ମାଟିର ମଣିଷ

by Kalindi Charan Panigrahi

Salt Of The Earth

85 pages, Paperback

About the author

Kalindi Charan Panigrahi (2 July 1901 – 15 May 1991) was a noted Odia poet, novelist, story writer, dramatist, and essayist. He was one of the members of the Odia literary group Sabuja Goshthi (the Green Group).[1] Influenced by the romantic thoughts of Rabindranath Tagore, during the thirties when the progressive Marxist movements was in full flow in Odia Literature, Kalindi Charana Panigrahi, the older brother of Bhagabati Charana Panigrahi, the founder of Marxist trend in Odisha, formed a group in 1920 called "Sabuja Samiti", along with two of his writer friends Annada Shankar Ray and Baikuntha Patnaik. Perhaps it was the very short existed period in Odia Literature, and later submerged with either Gandhian thoughts or Marxian thoughts. Later Kalindi Charana Panigrahi wrote his famous novel Matira Manisha, being influenced by Gandhism. He was for a period, the editor of English Journals, Bhanja Pradipa and Mayurbhanja Chronicle.

courtesy- wiki

Reviews

[David - marigold_bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Salt of the Earth is considered to be the major work of the Indian writer and poet Kalindi Charan Panigrahi (1901-1991). The author wrote in Odia, the official and classical language of the region of Odisha. This English translation is published by Penguin Modern Classics.

The story takes place in a small rural village and narrates the traumas leading up to the separation of a farming family, after the death of their parents left two brothers living together with their wives on the common land they inherited. Baraju, the elder brother and the upright hero of the novel, tries to keep the family, their land and possessions together in spite of his brother and the constant fighting between his wife and his sister in law.

The novel uses simple and direct language, appropriate to the setting and the characters, to describe the conflicting attitudes of the two brothers. Yet it is in reality a more complex story of the breakdown of traditional values, of Marxist philosophy and of Gandhian idealism (although neither Gandhi nor the political movements of the time are mentioned).

[S.Ach · Rating 3 out of 5]

କାଳିନ୍ଦୀଚରଣ ପାଣିଗ୍ରାହୀଙ୍କର ତୃତୀୟ କ୍ଷୁଦ୍ର ଉପନ୍ୟାସ 'ଆଜିର ମଣିଷ' ପଢିଲା ବେଳେ, ମୋ ମନକୁ ଆସିଲା - ଆଜିର ମଣିଷର ସ୍ୱଭାବ କଣ? What makes him different from "ଗତ-କାଲିର ମଣିଷ"?

ସ୍ୱାର୍ଥପର? ହିଂସ୍ର? କାମୁକ? Envious? Confused? Disrespectful? ଅଳସୁଆ? ବେପରୁଆ?

କିନ୍ତୁ, if you take literature of any period of human history, you would find the same characteristics attributed to men of that time.

Socrates ଥରେ କହିଥିଲେ, "The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

Can you believe this? Socrates! 2000 ବର୍ଷ ତଳେ ଏଇଟା କହିଥିଲେ ! ଲାଗୁନି ଯେମିତି ଏବେ ଜଣେ ବୃଦ୍ଧ ଲୋକ କହୁଛି ଏଇ କଥା ଆମର ତଳ generation ବିଷୟରେ? What does this prove? That - man is the same all the time.
Technology changes, but human nature remains.

ମୁଁ ଭାବୁଛି , "Know Thyself" ର ପଥରେ ଜଣେ ଏବେ ଯୋଉ ସବୁ ଉପଲବ୍ଧି ସବୁ ପାଇବ, ୨୦୦୦ ବର୍ଷ ତଳେ ବି ଜଣେ ସେଇ ସବୁ ଅନୁଭୂତି ସବୁ ପାଉଥିବ। ବଦଳିଛି ବୋଧେ ତା'କୁ ପ୍ରକଶ କରିବା ପାଇଁ ଶବ୍ଦ ଆଉ ଶୈଳୀ।

