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Popular Science Writing in Bengali – Past and Present

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Popular Science Writing in Bengali – Past and Present N. C. MONDAL Popular Science Article Writing in Bengali – Past and Present The Bengali language is a rich repository of science writing. Feature Here’s a look at some of the magazines, books and science writers in Bengali. in popularizing science among readers in generation of descendants of the person the local language is unparalleled. Many who boarded the train would not survive science writers, both known and unknown, to reach the sun.” With numerous such contributed thoughtful science articles to examples he described different make the people aware of science and characteristics of the Sun including the its applications. outflow of its internal energy. CIENCE writing in Bengali started in Getting influenced by scientific Jagadananda Roy’s Shukra Bhraman the early 19th century. The first science discoveries and inventions, and observing (Travels to Venus) is probably the earliest book published in Bengali was S human progress, Bengali science writers Bengali science fiction story. It was written named May Ganit (May’s Arithmetic). It started writing various popular science and in 1857 but published in 1879. The story was first published in 1817, about two science fiction books in the later half of described an interstellar journey to Venus hundred years ago. Digdarshan was the the 19th and early 20th centuries. These and the aliens that were seen there. This first science magazine in Bengali brought played a vital role in popularising science story was written much before (about a out in April 1818. From then onwards, among the people. Needless to say, the decade) H.G. Wells, a notable science popular science writing in Bengali started country at that time was under the shackles fiction writer, described aliens from Mars in flourishing and subsequently a number of of British rule. his book The War of the Worlds in 1889. Bengali science magazines were born. ‘Sahitya Samrat’ (an honorary title Hemlal Dutta’s Rahashya (The Mystery) The second popular science Bengali literally meaning Emperor of Literature) was published in 1882, in two instalments, magazine was named Pashyavali (The Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s writing in Bigyan Darpan, a magazine brought out Animals). It was started in 1822. Father on science in Bengali is amazing. His book by Jogendra Sadhu and edited by Lawson was its compiler and designer. entitled Vigyan Rahasya (published in 1875) Pranananda Kavibhushan. This story Every issue contained a description of a is a splendid piece of work on science revolved around a character that visited particular animal. The first six issues and science popularization. It is actually a his friend’s house that was completely contained write-ups about the lion, bear, compilation of several articles on different automated. Automatic doorbells, burglar elephant, rhino, hippo, tiger and cat. All of scientific topics. Acquiring scientific alarms, brushes that cleaned suits these were then brought out in the form of knowledge through extensive studies of the automatically and many such futuristic books by the Calcutta School Book then European science, he wrote all those gadgets were described in the story. The Society. This magazine continued for about articles in simple language, citing simple tone set in the story is of wonder at the six years. examples. rapid automation of human lives. In 1832, after a gap of ten years, the In one of his articles, Ashcharya Physicist J.C. Bose’s Palatak Tufan (The magazine Bijnan Sevadhi was brought out Sourapat (Astounding Solar Shower), to Runaway Storm) is a marvelous story that from Calcutta by the Society for Translating make one understand the distance used the rationality of scientific theory to European Science. After five issues, its between the Earth and the Sun, he wrote, tell a tale of a storm at sea. The frightening publication stopped. The next year, in 1833, “If there were a railway between the Earth waves of the sea during the storm were the fortnightly Bengali periodical Vigyan and the Sun, then how much time would a controlled by dropping a bottle of Kuntal Sar Sangraha appeared but it continued train have taken to travel to the Sun? Keshori (the brand name of a hair oil at that for just about a year. It was a bilingual Answer—If the train runs day and night with time) on the waves. The science behind magazine. In it, the column on the left used a speed of 20 miles per hour, it will take this was the effect of surface tension. to be in English and the column on the 520 years, 6 months and 16 days to reach Premendra Mitra was one of the most right was the translated version. the Sun. That means, that the seventh eminent science fiction writers in Bengal In fact, during the 19th century about 65 Bengali science magazines were Bengali writers, who took a lead in popularizing science in their