Exiled emotions: A review of Utpal Deka's Bibhramar Xexot

Utpal Deka's Bibhramar Xexot is an anthology of emotions packed in carefully chosen words. With captivating language his poems really get into your head and then slides deep into your heart. Mostly I enjoyed reading the anecdotes which are essentially grilled with contemporary issues. With seasoned emotions utpal's words glide swiftly into the narrow lane of human suffering and desire. Life and its trauma is expressed with clear and lucied style. The first poem in the collection drills that lucidity to bring out the bleak reality of life...

"In our bloodsucking religion

Hungry children growing out from the bones of the oppressor and Ruler

Cry out in hunger ."

With such crisp poems this book chronicles the agony of modern life. With a focus on the ground reality of today's society the author has reluctantly portrayed human follies along with the fall of the society. The 27 poems of this book excels in the projection of such fall. This fall has brought out a storm of emotion in the poet. This is the reason why throughout the book readers are provided with a roller coaster ride from one poem to another to match with the emotional height of the author. When in one poem he talks about surgical strike in another he concentrates on an incident from house no 203, Mehrauli. Such venture through words is seen to be coloured with questions and drained out emotions and hope...as he says in The City of Gods,

"Who is the harbinger of this poison ?

Is he alive or vailed

Or half dead Son of God"

After all these turmoil life, it's illusion and disbelief seems to be stagnant. To come out of this illusion and disbelief a strong hold on the reality behind the mask is needed. Thus to reach 'Bibhramar Xexot' reality check is properly and neatly done and then the author has pulled the sting to halt before we reach the end. With this halt the author approves the end...or the end of this hallucination...for him the end limits in the entanglement of time trapping in the whirlwind of belief and disbelief.

"Our time

seems to be trapped

in the spider web of belief and disbelief"

Dr Barnali Sikder

Dr Barnali Sikder is Assistant professor, Department of English, Janata College, Serfanguri