By Isaac Harold Gomes.
Kolkata: On Saturday (30th December 2023), on the occasion of Jesuit priest Father Paul Detienne’s 100th Birth Anniversary, a programme to pay tribute to him was organised by Sampriti Academy, at Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha, near Bow Barracks, Kolkata-12.
On this occasion, a book titled ফাদার দ্যতিয়েন চর্চা meaning `An Evaluation of Fr Detienne’ (published by Nandonik and edited by Dr Suranjan Midday, the chief organiser of the event), was also released.
Jesuit priest Paul Detienne (born on 30 December 1924 in Belgium and died in Brussels on 31 October 2016) arrived in West Bengal in 1949. He became famous in Bengal for his highly creative works in Bengali prose writing. In 1940s during his religious studies in Belgium, he learned Sanskrit language and literature to fathom in depth the Ethos/Essence of India. Though he had primarily arrived in Bengal to do his Christian missionary work, he fell in love with the Bengali language and its culture and ultimately became a Bengali `Bhadrolok.’
Father Detienne is credited with rescuing the Bengali Itihasmala (ইতিহাসমালা) by William Carey, the 18th-century missionary who did pioneering work on the Bengali language. He also translated writers such as Saint-Exupéry and Mircea Eliade into Bengali. He was one of very few foreigners who was conferred the prestigious Rabindra Smriti Puroshkar by Paschimbanga Bangla Academy in 2010, for his book Diaryr Chhenra Pata ডায়েরির ছেঁড়াপাতা (Torn Pages of My Diary), a compilation of his column published for many years in দেশ Desh, a premier Bengali literary magazine published by the ABP (Ananda Bazar Patrika) Group.
Along with ডায়েরির ছেঁড়াপাতা, the other three books which put him on par with the best of Bengali prose writers were Atpoure Dinpanjee (আটপৌরে দিনপঞ্জি), Rojnamcha (রোজনামচা) and the compilation গদ্য সংগ্রহ Godyo Songraha. These four compositions together formed his first Quadrilogy or Tetralogy on non-fiction creations.
Several Bengali literary personalities who gathered on the day included: Dr Suranjan Midday (Professor Bengali Department – Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata), Dr. Mandar Mukherjee (Professor Emeritus – Department of Political Science, Shri Shikshayatan College, Kolkata), Dr Madhumita Acharya (Professor of St Xavier’s College, Autonomous Raghabpur Campus), Dr Sadhana Karali (Headmistress of St Paul’s Higher Secondary School in Raghabur), Snehasis Sur – renowned senior reporter and currently President – Press Club Kolkata, Dr Milton Biswas (Head Human Relation at the Bengali Department of Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh and also a columnist and poet), Diocesan priest father Francis Sunil Rosario (Regional Secretary – Commissions for Dialogue & Migrants) and several other researchers of the Bengali literature.
While paying glowing tributes to Fr Detienne, Dr Sadhana Karali summed him up quite appropriately as follows: (1) At the age of 84, Fr Detienne exuded the exuberance of a 24-year old youth, would traverse the length and breadth of Kolkata, interact with people and coin new Bengali words. (2) He was very fond of chatting (`Adda’) with people. (3) He was very finicky about (a) choosing the right Bengali word (b) using the minimum number of words to pen his thoughts and (c) would play with Bengali words. (4) He naturalised admirably well with the rice-dal-fish (with bones)-roshogolla and kurta-pyjama culture of Bengal.
Dr. Mandar Mukherjee said though Fr Detienne’s mother tongue was French, he mastered both Sanskrit and Bengali and without an iota of doubt was a top-notch writer in the Bengali language. Through the mastery of his Bengali language, he portrayed the myriad joys, sadnesses, and agonies of the common people with the utmost ease.
