West Bengal Assembly Election, the War without the Warriors

It seems to be the war without the warriors!

Only one and a half months to wait. The assembly election in West Bengal is knocking at the door. No, apparently there is no reason to wonder. But, this time it seems to be quite different as the war is likely to take place without the generals!

Confused? To be more precise, the three main parties of West Bengal, including the ruling and the opposition, are fighting for their cause without their concerned heads.

Mamata Banerjee, the honourable rail minister of India and the honourable head of the opposition party, Trinamul Congress (TMC), has already announced that she is not fighting in this election. She has chosen to stay away though she has not mentioned the reason. But, she did not forget to mention, if people of West Bengal choose her party to be the ruler, she has no objection to ‘lead the government’. In that case, after 6 months of the formation of government, she will stand in the election to be chosen as the chief minister of the state. The constitution of India permits that. But, then what will happen to the rail ministry? She remained silent on the controversial issue of power transaction.

It seems that Mamata’s announcement has provoked another chairperson to stay away from the upcoming election. Although, he has left the decision on the party high-command, but his body language says, he is reluctant to take part actively in the assembly poll. Yes, Pradesh Congress chairperson Manas Bhnuiya expressed his reluctance indirectly. It was not surprising to him, when he faced questions from journalists here, whether he is going to take part in the upcoming election or not. Although he kept his silence, but sources say, he has expressed his reluctance for standing in the election from Sabang, his usual constituency in West Midnapore District. He replied to the questions asked by journalists quietly, ‘who are we to comment on the issue? It will be decided by the party high command’. So, the game is not over yet.

The most surprising thing is that, our honourable chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has also been warned by his friends for not to fight in the upcoming assembly pole. They have numerous reasons to fear of course. The chief minister’s constituency in Jadavpur is more TMC prone nowadays rather than the ruling party. The general election 2 years ago had shown that. The chief minister’s image has been tarnished so badly in many cases that there is an obvious cause to fear. His friends have warned him that he is not supposedly going to win the battle. So, he should be more prudent this time. If the chief minister loses the battle, and the party wins, he will have to resign. He will not be able to be the chief minister again. But, if he does not fight, there would be no cause to worry. If the ruling Left Front loses this time, that also would be none of his business. He will not lose his position. Obviously, he will not be able to rule the state again. And, if the party wins, if the high-command wants, he will be the chief minister again.

His friends have done their job. Now, it is his turn to decide on the fact. Will he stand to lose the game? Or, will he step aside for the cause of the party? It is up to him now. The political thinkers have warned him too about the outcome. Netai, Nandigram, Singur, and most recently the Barasat incident have tarnished the ruling party’s image. The administration’s callousness in those incidents has led to further serious consequences. Ruling Left Front has to regain the faith and sympathy they have lost in recent years. And, that takes time. They are not left with enough time.

Who is going to win the battle? That would be clear by time. But, West Bengal is interestingly going to see a battle without generals, which is more or less clear.

It happens once in a blue moon.

Suchetana Chakraborty

Julian Assange: got trapped in a conspiracy?

Julian Paul Assange. With a background of an e-mail hacker, and the founder of a whistle-blower website, Assange has lasted as a rapist and a womanizer in jail. Though he has finally managed to get bail, he is now fighting an extradition case in London as Sweden, where the two women colleagues have filed rape and sexual assault charges against him, badly needs him back in its hand. But, can it be considered as rape or assault anyway, what Assange has done? Or is he trapped by the rigid law of a ‘feminist’ country?

In August, 2010, the Wikileaks founder has gone to Sweden. He was to attend a number of events. After giving his valuable speech, Assange got involved with those two women. One of them was the organizer of an event herself. But, what Assange has done generally goes unnoticed in the free society of West. Then how he has got trapped? It was just after the first US secret cables came into light. Courtesy, Wikileaks.

