Abol Tabol-Answer

1. The logic/lack of logic behind the creation of hybrid animal imagery in the nonsense verses
of Abol Tabol.

2. Sukumar Ray’s criticism of the colonial rule and its consequences in Abol Tabol/Sukumar
Ray’s critique of the ‘babu’ class in Abol Tabol./Do you think Sukumar Ray’s Abol Tabol has
political overtones? Substantiate your answer critically with textual reference

Answer (Try to find out relevant portions/paragraphs that illustrate the above
issues/questions)

Sukumar Ray (1887-1923) breathed new life into the literary tradition of Bengal by
introducing a new variety of humour hitherto unknown to readers. Prior to the emergence of
Ray, Bengali literary tradition was saturated with romantic temper. Sukumar refused to
follow the beaten track and wriggled out of using stocks-in-trade of Bengali literature. He
ferreted out a new brand of humour by imbibing the European literary genre of ‘nonsense’
and channelizing it to the creation of a new variety of humour in Bengali literature. Ray did
not imitate the European genre of nonsense popularized by the likes of Edward Lear
perfunctorily. He adapted the European form of nonsense verse and utilized it to make a
critique of socio-politico-cultural scenario of Bengal. His “Abol Tabol” (“Rhymes without
Reason”) is a collection of satirical vignettes that dissect the maladies of prevalent culture
with a coating of innocuous humour. It is not to say that the element of whimsy was entirely
absent. It can be traced to the folk poetry of Bengal. But Sukumar’s genius took it to a new
height. The apparently nonsensical nature of “Abol Tabol” is deceptive. Here, the prefix
‘non-’ does not denote the absence of sense but a subversion of sense which was a strategy
taken up by Sukumar to explore various issues related to the contemporary life of Bengal.

Sukumar himself called his nonsense verse as embodiments of “kheyal rasa” (“spirit
of whimsy”) and gave a hint of this anarchic brand of rasa in his Preface to “Abol Tabol”
(1923), “This book was conceived in the spirit of whimsy. It is not meant for those who do
not enjoy the spirit” (Heyman xl). Earlier, Indian aesthetics was familiar with classical rasas
such as ‘karuna’, ‘rudra’, ‘veera’, ‘shringara’ et al. As Michael Heyman observed, “Ray’s
new rasa is not restricted to children, as Tagore’s is. Rather, it represents the complexity of
literary nonsense” (Heyman xliii). No one can be a practitioner of ‘kheyal rasa’ by merely
unifying some absurd and crazy thoughts. It is not merely a concatenation of illogical and
nonsensical observations. A tacit rational structure runs through such verse. Causality is made
deliberately problematic. Moreover, one has to establish a connection between sense and
nonsense in such a manner that the reader is not left in the dark altogether. Such a practice,
although apparently funny, entails rigorous mental exercises. Some of the poems of “Abol
Tabol” were earlier published in the Bengali magazine Sandesh. But when he was about to
accumulate those poems for the collection “Abol Tabol” he was modifying and revising some
of them to fashion a well-knitted structure; a fact that showcases Ray’s concern to weave an
organic whole. The celebration of the absurd and the weird is an integral feature of this rasa.

1
Abol Tabol-Answer

Ray’s sense of absurdity finds itself expressed in the form of comical tirade against
the foolishness of anglicized Indians. Moreover, his writings frequently combined the
traditional sadhu bhasa (chaste language) and the spoken chalit bhasa (colloquial language) as
a part of the language game to fire a salvo at the hybrid nature of colonial society. Poems of
“Abol Tabol” are fruits of this mature and ebullient imagination.

In “Abol Tabol”, we find the depiction of some strange imaginary animals. In the first
poem of the collection, entitled “Hodge-Podge”, we come across strange hybrid animals such
as ‘porcochard’ (pochard + porcupine), ‘storkoise’ (stork + tortoise), ‘whalephant’ (whale +
elephant) et al. Such hybrid animals are actually parodic depictions of a certain section of
people. Sukumar penned this poem during the era of British Raj. One of the inevitable effects
of colonization is the unleashing of unrestrained violence which invariably makes the native
traumatized. Frantz Fanon in his book Black Skin, White Masks looks at the psychological
effects of colonization. Using the method of psychoanalysis, Fanon explains the feelings of
dependency and inadequacy that black people experience. Such a feeling of inferiority
complex induces in the black people a desire to imitate and adopt the culture of the colonizer
producing a state of hybridity. The strange animals that we come across in the poem “Hodge-
Podge” are representations of those persons whose psyche was brainwashed by the
psychological consequences of colonization. Thus, it can be said that Sukumar hid his face
under the cover of children’s literature but, beneath that exterior, passed insightful
commentaries on the burning issues of his time. This psychological effect of colonization and
the resultant hybridity can also be seen in his poem “Super-Beast”. Super-Beast is a very
strange creature, always complains about his present state: A very weird creature, of no
proper breed, Went grumbling all day out of envy and greed. (Chaudhuri) He is always
crestfallen because he pines for the attributes of other birds. The ultimate crisis of his hybrid
identity is evinced in the last few lines: I can’t be a moth or horse or a snake. A bee or an
elephant, donkey or drake A dish or a frog or a bird or a tree A shoe or a sunshadeOh what
can I be? (Chaudhuri 17) The problem of the Lug-Headed Loon also emanates from his
liminal subject-position. He is always depressed not for lack of relatives. He is worried about
not being able to swat flies if it sits in between his two tails. Thus, the Lug-Headed Loon is
nothing but a cultural hybrid, a by-product of colonization. “The Rule of Twenty-One” is a
commentary on the dictatorial nature of British government. It was published in 1922. We are
given a glimpse of a regimented society through Ray’s humorous strokes. It is a veritable
dystopia. The threat of imprisonment and constant surveillance characterize such a society.
The poet makes a mockery of the punitive nature of the government: You also need a special
lease Till Six o’clock to cough or sneeze, And those who sneeze without permission Are
thrashed in gentle admonition. (Chaudhuri 18) It is as if a Urizen (a symbol of authority used
by William Blake in his poems) had unleashed a law-bound society. British government had
passed a series of laws that imposed restrictions Towards a Poetics of Nonsense 159 160
World Literature : Emerging Trends, Texts and Theories on the Indians. This poem alludes to
those repressive laws in a funny way. Ray writes that in this native country of Lord Shiva,
even writing poetry is a crime. Poets are locked up in cages and are compelled to listen to
logarithms recited to them by a hundred hinds. When we are reminded of the fact that Kazi
Nazul Islam got arrested in 1922 by the British for seditious writings in his magazines,