Snehasis Sur, a senior journalist working in Doordarshan Kolkata for more than three decades, a Guest Faculty in Journalism & Mass Communication in Calcutta, Jadavpur, Burdwan, Visva Bharati, St. Xavier’s University Kolkata and now President – Press Club Kolkata, said that Father Detienne was a master who combined the sweetness of French with the softness of Bengali literary styles. He vouched that even native Bengalis cannot equal Fr Detienne’s literary skills.
He recalled that Father Detienne was so famous even with the common persons in Shantiniketan that once when he visited Visva-Bharati University there in a cycle-rickshaw, the rickshaw pullers there immediately recognised him and followed him with a procession of ten cycle-rickshaws as if he were the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Sur lamented that there is no record (video or audio) in the Jesuit archive of the memorial meeting held at the fully-packed St Xavier’s College auditorium to condole the death of Father Detienne. He suggested that a combined research be done at Kolkata, Shantiniketan, Raghabpur and elsewhere to do justice to Father Detienne’s works. He also recalled Father Detienne’s sense of humour by observing: (1) In Bengal whether or not you like Roshogolla, you have to always praise it to the sky. (2) One shouldn’t be shocked if one attends a 4 o’clock meeting at 6!
Madhumita Acharya, a professor of St Xavier’s College, Autonomous Raghabpur Campus, reminded all present that the occasion was to commemorate Father Detienne’s 100th birth anniversary and not the anniversary of his Bengali compositions. She clarified that European missionaries started writing Bengali prose in the 19th Century, much before Fr Paul Detienne started writing in Bengali. Therefore, Fr Detienne belongs to the 21st Century, modern era. She pointed out Fr Detienne’s sense of humour, which was very typical of French-speaking people. There is no doubt about the aristocracy of his writing. Once Fr Detienne observed, “I made my pen write whatever I felt like… French, Bengali.. whatever.” At the same time, he wrote: “May I be as sincere as my pen…” He would also crack a joke on himself and turned blue with pain if anyone painted Kolkata in poor light. For to him, Kolkata was his mother.
He criticised those who used English words in their Bengali compositions. He also had a strong sense of sarcasm. Once in an invitation instead of being seated with Bhadraloks (gentlemen), he was made to sit and eat with cleaners / scavengers because he was a foreigner. Instead of highlighting casteeism, he narrated the incident humorously stating that the seating arrangement did not hamper his appetite for the food which he ate with great relish!
Fr Sunil Rosario thanked all those who had gathered to pay tribute to Fr Detienne. He remarked though we are Bengalis, we take pride in speaking and writing English better than Bengali, our mother tongue. He said in 2015 during his visit to Belgium, he had met Fr Detienne in Brussels Jesuit House. As Editor of The Herald (Bengali Version) he had then interviewed Fr Detienne and had asked him why he had suddenly left Bengal (reportedly with a heavy heart). But Fr Detienne remained silent on this issue.
Dilip Rozario, a noted music director of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, revealed Fr Detienne not only composed prose but also Bengali devotional songs. He paid his tribute by singing a song to Fr Detienne had composed in 1963 on Christmas: স্বর্গদূত ঐকতানে দিয়েছে সমাচার, মুক্তিদাতা জন্মেছেন তারিতে সংসার – The angels from heaven sang in unison the Good News that our Saviour is born.
Dr Milton Biswas, Head Human Relation at the Bengali Department of Jagannath University, Dhaka (Bangladesh) and also a columnist, essayist and poet said that like Fr Detienne, there were several other European priests who had done a lot of work on Bengali literature in Bengal, especially in Bangladesh. He said due acknowledgements should be given to these pioneers who had left their homeland and dedicated their whole lives to Bengali cause.
Suranjan Midday introduced several young researchers in Bengali literature. Notable were (1) Dr Patralekha Nath (who has given up her college teaching job and is now successfully running a 2.5 acre organic farm in Shantiniketan); and (2) Mirazul Islam from Dinajpur who is doing research in Bengali from Aliah University.
The event ended at 7.30 pm with the unanimous decision to conduct a joint research in Kolkata, Shantiniketan, Raghabpur and elsewhere on Fr Detienne’s works, to do full justice to his labour of love.