Two separate rape and assault cases were filed against the founder of the whistle-blower site. Julian Paul Assange incessantly denied the charges against him. Merely sleeping with somebody cannot be considered as a crime in a democratic society. This is what exactly Assange has done. He eventually slept with two women in a very short period of time. None of them are his fiancé, so he had no obligation to maintain secrecy even. But, he maintained. And that was fatal for the Australian hacker. According to Assange himself, these women came to know each other and after learning everything, they decided to go to police. And the result is, Julian is awaiting an extradition to Sweden, where he might be jailed.

Assange is obstinately stressing on the fact that he didn’t rape anybody. He never even assaulted anyone. He slept with those women with mutual consent. And therefore it cannot be considered as ‘Rape’. But, the Swedish law is strict enough to put Assange into prison for lifetime even there is mutual consent for the love-making. And that is where Assange got trapped. The women claimed that Julian obviously had sex with them with their consent. But, in one incident, the condom tore up in the midway. But, Assange continued to have sex without the preventive, even after his companion objected. Sex without condom is considered as ‘rape’ according to the rigid Swedish law. And this is what exactly Assange has done. In another incident, Assange tried to have sex while his companion was sleeping. The lady eventually woke up and discovered herself in that awkward position. She lodged in her complaint that, Julian continued to have sex with her in spite of her objection. Therefore, it can be considered as ‘rape’. In Sweden, these are all punishable offences. So, this is quite obvious that Julian Paul Assange is going to get inside the prison. For how many days, God only knows. The British court has already dismissed Assange’s plea for his trial in London. So, his extradition to Sweden is only a matter of time.

But, why after so many days these two women had decided to lodge their complaints? Assange himself claimed that although he has got trapped by the rigid law of Sweden, the United States is behind all those troubles. While speaking to media after the bail was granted, Assange vowed to continue his work as a whistle-blower. He even threatened to publish all the remaining cables he has in his hand one by one. It is a matter of proof whether Pentagon has really played a cunning game behind the rape and assault cases. But, The Wikileaks indeed kept its promise. It has never stopped publishing secret cables even when Assange was behind the bar. Assange claimed that the United States could not instigate a criminal investigation against him for publishing such secret cables. Therefore, he is not a criminal. Assange asserted that US is afraid of him and his website. Assange is obstinate in revealing the ‘truth’, even after he is being threatened to be put behind the bar. May be, his claims would never be considered. But, it is the spirit and virtue of a whistle-blower that one must salute. A worshipper of truth and humanity, a fearless Gandhian? Perhaps he is.

Suchetana Chakraborty

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Iran’s Democracy and the Situation of the Opposition in the Middle-east country

In the disguise of a democratic state, Iran is turning out to be a hard-line Islamic state. After being elected for a second term, the President himself has taken initiative to strangulate the voice of the opposition so far. It has become such a sinister practice that the autocratic ruler is now instigating a constitutional reform, which may empower the state to try the opposition leaders for their ‘impudence’. There are chances that the leaders may be hanged if the state declares them as ‘enemies of the state’. The punishment for this kind of ‘offence’ is always capital in the extremist regime, which can endanger the possibility of a republic to be transformed entirely into a dictatorial one, which does not allow the opposition to raise their voice of concern.

June, 2009. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad had been elected for a second time. Aftermath of election had shown the world, how the opposition voice can be strangulated by the order of the state (though Libya is walking through the same path nowadays). Ahmedinejad ordered police to open fire on the opposition rally which had killed numerous people. The repression of the state was so brutal that an arrest warrant was issued against each and everyone who opposed Tehran and its policy. Days have been really hard for the opposition leaders like Mir Hossain Mousavi, Mehadi Karaubi. Iran has so far tried several people for ‘opposing the state’. It’s when the international world starts questioning, how is this possible in a democracy? These ‘oppositions’, tried in a lower court, have been termed by Iran as ‘spies of West’. No, they were not sentenced to death so far. But, they do not include only the political activists as well. There are many intellectuals whom Iran has imprisoned inside the darkness of Evin. Starting from Clotilde Reiss, a French Academician, there are numerous examples of intellectuals, who are being tried for ‘espionage’ after the disputed election of Ahmedinejad. Clotilde was living in Tehran at the time of presidential election. She used to send mails to her friends in France about the repression of Iranian Government and its brutal purging of the opposition all over the country. Later freed on condition and exchange of an Iranian convict (a former minister involved in a murder had been imprisoned in France), Reiss was soon termed as a ‘spy’ and arrested by Ahmedinejad police. After getting hold of Clotilde, France dismissed Tehran’s allegation that the French academician is a ‘Mata Hari’. For the same allegation, three Americans are now being tried to the lower court of Iran. The fates of Joshua Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd are yet to be decided. They too were arrested in June, 2009, after the disputed presidential election from the Iranian border with Iraqi Kurdistan, allegedly ‘spying for the west’.

