92. Shabnam Parveen

Abstract 92
Shabnam Parveen  

Tradition of dissent in the khortha short stories of Jharkhand.

Abstract

This paper intends to show the tradition of dissent that it bears by a subtle hint on the language of the outsiders and their traditions and in return trying to defend its own traditions through the difference in the medium of speaking, in the Khortha short stories of Jharkhand, Khortha being one of the 9 native languages of Jharkhand. Through the message of the importance of education and how it can role reverse the whole societal set-up, these tales through the slight difference in languages, shows the outsider as the oppressor, of the traditions and culture of the insiders. The people of Jharkhand were describes as the junglees or uncivilized people who were meant to work in the coalfields as worker while the outsiders were the civilized who had the burden to employ them, themselves being the owner of the coal mines or other resources of the region. These stories through the subtle change in the manner of speech and the language used shows the difference between the insiders and the outsiders without clearly distinguishing them. And in an attempt to  show how education can be the only key to fight back all oppression, they point out the difference between the two communities, not limiting themselves to just that but also showing how different and how good their belief system is than the outsiders. And actually who the real civilized is. When the Babu in an almost rich factory owner who is bad to the worker, the worker is a hard working labor, who studies hard to match the level and when he reaches there he is not at all like his babu was, but is much more kind and so much so that he becomes his babu’s (boss’) biggest helper in the time of need. And in this civilized manner is he not just different but also better the oppressor. My paper would attempt at showing this dissent through a favour done to the oppressor, where the oppressor’s only reply is a silence admiration and a feeling of guilt. There you are, now you now who is what!, is the theme of almost all the stories which would be dealt upon in my paper.