Pratibeshi

• Author: Gour Kishore Ghosh
• Genre: Novel (Upanyas)
• Format: Hardcover
• ISBN: 9788172154530
• Pages: 344
• Weight: 555 grams
• Publisher: Ananda Publishers

About the Book:

Pratibeshi is the third and final part of Gour Kishore Ghosh’s epic trilogy, Desh Mati Manush, which explores Hindu-Muslim relations in Bengal from 1922 to 1946.

• The first book, Jal Pore Pata Nore, was serialized in Desh magazine in 1959.
• The second book, Prem Nei, won the prestigious Bankim Puraskar.
• Pratibeshi shifts focus from political change to human relationships, exploring how people drift away from each other, from nature, and even from themselves.
• Against the backdrop of historical upheavals, the novel emphasizes love and compassion, echoing the timeless message:
  • "Love your neighbor. Love, love your neighbor."

This trilogy does not follow a single storyline but rather presents a historical progression through different events and characters, painting a vivid portrait of Hindu-Muslim relations in Bengal.

• It explores:
  • The transformation of individual conflicts into communal clashes
  • The tragic partition of India
  • The fusion of personal and national tragedies

With its deep historical insights and emotional depth, Pratibeshi stands as a powerful literary testimony to one of India’s most turbulent periods.

About the Author:

• Gour Kishore Ghosh was born on June 22, 1923, in Jessore, Bengal (now in Bangladesh).
• His early life was full of diverse experiences—he worked as a:
  • Private tutor
  • Mechanic
  • Waiter at a restaurant
  • Trade union organizer
  • Insurance agent
  • Manager of a traveling dance troupe
  • Land customs clearing clerk
  • Proofreader
  • Journalist
• His activism in journalism led to his arrest under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) in 1975 during the Emergency.
• He endured severe persecution for his fight to uphold freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
• He became the first recipient of the Ko Jae Wook Memorial Award (1976), awarded by South Korea’s Dong-A Ilbo newspaper.
• Other major awards include:
  • Ananda Puraskar (1970)
  • Ramon Magsaysay Award (1981)
  • Bankim Puraskar (1982)
• He passed away on December 15, 2000.