‘The great dictator’, after being elected for the 2^nd time, allegedly claimed that the Western world, including Britain, America has been tried to disrupt the Presidential election and thus tried to get hold of the country secretly. He termed the opposition leaders as the ‘western spies’ and brought assertions that all of them are actually involved in a terrible ‘conspiracy’ against the state and should be tried for ‘trying to sell out the country to the West’. His latest initiative to reform the constitution only proves that he is trying to dismantle the opposition voice. Thus, his ‘endeavour’ is worsening the situation of the opposition day by day.

Talking about the intellectuals, who have been imprisoned for supporting the opposite power, one cannot skip mentioning Jafar Panahi, the worldwide acclaimed film director. Panahi was allegedly being seen at the opposition rallies, raising voice against the dictatorial power. The misfortune came in the disguise of Iran police when Panahi ventured to write a script of his new film, stating the condition of the country, the autocracy of the ruler and its initiative to throttle the opposition voice. Panahi had been arrested along with his acquaintances from a dinner party at his own home. Freed for a while on bail, he had been tried for ‘espionage’. Later, the court had sentenced him 6 years imprisonment, barring him from making films for 20 long years! In another word, it has virtually ruined the filmmaker’s career. Despite the objection from internationally acclaimed actors and directors like Juliette Binoche, Abbas Kiarostami, Iran has not moved an inch from its position. Later, in a statement forwarded to the press, Panahi said, ‘they have condemned me to twenty years of silence. Yet, in my dreams, I scream for a time, when we can tolerate each other, respect each other’s opinion and live for each other’.

But, Iran Government seems to be deaf to his concern. How can they tolerate the opinion of others? There are highest possibilities that this may empower the opposite forces to topple the autocratic ruler, strip him off from his power and get hold of the country itself. How can Ahmedinejad government let it happen? That is why, Panahi’s voice of concern seemed too loathsome to them to be taken into account. Iran’s latest movement just proves that.

Will the day ever come when each and everybody in Iran will be able to communicate their opinion in public without the fear of being arrested, interrogated and imprisoned? Will the Adolf Hitler of today be shown mercy then? You never know. The terrible surge of Egyptian and Libyan opposition movement may stir Iran too. What is the other possibility? Iran may slowly, gradually be turned into a complete autocratic, extremist state. Time can only give the answer, what is likely to happen.

Corpses have Colour in West Bengal

It has become apparent nowadays in West Bengal that if you have to do politics, that should be evolved around a dead body!

It has been increasingly seen today that the Bengal politicians have turned on and on in front of the television camera and people have seen them mourning for a victim so far unknown to them. Therefore, suddenly the unfortunates turn out to be political activists! Both the government and the opposition start claiming that the victim was their own ‘party-cadre’! This dirty practice of politicizing death has begun only for 2 or 3 years.

