EU Supported project revels in the mystical allure of the Sundarbans!
The cachet plus the mystical charm of the Sundarbans is unveiled with the sedulous exploration of the life and livelihood of the honey collectors. Bon Bibi, or the Goddess of the Forest, still commands respect from all communities as she remains the saviour from perils in the forest, but honey collectors now face a wide range of other predators. Writes Towheed Feroze
The city recently witnessed two outstanding events, the first one, The Hive and the Hymn - a compelling exploration of the culture, myth and ethos of the Sundarbans and, the second, the unveiling of the book, ‘The Saline Quest for Honey’, an engrossing publication based on extensive research of life of the honey collectors of the mangrove forest, the impact of the ecology on their lives and, most importantly, the perennial presence of various tigers jeopardising their existence.
The secondary title of the book aptly reads: living with the tides, tigers and the traditions in the Sundarbans.
To state simply, the two events, falling under Sundarbans Across Borders: The Spirit of Cultural Resilience, coalesce to present a life which carries the heady sweetness of honey intertwined with the thrill of navigating the dangers posed by the Sundarbans.
But it’s never just honey and the threat from tigers because life in the forest is also plagued by river pirates and starkly, the prospect of incurring loss at the end of a honey collecting endeavour.
Both the events sought to present to the city dwellers and art connoisseurs, the inherent artistic impulse in the forest and the influence of folklore which has transformed into a revered forest- based doctrine.
The exhibition, Hive and the Hymn, inaugurated at the British Council, Dhaka, with partners DoA BUET, Riverine People and Team Platform.
Stephen Forbes, the country director of British Council, Bangladesh said, “At the British Council, cultural relations are at the heart of what we do to build connection, understanding and trust between people and countries.”
He acknowledged that the exhibition, Hive and Hymn, highlights the knowledge, resilience and creativity of the heritage of the Sundarbans.
Terming the events, ‘unique’, Frank Werner, president of EUNIC Cluster, Bangladesh and also the director of the German Cultural Centre, Goethe Institut in Bangladesh, observed, “For the first time, a comprehensive narrative about the Sundarbans is being presented. And for the first time, the communities in the Sundarbans can speak to the audience in their own artistic voice to a large urban audience.”
The director of Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Francois Chambraud, lauded the events.
In quest of Bon Bibi:
At the opening of the Hive and Hymn exhibition at the British Council on 22 February, performers from Sagor Nodi Natyasangstha from Satkhira presented an 80-minute live performance 'Dukher Bonobash', presenting the myth relating to the emergence of the deity of the Sundarbans, deemed sacred by both Hindus and Muslims.
The stage performance is an addition to the exhibited scroll art from the Sundarbans, capturing the zeitgeist of the forest area.
Commenting on the exhibited art plus the stage performance, Ashik Iqbal, a media professional enthused, “we all had a vague idea about Bon Bibi, but the performance plus the scroll arts reinforce the fact that the Goddess of the forest is not just a myth but a constant presence in the lives of the honey collectors who venture deep into the forest in the face of a variety of hazards.
The stage performance delves into the myth in which Bon Bibi emerges as a saviour of a hapless young man who comes to the forest to collect honey.
When he discovers that he will be sacrificed to the demon, the only help is from the deity and, from then on, Bon Bibi becomes the strength and guiding force for all those who enter the forest.
As an urbanite, we are often not aware of the distinct cultures and the beliefs that dominate lives in the Sundarbans, said one guest at the inauguration, adding, “The saga of Bon Bibi needs to be presented as a theatrical piece at the Shilpakala Academy.”
Amidst the sweet, the bits of the bitter:
The second part of the project saw the unveiling of the book ‘The Saline Quest for Honey’, involving Heritage and Technology Integration Cell of the Department of Architecture, BUET and the Riverine People Trust, under the aegis of the EUNIC Cluster Bangladesh and Kolkata project.
The book, unveiled at the Goethe Institut, Dhaka on 24 February is based on extensive research of honey collecting communities of Datinakhali and Mirgang, along with the Munda settlement in Mundapara.
A painstaking work, authored by Mohammad Tahajibul Hossain, Sheikh Rokon, Pavel Partha, Simita Roy, Hasib Zuberi Shihan, Anik Abdullah Aman, this dives deep into the intricate anthropological and sociological layers of the indigenous communities.
The hopes, fears, aspirations are explored along with the financial aspect of their livelihoods.
At the book launching, Baiba Zarina, head of Press, Political and Trade of the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, was present as chief guest.
The honey which comes from the Sundarbans is unique, with the honey collectors leading a life that carries not only the sweetness of the product but also the perils of the forest, commented Ms Zarina.
Saying that she had read about Bon Bibi, Ms Zarina, added, “I am from Latvia and in Latvian mythology, there is a similar goddess called Meza Mate, the forest deity or the Mother of the Forest, which protests wildlife, trees and the people living in the forest.”
The trust in Bon Bibi among the Munda community is absolute, as we find from the book.
For centuries, this belief in the deity of the forest has worked to safeguard Mouals or honey collectors from a plethora of adversities, natural and man-made.
While the danger from the real tiger is always present, the honey collectors are often compelled to grapple with metaphorical tigers, like the one termed ‘Debt tiger’.
Victims of an exploitative loan system, the honey collectors take loans at high interest rates while the honey they harvest is sold at a low price, leaving them caught in a debt cycle.
The other tigers are the bureaucracy which imposes unscientific policies and the climate change, leading to rise in the salinity of the water, creating public health crises for women.
Consequently, erosion also triggers displacement.
The sky rocketing rate of forest passes, which shot up from Tk 900 to a staggering Tk 9000 acts as a major impediment often pushing honey collectors to operate illegally.
Add to this, the threat from pirates who abduct collectors, demanding huge ransoms for their release.
A separate Sundarbans protection force, with modern boats, high tech tracking equipment, drones is essential, commented Anwar Karim, a journalist present at the book launching.
The government, with support from an international donor, can set up such a force, which will be accountable to a separate commission, he added.
Facing so many tigers, the future is often challenging as the children of honey collectors often feel the need to leave the traditional craft to head to the cities.
The book launching also showed a fifteen-minute documentary, The Spirit of the Delta, where the modern-day honey collectors voiced their grievances and their apprehensions.
In that they unanimously pointed to the ‘other’ tigers instead of the wild cat they encounter in the forest.
Once there is a fair credit system with the iniquitous debt cycle broken plus a transparent oversight, the profession of honey collecting will not disappear, the Mouals said in the documentary.
While the fascinating Sundarbans project, incorporating the stage show, scrolls, the forest myth, the indignation of the honey collectors ended with the footage of a regal royal Bengal tiger sitting on a semi forest setting, the danger did not seem to emanate from the large cat.
For ages, Bon Bibi had protected collectors from the dangers in the forest, for the threats outside the forest, which have now become the major obstacles, a firm human effort is needed.
Towheed Feroze is a former journalist!