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(6)Interview>Nazib Wadood with Bangla Literature (part 2) Bangla Literature : Short story is a result of
agony of the age; –how do you explain this observation?
Nazib Wadood : That’s true. But it should be
truer if you say it ‘conscience of the age’, I think. Doesn’t
short story express joy and happiness too? Actually,
success of a story depends mainly on its ability of
containing trends and conscience of the concerned time
and people. Though a successful story is to cross its age,
it makes it possible by unexceptionally holding in it all
the marks of its own age.
Bangla Literature : In your stories of Kak O
Curfew (1998), pictures of a specific period of time have
been drawn– the period of 1982-90 of autocracy; some
kinds of influence of ‘politics’ are observed in these
stories. But in Noshto Kal Othoba Ridoyer Oshukh (2008),
we see different colors of life…
Nazib Wadood : You are right. That was a
period of turmoil in the history of Bangladesh. Autocratic
rule, movement against it and criminalization of politics
were the cardinal features of that period which have been
manifested in most of the stories of Kak O Curfew, e.g.
‘Kak’, ‘Curfew’, ‘Bhognojatra’, etc. But these stories are
not time-bound at all. You will see these are equally
relevant with the features of ’60s and ’70s too. The other
stories of this book are of different subjects and tastes,
e.g. ‘Meghbhanga Rod’ is a story based on spirit of the
Liberation War. It is also a picture of struggle of our
farmers against the challenges of time and nature. ‘Britto’
points out endeavors of overcoming the challenges of
middleclass life. In ‘Pichhutan’, the power of relations of
blood has been examined against adverse socio-
economic situations. ‘Ondhogoli’ gives a picture of
hardship of life of common people in that period. Yes,
then I was very much concerned with politics. But these
stories are not ‘political’ or ‘proletariat’ at all.
On the other hand, I have tried to change and improve
my stories in my second book Noshto Kal Othoba
Ridoyer Oshukh. Its subject matters are multi-colored.
There are some experiments of language and form. Many
critics have termed ‘Abad’, ‘Jionkathi’, ‘Khonon’ and ‘Aro
Duti Khun’ of this book as first grade stories.
Bangla Literature : ‘Abad’ is based on Nakshal
Movement…
Nazib Wadood : No, that’s not true, though
there are contexts related to Nakshal Movement in it.
Jaglu, the protagonist of the story, was a village youth,
completely unconscious of politics. His friend Seraj
somehow got involved with Nakshals and he used him,
out of his knowledge, in his expedition. Seraj was killed
by Rakkhi Bahini and Jaglu was jailed. This unwanted
incident completely changed Jaglu and made him a new
man. Returning home from jail, he started cultivating his
infertile lands and proposed to marry Rupa, a woman
who had been divorced for her alleged sterility. Thus he
emerged as an active and pragmatic man with a new
practical wisdom (not political utopia). A pro-fertile love
of two young boy and girl in a state-oppressed society
and struggle for production in barren lands of the
Barendra region, these two aspects have intermingled in
the story.
Bangla Literature : Smart language, appropriate
dialogues with local dialect and poetic narration have
made the story achieve artistic excellence and attractive as
well. The story touches readers’ minds so sensibly that
after completion of reading, they can’t but continue to
meditate with it… many critics have opined verbally and
in black and white that ‘Abad’ is one of the best stories of
Bangla Literature. What do you think?
Nazib Wadood : [laugh] I should remain tight-
lipped, isn’t it? And I would like to jump to ask you to
comment on ‘Jionkathi’.
Bangla Literature : [laugh] I am the interviewer,
not you! Whatsoever, if you insist me, I shall say that it is
a poem.
Nazib Wadood : Poem? Do you mean it?