Thank you for the insights into the life of Fr Detienne. Well compiled Issac. Best wishes always.
Fr Paul Detienne came to India in 1949 and started living in Serampore, West Bengal. In 1951, he approached the then Rector of St. Xavier’s College, Father Henry Barr, and requested that he be sent to a village. Because he realized even though he had learned the bookish Bengali, he had not yet mastered fluency in Bengali. The rector asked him to return to St Xavier’s College after ten years. In between, he was appointed a teacher at St. Xavier’s Bengali Medium School in Basanti, Sundarbans.
In the meantime, in 1959, his ‘Torn Pages of Diary’ was published in ‘Desh’ Bengali magazine. In 1963, he again started writing in ‘Desh’ under the same title ‘ডায়েরির ছেঁড়া পাতা’। After taking a break, between 1969 to 1971, he recommenced the serial ‘ডায়েরির ছেঁড়া পাতা’ in ‘Desh.’ In the meantime, ‘ডায়েরির ছেঁড়া পাতা’ was published as a book. In 1971-72, the book won the ‘Narsingh Das Award’ of Delhi University. He suddenly went back to Belgium in 1977.
In the above report it has been mentioned that Fr Francis Sunil Rosario interviewed Fr Paul Detienne in 2015 at the Jesuit House in Brussels, Belgium. During the interview Fr Sunil had specifically asked him why he had suddenly left Bengal in 1977. But Fr Detienne did not answer this question.
The answer lies in what my late uncle told me many years ago, of an incident concerning Fr Detienne. In one of his articles in ডায়েরির ছেঁড়াপাতা, published by Anandabazar Patrika, Fr Detienne had written an account of the Bengali Catholics of Kolkata. He wrote that most of the Bengali Catholics who had settled down mainly in Taltala and Moulali in Kolkata had hailed from 18 Gram (18 villages in and around Dhaka) of the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). He further wrote that they worked mostly as cooks and chefs in various British era clubs and hotels of Kolkata (then Calcutta). These were the Calcutta Club, the Bengal Club, Dalhousie Institute, Saturday Club, the Oberoi Grand, Great Eastern Hotel, etc. When the Bengali Catholic community of Taltala and Moulali came to know about Fr Detienne’s widely publicised article, they were in a state of frenzy. In one very animated meeting held at St Teresa Church (Moulali), several prominent persons (from the Bengali Catholic community) who had risen in life to become teachers, professors, accountants, doctors, etc boiled with anger. They shouted that Fr Detienne’s account of the Bengali Catholic community was a direct affront on them as their fathers and grandfathers were all in the catering/hospitality industry. Groups from this community hounded for Fr Detienne 24×7 in Prabhu Jishu Church (in Taltala) and other places which he frequented. Fearing for his life, Fr Detienne had no choice but to leave Kolkata (and Bengal) for his homeland Belgium in 1977. Thereafter, as various accounts, especially those written by Chinmoy Guha (Professor Emeritus at the University of Calcutta, a Bengali essayist and translator, and a scholar of French language and literature) who interviewed him in Belgium show, he had totally cut himself off for thirty years from the Bengali literature.
Several of those who are praising Fr Detienne’s literary genius to the sky, were witnesses to the insult and abuse hurled on him. They now admit that by writing a true account of the humble beginnings of their parents/ancestors, Fr Detienne had actually wanted the Bengali Catholic community to rise above their limited (cookery) specialisation to other professional fields. Several of them have taken Fr Detienne’s ডায়েরির ছেঁড়াপাতা account in the right spirit and have become Chartered / Cost Accountants, MBAs, Professors, Doctors, Engineers, IT specialists, etc and have also risen in other professional fields.
A true evaluation will be done only when those who bayed for Fr Detienne’s blood atone for their blind rage at Fr Detienne’s benevolent intentions. Ironically, many are yet to read ডায়েরির ছেঁড়াপাতা yet they joined the mob frenzy those days!