84. Rajarshi Mitra

Abstract 84
Rajarshi Mitra                                                                                                                                    

Autobiography and Dissent: Bina Das’ Autobiography and the Process of Self Annihilation in Post-colonial World

Abstract

This paper looks at the role of autobiographies in the tradition of dissent by focusing on the autobiography of Bina Das. The paper states that autobiographies of revolutionary nationalists produce discourses on human bodies on which various forms of authoritarian power leave their mark. The life after a trying prison sentence often becomes a tragic tale of not being able to cope with the real world. This paper looks at the autobiography of Bina Das (1911 – 1986), the Agnikanya (literally the firebrand lady) of Bengali Agniyug (literally “The Age of Fire”). On the sixth of February, 1932, inspired by the secret society movements in Bengal, a twenty one year old Bina Das had fired shots at Sir Stanley Jackson, the then Governor of Bengal during the Convocation of the University of Calcutta. The attempted murder wounded Sir Stanley and landed Bina Das in prison. She languished in jail for seven years and was released in the year 1939. The autobiography which deals with Bina’s life before and after her release from prison contains Bina’s sustained self evaluation at various socio-political ethoses. By focusing on Bina Das’s autobiography this paper argues that the revolutionary nationalists always use different locales to try to prove their relevance. The consequences are often depression and disappointment leading to suicidal tendencies. Bina Das’ experience and her autobiographical narrative reveal these various states of depression and anger that engulfed a generation of revolutionaries in post colonial nation. The sense that the postcolonial state was failing and that the new enemy was the people for whom she had devoted her life leads her to disillusionment and spiritual emptiness. This paper analyses the nature of this spiritual emptiness in post-independent India. It argues that dissent in post colonial nation follows a tragic path of self cleansing and self purification, which if denied leads dedicated nationalists to self annihilation. The paper further states that postcolonial autobiographies written by former revolutionaries narrativize this process of self purification followed by self annihilation.