Reconceptualizing Cultural Politics and Resistance: Exploring the ‘Subjugated’ Song Narratives of the Subaltern of Purulia

Abstract

Song Narratives are an integral part of Indian culture, and Purulia, one of the most underprivileged districts of West Bengal, is home to a vast array of folk song cultures and other performative traditions. These folk songs are celebration of life, love, and human spirit, woven together with intricate rhythms and haunting melodies that speak to the soul. These song cultures are essentially ‘cultures of memory’ as the local performers inherit these traditions from their previous generations and disseminate the inherited memory through several cultural forms, by engaging their human bodies through various speech and gestural articulations. The lyrics of the folk songs of Purulia are simple yet powerful and offer a glimpse into a world often overlooked by the mainstream urban media. Moreover, these song traditions of Purulia are not just mere forms of entertainment, but also serve as powerful tools to challenge the status quo and create subversive narratives that reflect the lived experiences of the subjugated. This paper attempts to deal with the major song cultures of Purulia—Tusu and Jhumur and seeks to raise a crucial question— How do these song narratives become the site of resistance against the dominant forces that have been suppressing the marginal voices for centuries? A close analysis of these songtexts will reveal that these folk songs provide a platform for the marginalized communities of Purulia to express their grievances, aspirations, and hopes, and help them challenge the dominant discourse and create an alternative space where the subaltern can articulate their own version of reality. Therefore, these song traditions act as agencies through which the marginalized people of Purulia try to assert their autonomy and reclaim their identity.