Starting with the incident of Barasat, a number of events will only affirm that there is obviously a dirty politics conspiring around some brutal killings. What happened in Barasat, a township area in North 24 Pargana district? Rajiv Das, a 17 year old Madhyamik examinee was butchered to death while trying to save his sister from the eve teasers. On that sinister night, Rinku Das, Rajiv’s sister was returning from work. She is a divorcee and sings at a bar in Kolkata. On that day, she had to work late and had to avail the last train to return home. Her brother came to the station to take her back. But, the poor souls didn’t know that 3 local goons were waiting for them in the midway. They persuaded and halted the bike, started teasing Rinku and tried to kidnap her. Rajiv protested. But, the goons captured him and began beating him mercilessly. Rinku relentlessly screamed for help but nobody came. There were at least 5 policemen on their duty that night as the district magistrate and the police super live nearby. But, they turned their back on the helpless siblings while the anti-socials stabbed Rajiv to death. When the dead body came for funeral, the chief minister of West Bengal was already at the Das ‘Capital’. The opposition Trinamul Congress Party (TMC) had already started protesting outside, screaming and creating chaos, whiles their leader and our rail minister, Mamata Banerjee announced, ‘the poor boy was our party member!’. Partha Chatterjee, the spokesperson of TMC claimed in front of television camera, ‘we are proud enough that Rajiv Das was our party member!’ (Rajiv was a Madhyamik Examinee and had nothing to do with TMC or CPM) He went on claiming, ‘this is a deliberate conspiracy of the ruling party.’ Not only that, while each and everyone started questioning the role of administrative service in West Bengal, TMC had arranged a hearse to carry the dead body for funeral. That was too much for the friends and relatives of Rajiv-Rinku. They refused to take the hearse and did the funeral by their own. Rinku later said in front of television camera, Rajiv was a mere teenager, and had nothing to do with the green or the red party. The upcoming legislative election has transformed the poor soul into a party cadre from nowhere!

If we look back, we can see a number of incidents of same kind. A few months ago, a student in Andul College was killed out of a clash between the supporters of leftist Student Federation of India (SFI) and Trinamul Congress Chhatro Parishad (TMCP). Swapan Koley, the poor deceased was a member of SFI. But, as the body was released for funeral, SFI carried it to the party office; TMC had clearly envisioned the upcoming ‘danger’ and suddenly arranged for the corpse of Sanatan Hembram from the agitated ‘Jangal Mahal’ to compete the race. Unfortunately, later the Maoists claimed that Sanatan Hembram was one of their cadres, who had become green out of the blue! What a contrast!

But, from where did it all begin? When did the game start running? We have to step a few years back therefore. Rizwanur Rahman’s death stirred West Bengal massively. When the corpse was found on a rail-track, there was a huge speculation whether it was a murder or a suicide. Later, we came to know that Rizwanur’s millionaire father-in-law, the Lux Cozy business tycoon Pradip Todi and his brothers were involved in the conspiracy. But, it was yet to be announced whether it is a murder or a suicide. As the case was handed over to CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) from CID, the state investigating agency, Rizwanur’s brother Rukbanur began to be seen in front of media, claiming the ruling party’s involvement. Meanwhile, Rukbanur-Rizwanur’s mother, Begum Kishwar Zahan was being seen in the party-meetings arranged by the opposition TMC, holding Mamata’s hand, saying, ‘Mujhe Insaaf Dila Dijiye!’ (‘Bring me justice!’). Rukbanur took a step forward and stood in the municipal election as a TMC candidate. But, alas! Unlike, Asif Ali Zardari in Pakistan, Rajiv Gandhi in India and somewhat like Zaroslaw Kachzynsky in Poland, Rukbanur failed to gain the ‘sympathy vote’. It was too late for Rukbanur and TMC as people of Bengal had already realized the colour of politics evolving around a tragic consequence.

But, that could not stop politicizing death in West Bengal. The severity is increasing day by day. It is increasingly felt, how one needs a colourless, neutral state to live in. And what about our ‘intellectuals’? The backbone of the society also could not keep themselves away from the colour politics. They light candles and march through the streets of Kolkata, protesting against the death of Rizwanur, against Nandigram, Singur, but they never raised their voice against the merciless butchering in ‘Jangal Mahal’. They create sensation over a murder, but they do not care about the bullet-riddled dead bodies lying on the streets of ‘Jangal Mahal’ every day. Who are those people? Why are they being killed? Who is behind those killings? Why Maoist posters are being found beside the corpses beyond identification? Everybody knows the answer. But, the so-called backbone remains silent because perhaps these dead bodies have no colour!

