Manoranjan Byapari is an Indian Bengali writer and socio-political activist. He was born in 1950. He is known as the pioneer of Dalit literature in Bengali from the Indian state of West Bengal. He could not afford any formal education and perhaps the only convict-turned-Rickshaw puller who has penned a dozen novels and over a hundred short stories, apart from non-fiction essays.
Early life
Byapari was born into Namasudra caste at Barisal inBangladesh. His family migrated to West Bengal when he was three years old. The family was first resettled in Bankura, Shiromanipur Refugee camp. Later they were forced to move to Ghutiyari Sharif, Gholadoltala Refugee Camp, South 24 Paraganas and they lived there until 1969. However, the young Byapari had left his home at the age of fourteen and undertook a number of low-paid informal sector jobs in various cities in Assam, Lucknow, Delhi and Allahabad. After spending two years in Dandakaranya, he shifted to Kolkata in 1973. He had a brief stint with the Naxals in central India. It was during his prison term, he educated himself to read. He was closely associated with the famous labour activistShankar Guha Niyogi.
Life as an author
He came to prominence with the publication of his influential essay Is there a Dalit writing in Bangla?, translated by Meenakshi Mukherjee, in the journal Economic and Political Weekly. While working as a rickshaw puller, he had a chance meeting with Mahasweta Devi, and she asked him to write for her 'Bartika' journal He has pointed out that how the Upper Caste refugees from East Bengal are given preferential treatment while being resettled in Kolkata, as favoured by the Upper Caste officials in the West Bengal. Rajya Sabha TV has made a documentary on his life.
Books
He wrote a memoir ইতিবৃত্তে চণ্ডাল জীবন in Bengali, also available in English as Interrogating my Chandal life: An Autobiography of a Dalit. The book records the Dalit experiences of oppression in Bengal which is otherwise known as a 'casteless society', as claimed by many a bhadralok. Being a Dalit is central to his writing. As he says, "I’m a Dalit by birth. Only a dalit, oppressed by social forces can experience true dalan in life. There should be that dalan as a dalit in Dalit writing. Dalit literature should be based on dalit life. Some of my writings deal with dalit life; some to be judged neutrally, without any preconceived estimation". He says he is a chandal in two ways, by birth and by rage.
