When Harishankar Jaladas was around five years old, his playmates in his Patenga community used to go into the sea with their fathers. They dreamt of becoming skilled fishermen.
But Harishankar’s father Judhisthir Jaladas, a sea fisherman, had a different plan for his son. Instead of taking him to the deep sea fishing trips, he started sending him to school.
Harishankar’s father could not have possibly imagined how this decision would one day transform his son into an inspiring man for the nation.
Although as a student Harishankar did well, it was not easy for him to climb up the education ladder.
His classmates always looked down on him as a fisherman’s son. But nothing stopped
him from completing his masters in Bangla and then a PhD. His research topic for the PhD was “River based Bangla novels and fishermen’s life”.
And against many odds, he became a school teacher. Now he is working as the principal of Chittagong City College.
From 1999 Dr Harishankar started writing books.
“I did not start writing to put my name in the league of Manik Bandopadhyay,” said 57-year old Harishankar while talking to The Daily Star in his Patenga home recently, “They taunted me as son of a fisherman. I started writing in protest.”
Harishankar wrote five research based books and four novels. His first novel “Jalaputra” that tells a story about the fishermen community was published in 2009.
His second book “Dohonkal”, published next year, won Prothom Alo’s literature award in 2010. In the next two years, two more of his books were published — “Kosbi” and “Ramgolam”.
More than 2,000 copies of Ramgolam were sold in the Ekushey book fair this year, and it recently won City Anando Alo award given by Channel-i. Ramgolam is a story about sweepers. “They are more neglected than fishermen. Sweepers’ children are never accepted as equals by the elite even if they are educated,” said Harishankar.
His book “Kosbi” that deals with prostitution received critical acclaim of reviewers. “I believe prostitutes are treated like toys for entertainment. Many characters in my book are based on real people,” Harishankar said.
He explained why he chose to write about prostitutes. “My grandparents lived in Shahebpara, close to Madarbari in Chittagong. When I was 10 years old, I used to go to a cinema hall in that area. While passing through Shahebpara, I used to see some dressed up ladies standing by the road side. It led me to wonder why they stand there like that. Later I found out the reason.”
Proud about his heritage, Harishankar said after retirement he will live in the fishermen’s community for the rest of his life.
He said if he could be reborn, he would want God to give him the power to end the sufferings of the fishermen’s community.
Other than his father, Harishankar’s biggest idols have been his high school teacher Milon Kanti Sarker, and his grandmother Paraneshawri Jaladas who inspired him to become what he is today.
-With The Daily Star input