How can they protest for the colourless, being engrossed in the politics of colour themselves?

Suchetana Chakraborty

The Malpractice of Shariah and theVictimization of Women Worldwide

 Incident one: Hena Akter. This 14 year old Bangladeshi girl from Naria of Shariatpur district was sentenced to lashing by local Union Parishad clerics. Why should she be lashed in public? Clerics demanded that the girl was allegedly having an illicit relationship with a 40 year old married man. Therefore, according to Shariah, they volunteered, she must be whipped in public. Hena was sentenced to 100 lashes. After receiving 70 lashes, she collapsed. Taken to the hospital, she was announced brought dead!  Bangladesh government was prompt enough to take action against the killing after a massive protest was launched. A fresh post mortem has been ordered to carry out as soon as possible. Also, the cleric, who ordered the sentence, was asked to be arrested as soon as possible.

Incident two: Shakineh Mohammodi Ashtiani. This 43 year old woman of Iran was sentenced to death by stoning in public. Local court, after announcing the verdict said, the mother of three is involved in an illicit relationship with two men at the same time. Not only that. The court demanded that Shakineh was involved in a terrible conspiracy against her own husband and helped one of her lovers to murder him. Therefore, the court decided to give her the capital sentence. According to Shariah, they said, if a married woman gets involved in an illicit relation with a man, then she must be stoned to death!  There was unequivocal protest against this merciless sentence worldwide. Pressurized by the powerful countries of West as well as human right commissions such as Amnesty International, Iran government has decided to postpone carrying out the sentence. Nonetheless, Shakineh was rewarded 99 lashes inside the prison.

Incident three: Aisha Begum. 18 year old married woman from an Afghanistan village was given shelter by a European organization after being thrown away from her in-law’s house. No, Aisha was not sentenced to death by the local clerics. The teenage Begum had nowhere to go. Vehemently tortured and raped, she decided to protest against the in-law. One night she escaped and taken shelter to her grandfather’s home. But, soon she was discovered and brought back to the in-law. Her husband was not home at that time. She was mercilessly tortured by her brothers-in-law. Therefore, they decided that her nose should be chopped off because she was having an illicit relationship with a neighbour! However, the relationship was only a claim and there was no proof. But, Aisha Begum was destined to be born in Afghanistan, a country almost ruined by the hardliner Taliban regime and nine years long aggression of foreign force. So, her nose was chopped off and she was thrown into utter darkness. Aisha was discovered by the European organization working for Afghans and given a new nose as well as a new life. Aisha does not cry anymore. Time magazine decided to publish the picture of Aisha on their issue cover with nose severed. It was such a horrible of a sight that there was a massive stir against the merciless Shariah system worldwide. However, America and its allied forces had taken the full advantage of the incident and claimed that they had rescued Aisha.

Incident four: Lubna Husain Ahmed. The middle-aged Sudanese social worker and human rights activist was sentenced to whipping according to Shariah by local clerics. What did she do? She, along with some women friends had gone to a restaurant wearing a trouser instead of Salwar. So, the clerics demanded that she should be punished with lashing. Being a social worker herself, Lubna decided not to give up and challenged her sentence in court. Massively pressurized, a local court of this Muslim-populated country had decided to postpone the sentence and free Lubna from all hazards.

Lubna won her challenge. She managed to be out of the prison because she was an educated social activist. She had many followers and supporters. People gathered outside the courthouse and chanted slogans to free Lubna Husain Ahmed. But, nobody gave a damn when Shakineh was sentenced to be stoned to death or whipped inside the darkness of prison. Nobody raised voice when Hena was whipped to death. The village neighbourhood remained silent when Aisha’s nose was chopped off, when she barely escaped imminent death.

This malpractice of Shariah by hardliners in various Muslim countries has nowadays become a fashion. If you are a woman, lives in a place where this malpractice prevails over administrative concerns, chances are that you would be whipped or stoned in public. And once you are in love? You are gone. These extremists would get hold of you.

