Manoranjan Byapari learnt to read in prison when he was 24 years old. A refugee from East Bengal, he had never been to school. When he was released from prison, he returned to his cycle rickshaw, but the dagger he kept hidden under the seat was now replaced by a book, which led him to Mahasweta Devi and his own journey as a writer. His autobiography, Itibritte Chandal Jibon (‘Interrogating my Chandal Life’), is a story of survival amid despair, where he says: “I have lived my life as the ill-fated Dalit son of an ill-fated Dalit father, condemned to a life of bitterness.” Mr. Byapari has written about 20-odd books, giving voice to the desperate, because “there are certain things I have to tell the people, and it is only I who can tell them of these things”. The urgent need to tell people “certain things” has again prompted him to jump into the election fray on a Trinamool Congress ticket. Mr. Byapari is contesting from Balagarh in Hooghly district, 77 km from Kolkata, and Trinamool Congress (TMC) cadres have worked hard to introduce him to the people of this rural, reserved constituency which goes to polls on April 10. As his convoy of vans and motor cycles winds through the narrow lanes of the villages, he says he had to stand up to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the onslaught of its divisive politics in the State. Excerpts from an interview with The Hindu’s Sudipta Datta and Shiv Sahay Singh.
You have written about the poor and Dalits and the discrimination they face. But did caste play a big role in earlier elections? Why has it become a talking point this time?
The BJP has set foot in Bengal and is dividing the people further on religious and caste lines. We have lived in harmony for many years despite the harsh life we have had to endure. It is criminal to polarise people who are struggling with so many other issues, from high prices of essential food items, the impact of the [corona-]virus, job fears and so forth. We have to protest against this naked show of power and divisiveness. We have to tell the people that if the BJP is allowed to come to power, they will not permit Dalits to enter temples, they will discriminate against us, the poor will become poorer, and no one will be able to read books any more.
Is this one of the reasons why you decided to contest? Did Mamata Banerjee convince you to join the fray?
Yes. I am a Dalit writer. I understand the poor people’s world and I want to tell them to beware of BJP propaganda. The party doesn’t stand for true emancipation of the poor and people must be made to understand that. The BJP is standing on our turf and espousing bravado. This must stop. I write about poor people and I can speak to them in their language. I understand their pain and difficulties because I live that life. As a writer, it is my moral duty to stand up to these divisive forces. When Mamata Banerjee asked me to contest, I decided to go ahead. [Mr. Byapari was transferred to a library at Amtala in South 24 Parganas by the State government in August 2020. He had appealed to the government to relieve him of his duties as a cook in a school, where he had worked for 23 years, because he had found it difficult to lift heavy pans after a knee operation.]
Manoranjan Byapari on a road show through his constituency of Balagarh. | Photo Credit: Shiv Sahay Singh
How has the TMC reacted to the threat?
The TMC has fielded 79 Scheduled Caste candidates though there are 68 seats reserved for SCs in the State. Caste was not a factor in Bengal but the BJP has introduced identity politics in the State. Truly, if people were caste conscious, then the BJP would not have risen in Bengal.
What is it that upsets you most about the BJP’s campaign?
They are promoting a society based on Manu’s laws and this leads to divisions, working against equality and freedom. Also, the BJP is a party of outsiders (bahiragato) in Bengal and cannot dictate our lives. They don’t have any idea about the State, and are particularly unaware about what the poor want. Banglar manush unnayan aar shanti chaye (the people of Bengal want development and peace), they want freedom to practise their religion. But the BJP wants to capture everything from language to our culture and that is frightening.
What will you do if elected?
I plan to set up a ‘nagarik (citizen’s) committee’, where I will ask rickshaw pullers, vegetable vendors, fish sellers and people from all levels of society to join. Everyone from all castes and religions will be welcome. We will listen to their problems and needs, help them get benefits of the various schemes that are already in place. We must ensure that even one rupee owed to the poor does not go elsewhere.