Anyway, coming back to the novella, "ଆଜିର ମଣିଷ" ବହିଟି ଆଜିର ମଣିଷ ଭଳି haphazard, confused, jumping from one state to another - କେତେବେଳେ ଆଦର୍ଶବାଦୀ, କେତେବେଳ pragmatic. ଭାରତର ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ସମୟ ଆଉ ତା'ର immediate ପରର timeର ଏ storyଟା। ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ସଂଗ୍ରାମ, ବିଶ୍ୱ ଯୁଦ୍ଧ, communal riots ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିର ସମାଜ ଆଉ ପାରିବାରିକ ଜୀବନ ସହିତ ସଂଘର୍ଷର କାହାଣୀ ଇଏ, ନୈତିକତାର ଦ୍ଵନ୍ଦର ଏକ ପ୍ରତିଫଳନ। କାଳିନ୍ଦୀଚରଣଙ୍କ ପୂର୍ବ ପୁସ୍ତକ - ମାଟିର ମଣିଷ ଆଉ ଲୁହର ମଣିଷ ସହିତ ଏ ବହିର କୌଣସି ସମ୍ପର୍କ ନାହିଁ। Somehow, I think, while trying to illustrate the trials and tribulations of today's man, he loses his track, and fails to hold the novel for the reader, jumping from one event to another, one emotion to another.

Some of his takes on certain ideas are interesting though, e.g.
ଯେମିତି ଭାରତର ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ସଂଗ୍ରାମ ବିଷୟରେ ସେ କହିଛନ୍ତି - "ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ଦିନେ କି ବର୍ଷେ ଦି' ବର୍ଷରେ ଆସେନି । କେତେ ଯୁଗର ସାଧନା ବଳରେ, ତ୍ୟାଗ ଫଳରେ ଆସେ । ଯୁଗ ଯୁଗ ଧରି ଆମେ ସେଇ ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା, ସେଇ ମୁକ୍ତି ଆଡକୁ ଆଗେଇ ଚାଲିଛୁ । ଏହା ଖାଲି ଇଂଗ୍ରେଜ଼ଙ୍କ ହାତରୁ ମୁକ୍ତି ନୁହେଁ- ଆମ ଭିତରେ ଯେତେ ରକମ ଦାସତ୍ୱ ଅଛି - ଆମର ହିଂସା , ବାଦ, ଅନ୍ୟାୟ, ଅତ୍ୟାଚାର ସବୁ ଦୁଶ୍ଚିନ୍ତା ସବୁ ଦୁଷ୍କର୍ମରୁ ମୁକ୍ତି।"

On the topic of war and non-violence he opines - "ହିଂସାରୁ ହିଁ ସୃଷ୍ଟିର ଜନ୍ମ , ସେଇ ହିଂସା ଉପରେ ତା'ର ସ୍ଥିତି ଆଉ ଲୟ। ସେଥିପାଇଁ ଅହିଂସା ନାମରେ ଗୋଟିଏ ନାସ୍ତିବାଚକ ବିରୋଧାତ୍ମକ ଶବ୍ଦ ବୋଧେ ତିଆରି ହେଇଛି। ଅସଲ ମୌଳିକ ଶବ୍ଦ ହେଲା ହିଂସା । 'ଅ' ଟିଏ ଯୋଡି ଦେଇ ତାର ବିପରୀତ ଭାବ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରାଯାଇଛି ସିନା, ନଇଲେ ହିଂସା ବା ଯୁଦ୍ଧ ହେଲା ନିୟମ; ଅହିଂସା ଖାଲି ବ୍ୟତିକ୍ରମ।"

[S.Ach · Rating 4 out of 5]

୧୯୩୧ ମସିହାରେ ଲିଖିତ କାଳିନ୍ଦୀଚରଣଙ୍କ ଏହି ଉପନ୍ୟାସଟିରେ ମଣିଷ କିପରି ଆଦର୍ଶବାଦୀତା ଆଉ ତ୍ୟାଗ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଜୟଲାଭ କରେ ଇର୍ଷା ଆଉ ଲୋଭ ଉପରେ ତାହା ଦର୍ଶା ଯାଇଛି। ଜଣେ ଆଦର୍ଶବାଦୀ ଭାଇ ଯେତେବେଳେ ସମ୍ମୁଖୀନ ହୁଏ ଗୋଟେ moral dilemmaର - ଗୋଟେ ପଟେ ନିଜର ବାପାଙ୍କୁ ଦେଇଥିବା ପ୍ରତିଶୃତି ଆଉ ଆରପଟେ ସାନ ଭାଇର ସମ୍ପତ୍ତି ଲୋଭ ଓ ଭିନ୍ନେ ହବାର ଜିଦ୍ - ସେତେବେଳେ ସେ ସାହାଯ୍ୟ ନିଏ ତା'ର ନୈତିକତାର, conscienceର। କାହାଣୀଟି ସାଧାରଣ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ମନଛୁଆଁ। ସେତେବେଳର ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ପୁରପଲ୍ଲୀର ଦୃଶ୍ୟ ଏଥିରେ ଜୀବନ୍ତ, ଆଉ ଭାବିଲେ ଆଶ୍ଚର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଲାଗୁଛି, ସେଇଟା ମୋର memoriesରେ ଥିବା ଆମ ଗାଁ ଜୀବନ ଠାରୁ ବହୁତ ଅଲଗା ନୁହେଁ ।