Shakineh, Hena and Aisha were allegedly having ‘illicit’ relationships. Just notice the very word, ‘illicit’. In a democratic country, ruled by a republic government, who is supposed to decide whether a man and a woman are having an ‘illicit affair’ or not? What does the word implicate? There is no answer.

According to Shariah, the woman involved would always be punished in public. Why not the man? The incident in Bangladesh is certainly a ‘once in a blue moon’ one, but these hardliners claim that Shariah law must be implied to give verdict in such a case. What they actually do is to misuse Islam to take lives away. The implication of Shariah in a highly patriarchal society therefore creates negative impact in the world outside. People start believing that this is the malpractice of the religion itself! What a pity! Quran never states that a woman should be punished in this way if she has an ‘illicit affair’ or something like that. Now, just imagine the impact! Just imagine how these hardliners are misguiding people and mesmerizing them in the name of religion. How they are taking advantage of mass sentiment. What is the reason? Are not they enlightened or educated enough? Then why the power itself is profoundly supporting the extremist cause in countries like Iran, Afghanistan or Sudan? How could marital rape be legalized in a country like Afghanistan after Hamid Karzai came to the power?

Now, the question is who will take the initiative to stop this mass murder in the name of religion? Who will take initiative to stop victimization of women by misusing Islam? The answer is certainly not blowing in the wind!

Published in the 'News Today' Bangladesh (January, 2011)

The Application of Doppelganger in Films Worldwide

The word Doppelganger itself has a German orientation. Generally, the word is used to describe any ‘look-alike’ of a person. But, in other sense, it is used to describe the sensation or feelings of one for having glimpsed oneself in the ‘peripheral vision’. But, at the same time, it has nothing to do with one’s reflection onto the mirror or the mirror image. It is something like one’s alternate self. In some traditions, doppelgangers are generally regarded as ‘harbingers’ of bad luck, illness, even as ‘omen’ of death.

Now, the question is, is it a mere phenomenon or a psychological disorder? ‘The Nature’ reported in September 2006 that, in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, a patient was having the experience of the presence of another person in her ‘extra personal space’. As she was being treated for epilepsy under the observation of Dr. Shahar Arzy and his colleagues, the focal electrical stimulation was applied to her left temporoparietal junction. At that time, she felt the presence of another person, ‘looks’ exactly like her or the body posture identical to her. As the conclusion of this ‘strange sensation’, Dr. Arzy argued that left temporoparietal junction of the brain evokes the sensation of ‘self-image’, ‘body-location’. When this left temporoparietal junction is disturbed by anything, ‘the sensation of self attribution is broken and may be replaced by the sensation of a foreign presence or copy of oneself displaced nearby. This copy mirrors the real person’s body posture....’

But, this kind of phenomenon can be seen is case of ‘mentally ill persons’, who have either ‘schizophrenia accompanied by paranoia’ or ‘delusions of persecution and of alien control’, as suggested by Arzy. This can also be identical to various existing psychological problems like ‘monothematic delusion’, ‘syndrome of subjective doubles’ or ‘out of body experience’. Although the above patient was mentally fit, her left temporoparietal junction of brain was disturbed by the stimulation.

Whatever the psychological reason is, this article has something to do with the application of the phenomenon Doppelganger in films worldwide. The first among the films on this phenomenon to be noted is ‘The Doppelganger’, directed by Avi Nersher, made in 1993, with Drew Barrymore in the lead role. Dealing with the story of a beautiful young girl named Hurley, cast by Barrymore, the film shows us how the girl is being blamed for the murders of her own mother, father and an attempt of murder on her brother, which are believed to be committed by her, but ‘not her exactly’. The girl gives excuses of her own doppelganger, who, she believes, has committed all those murders. Hurley claims that she can see her own doppelganger, can meet her in person, who looks exactly like her. The film goes through a series of ‘strange’ as well as ‘erotic’ events which lead to an ending, which is nothing but a bloody mess! Instead of dealing with the exact phenomenon of doppelganger or its psychological impression, the film shows a psychologically ill person, who takes the disguise of Hurley and commits all the crimes as he wants to get Hurley into his possession. He seems to be obsessed by the physical beauty of the girl. The film ends with the killing of the person by the ‘real doppelganger’ of the girl.

