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Bhogla Soren, The Sahitya Akademi Santhali Dramatist You Must Know About!

Subhajit Murmu

Bhogla Soren is a well known Santhali dramatist. He was born in a lower-middle-class family on 4th September 1958 at Kharaband village in the district of  Singbhum, Bihar (now East Singbhum, Jharkhand ). His father, Mora Mansingh Soren, was a farmer and a practitioner of Santhal traditional medicines in the village. He was a religious person.

Soren was brought up in the care of his mother. He received primary education at his village, after which, he was admitted to a school four kilometres away from his village. After passing Intermediate Science from Tata College, Chaibasa in 1978 he began studying B.Sc (Hons) at Jamshedpur Co-operative College. Still, he discontinued his education due to continuous draught from 1976 to 1979 in that area.

Soren began tuition classes with the help of his senior school friend Shri Ghasiram Murmu. During this period, he received a chance to meet Pt. Raghunath Murmu, the great orator, guru, philosopher, playwright and inventor of Ol-Chiki script. Pt. Murmu addressed the gathering that evening:

Do something for the betterment of our society. I have laid the foundation for the propagation of Ol-Chiki script, literature, culture and socio-education in our mother tongue. It is the duty of the younger generation to carry forward the work of script, literature, culture, and socio-education to maintain the identity.

Bhogla Soren was deeply impressed by Pt Murmu. He read his two plays Bidu Chandan and Kherwar Veer the same year. While he was in high school, he read almost all Bengali literary books of prominent writers like Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Michel Madhusudan Dutta, Tara Sankar Bandopadhayaya, Kabi Nazrul Islam, and Sukanta Bhattacharya.

He started writing Santali songs and poetry in his school days. His first book Nari Baha, a collection of Santali songs was published in 1978 by Dr Anil Kumar Murmu. He got the opportunity to travel to Santhali cultural centres of India with the help of his friend in 1980.

Also read: “Here Is How Padmashri Recipient Dr Damayanti Beshra Is Reviving Santhali Literature.”

This was the time when Jharkhand movement was taking shape under the leadership of some of the intellectuals of Jharkhand. At the same time, some magazines were published in Hindi and Bengali languages from the Jharkhand region of erstwhile Bihar. The Sal Patra in Hindi and Silalipi were very popular among the people of Jharkhand.

Some of Soren’s popular writings are Nari Baha (Poetry), Upal (Novel), Sosnok (Play), Rahi Rawak Kana (Play).
He started writing in Silalipi Patrika which was edited by Dr Bankim Chandra Mahato, HOD of Bengali, Jamshedpur Co-operative College, Jamshedpur, Soren’s alma-mater. His articles in Bengali, on the culture of Jharkhand, was published in the magazine in 1980.
He started his career as an Office Assistant in the Department of Post and Telegraphs, Jamshedpur in 1981. Soon he was promoted as a Telephone Inspector in 1984. After receiving promotions, he was appointed as Sub -Divisional Engineer in 2004.
He received training in Strategic Financial Management from Hyderabad in 2007. His first one-act play Muhim was staged at Karandih in 1983. The Dramatics Club Karandih was established in the same year with the help of his friends Shri Sushil Hansda, Panchanan Marandi, Dhar Baskey, Singroi Hansda, Nayami Baskey and some drama artists.
Soren was the founder General Secretary of Dramatic Club, and he continued up to 1993. Since then, his dramas have been staged more than 250 times throughout India. It is estimated that his dramas have been staged by other theatre organisations more than 50 times till date.
His short play Khobor Kagaj was staged by Karandih and received the first place in All India Adivasi Drama Competition in Jamshedpur in 1984 and also received Gold Medal from Yatra Committee Bhimpur (West Bengal) in 1993. He was selected as Honorary Secretary of Guru Gomkey Pt. Raghunath Murmu High School, Karandih, Jamshedpur in 1985.
Karandih staged his first drama (five-act play) Sosnok at Jamtara, Santal Pargana, Bihar (Jharkhand ) in 1986. In 1987, he got married to Duli Rani Murmu. He started publishing a half-yearly (then quarterly) Santhali literary magazine Sobornakha in 1988.
Also read: “Have You Heard About Santali Poet And Social Reformer Gomasta Prasad Soren?”
Soon, he became the honorary editor of the magazine. It was this time when limited Ol Chiki presses were available in the country. Sobornakha was printed from Dulai Printers, Karandih. It was letterpress. The magazine was composed manually, and the sales of the magazine were limited. It was published to serve society.
Bhogla Saren was the founder President of All India Santali Writer’s Association founded in 1988. He joined as an honorary Editor of Olong (A bimonthly Santhali literary magazine ) in 1994.
He started writing Santali songs and poetry in his school days. His first book Nari Baha, a collection of Santali songs was published in 1978
Some of his famous writings are Nari Baha (Poetry), Upal (Novel), Sosnok (Play), Rahi Rawak Kana (Play). He has written many articles in Santali, Hindi and Bengali magazines. He has received many honours and certificates from Government and Non-Governmental associations such as:

His books are prescribed texts in the syllabus of graduate and postgraduate programmes in many universities.

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