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The marks of Brahma
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A harrowing personal experience often reappears as images in Maneswar Brahma's works
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PERSONAL TRIUMPHManeswar Brahma won the National Scholarship during 1998-2000 and the Kejriwal Young Artist Award in 1999 PHOTO: BHAGYA PRAKASH K.
Hallimpara Subhijhar is a tiny, remote village located north of the Brahmaputra valley and has no electricity to this day. Maneswar Brahma was born in this village in 1967 into a large agricultural family. After initial schooling, Maneswar did something quite unusual for his circumstances — he enrolled for BFA (Printmaking).
Then the most dramatic event of his life happened. "In 1995, I was in my third year at Santiniketan and had come home for puja holidays," recalls Maneswar. "Everything appeared to be nice and peaceful. But one morning my friend and I were riding a motorbike when we were surrounded and abducted by unidentified terrorists."
Within minutes, he was separated from his friend (who was subsequently let off) and made to walk the whole day through isolated villages. Among the abductors was a young boy — no more than 10 or 12 years — who also carried a gun. "I managed to ask him why he had taken to arms. He told me that it ensured decent food and clothing, otherwise a luxury."
Maneswar never came to know the real reason for his abduction. "With every passing hour, I got the feeling that these people would either shoot me or ask me to join their outfit." His worst fears almost came true in the dead of the night. Just past midnight, he was made to stand inside a college campus and shot. "Within seconds several bullets had grazed me. My abdomen, right arm and thigh were soaked in blood and my chin was hanging with loose flesh. When I collapsed, they left me thinking I was dead. I too did not know whether I was dead or alive for a long time..."
He is also unsure how or when he dragged himself to the nearby boys' hostel and got help. He spent a month in the hospital, battling for his life. Medical reports confirmed that a dozen bullets had injured him in the chin, abdomen, legs, and arms; one bullet had entered his right thigh. Miraculously, his vital organs remained unharmed.
With a chuckle, Maneswar recalls that a day after the abduction, a local newspaper reported that he had been killed. The news even reached Santiniketan, where preparations were made for a condolence meeting! On recovery, Maneswar went directly from the hospital to his alma mater to receive a hero's welcome.
"My right arm had lost much of its strength and become stiff. Even now I can hardly bend my fingers. The forearm and palm become numb very often and remain without sensation for long periods. So, I wondered if it would be possible to pursue a challenging medium like printmaking in such a condition."
But Maneswar received great support and encouragement from his friends and teachers in Santiniketan. With grit and determination, he obtained the BFA degree in 1997 and went on to complete his masters.
He has, since then, gone on to win many including the National Scholarship during 1998-2000 and the Kejriwal Young Artist Award in 1999. Recently, his lithograph titled An Unfinished Story — III, bagged the prestigious Lalit Kala Akademi Award. His works have been exhibited in several shows in India as well as Finland and Japan.
As one watched his recent lithographs, which were on display recently at the Chitrakala Parishat, it was evident that the harrowing experience had left an indelible mark on the 38-year-old printmaker. His haunting images seemed to express an enduring internal turmoil. "I try to forget the traumatic incident but cannot. The memories surface in my thoughts and works." But for all the pent-up angst and rage, Maneswar, who now lives in Guwahati, is always a perfect picture of calm and gentle poise.
ATHREYA
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