A story of rebellion and redemption: Chokher Bali: Reimagining widowhood in colonial modernity
“Redefining femininity and the construction of the ‘New Woman’ seemed to become the master stroke to solve all ideological problems for the emerging nationalist consciousness in India. Colonialist concerns for the emancipation of native women then became a part of a larger design that guided a race towards the light of ‘Reason’ — reason enough for imperialism.” (Roy)
Sanandita Chakraborty
(sanandita1259@gmail.com)
An extramarital affair looms large in Chokher Bali. An amateur summary of the book would use this theme as being central to it. But this paper is about the story of a woman in a country under foreign rule—about a nation and its rising nationalist consciousness trying to come to terms with its political subjugation on the one hand and its problematic negotiations with ‘colonial modernity’ on the other. The ‘colonial’ brand of modernity was largely responsible for changes in civic space, social modes of behaviour, the emergence of ‘clock-time’, new kinds of economic activities, and most importantly, changing equations between the ‘home’ and the ‘world’ (ghor o bahir). These changes were happening throughout the greater part of the nineteenth century, and their impact was still strongly felt in Bengal in the first half of the twentieth.
The cultural icon and trailblazer of the Bengali Renaissance, Tagore, a liberal humanist fallen among bigoted Bhadraloks, successfully experimented with strong female protagonists who managed to stay above the commonplace. A master artist, he painted with his brushstrokes a host of highly progressive and modern female identities with strong voices of protest against all prejudices of the contemporary Bengali-Hindu communities, as well as against all oppressive forces of fate and society. He did this by portraying a number of noteworthy female voices in many of his works by instilling in them the strength of motherhood, the beauty of the beloved, and a strong sense of womanhood, making them develop their own individual arcs and identities in stereotypically male-dominated, testosterone-driven, patriarchal societies. In the social paradigm of modern Bengal, where large-scale social reforms were set in motion, these changes were brought about both by the colonial rulers and the colonised society, the prime targets of which were women.
Set in late 19th-century Bengal during the Victorian era, “Chokher Bali” or “Sand in My Eye” delves into the intricacies of human relationships, societal norms, and the emancipation of women within a patriarchal society. In this novel, Tagore depicts the growing need for Binodini (our protagonist) to emerge out of the traditional image of a widow and establish her identity in her society. He initially sets the tone by presenting the typical middle-class specimens of a Bengali household in the portrayal of the possessive widowed mother Rajlakshmi, her son Mahendra, and his submissive wife Ashalatha. Within this tableau, he paints the archetypal Indian woman, who is moulded to be deferential and courteous to her husband. As the many plotlines unfold, he then sensibly depicts the clash between the social taboo attached to a widow and her desire for the heart and body through the self-actualization and liberation of Binodini.
Curiously, Tagore writes Chokher Bali during a period when the forces of tradition and modernity, Hindu orthodoxy, and British liberalism created a contradictory social milieu. In the kaleidoscope of “Chokher Bali,” we also glimpse the Brahmo influence on Mahendra, as he defies convention by marrying Asha without a dowry. It’s a nod to the winds of change blowing through Bengal, where English education whispers of romantic love and the notion of companionship. Yet, amidst this whirlwind, the stark reality of ‘incompatible marriages’ looms large, where child brides are tethered to older grooms in a mismatch of age and educational differences.
The text addresses issues of women’s education, child marriage, gendered power relations within the family, and the plight of widows. The women characters in the novel are upper-caste women, most of whom are, again, widows. Rajlakshmi plays the role of the good mother to Mahendra, whom, even during his early youth, she psychologically thinks is no more grown-up than a suckling child. Rest, the two sisters-in-law had been on intimate terms with each other since childhood, as they married young. Though both of these women are widows, only one is acknowledged socially.
In the character of Annapurna, we see the docile spiritual widow who lost her husband at the age of eleven, whose shadowy image she still holds onto. She is childless and, hence, has no authority in the household. Even after renunciating her worldly duties, other characters often come to her to seek solace. If we compare that with the character of Binodini, who is sexually desirous and does not conform to the norms that are to be followed as a widow, Annapurna comes across as an ideal who is motherly not only to Mahendra, but also to his friend (and Binodini’s lover), Bihari.