Bangla Literature : Yes, I mean it, but with an
explanation…
Nazib Wadood : I am listening…
Bangla Literature : It is a short story, really short
in volume, written with poetic concreteness. It is full of
imaginations, imageries, symbols and visions. Actually, it
is a narrative of anti-terrorist sentiment. It could be
transformed into a pamphlet of propaganda with
proletariat slogans, but you controlled yourself and drove
it very efficiently to achieve artistic excellence. Am I
right? What do you think?
Nazib Wadood : Right. The five children of the
two brothers have heard that one of their fathers has
been killed. They know neither the reason behind it, nor
the consequence of it. But they ultimately come to know
that he is a martyr and he shall be given shelter in the
heaven where everything is instantly available. So the
children wish to become martyr. When they go to sleep,
their mothers begin to weep and their grandfather comes
out to take care of them. He falls asleep with them but
suddenly wakes up and starts to push them to be awake.
Bangla Literature : Everything has been said
symbolically. Another very short story of this book is
‘Mrityunjoy Mara Gechhe’ (Mrityunjoy Has Died). It was
first published in Porilekh. Then it was shorter. It has
become a little longer in the book. Why? Don’t you think
that poetic concreteness and charm of the first version
has been lost to some extent in the second version?
Nazib Wadood : In a written discussion, poet-
critic Khurshid Alam Babu first raised the question. You
joined him. However, there are some other readers who
opine differently. In the second version, I have only
detailed characteristics, daily routines and mental trends
of the three friends to justify their positions in the society
and consequences of their fates.
Bangla Literature : But if you tell a story in ten
lines it creates strong reactions in reader’s mind and
brain, that may fail to make when you try to tell it in ten
pages. The main focus may lose its significance, isn’t it?
Nazib Wadood : It can be thought this way, no
doubt, but I should say that difference of volume of the
two versions is not more than one page; and I believe the
main focus of the story hasn’t been displaced or distorted
for that.
Bangla Literature : An opposite thing has
happened in case of ‘Britta’, I guess. This story can be
more detailed. The Mili character should be more vivid
and stronger...
Nazib Wadood : Poet-critic Dr. Fazlul Haq
Tuhin and short story writer Ashrafuddin Ahmad earlier
in their write-ups presented the same observations. I
didn’t answer then. Now I shall say to explain that in
‘Britta’, the main protagonist Rokan is a young medical
student who is about to improve his socio-economic
position from low-income category to middle class. His
own psycho-analysis during the process of this
transformation, and in parallel to it, the real socio-
economic situation that creates contradictions in and
outside, are in the main focus of the story. Mili and some
other characters are auxiliary. I think excessive details
could destroy concreteness of psycho-analysis and
narration of the story. Rokan, out of his conscious and
intellectual emotion, tries to overcome the challenges of
middle class life but we see that in spite of all his efforts,
he fatefully gets bound in the vicious circle. On the other
hand, Mili is being brought up as an apple of a wealthy
family who knows nothing about the harshness of life.
Extra focus on Mili seemed to be imposed. However,
[laugh] difference of observations of the readers and
critics perhaps proves multifaceted significance of an art.
Bangla Literature : We can define short story as
a point of pause of life because it doesn’t allow entrance
of numerous characters and vast perspectives. But we see
in your ‘Megh Vanga Rod’ various kinds of joy and
sorrows, pictures of decaying society, multilateral aspects
of family- relations, daily life of struggling farmers... and
many other ingredients to play important role in making
the story. Do you think it has mutilated speciality of short
story?
Nazib Wadood : There might be some
ingredients of novel in this story, but nothing has been
taken unnecessarily, I think. This story has two aspects–
life of a farmer family in one hand, and challenges of
critical relations between a father and a son. The crisis has
actually been created during the Liberation War in 1971
when Tamizuddin fled away to save his life leaving his
wife back in home to be burnt to death. Returning home
after liberation, his son, freedom-fighter Ramiz couldn’t
accept this reality. Psycho-analysis is the main thing in
this story but that has been manifested through the daily
activities of the farmer family.
Bangla Literature : Do you think that this story
written about twenty years back would be changed if you
write it now?
