Pather Dabi - The Right Of Way

Sarat Chandra Chatterjee

Translated by Prasenjit Mukherjee

Pather Dabi was first serialised in a bengali monthly journal Baghbani between 1922 and 1926. It created an enormous furore because of the insurgency it advocated against the British Government. The government decided to proscribe it when it appeared in book form. However in the last chapter published in Baghbani, the legend to be continued was added to delude the authorities into thinking that more chapters will follow. In the meantime the book was published after some efforts on 31st August, 1926. 5000 copies of the book were published and all of them got sold in the first week, so that when the police arrived to confiscate the book, no copies of it were found.

Pather Dabi is a unique and difficult piece of text. It has the elements of a a regular story, philosophy of human life and the tales of the ruthless oppression of the Indians by the British regime very intricately intertwined. The reader of today's era has most certainly forgotten the struggle for Indian independence. Nor is the feeling of pride owing to the struggle that took place years ago present in anybody's heart anymore. This book, though not presenting a complete story of the struggle, definitely stirs the reader's mind and makes him feel strongly against the oppressive acts of the British and how fellow countrymen too had joined hands with these butchers.

The story started with Apurba, who was an orthodox Brahmin and lived with his family consisting of his mother, two elder brothers and their wives. He was the only hope for his mother who had refrained herself from touching food cooked by her daughter-in-laws. Apurba was shown to be the Hero of his mother's life. He was 21 and was offered a job of 500 rupees a month in Burma. After some heated discussions his mother allowed him to go to Burma but sent along a Brahmin servant Tewari to cook for Apurba.

Apurba joined his office in Rangoon and occupied his newly allotted wooden flat with Tewari. He entered into a row with his christian neighbor and the dispute rose. He also met the neighbour's daughter Bharati, who he found very pretty. Though the row became uncontrolled and Apurba was dragged to a court where he was unjustly proved guilty and fined. He made a friend Ramdas Talwalkar at his office. A number of incidents happened where he was discriminated against, inspite of his education and high post. He seethed in anger at this unjust treatment meted out to him just because he was not a Gora. Though he felt strongly about the oppressed Indian class, he was a coward and did not have the guts to openly cry out for justice. His friend Talwalkar however proved to be a very courageous man and helped him face his neighbours. Though Apurba stated that the practice of not touching Indians and treating them like low people was bad, he failed to see the irony in his statement since he himself didn't touch food made by Bharati.

His impression of Bharati had turned sour after the court incident. One day when his house was ransacked by thieves in his absence, it was Bharati who drove them away and protected his property. It was clear that Bharati was sorry for the treatment meted out to Apurba. But Apurba instead of being thankful became suspicious of her. Bharati also took care of Tewari when he caught small pox in Apurba's absence. Apurba was very thankful in his heart towards Bharati, but he failed to overcome his orthodoxy and practice of untouchability and insulted Bharati unknowingly. Apurba developed a liking for her but failed to see Bharati's feelings for him.

He met Sabyasachi, the protagonist of the story a quarter into the book. He was at first introduced as a criminal. But Apurba realised the merit of this disguised man and appreciated the work he was doing for the country. He was inducted into an organisation called Pather Dabi by Bharati and it's president Sumitra. There he found out that Sabyasachi, who was referred to as Doctor by everyone there, was the heart of this organisation. He started to learn about Doctor and his virtues. He joined the work of helping the factory workers by agitating them to strike against their masters who were exploiting them. He also involved Talwalkar in one such meeting with the factory workers. But the Police intervened and arrested Talwalkar for his treacherous speech. Apurba was shaken up and after getting embarrassed for accusing Doctor of being heartless but later discovering that Doctor had already freed Talwalkar,  he walked away from Pather Dabi. He was later sentenced to death by the Pather Dabi members for disclosing secret information to the police. But Doctor saved his life by single handedly vetoing this decision for Bharati's sake. The other members of Pather Dabi were against it but against Doctor they did not dare do anything. From here on the story turned towards Doctor as he talks to his fellow revolutionaries and justifies his methods. Bharati became like a younger sister to Doctor and they shared many long and deep conversations. Doctor revealed the incident that stirred him to take up this path. He then cited many examples of other countries like China and explained to Bharati that the religion that the Europeans preached, the peace that they talked about was all a farce. He revealed that he does not expect the factory workers or the peasants to contribute to the revolution as he knew that their strikes would be crushed again and again. He only expected that the blood they lose will ignite the minds of the educated because they are the ones who will bring about a change. Bharati reproached his method saying that bloodshed need not be the only answer, and that Doctor, with his superior intelligence and wisdom should be able to find another way. Doctor laughed at Bharati and said that the peaceful ways she talked about are illusions. He explained how the Europeans used these missionaries to spread their control by using them as an excuse to bring in their armies and conquer the nation. Doctor talked at length about the facts ignored and small good deeds coming into prominence. He commented on their justice saying-
“The concept of justice in civilized European nations cannot conceive why a powerful country should not seize what rightfully belongs to a weaker nation.”

He appreciated the Japanese because of the law they passed hundreds of years ago making it illegal for whites to enter Japan.

