Sarasibala basu
Encyclopedia
Sarasibala Basu belonged to the generation of writers of the Bengali renaissance period. In her short lifespan, she had published more than twenty novel
s, many short stories
and poems, and made a big impact on Bengali literature
. An equal quantity of her writings had remained unpublished. Sarasibala wrote passionately about the social issues of that period and the world around her.
in 1886. Her childhood education began in a missionary school and thereafter she was admitted into another school, Mahakali Pathsala, in North Kolkata. After just one year, she was taken out of the school because of the Hindu
prejudice of the time against women's education. At home she learnt many things by listening to her brother's reading aloud his lessons. After her early marriage around the year 1900, she came to Giridih
in Jharkhand
. Her liberal minded husband, Phanindranath Basu, engaged a private tutor for her education at home. She also learnt English and art from him.
. Her writings, novels and poems, were published in the prestigious periodicals of the day, including, Bharatbarsha, Prabasi, Manashi, and Marmabani. Though she never belonged to the Brahmo Samaj
, a social reform movement pioneered by the great Raja Rammohan Roy, its influences are apparent in her writings. She was free from the many prejudices and blind notions of the stagnant Hindu society of her time. Social service and brotherhood of mankind were her most cherished ideals. She became a didi, an elder sister, to many rising stars of Bengali literature, including, Probodh Sanyal, Ashapurna Devi, Narendra Deb, and Nirmal Baral.
, a mangrove
, a few cattle
and do all the housework, and as much social service to the needy as she could she could squeeze in. Besides, she could find time to write in the early hours of the morning when others in the house would be sleeping. In her later years, Sarasibala responded to Mahatma Gandhi
's call and worked for reform in the Hindu religion, particularly the rejection of the caste system
and a society free of caste prejudice. She lectured widely on the promotion of women's education and other social welfare activities. All these activities took toll on her health and she fell a victim to cancer
, and died in 1929.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, many short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
and poems, and made a big impact on Bengali literature
Bengali literature
Bengali literature is literary works written in Bengali language particularly from Bangladesh and the Indian provinces of West Bengal and Tripura. The history of Bengali literature traces back hundreds of years while it is impossible to separate the literary trends of the two Bengals during the...
. An equal quantity of her writings had remained unpublished. Sarasibala wrote passionately about the social issues of that period and the world around her.
Early life
Sarasibala Basu was born in KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in 1886. Her childhood education began in a missionary school and thereafter she was admitted into another school, Mahakali Pathsala, in North Kolkata. After just one year, she was taken out of the school because of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
prejudice of the time against women's education. At home she learnt many things by listening to her brother's reading aloud his lessons. After her early marriage around the year 1900, she came to Giridih
Giridih
Giridih is headquarters of the Giridih district of Jharkhand state, India. The literal meaning of Giridih is the land of hills & hillocks - giri, a Hindi word, means hills and dih, another word of the local dialect, indicates upland...
in Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
. Her liberal minded husband, Phanindranath Basu, engaged a private tutor for her education at home. She also learnt English and art from him.
Career
With continuous encouragement from her husband she began to nurture her love of Bengali literature and social workSocial work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
. Her writings, novels and poems, were published in the prestigious periodicals of the day, including, Bharatbarsha, Prabasi, Manashi, and Marmabani. Though she never belonged to the Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj is the societal component of the Brahmo religion which is mainly practiced today as the Adi Dharm after its eclipse in Bengal consequent to the exit of the Tattwabodini Sabha from its ranks in 1859. It was one of the most influential religious movements responsible for the making of...
, a social reform movement pioneered by the great Raja Rammohan Roy, its influences are apparent in her writings. She was free from the many prejudices and blind notions of the stagnant Hindu society of her time. Social service and brotherhood of mankind were her most cherished ideals. She became a didi, an elder sister, to many rising stars of Bengali literature, including, Probodh Sanyal, Ashapurna Devi, Narendra Deb, and Nirmal Baral.
Personal life struggle and late life
Sarasibala had a difficult family life, with her husband's modest income she managed to raise her nine children, maintain a kitchen gardenKitchen garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
, a mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
, a few cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and do all the housework, and as much social service to the needy as she could she could squeeze in. Besides, she could find time to write in the early hours of the morning when others in the house would be sleeping. In her later years, Sarasibala responded to Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
's call and worked for reform in the Hindu religion, particularly the rejection of the caste system
Caste system in India
The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis....
and a society free of caste prejudice. She lectured widely on the promotion of women's education and other social welfare activities. All these activities took toll on her health and she fell a victim to cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, and died in 1929.
Further reading
- Prabal, A Novel by Sarasibala Basu, Shipra Publications, ISBN 81-7541-198-0.