Picture Credit- News18
Countries get divided, lines get drawn on a piece of paper, a few high-status men, sitting comfortably in their air-conditioned offices decide what’s best for the country; but what does it all amount to? Who are the people who suffer? The actual tornado caused by a few signatures here and there, whom does it engulf?
Introduction
Name of the Story - The Final Solution
Writer’s Name - Manik Bandopadhyay
Genre - Fiction
Language - English
Synopsis - Spoiler Alert!
Entailing the story of a family which has to migrate to West Bengal owing to the partition of Bengal in 1905, ‘The Final Solution’ is an exemplary account of what transpired among the common masses, once the lines were drawn.
The story of the deterioration of humanity during such distressed times and how women were subjected to prostitution in order to feed their family and survive is just so thought- provoking and makes you wonder if all of it was really worth it.
About the Writer
Picture Credit- Wikipedia
Born on 19th May, 1908, Manik Bandopadhyay was an Indian writer and novelist. He was regarded as one of the major figures of 20th Century Bengali Literature.
Although he lived what one must call a tumultuous life, constantly plagued by illness and financial problems, Bandopadhay was able to write 36 novels and around 250 short-stories.
His notable works include ‘Padma Nadir Majhi’, ‘Shahartali’ and ‘Chatushkone’. He died on 3rd December, 1956.
About the Story
One of the most famous works of Manik Bandopadhyay, ‘The Final Solution’ revolves around the story of an impoverished family that has been forced to move to West Bengal following the partition. Disoriented and distressed, the family has to turn to unspeakable methods just to survive.
Taking advantage of the distressed people and families, some people come forward only to exploit these migrated families further, in the name of helping them. Mallika falls victim to one such scheme run by Pramatha. These people drove women into prostitution in exchange of providing for their families.
After failing to get out of making such a visit to Pramatha, Mallika helplessly goes to his house just to keep her sick husband and child alive. But driven by the humiliation and rage that came with selling oneself to feed their family, Mallika castrates Pramatha and leaves him to die.
When she returns home, she tells her sister-in-law Asha, how she has come up with a plan and what she intends to do on every visit that she is forced to make to a man. Asha is shocked at Mallika’s ability to be this strong and cruel but understands the circumstances.
The Bottom Line
‘The Final Solution’ showcases the inner turmoil that women had to go through and still have to go through when they are reduced to just a body to sell. These migrant women that came to start a new life in India after the partition were exploited beyond words, just to survive. Mallika’s story is one of the many that might have taken place at the time.
My Ratings for the Story - 5 on 5
Written By - Sakshi Singh
Social