published in undivided Bengal. They own language about 200 years ago, are continuing their activities covered a wide range of science subjects. This pioneering effort of Bengal tirelessly. It is a kind of relay race... 43 SCIENCE REPORTER, MARCH 2012 Feature Article From left: Premendra Mitra, Sukumar Ray, S.N. Bose, Rabindranath Tagore th in the early 20 century. His stories Piprey We know Rabindra Nath Tagore as a pills that make one yawn and see Puran (The Story of Ants) and Mangal Bairi great poet, writer, philosopher, painter and nightmares. He invented fish-pills to give (The Martian Enemies) are well known singer. But many don’t know that he was to his cat, Newton, who accompanied amongst Bengali readers. Piprey Puran also a great science writer. He wrote a Prof. Shonku on his journey to space. gave a description of the invasion of the marvelous book named Visva-Parichay in Like his father Sukumar Ray, Satyajit world by huge ants who are intelligent, 1937 where he explored Biology, Physics used words such as: technologically more advanced than and Astronomy. He wrote articles on topics (i) Annihilin: A pistol that annihilates any humans and very well-organized and like atomic structure, the evolution of the living thing. It does not work on non-living disciplined. In Mangal Bairi, the earth is earth and other planets, life sciences, things. attacked by Martians who destroy the earth sciences, etc. All these articles were (ii) Miracurall: A drug capsule that cures earth’s entire ecosystem. written in a very simple way, with a literary any ailment except common cold. Sukumar Ray’s stories, like the ‘Alice’ flavour and enriched with a number of (iii) Shankoplane: A small plane capable stories of Lewis Carroll, are full of puzzles and analogies drawn from our day-to-day life. of vertical take-off and landing and with wordplay. Sukumar Ray seems to be playing Unless one knows science well and magnificent mileage. with the fact that names are arbitrarily understands it thoroughly, it is very difficult (iv) Shankolite: The alloy with which imposed on things by humans for their own to write such lucid articles on science. His shankoplane was made. convenience. These names are inherently poems, containing extensive naturalism, (v) Omniscope: A combination of related with the nature of the things. stressed his respect for scientific laws. He telescope, microscope and x-ray His most prominent book is Heshoram also wove science into many of his stories. machine. Hushiarer Diary (The Diary of Heshoram Sir J. C. Bose, the greatest Indian scientist (vi) Air-conditioning pill: A capsule that Hushiar). In the story, Heshoram meets an of that era, wrote to Tagore in a letter, “If keeps the body temperature normal in animal during his journey through the you were not a poet, you could have extreme climates. Bandakush Mountains. The creature had a become a great scientist”. What a (vii) Somnolin: A sleeping pill that works in long, pained, woe-begone face and compliment to a great man from a great any condition. Heshoram called it a “Gomratharium” scientist! (viii) Neo-spectroscope: An instrument for (‘gomra’, in Bengali, means sullen). Another Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, seeing ghosts. animal was neither an alligator, nor a Prasanta Chandra Mahanalanobis, and (ix) Linguagraph: An instrument that records snake, nor a fish, but resembled, to some even S.N. Bose and M.N. Saha wrote about and translates into Bengali sounds made extent, all the three together. Its terrible science in Bengali to create awareness in any language. howls, a sound between the cries of kites among people during the pre- and owls, made Heshoram call it independence era. Another prominent author is Shirshendu “Chillanosauras” (‘chillano’ means to shout). In the 1960s, the world famous film Mukhopadhyay. His book Monojdar Sukumar Ray probably assumed that director Satyajit Ray, son of Sukumar Ray, Adbhut Bari (Monojda’s Strange House) had his readers would be bilingual enough to appeared on the stage of science fiction a character who was a scientist carrying know or identify the Latin English words such as a writer. He created a character named out unearthly genetic experiments with the as Aquarium, Tyraunosauras, etc and Professor Shonku in a book first printed in aim of producing new varieties of indulged in this cross-lingual wordplay. 1961. He wrote Byomjatrir Diary (Diary of a vegetables and fruits. Ramendra Sunder Trivedi was another Space Traveller) for the magazine Currently, notable literary magazines eminent Bengali science writer and an Sandesh. He wrote a number of science in Bengali that include science subjects architect of Bengali science writing during fiction books titled: are Desh (fortnightly, Anandamela (weekly), th the late 19 and early 20th centuries. His About 40 science fiction stories Sandesh, Suktara (monthly), and Sananda seminal contribution was in the field of revolve around the character Prof Shonku, (fortnightly).
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