Binodini, in effect, then becomes this emergent kind of new female subjectivity, whom western education, with its kind of Midas touch, has transformed into a woman with a mind and heart of her own. Shedding the cloak of spirituality thrust upon her, she longs to have her share of recognition, happiness, and dignity in life. The love she yearns for is also partly illusionary, a figment of her own imagination, as society does not permit it, again quashing a widow’s feelings for love. Binodini is herself very self-aware of this social taboo, and thus she refuses to marry Bihari on his proposal. On the horizon of expectations for the fictional prototype of the story, perhaps widow-remarriage is neither a realistic nor an artistic possibility. And so, Binodini and Bihari do not marry in the end, despite their growing affection for each other. The widows in Tagore’s work thus serve the two-fold purpose of expressing conflict: that which is inherent within Bengali society and the inner turmoil that the women, as a result, then find within themselves.
Under the guise of religion and tradition and forced to live a life of austerity, widows faced a stark contradiction. Within this contradiction, Tagore, ready to expose this social conservatism, emerges as a non-conformist. When Binodini arrives at the Rajbari, she feels sad about the loss of the lifestyle that Asha enjoys. It is denied to her because of Mahendra’s rejection—this room, this bed, which now belonged to Asha, could have been rightfully hers—a bitter pill she refuses to swallow. While Binodini is smart and confident, Asha is subversive and has low self-esteem. Binodini is effortlessly a leader and organiser with a flair for household work, while Asha is hopelessly inefficient and clumsy.
The novel carries a suggestion: “The amelioration of the lot of widows, i.e., dispossession, depersonalisation, and dehumanisation, does not merely lie in remarriage but also in creating conditions for the harmonious realisation of their personality and self-hood.” (Singh 40) Binodini (which means sensuous and pleasure-loving) is then a rebel. She is generous, yet disposed to seek revenge. She displays warmth yet is painfully desirous of other advantages. She is spiritual and, at the same time,takes delight in beauty and attraction. She is a widow by destiny, but she does not accept it mutely. She is a dreamer but, at the same time, deeply attached to her roots and reality. She is a non-conformist under the acute pressure of conforming to the existing patriarchal norms, which are against her desirous self. She is an uncommon merger of good looks, amiability, brightness, and intelligence. She refuses to marry Bihari, but she prays that “I may have you for myself in my next life. Rather than consenting to a socially unacceptable marriage, she pursues, through her belief in self-affirmation, a more significant role for her conscious personality, embracing grandeur even in her defeat.
To conclude: Understanding Tagore’s conception of modernity is as crucial as recognising the modernity inherent in the text and its protagonist. Tagore posits that modernity entails perceiving the world without prejudice or favouritism, embodying both timelessness and purity. He emphasises the need for an impartial spectrum that is applicable to all individuals, regardless of their marital status. He does this by imbuing his concept of modernity with various aesthetic intricacies. “Chokher Bali,” in this sense, exemplifies the New Literature genre in India, renowned for its realism and exploration of suppressed desires. It serves as a reflection of the larger socio-cultural milieu of late 19th-century Bengal, marked by the collision of tradition and modernity, colonial influences, and shifting gender dynamics. Through the character of Binodini, Tagore challenges societal norms and patriarchal structures, presenting a complex portrayal of a woman striving for autonomy and self-realisation in a restrictive environment. In examining Binodini’s story, we are prompted to consider broader questions about agency, identity, and resistance within oppressive structures. The novel captures the ambivalence of a society grappling with conflicting values and ideologies, offering insights into the transformative processes unfolding in the wake of colonial encounters. In essence, “Chokher Bali” then emerges as a narrative of rebellion and redemption, offering a nuanced exploration of widowhood within the backdrop of colonial modernity.
Bibliography:
Tagore, R. Radha Chakravarty (trans.) Chokher Bali. Random House India. New Delhi. 2012.
Chakravarty, R. Novelist Tagore: Gender and Modernity in Selected Texts. Routledge, New Delhi, 2013.
Kakar, S., “The Good Mother,” The Inner World, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1978.