Nazib Wadood : Actually, this story can’t be
written now. If I try, it would be a new story, because
neither I nor the time and people remain the same now.
Bangla Literature : Why have you termed the
stories of Comrade O Kiritch a novella?
Nazib Wadood : There are contradictory
opinions about definitions and characteristics of novella.
I am also confused. There are five long stories in it.
‘Comrade O Kiritch’ was published as a novel, ‘Dokhol’
and ‘Valo O Monda’ (The Good and the Bad) as short
story, and ‘Nona Prem’ (Salted Love) and ‘Kanna-Hasir
Brttanta’ as long story. These stories taste short novels.
Finally, you can consider these as short stories.
Bangla Literature : Very live pictures of our
villages have been drawn in these stories except ‘Valo O
Monda’ that compares high and low society people in
city life. As additional gains we see in these stories
shadows of contemporary criminalized and corrupt
politics have covered over the society.
Nazib Wadood : I have written these stories as
exercises before going to write novel.
Bangla Literature : Padmabati Kingba Sundori
Meyetir Nak Boncha (Padmabati Or The Beautiful Girl’s
Nose Is Snub) is a turning point, where you have written
some other kinds of stories, it seems to me. You didn’t
write stories like ‘Shahid Idu Kanar Bow’, ‘Aposh’,
‘Ontorgata’ and ‘Ekjon Protibondhi O Ekti Mohasoroker
Golpo’ earlier.
Nazib Wadood : I have tried. I think
‘Padmabati’ is the best story in this book.
Bangla Literature : It’s also one of the best
stories of the contemporary Bangla Literature, I see.
Environmental crisis ensued due to dying of the Padma
river and crises of life and livelihood of the people on the
northern bank of the river have been trustfully drawn as
well as complex human relations created by those crises
have also been explained competently in this story. But I
am fond of ‘Sundori Meyetir Nak Boncha’. Is it a love
story?
Nazib Wadood : It’s actually a satire. Its theme
is ‘Grapes are Sour’.
Bangla Literature : Language of this story is
very playful. Drawing of environment and characters is
also very attractive. But at the ending the writer straightly
entered the story– ‘Oh God! I came to my senses. How
experienced his eyesight is! Keen-sighted it is called! I
thought, yes, it’s true! If the nose looks like a Jamrul,
then it should obviously be flat, ugly and blunt!’ Ahmad
Mostofa Kamal once said in reply to a reaction made by
me on one of his story that he supported entrance of the
writer into the story if it was artistically done. What is
your opinion?
Nazib Wadood : Firstly, I would like to remind
you that ‘Sundori Meyetir Nak Boncha’ is written in first
person, i.e. the writer himself is the protagonist. So
writer’s direct presence is very much usual in this case.
Secondly, presence or absence of the writer in the story is
a question of form. If form demands, or at least allows,
the writer must be present in the story. If the writer can
justify his position it would obviously increase quality
and attraction of the writing.
Bangla Literature : We notice this style in your
some other stories too; e.g. in ‘Curfew’: ‘Sakhina, as if this
city, or this country, or the world itself, is standing there
on the street– she wears a shattered sari, there is no
blouse to cover her bosoms marked with bloody
scratches of fingernails and teeth, young shoot-like
tender lips are injured with molesting poison…’; in ‘The
Crow’: ‘And the crows are cawing and sitting sometimes
on the roof, and sometimes on the branches of the fig-
tree; again impatiently fly away to circle over the crowd of
the people like fighter planes’; in ‘Abad’: ‘And under
someone’s unseen design, preparation for cultivation of
something starts’.
Nazib Wadood : These should be read with
their contextual continuity. Conclusion of a story is very
important to understand it. I don’t straightly follow the
long-practised theory– ‘It shouldn’t end even after being
ended’, but I try to do something so that the reader is
instigated to continue to read and think with it within
him. ============================================================================== Readers' Comments : ==============================================================================
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