In Defence Of Mahishasur

At noon, a smiling Kalyan Beng is already on his second glass of hariya--a local wine made by fermenting rice. When Outlook visited the Asur line along the Majher Dabri Tea Estate in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal earlier this year, Beng was the one who had brought people together to talk about their issues and problems. A clear favourite among his folks, he believes, his physique, facial structure and memory are ones that the Asur blood has gifted him. The labour line along the estate is dotted with around fifty families who believe they are the direct descendants of Mahishasur, the tribal warrior king. For the men on the Asur line, days are harsh and slow. However, sixty-year-old Beng finds joy in his noon-time chilled hariya and beedi. “What else do we have?” he had asked. The casteism they face is so routine, that it is difficult to know what lies on the other side of the field. Most of them have found it difficult to obtain their caste certificates and are turned away from the offices. The women work in the plantations earning a meagre amount of Rs 250 everyday, while the men take up work as iron-smelters, carpenters, cleaners whenever they come. Proper education still appears to be a far-fetched concept for Asur children. However, they do take pride in their lineage and their ancestor, Mahishasur. As West Bengal celebrates Durga Puja, the reign of the matriarchy in all of its feminine valour and glory, for the 4,000 -odd adivasis who believe in an ‘essential counter-narrative’, as poet, social activist and scholar Saradindu Biswas calls it, it is time for mourning. The Bengali Hindu tradition establishes Mahishasur as the jealous demon king, blessed by Brahma, who had to be put down by Goddess Durga, a feminine embodiment of all the powers of the male Gods fused into one, when nobody else could. For many tribal communities, in sharp contrast, their folklore talks of Durga, the king of the richly-blessed region of Chaichampa, as their indomitable leader who was seemingly impossible to overpower and had a voice that resembled hudur (thunder). When the Aryan invaders led by Indra failed to defeat Hudur-Durga, (as he was called) he deployed his sister to seduce him and take him away. Being exploited for the warrior tradition of not fighting against women, the Asurs believe he was tricked and killed by the seductress. 

Durga Puja, in West Bengal, Biswas notes, spread through a ‘Brahmanical assertion ’of the rituals and the festival, to quell smaller adivasi traditions. It is said that the festival was shifted from its usual springtime bloom to autumn to establish its presence over Dashain, a festival of joy and harvest, celebrated by Adivasi people across the state during that time of the year. It is believed that, the modern celebratory colour of Durga Puja was popularised following the Battle of Plassey and the British’s entry into the state, by zamindars and feudal lords who mutated the tradition into a social event to satiate the British traders. In its mythological counter-narrative, the tribals consider this time of the year to be cursed following the disappearance of their king, Hudur-Durga. “He was deceived by the Gods. And we are, by the netas,” says a slightly inebriated Beng who believes the society outside has no space for them and their stories. His people reject the association of their leader, Mahishasur with evil. For them, on the lines of Hudur-Durga, Mahishasur is believed to be a leader par excellence. He is characterised by incomparable strength, perseverance and ability to stand tall, which Beng believes, he reflects, flexing his biceps with a smile hidden behind his stained teeth. For years, tribal communities like Santhals, used to lock themselves up over the days of the festival, refusing to interact with the world outside as they celebrated the Goddess. Scholars believe the Brahmanical dominance in establishing the status quo left no space for tribal traditions to exist on a parallel note. And thus, Dashain, a joyous occasion, turned into one signifying lament and grief where they sought help from natural elements in their search for Hudur Durga, while remembering his valour and a lost kingdom of wealth and produce. 

Biswas told Outlook, “Only those adivasi communities who could establish this fierce counter-narration against the dominant Hindu ritualistic Durga Puja could manage to preserve their history, language and culture. Others were absorbed into the tradition.” He also points out that, unlike the communities which establish belief through the mythological accounts of Hudur-Durga, the Asur community regards Mahishasur as their primary ancestor and leader. They believe that their leader was deceived and thus refuse to look at the face of the Goddess. While mythological lore talks about the tribal warrior king, Ashoka’s Mahavamsa confirmed the existence of a kingdom extending across the areas of east and southern India named after the Mahisha cult, which, down the years, has been believed to be led by the feted Mahishasur. 

“Asurs, who are the first community mentioned on the census list, are spread across 77 districts across India. We were able to hold Mahishasur Smaransabha at 7,500 locations last year,” says Biswas, regarding what he believes is a non-religious commemoration of the tribal hero and the history. For them, no celebration of pristine feminine energy should glorify violence, and thus they reject the symbol of Mahishasur being lynched or impaled by her trident. “Let the idolatry exclude the figure of slain Mahishashur. The objection is only regarding the representation, never against the celebration or the worship of the Goddess. There have been numerous cases filed, and it is also going to be heard in the Calcutta High Court soon,” he adds. The Asur community continues to face existential challenges. In addition to flagrant casteism, poverty and lack of civil resources have plagued the tribal families to the extent of many choosing to convert. A major percentage has converted to Christianity leaving Asur traditions in the dark, where they resort to moderation. “We go to the nearby fairs. Our daughters love it. We do not celebrate Durga Puja, but we get to enjoy the colours and the food,” says one of the locals at Majher Dabri. “What do we do with Rs 250? Buy the necessary things, send our daughters to the city, marry our son off, buy medicines, apply a hundred times for our caste certificate and what else? We are turned away most of the time,” Beng says, with a sense of slight acceptance. For Beng and his people at Majher Dabri, increment of daily wages in the plantations and permanent housing are all that really matter. 

Among such indigenous communities of Bengal, the drive to stop the misrepresentation of Mahishasur is still strong. The diminishing Asurs still shout out the name of their fearless leader in anti-caste calls for empowerment. As Bengal dives into unbridled festivity celebrating the Goddess’ triumph over the bovine demon, Kalyan Beng’s people remember their slain icon--an icon who, for many, represent a strong force against Manuvad, the multiplicity of narratives and their parallel heroes, who are equally a part of the country’s tradition of folklore, and history.