It will be Pritilata Waddedar's birthday on 5 May. After exhaustive study and dedicated research, Maleka Begum authored 'Pritilata Waddedar', the book on this revolutionary woman. The author talks to Altaf Shahnewaz about the book, published by Prothoma Prokashon.
What inspired you to write a book about Pritilata Waddedar?
Sufia Kamal has had significant influence in my life. This great woman is my inspiration in whatever I do. I would call her Sufia Khalamma (Aunt Sufia). She encouraged in so much of my endeavours and also has a role in my writing about Pritilata. I basically met and became close to Sufia Kamal when I got involved in Mahila Parishad. She was my mentor. it was the mod-sixties when one day Sufia Kamal called me and said, "Women must learn about carrying out a movement." While discussing this, she went on to say, "We must learn more about these women who inspire us, women like the revolutionary Pritilata Waddedar who sacrificed their lives."
I was involved in the leftist student movement at the time. I was aware about Pritilata Waddedar of Chattogram. But, frankly speaking, I didn't know about her in detail. After listening to Sufia Kamal 'khalamma', I was inspired to learn more about this fiery revolutionary. And Sufia Kamal encouraged me. She would often say, "First study about whomever you are going to write about. Don't write without in-depth study." Her words were always very important to me.
However, when I started looking into details about Pritilata Waddedar, I was faced with certain problems. Books were not that affordable back then and were not readily available either. So I gathered whatever I could at the time and wrote an article about Pritilata Waddedar. Actually that article was the starting point of my research on Pritilata.
Did you write that article in the sixties?
I can't quite remember, but I think I wrote it after Bangladesh's independence.
Back then during the British colonial rule, it was a girl from our East Bengal who shrugged aside the family binding and gave herself to the greater cause. I felt duty bound to let people know about this. I felt that Pritilata could serve as an inspiration to women of today too
Your book, the biography entitled 'Pritilata Waddedar', was published in 2018. Your article was written after independence. So your journey with Pritilata Waddedar was quite a long one. How was this journey -- from an article to full-fledged book?
I would say it was a joyful journey. But it had its fair share of pains too. It was joyful because I was learning new things about Pritilata. It was painful because when I was studying about Pritilata, there were hardly much books about her, as I said. I really struggled. I would visit Dhaka University library, the central library and so many libraries, perusing old books to dig up information on Pritilata. Different books had different information on her. It took time to verify all the information -- what were the facts, which were exaggerations. I would spend hours at the libraries. The library staff would ask me, "What are you doing here?"
I even went to India for books and information. I spoke to many people. India's Uttara Chakraborty helped me in finding books. Pritilata's younger sister Shanti Chowdhury had written a book 'Birangana Pritilata' and that book was immensely helpful.
I have a habit or working on many tasks simultaneously. When I was studying about Pritilata, I was also reading about Leela Nag. I jot down notes in my notebook when I read. In this manner, from back in the sixties I was studying about Pritilata. It was in the sixties that I met Matiur Rahman. He was a source of encouragement in my writing endeavours. He encouraged me about my writing on Pritilata too. He would say, "Writing is not enough, you must make other know about all this too." But I would think, let me first know about this in detail, then I will share it with others. That is why it took so long for me to actually bring out the book. It took me three or four years to write the book.
Finally, why did you write this book?
Actually, when was learning about Pritilata Waddedar, I was constantly fascinated and amazed. He father Jagabandhu Waddedar was a head clerk at the municipality and also a tutor. Later, Pritilata's earnings were a big support to the family. But isn't it a matter of immense magnitude that she rose above all her concerns for the family and came forward to sacrifice her life for the sake of the country?
I wrote this book because I felt that people should know about Pritilata's revolutionary life. Even today girls are trapped in the bondage of marriage and family, the moment their studies end even their mothers are desperate to get them married off. Women are held back by family ties at every step. But back then during the British colonial rule, it was a girl from our East Bengal who shrugged aside the family binding and gave herself to the greater cause. I felt duty bound to let people know about this. I felt that Pritilata could serve as an inspiration to women of today too. That is why I tried to write the book in lucid language, so readers of all ages can learn about this revolutionary woman.
How do you feel after being immersed so long in research on Pritilata?
I felt self-reproach while studying about Pritilata. I would wonder, what politics have I been doing? What revolution have I been carrying out? Pritilata is the true revolutionary. If we can understand Pritilata's life and vision in today's context, of how she gave her life for the oppressed, if we can stand up for the oppressed, that perhaps will be a true display of respect towards her.