Sachitra Guljar Nagar: A Pen-Picture of Calcutta in the Late Nineteenth Century (An Old and Rare Book)

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The most significant thing in 'Sachitra Guljar Nagar' by "Bhaant' is the author's open and direct criticism of the British rule in India. His anti-British attitude can be noticed throughout the narration of the book. He bitterly criticised the absence of law and order and laxity in municipal administration. He squarely blamed the authorities for lavish expenditure on British inhabited areas while the other parts of the city remained dark slums-all at the cost of tax payers' money. He ridiculed the royal welcome to the Duke of Edinburgh. He held the British responsible for all the hardships in the life of the people.

Sachitra Guljar Nagar' is written in the form of a sketch with a fully developed narration of a novel. Such sketches were first introduced by Bhawani Charan Bandopadhyay in his famous books-Kalikata Kamalalaya', 'Naba Babu Bilas and 'Naba Bibi Bilas'.

Sachitra' means illustrated'. But there are no illustrations in the book. Here what the writer meant was a pen picture-'a pen picture of Calcutta city'.

The book was first published in 1871. The identity of the pen-name 'Bhaanr' remained confusing for a long time till it was established that the book was written by Kedarnath Dutta. He probably wanted to remain unidentified apprehending British annoyance. The mention of the book's name or its availability became so scarce that it may even be presumed that the publication of the book was withheld after some time.

Kedarnath Dutta was born on November 20, 1837 at his ancestral house on Manik Basu Ghat Street, Hatkhola, in Calcutta. His father's name is Harischandra.

Satire in its literary aspect, has been defined as "the expression in adequate terms of the sense of amusement or disgust excited by the ridiculous or unseemly, provided that humour is a distinctly recognizable element and that the utterance is invested with literary form". Starting as an instrument of private animosity, it developed in course of time as a vehicle of public art. What was at the beginning a mere clownish jeering later took the form of literary expression of a high order. In Bengal, satire became an accepted and a popular form of literary expression in the first quarter of the last century. Historically viewed, satires soon transcended the limits of a purely literary or artistic form and became a medium of historical assessment of personalities and events. More often than not, they are caricatures on social trends and movements as well as amusing studies of individuals or groups associated therewith. Satires are thus often mirrors of the age in which they are written or to which they refer. Bengal at the turn of the 19th century stood at the crossroad - her traditional life and institutions, beliefs, cults and practices were then exposed to the challenge of a new outlook and a new way of life, imported from abroad. The response, as could only be expected, was two-fold and conflicting by nature. While the Traditionalists felt alarmed at the prospect of weakening or even losing their identity, deeply rooted in the past, the Liberals eagerly looked forward to what they considered to be the advent of a new Dawn. Each school brought out literary expositions in support of their respective reactions. These are often learned treatises and do credit to their authors.

The reactions were of such profound nature that scholarly expositions were not the only vehicles of revival approaches. Other literary media, less scholarly, but more pungent and revealing appeared on the scene.

'A fighting ram in the market seeks some excitement.'

It is only the mind that is aware of the mental condition. Nobody can say when and what sort of mental condition like a child's capricious insistence on having or doing some- thing or a mad man's fanciful propensity will appear in the mind. An astrologer's intelligence fails to keep pace with the mind. There is no precedent of mental case-law in a lawyer's index or a vaid's (Ayurvedic physician's) experience. In that matter their intelligence is shelved. Lawyers, vaids and doctors are all very skilful in balancing accounts by undue insertions. On repeated insistence they. like apprentice dancers, put the blame on the courtyard. Even Brahmins performing religious service for fighting out evils, are not so capable as they are in extorting money on false pretexts. They are 'Tashti Ram' personified in the matter of realisation of money. One set of them looks after the dead and the other tastes them. If they are paid money, there is no work which they are incapable of performing like a wicked manager and executor in a richman's house who are adept in begging, they enter a body in the shape of a needle and come out of it in the shape of ploughshare. They lack in good qualities. Like a ship they have great store of learning. Only their intelligence floats about without consultation with the other party. The doctors are rather better. But there is none in this world to match the lawyers of this country.