EDITOR

ABSTRACT

PUNE RESEARCH  

AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL IN ENGLISH

( ISSN 2454  -  3454  ONLINE ) (JIF 3.945)

 VOLUME 11, ISSUE - 01 ( JAN - FEB 2025 )

DR. MAHUYA BHAUMIK

ABSTRACT

In the Indian caste based social construct Dalits belong to the lowest rung of the social hierarchy. They are the most discriminated against and humiliated segment of the society who are not only dominated by the Brahminical hegemony but are also forced to be involved in petty menial jobs which makes them susceptible to ecological hazards. Further, their unhygienic living condition, lack of sanitation facilities dehumanize their state of living and make them vulnerable to ecological precarity. It is an irony that though they are involved in all kinds of agricultural activities, they are denied the right to be owners of lands which is the privilege of the “pure” upper castes. The Dalit bodies are considered to be “impure” and their touch is “polluting”. Hence they are denied the basic ecological resources like drinking water and land. The binary between “pure” and “impure” is stretched to the level of relegating the Dalits to the verge of being sources of pollution though they consistently work to keep the environment pure by being an integral part of waste and pollution management. This paper will try to locate the lacuna in the caste-based social construct where Dalits are striving to maintain ecological purity but are themselves stigmatized as being sources of pollution.

Key Words: Ecology, Dalit, Pure, Impure, Pollution.

DR. SANDIP P. GAWATE

ABSTRACT

This research paper attempts to study and identify the existence of historical aspects/facets in Bhabani Bhattacharya’s selected novels. It is always apparent that every author’s psychological growth is the outcome of his or her milieu. Characterization, background, themes, and socio-cultural aspects show how Indian history is reflected in his literary works. Bhabani Bhattacharya’s novels explore the themes of the impact of colonialism, the fight for freedom, the clashes between tradition and modernism, the effects of the Bengal famine of 1943, casteism, spirituality, etc. His literary creations gain a valuable significance due to their connection with the historical facets. His novels force the readers to connect the present with the past and to interpret them accordingly. The researchers selected Bhabani Bhattacharya’s six novels for this research study. Thus, this research article examines how historical facets are reflected in the novels of Bhabani Bhattacharya to highlight a variety of social, economic, and political aspects.

Key Words: Novel, historical facets, spirituality, modernism, colonialism, socio-cultural, etc.