to his old house, where he meets Anantashekhar, the father of Raka and the owner of the house. Anantashekhar welcomes him warmly and invites him to stay with them for a few days. Alam accepts his offer and enters his old house, where he feels a surge of nostalgia and memory. He sees his old room, where he used to study and write, and where he had many happy moments with Raka. He also sees the portraits of Gandhi and the Battle of Plassey in the living room, which remind him of his past and his homeland.

Alam asks Anantashekhar about Raka, who tells him that she has gone to Delhi for some work, and that she will be back soon. Alam feels disappointed and anxious, as he wants to see her badly. He waits for her return, but she does not come back. He receives a letter from her, in which she reveals that she had faced "resistance" from her family and society for loving him, and that she had decided to flee to Delhi during his visit. She also tells him that she had married someone else, who was more suitable for her according to her family's wishes. She apologizes for hurting him and asks him to forget her.

Alam feels shocked and heartbroken by Raka's letter. He realizes that he has lost his home and his love, and also his sense of identity and belonging. He feels like an exile and an alien in both India and Pakistan, neither Hindu nor Muslim. He decides to leave Calcutta as soon as possible, without attending the conference or meeting anyone else. He packs his bags and leaves the house quietly, without saying goodbye to anyone.

The story ends with Alam's departure from Calcutta by train, where he is accompanied by Prabir. Prabir tries to console him and persuade him to stay longer, but Alam refuses. He tells Prabir that he has nothing left in Calcutta or Dhaka, and that he does not know where he belongs or who he is. He says that he is looking for his own house, which does not exist anymore.

CHARACTER OF RAKA

Raka is a female character in the short story 'Alam's Own House' by Dibyendu Palit, who plays a crucial role in the development of the plot and the theme. She is Alam's childhood love, who lives in his old house in Calcutta after his family migrated to Dhaka following the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. She is also the daughter of Anantashekhar, the Hindu family who exchanged their property with Alam's Muslim family during partition. She is a complex and ambiguous character, who represents the conflict and dilemma of love and loyalty, identity and belonging, tradition and modernity, that many people faced during and after partition.

Raka is portrayed as a beautiful and intelligent woman, who has a strong bond with Alam since their childhood. They used to play together, study together, and share their dreams and secrets. They also developed a romantic attraction for each other, despite their religious differences. Raka was supportive of Alam's aspirations to become a writer and encouraged him to pursue his passion. She also wrote letters to him regularly after he moved to Dhaka with his father, expressing her love and longing for him.

However, Raka is also shown as a conflicted and confused woman, who has to face the pressure and expectations of her family and society. She has to conform to the norms and values of her Hindu culture and community, which are often at odds with her personal feelings and desires. She has to deal with the stigma and prejudice that are attached to her relationship with Alam, who belongs to a different religion and nation. She has to choose between her love for Alam and her loyalty to her family and country.

Raka's character undergoes a significant change in the course of the story, as she becomes more distant and detached from Alam. When Alam returns to Calcutta after three years to attend a conference on friendship between divided nations, he hopes to meet Raka and rekindle their romance. He visits his old house, where Raka still lives with her family, but he finds that she has gone to Delhi for some work. He waits for her return, but she does not come back. He receives a letter from her, in which she reveals that she had faced "resistance" from her family and society for loving him, and that she had decided to flee to Delhi during his visit. She also tells him that she had married someone else, who was more suitable for her according to her family's wishes. She apologizes for hurting him and asks him to forget her.

Raka's character reflects the pain and struggle of many people who had to sacrifice their love and happiness for the sake of their religion and nation during partition. She also represents the loss and betrayal that Alam faced from his home and his love, as well as his sense of exile and alienation. She also illustrates the irony and tragedy of partition, which divided people and nations along religious lines, but also created new bonds and bridges across them.

CHARACTER OF ALAM

Alam is the protagonist and narrator of the short story 'Alam's Own House' by Dibyendu Palit, who tells his own story of exile and belonging, love and loss, identity and alienation, that he experienced during and after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. He is a young man who belongs to a Muslim family that lived in Calcutta before partition, but had to migrate to Dhaka after exchanging their property with a Hindu family during partition. He returns to Calcutta after three years to attend a conference on friendship between divided nations, and also to visit his old house and his childhood love Raka. He is a complex and dynamic character, who represents the plight and perspective of many people who were displaced and dispossessed by partition.

Alam is portrayed as a sensitive and intelligent man, who has a passion for writing and literature. He wants to become a writer and express his thoughts and feelings through his words. He also has a strong sense of nostalgia and memory, as he cherishes his past and his homeland. He loves his old house, where he was born and brought up, where he had many happy memories with his family and friends, especially Raka. He loves Raka, who was his childhood sweetheart, who supported his aspirations and shared his dreams. He writes letters to her regularly after he moved to Dhaka with his father, expressing his love and longing for her.

However, Alam is also shown as a conflicted and confused man, who has to face the challenges and changes of his present and future. He has to adapt to a new culture and community in Dhaka, where he feels like an outsider and a stranger. He has to deal with the political and social turmoil that engulfed the subcontinent after partition, which resulted in violence and bloodshed between Hindus and Muslims. He has to cope with the loss and betrayal that he faced from his home and his love, as well as his sense of exile and alienation. He has to question his identity and belonging, as he belongs to neither India nor Pakistan, neither Hindu nor Muslim.

Alam's character undergoes a significant change in the course of the story, as he becomes more disillusioned and disappointed with his quest for his own house, both literally and figuratively. He realizes that his old house has changed physically and emotionally, as it has been occupied by another family who have their own memories and attachments to it. He realizes that his old house has also become a symbol of the violence and trauma that partition inflicted on millions of people like him, who had to leave their homes and loved ones behind. He realizes that his old house has also become a reminder of the loss and betrayal that he faced from Raka, who did not meet him during his visit and who wrote him a letter saying that she had faced "resistance" from her family and society for loving him, and that she had married someone else.

In conclusion, the character of Alam in 'Alam's Own House' by Dibyendu Palit is a realistic and relatable character, who tells his own story of partition from a personal point of view. He reflects the pain and struggle of many people who had to sacrifice their home and happiness for the sake of their religion and nation during partition. He also illustrates the irony and tragedy of partition, which separated people and nations along religious lines, but also created new bonds and bridges across them.