In order to show that the girl has 2 split personalities (one is good, another is evil), which is a very common phenomenon Hollywood generally deals with, the film literally has to split the girl into 2 skeletons from a flesh and blood human being. But, how can it be possible biologically, the film does not give any logical explanation about it. Undoubtedly, it is a very bad effort on the doppelganger phenomenon.

Next film we have to deal with on the same phenomenon is a Japanese one, by the same name. The Doppelganger in Japanese is directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. This film more or less deals with the phenomenon of doppelganger as the harbinger of death. Takashi dies because he has met with his own doppelganger. His sister, Yuka, explains to the scientist, Hayashaki San, her sensation about the doppelganger of her brother, who lives with her after his death. This scientist, on the other hand, has also been meeting his own doppelganger and facing huge trouble because of him (his own alternate self, as the self himself claims) in his workplace as well as in his personal life. Takashi’s sister believes that the huge mental burden of her brother because of the Newcomer Award in novel (on which he was working) has led him to immense depression and finally he has chosen to commit suicide. According to Yuka, through the doppelganger, Takashi has met with his ‘ideal self’. But Takashi’s doppelganger seems to be a very strange one, who has no similarity with in nature or behavior with original Takashi.

Simultaneously, Hayashaki San is fired from his workplace because of the mess created by his own doppelganger. Here also, the doppelganger seems to be a different human being, though he looks exactly like the scientist. He destroys Hayashaki’s tremendous toil, the autonomous chair for the disabled persons. This doppelganger is exactly opposite of Hayashaki, who even murders Takashi’s doppelganger. Here also, he has been dealing with immense mental stress. So, the screen portrayal tells us that a person can meet his own doppelganger, when he is burdened with immense psychological burden (which can be similar to the pressure on left temporoparietal junction of brain). Through meeting this alternate self, he or she can reach to the point of meeting the ‘ideal self’, what he or she has always been wishing to be.

In Kiyoshi’s Doppelganger, the alternate self brings Hayashaki the contract with Medicon Industries, which was his dream. The doppelganger makes love to Yuka, and later explains to Hayashaki that he has always been wishing to do that but cannot achieve. As his doppelganger, he only fulfills San’s desire.

But, at last, we see the film portrays the doppelganger of Hayashaki San as a different human being, whom he kills by his own hand. The man seems to be a different one from the moment he kills his doppelganger. Once he explains to Yuka that from then on he would do whatever he wishes to. The doppelganger, on the other hand tells Hayashaki before ‘his’ death that soon they would merge into one. Kiyoshi Kurosawa shows at one point of time that the 2 selves of Hayashaki San merge into one and also they split into 2 different human beings at another point of time very interestingly through superimposition, animation and split screen.

It seems that after the doppelganger dies, the 2 selves have merged into one complete Hayashaki San, who does everything according to his desire. It is not the previous Hayashaki who was so dazed and confused, cheated by everybody. It is a completely different Hayashaki whose wishes are accomplished by himself. Thus, he kills Kimishima, his assistant, flees with Yuka, does not even die when Kimishima runs the truck over him and finally, he does not sell his dream project to Medicon Industries. Rather, he hits Takado when he opens his car door to get the machine out. He again flees with Yuka and stops beside a seaside. The machine suddenly gets the power to be self-driven and runs towards the sea. It finally drowns into the sea. And Hayashaki’s dream is shattered into pieces, as if he has desired to destroy his dream project rather than to sell it to anyone else.

