Arup Saikia
(The writer can be reached at arupsaikia07@gmail.com.)
Romanticism in Assamese literature is a completely new concept or creation, even for Indians. It is imported from the West, especially the United Kingdom. There were many readers of Kalidas’ Abhignan Sakuntalom or Meghdoot in Assam. Likewise, the lovelorn songs of Sankerdev’s Keligopal or Parijat Horon are not characterised as such a part of romantic literature. These works of literature are mixed with spirituality with the purpose of establishing the supremacy of God.
The emergence of romantic literature in England started in the early nineteenth century through poets like Shelly, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and others. But this is basically a revival of romanticism because the romantic period of English literature already started with the creations of the dramatist Shakespeare. The period of the first quarter of the nineteenth century was really the dawn of Assamese literature; it had never happened before.
START OF MODERN LITERATURE: The Assamese language resurfaced after a long, 36-year dormant period. It was for the efforts of Orunodoi (Sunrise) and Jonaki (Moonlight). Both magazines are two hands of the Assamese literary empire. The first one established the throne, and the second one fortified the kingdom.
Orunodoi (the first Assamese magazine), published in 1846 by Baptist Christian Missionaries, lasted up to 1883. Although the main motive of this magazine was to establish Christianity, modern literary figures are the gifts of this magazine. They are notably Gunabhi Baruah, Hemchandra Baruah, Anandaram Dhekial Phukan, and others. But modern fantasy in Assamese literature started with Jonaki (Moon Light) magazine only.
JONAKI PERIOD: Chandra Kumar Aggarwal (1867–1938), Lakshminatha Bezbaruah (1864–1938), and Hemchandra Goswami (1872–1928) are said to be the Trinity (Trimurthy) of the Assamese Renaissance. The tempest of the new Assamese literary renaissance came to Assam via Bengal in 1826. Being situated geographically and politically remote, Assam got in touch with outsiders after the fall of the Ahom dynasty through the Yandaboo pact.
The publication of Jonaki in 1889 marked the birth of the golden literary period in Assam. “Asomiya Bhasha Unnati Xadhini Sabha”, a literary organisation of Calcutta-based Assamese, sponsored the Jonaki. A noted and promising romantic poet, Chandra Kumar Aggarwal, was its secretary. Chandra Kumar Aggarwal was the master of the theme on which emotional responses and feelings of romanticism are based. The literary Assamese romanticism is a flowing river. The charioteer of Assamese literature, Lakshminath Bezbaruah, was himself a boat crisscrossing all paths. Chandra Kumar Aggarwal and Hem Chanda Goswami obviously handled the oars. Chandra Kumar’s poems of unbounded emotions like Bankuwari (jungle nymph), Niyar (Dewdrop), Sundar (Beautiful), and Prakriti (Nature) echo the poetry of Keats. Somewhere, he enlivened nature. Lakshminath Bezbaruah was an Assamese literary genius. From poetry (Kadam Kali) in 1913, short stories (Jonbiri, Surabhi) in 1909–1913, and historical dramas (Joymati Kunwari,Chakradhwaj Singha), he sprinkled golden water everywhere. Hemchandra Goswami is credited as the first composer of the Assamese sonnet Priyatomor Chithi (the letter of the beloved), besides being a prolific poet, critic, and essayist.
The Assamese literary movement or Assamese intellectual sensibilities were Bengali or Kolkata-based. The regressive and antagonistic attitude of Bengali people towards Assamese literature and language at that time is well known. That had catalysed literary nationalism among the Assamese diaspora.
Not only Assamese, but all modern regional literature in India is a prototype of European literature. Later, region-wise, it developed depending on the milieu.
Romantic Trend: Sankari or post-Sankari literature is more about divinity. A religious-ethical mood was the prevalent method of writing. Setting aside typical Assamese ideals, I tried to emancipate the fantasy of thoughts. The Assamese literature, in general, had a tendency towards homogeneity and the commingling of the same tendencies. With the advent of western literature, there was conflict between the free and restrained literary systems. The achievements of Assamese literature materialised when feelings, thoughts, and moods became susceptible to poetic impulses. Natural and expressive freedom of lyrics is an important trait of romantic literature.
Only revolutionary writing can free literature from its old shackles. This is the kind of literary freedom struggle that struggles symbolically to establish romanticism. Except for a few prominent writers, many in Assam hadn’t cooperated with the inevitable change to a new literary stream. Assamese elites were unable to penetrate among commoners for various reasons. Calcutta being the hub of Assamese romanticism may be one of the reasons for not touching the remote hinterland of Assam. It’s false that we don’t have any traditional bases or ingredients for romantic literature. Traditional popular songs, such as Bongeets (jungle songs), etc., are some of the oldest Assamese songs prevalent among rural youngsters—farmers, woodcutters, and others. It is said the origin of BIHU songs or tunes was also changed to Bongeet. Deplorably, our romantic literature couldn’t sustain or inherit the legacy of the most emotive longing lyrics for poetic expression. But anyway, the Assamese romanticism held sway over the urbanised localities of Assam, unlike Bengal or rustic-throb Bongeet.
