The Seen and Unseen: Susil Mandal’s Poem, The Sundarbans
This week in Daak:
1. The Seen and Unseen: Susil Mandal’s Poem, The Sundarbans
2. For Nature, Art and Poetry Lovers
3. Daak Recommends
1. The Seen and Unseen: Susil Mandal’s Poem, The Sundarbans
The act of seeing is rife with both understanding and ignorance; we see the world and constantly interpret its signs and symbols, while also constantly overlooking facts that are unpleasant and inconvenient. And therefore, a lush, green forest can be both a symbol of natural bounty and a deadly minefield for its invisible inhabitants.
Susil Mandal, a Bengali Dalit poet, cautions us against the romanticisation — a unique malady of the modern traveller — of what we see. Even as tourists flock to the Sundarbans for sightings of the majestic Royal Bengal tiger, he reveals the painful deprivation of the people that depend on the forest for sustenance. He reminds us that amidst the stunning flora and fauna in this natural wonder, resides a neglected community for whom poverty, hunger and natural disasters are a way of life.
The Sundarbans You coming from Kolkata, sir? Who sends you here All come to see the tigers, But no takers for us. A lot more things for you here – Tigers, crocodile, Hental, Sundari trees, the mangrove – You write poetry on the colourful leaves. Only we, black bodies, are left unnoticed. Our children, poor scavengers, Scuffle with the orange-peels you’ve thrown. Tigers fascinate you, no? The Royal Bengal? ‘How wonderful, oh! How’s it possible!’ You never know the secret behind, The man-eater guzzled a lot: Haripada, Subal, Fateh Ali – how many shall I count! Subal’s wife hanged herself last year Couldn’t bear the fangs of hunger – what we could do? We wait for the minister to come, He came once, year ago, Promised, ‘The Sunderbans will transform!’ We beg you, sir, Go tell him kindly, Our stomachs are full With the brine-water from flood. (Translated from Bengali by Shishir Roy)
2. For Nature, Art and Poetry Lovers
If you tend to find solace in the inexhaustible gifts of nature, this postcard set is for you. It has artworks, stories and poems celebrating flowers, forests, mountains and mush more!
3. Daak Recommends
Head over to our Instagram to watch a new series we’ve launched in collaboration with inHERIT! In the first video, we narrate the folk story of Bonbibi who is believed to be the guardian angel of the Sundarbans.