So, both of the films do not go with the actual idea or phenomenon of doppelganger. The doppelganger is not a different human being. It is like one’s own image that he/she can see but cannot control. These films do not handle the phenomenon of doppelganger as ‘one is having glimpsed oneself in the peripheral vision’. A man and his doppelganger do not converse with each other. The 2^nd film rather goes on with the idea that the unfulfilled desires can only be accomplished if one meets his/her ideal self through his/her own doppelganger. Rather, the doppelganger helps to bring out the ‘unconscious’ into forefront. Through the doppelganger, we come to know our hidden desires, which is impossible for us to work out according to Lacan. Lacan says we have need, demand and desire. This desire can never be fulfilled because our desire lives in our unconscious, which we can never encounter. So, there is obviously psychological part attached with the phenomenon which is needed to be excavated more and more. As an art form, as an audio-visual form, film can always help us to understand the truth about the doppelganger phenomenon. This type of application also enhances our desire to know more about the strange phenomenon existing beyond our world of knowledge.

Himu and Nilu: Return of the Native, At a Different Genre

Humayun Ahmed was a mere child when Sunil Gangopadhyay started writing.  Today, both of them are leading Bengali writers, one from East and one from West Bengal, highly acclaimed in the world of literature. The age of reason has not blurred the very similarity of prose-writing style between the two.

Sunil, apart from regular prose and poem, created Nillohit. Readers of Bengal are well aware that Nillohit is not only a pseudo-name, used by the eminent author. Nillohit is a strange character, with some specific perceptions about this world. Nilu (his nickname) is a jobless youth of 27 years, who views world from a different perspective. Strange things happen to him. But, Nilu never gets involved with a particular job. His soul is as free as a bird, who can never be caged. So is Himu. Humayun, apart from Misir Ali, created this strange character as one of his most popular protagonist. Himu is also a jobless youth, roams here and there, gets involved with strange things and never be fixated with a particular job. Like Nilu, Himu also works for human welfare.

Nillohit has a strange place in this world to go whenever he feels worthless. Why strange? Nobody knows much about Dikshunyapur. Inhabitants say, people, who are disgusted with this mortal world, who are badly cheated, who are engrossed in deep agony, come to Dikshunyapur. They leave their each and every belonging behind. It is said that whoever come to this place, never goes back to the busy world they have left behind. It seems that they live in a different world, far from the madding crowd. Dikshunyapur is not a known place in the world beyond that. Therefore, questions arises, is this heaven? Whenever Nilu feels suffocated, he takes a train to Dikshunyapur. Where is this place? Nobody knows except Nilu, who is an inhabitant of this mortal world. So, is it a psychological journey? Author has kept this part in the domain of darkness.

Himu does not take a psychological journey. He does not have a world beyond the mortal one to go. He himself is a psychic. Not in a true sense, i.e. he does not practice black-magic, witchcraft or anything like that. He himself is a strange human being. He has a sense of premonition. Somehow like Nostradamus, he can tell fortunes. No, he does not practice fortune-telling. He is a simple, jobless youth. But he works for human welfare. He can make a human wish come true. He usually wears a yellow Punjabi which is his trademark. It is said that the sky even falls for the colour of his Punjabi! Is he blessed therefore? A son of nature? Author has kept this part in the domain of darkness too.

Both of them, (Nilu and Himu), are good liars. But, they are harmless. They lie for the well-being of their fellows. They lie because they want to see them happy. They lie because they want to tie the broken threads of human relationships. Here lies the similarity. Himu and Nilu never search for profit. Life is not a balance-sheet to them. Therefore they fell, but they stand up, start their journey towards the destined doom. They never get fixated.

Himu and Nilu are therefore two free souls from two different genres. Nobody can hold time for them. They never grow up. It is like time has stopped its journey for them. But, they belong to different ages, different genres. They are created by two different authors in two different countries. East and West Bengal have been split apart. Not the feeling that grows in the inmost core of heart.

So, native always return to home. Therefore, Himu and Nilu are very symbolic. They portray our subconscious which knows no division created by Kantatarer Bera. There is a vagabond in each and every human being, who usually keeps latent in our subconscious mind. All of us actually try to be like Himu and Nilu but mortal world creates barrier between conscious and subconscious. Humayun and Sunil have successfully blurred this division, belonging to two different genres.