Gandhian philosophy ରେ ଲେଖକ ଯେ ବହୁତ ଅନୁପ୍ରାଣିତ ଏହା ତାଙ୍କର ଲେଖାରୁ ସ୍ପଷ୍ଟ । ମଣିଷ ଭିତରେ ଅହରହ ଚାଲିଥିବା ନୈତିକତା ଆଉ ଦୈନନ୍ଦିନର ସଂଘର୍ଷ ଦ୍ଵନ୍ଦ ଉପରେ ଲେଖକ ଲେଖିଛନ୍ତି,"ଏହି ମଣିଷ ଭିତରେ ଭଲ ଅଛି, ମନ୍ଦ ଅଛି; ଦେବତା ଅଛି, ଅସୁର ଅଛି। ଦୁହିଁଙ୍କ ଭିତରେ ଲଢେଇ ଚାଲିଛି। କେତେବଳେ ଭଲ ଜିତୁଛି; କେତେବେଳେ ମନ୍ଦ ଜିତୁଛି । ଭଲ ଜିତିଲା ବେଳେ ମଣିଷ ଦେବତା ହେଇ ପୂଜା ପାଉଛି, ଆମର ହେଇ ରହୁଛି, ଆଉ ଦଶଟିଂକୁ ଭଲ ବାଟରେ ନଉଛି। ମନ୍ଦ ଜିତିଲା ବେଳେ ମଣିଷ ହେଉଛି ଚୋର, ଖଣ୍ଟ, ଡକେଇତ। ଗାଁ ଗାଆଁକେ ଘର ଘରକେ ଯେ ମାଲି ମକଦ୍ଦମା, କଳି ତକରାଳ ଲାଗି ରହିଛି, ଏଥିରୁ ଜଣା ପଡେ, ସଂସାରରେ ମନ୍ଦ ବଢି ଯାଉଛି - ଅସୁର ବଳ ଦେବତା ବଳ ଠାରୁ ବେଶି ହୋଇ ପଡୁଛି।"

ବଙ୍ଗଳାର ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦେଶକ Mrinal Sen ଏହି ଉପନ୍ୟାସ ଉପରେ ଗୋଟିଏ ଓଡ଼ିଆ film ବି ବନେଇଛନ୍ତି । କୋଉଠି ମିଳିଲେ ଭଲ ହୁଅନ୍ତା ?

[Madhu B · Rating 4 out of 5]

೧೯೬೨ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಮೊದಲ ಮುದ್ರಣ ಕಂಡ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ೨೦೨೪ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡನೇ ಮುದ್ರಣ ಕಂಡಿದೆ . ಓಡಿಯಾ ಬಾಷೆಯಿಂದ ಹಿಂದಿಗೆ ಹಿಂದಿಯಿಂದ ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ಅನುವಾದಗೊಂಡಿರುವ ಕಥೆ. ಮೂಲ ಲೇಖಕರು ಕಾಳಿಂದಿ ಪಾಣಿಗ್ರಾಹಿಯವರ ಮಾಟಿರ ಮಾಣಿಸ ಎಂಬ ಕಥೆಯ ಬಾಷಾಂತರ, ಓದಿ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ .

[Abhijeet Parida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kalindi Charan Panigrahi has spun up a poignant story that upholds the human values of moral concern and sacrifice. He presents the typical Odia village landscape. He talks about Odia tradition and culture and it's impact on the people. It is a nice story about agrarian life, joint family life, good, evil, love and hatred.

[Shakti Biswal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bestseller Odia novel first published in 1930s & it hasn’t ever gone out of print! The plot revolves around a rural household of two brothers headed for a family partition. The writer is obviously heavily influenced by Gandhian principles but there is neither a mention of any political ideology, nor any mention of life outside the village.