Bharati was moved by these talks and realised that Doctor had had many sufferings in his life and therefore his heart had turned stone out of hatred. She implored him to think of a peaceful way, not only to prolong his own life but because she believed that if the lower classes didn't prosper, the country would be doomed. To this Doctor replied calmly that his aim was not the welfare of the country, but its Independance. The path he walked didn't have a right or wrong. Bharati was still not convinced and wished to restore India to its former glory hundreds of years ago through her peaceful efforts. Doctor corrected her by saying that the past of the country was very sad too. Despite being glorious, our ancestors ran when the Huns and the Muslims attacked and destroyed and desecrated the temples. The same happened when the British attacked. He implored Bharati and his other revolutionaries to create an India which is not bound by ancient scriptures and truths, for they are now invalid. When a character said that we have been following these principles since past times, he responded-

“In this ever changing world, there is nothing like unchanging, inviolate truth. Truth too has its births and deaths in every age. In every generation, it adapts to the needs of people. To believe that what was true for past ages would be true in today’s world would be an error of judgement like a blind superstition.”

He cited that the caste system was useless now for if people were to only follow the professions assigned to them, they would surely perish. Bharati and the others reproached him for speaking ill of the religions and accused him of advocating lies and deceiving people. He replied in his ever calm tone that to him only that is true which is relevant.

“Religion is basically a sham. Just an age old superstition. Religion is man’s worst enemy”

Despite being rebellious, Doctor's thoughts make an impact on the reader. The reader too, especially in today's modern light, realises that Doctor was indeed right. Today when we see an official showing favoritism, we get mad at him so much. If we try to imagine a time when showing favoritism towards Europeans against Indians in their own country was not only common but also an accepted practice, then we might be able to understand a fraction of the anger and hatred experienced by the revolutionaries of those times. His decision to use the peasants as stepping stones was also right for he had himself explained that just like a cow, these peasants loved peace more than anything else. One might succeed in igniting a spark in them but they would themselves extinguish it when they remember their love for peace. Doctor believed that the peasants were not yet ready to take up the fight for their rights and therefore forbade the poet-revolutionary Sashi to write songs for them. He urged him to write about the malices of the society and the bad practices that endanger the Indian society so that when Independence comes, the people have those songs and poems to guide them into building a better society.

A romantic side of the story is also developed along side between Bharati-Apurba, and Doctor-Sumitra. Apurba was banished from Rangoon and Bharati became heartbroken at having loved such a coward and mean person who never realised her love for him, and went away without thinking about her even once. She tried to get over Apurba and succeeded majorly till she came to know that Apurba was back in Rangoon and the mother whom he loved more than anything else and revered was dead. Her love came rushing back and she got worried for Apurba that being an utterly useless person when it came to caring for the sick as she had witnessed when Tewari was ill, how must he have managed without Bharati. She brought him back to her house and took care of him.
Doctor being the person he was, didn't let feelings like love take root in his heart. Despite Sumitra's efforts, he remained stone-like. “I am just a stone” says he at one instant. He couldn't settle down ever owing to his activities, nor could he get emotionally attached to anyone strongly. His only exception was Bharati, whom he got attached to only because he had distanced her from the activities of his organisation because her thinking was different and not suited for a path of bloodshed and cold blooded killings. He had a keen sense of perception and his opinions about a person seldom came out wrong. He displayed care for his friends and extreme caution and the ability to adjust to any surrounding and live and eat just about any kind of food. These abilities made Bharati shed many tears for her brother. She could not bear to think how strongly he felt for his motherland that he was prepared to live in such inhuman conditions and yet face indignation at the hands of fellow Indians. He was a great man who was prepared to die for his country. Sabyasachi was the result of the tyranny of the British Rule over Indians. He had given up all rights as a human to fulfill just one goal. His heart had stopped aching and feeling emotions. And for this reason he valued the heart of Bharati which had the blessing of being in love. He remained calm even in the worst of situations. He laughed at the half assed efforts of the so called political leaders to introduce reforms. He struck fear in the hearts of those who knew what he was capable of.

Sabyasachi or Doctor is portrayed as a super human soul. The character is in lines of the revolutionary leaders of the pre-independence era. The mental strength necessary for such a kind of work is understood from the mould of his character. The conditions in which the revolutionaries have to take shelter in, the constant danger they face, the way they handle situations, the way even after all these, the doctor remains cheerful and confident all through is indeed an inspiring account.

The story ended with him finally leaving for Singapore to kill a fellow revolutionary who had turned traitor and had compromised the entire organisation that Doctor had set up there and had gotten many of its members killed. Everyone, including Sumitra, Bharati and Sashi, was apprehensive that Doctor might get killed because the police there knew him well and the man he was going to kill was very experienced himself. But nothing moved Sabyasachi. He took farewell and walked off amidst a heavy storm with his baggage to board the ship for Singapore.

"A few moments later there was a clap of thunder near by. Lightning flashed and for a moment gave them a last glimpse of Doctor...

...Just for a second! The next moment everything seemed to disappear in the darkness again"