writing_womans_lives_symposium_paper_book_v2

MEMOIRS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF WOMEN IN BENGALL LITTLE
MAGAZINES ‐ A CONTENT ANALYSIS
Bahni MUKHOPADHYA *
Ratna BANDYOPADHYAY **
Introduction: a few words about Bengali Little Magazines.
Bengali, one of the major languages of India, is also the mother‐tongue to the native population
of most parts of the State of West Bengal. Little magazines are a typical feature of Bengali literature,
esp. so in the State of West Bengal and Kolkata or Calcutta, the capital city of the State. At present,
approximately 1200 Bengali Little magazines are being published from Kolkata and other places of
West Bengal. However, most of the magazines are not registered, published irregularly for a short
while and then abruptly discontinued or die an untimely death due to limited funds or dissociation of
dedicated workers‐patrons.
Although there are different opinions, generally, Sabuj Patra, the periodical started by the literary
genius Pramatha Choudhury in 1914, is considered to be the first Bengali little magazine and in that
sense the year 2014 is significantly the centenary year of Bengali little magazine publications.
However, some of the periodicals or ‘samayik patra’ as they are called in Bengali, published before
1914, also bore the unmistakable impression of a “little magazine”. If we do not take terms blindly
they deserve to be categorized as little magazines.
One of the prominent features of Little Magazines is that they are not sponsored or published by
big houses. These are basically localized, small‐budget creative ventures by groups of enthusiasts
having the same ideological or cultural stand. Many times they spring up out of sudden passionate
outbursts by groups of similar‐minded youngsters who are inspired by some individual or ism. Noncommercial
and anti‐establishment in character, they enjoy a certain freedom and spontaneity that
the widely‐circulated publications from big presses do not have. Little magazines are committed to
their own stand‐points; pro‐active or radical at times, they have a different or alternative ethos to
interpret the social milieu. Ideally, they act as a voice of protest, uphold the causes of struggling
humanity and take pioneering role in literary‐artistic or socio‐cultural and political movements.
Known for their uncompromising, liberal dispositions, their goal is to awaken, not entertain, their
readers. Unfortunately most of these sincere efforts are unsung activities, unseen to the public eye
because of their limited fund and circulation.
The writings in little magazines have an impact on their readers due to their non‐populist views.
They have a special status as they dare to offer the much‐needed comments, criticisms and rationale
of the intellectual class.
Significance of the study: Importance of biography and memoir.
Memoirs and biographies are undoubtedly very important sources for writing history and often
consulted by the historians and researchers. They help us not only to know the past but can also be
used to verify the current history. The informal personal narratives may often lack authenticity or
evidence, but they are replete with tiny‐mini details and personal experiences that revive and give a
picturesque presentation of the old times. While some biographies are good research‐works, others
are full of stories of events and incidents, witnessed by the biographer. Thus, along with the
personalities discussed, they also present their times as a suitable backdrop. Moreover, these are
inspiring sources‐ to make a man self‐educated; other subjects help make a career while they build
up character.
Significantly, the world‐famous Dewey Decimal Classification Schedule used by Librarians, has
*
University of Calcutta - West Bengal, India
**
University of Calcutta - West Bengal, India
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