Mrityunjay (Novel)

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya

Translated to Malayalam

The novel is set on the background of the Quit India Movement of 1942 and related events in Assam. Dhanpur, a youth in his prime years along with his leader and mentor, Goswami, plans for de railing a Military train and accomplishes the task skillfully. The discussion on the morality of the act and the subsequent developments are the major thread of this novel.

The suffering and determination of the People in revolting against the British rule has been the subject matter of many novels written in the Post-Independence Period. The British and their servants had been adopting all the cruel means, not even sparing children and pregnant women, to suppress the agitation. Their atrocities were beyond human dignity.

The novel also traverses the emotional world of the major characters. Dhanpur in his child hood was attracted towards Dimi, a Garo girl, later he promises to marry Subhadra who was molested by the Military and finally succumbs to his wounds in act of derailment. The novelist does not try to glorify acts of violence, but only narrates the pains endured by the people during India’s struggle for Independence.

Geographically the story unfolds in the vicinity of Nowgong , Kampur etc in Assam. BaraPathar Derailment incident has a strong connotation with the events in the novel. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya got Jnanpith award in 1979 for this novel.