Poetry: Only poetry has opened the modern golden gate of Assamese literature. Human intellectual history is characteristically the same all the time. Like the birth of poetic aboriginal literature, poetry again successfully led the literary contingent to attain romanticism. The poetic stir was multifaceted. English poems were very innovative, full of love, affection, emotions, and sentiments. Affinity towards natural feelings and spontaneous outbursts without rigid authoritarian rule cater to the growth of poetry. Contemporary socio-political events had a vital influence on the writings of Shelley, Byron, and others. There were a few writers in that period who were directly or indirectly inspired or moved by the French Revolution. On the other hand, political consciousness and national upheavals had very little impact on our poets. The rhythmic words of Chandra Kumar Aggarwal, of course, had an open heart in “Bin Boragi.”
POST-JONAKI PERIOD: Agni kobi (fiery poet) Kamala Kanta Bhattacharya had visibly, to some extent, revolutionised sarcastic writing on present socio-political issues. Even some folk poetic lyrics or stories running verbally in Assamese traditional society had been reborn beautifully in new attire.
The artistic vision and imaginative power to transform general, insignificant objects into thoughts of modulation became rich insignia of poetry. Enthusiasts of this theory therefore wrote “Chapakhanar Bibaran and “Manimuni Sak” by Dayaram Chetiya and Bhairav Khataniar, respectively. Imaginative union or separation, the term “dream woman,” longings and aspirations, and pursuing infinity were slowly creeping into Assamese poetry. Apart from love and nature, the school of mysticism also grew in poetry. The true mysticism represented by Nalini Bala Devi (1898–1977). Serenity in infinity, describing a place of sojourn for the soul, and intuitive flying bespeak her mysticism. Another great spiritual mystic poet, A.G. Rai Choudhary (1885–1967), applied sensible cognizance to saturate in mysticism in eternity. Another renowned poet, Jatin Duara (1892–1964), tested his poetic debut in “Banhi” magazine (1909-1933).He owes his feelings to Omar Khayyam, Tennyson, Tagore, etc. Known as the poet of Sewali, Ratna Barkakati (1897–1963) was a poet of tranquilly and a mystic thinker under a sunny sky. Nobody can forget young Ganesh Gogoi’s (1907–1938) poetic footsteps in the romantic arena, blended with distinguished music and the beauty of words.
LAST PART OF ROMANTICISM: The narrative of Assamese’s last period of romanticism will remain incomplete if the dramatic monologue of Deba Kanta Baruah is not discussed. He is a product of Aabahon,” a magazine published in Kolkata in 1929. He very boldly romanticised Assamese poetry, which owes much to Virginia Wolf and Robert Browning during the fourth decade of the twentieth century. The modern, or post-romanticism, period began after that.
Western Indian Impact: Western sense is omnipresent. Be it technique of presentation or subject matter, all are like copycats of western influence. Assamese romantic literature is not separated from that of India. Only the time of arrival is varied. As mentioned earlier, besides having inherently amorous songs, Indian literature hadn’t evolved or experienced transition. It is pole vaulting or catapulting from Europe to India. The most perceptible effect of this stream is to grow lyric as a branch or part itself. Modern education aesthetically moulds people to be literary connoisseurs.
OVERALL ROMANTIC LITERATURE: Notwithstanding poetry, the Assamese literary Trinity, Chandra Kumar, Lakshmi Nath, and Hemchandra, forayed into other fields of literature also. In the initial period of romanticism itself, Assamese readers got a glimpse of dramaturgy, novels, short stories, essays, etc.
As far as drama is concerned, Shakespeare’s comedy of errors was famously translated as “Bhrama Ranga” in 1888. Translation was done by many jointly under the guidance of L. N. Bezbaruah in Calcutta. This is the kind of literary rendering where characters and venue are of Assamese milieu, paving the way for indigenous creation.
PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ASSAMESE LITERATURE: Humans hobbies, tastes, interests, and necessities are changing with time. Literature is also not exceptional. Small regional languages are under threat of diminishment or extinction. How do we preserve linguistic identity?
Obviously, we have to search for new literary themes where readers must have a natural appetite or compulsion to read. The scientific literature, starting from geology to astronomy or from pisciculture to flora and fauna, has to be a resourceful subject of creative literature now. Nowadays, in their busy schedules, very few people will spare the time to read monotonous prose or poetry, whatever the literary genre may be. Mythologically or traditionally, our literature about nature—trees, birds, rivers, seas, etc.—is confined to describing beauty only. Now scientific evaluation is required to beautifully verify the quality of trees, planets, and all other seen objects with added literary contents. Scientific literature will have academic importance for students and educators.
Scientific writer and environmentalist Phatik Gogoi of Assam wrote about “Indian wild animals” in 1966. The same writer wrote about “cells of trees.” More recently, Ms. Girimallika Saikia published the book “Ananya Aranya” (unique forest). Here she very precisely presented biodiversity conservation through various Assamese short stories and dramas. This stream of literature has to be flown in a more expanded way in all subjects of the universe. Finally, this is the scientific period of post-moon walking. Only the decorated words of scientific reality matter for conscious readers.