2
Abol Tabol-Answer

Jugabani and Dhumketu we realize how correct Sukumar was in estimating the oppressive
nature of such a government.

An apparently funny poem “The Customs of Bombagarh”(Bengali title “Bombagarer

Raja”) is encoded with Ray’s nationalist concerns. The strange customs of Bombagarh can be
taken as acts of certain section Indian people who were fond of the British. Bizarre acts such
as framing fried mango jelly with borders, queen’s wearing of a pouffe on her head, playing
cricket with pumpkins for balls are outwardly funny and nonsensical. Probed deeply, they
make us introspect into the political situation of colonial Bengal. The king of Bombagarh and
the people of his kingdom cherish a strong liking for foreign customs. Ray pokes fun at
Indian kings who were loyal to the British ad tried to ape their customs in order to show their
affinity with and allegiance to foreign culture. When nationalist movement, led by the
middle-class, was becoming a force to reckon with, the native kings were desperate to assert
their loyalty to the British throne. Often the British used to stage exhibitions and pageantry to
showcase imperial vanity and soak up the threat of nationalist uprising. Moreover, native
princes of India used to take part in those events to swear allegiance to the British crown.
Such exhibitions also diverted the attention of people away from the burning issues of
society. When we situate Ray’s “TheCustoms of Bombagarh” against this backdrop, we find
satirical dig at the colonial administration and those Indian people who were enamored of it.
Right from the beginning of the poem, we find that something is out of order in Bombagarh.
The king of Bombagarh’s command of framing fried mango jelly with borders is as
whimsical as the idea of the partition of Bengal was. Queen wears a pouffe on her head to
imitate the stylish hairstyle of the Memsahibs. Such an imitation often ended up being
caricaturish. Chief Justice’s act of thumping pitchers for sport sitting on the lap of the king is
as much a satiric dig at the judicial system as is Pope’s depiction in The Rape of the Lock of
the jurymen, in a hurry for lunch, giving death-penalties to the wretched. King’s aunt plays
cricket with pumpkins instead of balls in intense desire to duplicate the British mannerisms.
Sycophantic Indians habits often used to play games like cricket to familiarize themselves
with the of their colonial masters. Thus, the series of absurd gestures of the denizens of
Bombagarh aptly illustrates the desire of the colonized subject to ‘mimic’ the colonizer.
As a result, this colonial policy on education gave birth to a section of people who got
exposed to the West and became imbued with a nationalist consciousness and then launching
anti-colonial movements. However, such as policy also created an elitist class of people fond
of the British mannerisms. These so-called ‘babu’ people took advantage of English
education and some of them got employed by the British. They were puffed up with pride and
used to look to look down upon the native culture. They were faithful servants of the British.
Ray wrote a number of poems in“Abol Tabol” to show us the vanity and snobbishness of the
loyal babus. For example, in the poem “Pumpkin-Puff” we find Ray poking fun at the snooty
babus full of vanity. Ray gives us a word of warning, through a humorous depiction, not to go
near to such a creature: If Pumpkin—Puff should dance— Beware! Beware! You mustn’t
dare beyond the stalls advance. You mustn’t glance to fore or aft, or cast your eyes aslant,
But grapple close with tips and toes the Rancid Radish Plant.(Chaudhuri) Even the bossy
babu in “The Purloined Moustache” typifies such anglicized Indians. The term ‘babu’ was
frequently used at that time to refer to native Indian clerks who were mediators between the
British and the Indians. They used to pay obeisance to their colonial masters and nursed
venom to lower-class people of their own country. Here, the attitude of this Babu at the
Central Works to other staffs at the office duplicates the snobbish attitude of the British
towards the natives. The way he makes reference to the dairyman speaks volumes for his
abhorrence of lower-class people and his speech smacks of vanity. He is authoritarian to

3
Abol Tabol-Answer

other lower-ranked clerks at the office. Moreover, his dealing with other staffs mimics the
typical way in which the British used to tackle the offender or lawbreaker.
The poems of “Abol Tabol” invite the reader into a carnivalesque festival of breaking
rules, a tournament of nonsense and a domain of anarchic laughter where conventional ideas
are turned upside down, where nonsense is the norm, and even if there is madness, we can
say, borrowing the words of Polonius from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “Though this be madness,
yet there is method in’t” (Hamlet Act 2, Scene ii). In the final analysis, the poems of “Abol
Tabol” are not stray pieces of irrational thoughts but an ongoing commentary, hidden under
the cushion of humour, on the various socio-politico-cultural absurdities of late-nineteenth-
century Bengal.