A land of one’s own

When Joydeb Roaja was a student he struggled with the Bengali curriculum at school ldquoAs a Tripura indigenous person my primary education was not good because my mother tongue is Kokborok but the textbooks were in Bangla To add to this the teachers spoke a completely different language so I didnrsquot understand anythingrdquohe recalls when tracing his roots as an artist While he could not understand the study material he was fascinated by the illustrations of Bangladeshi painter Hashem Khan which adorned his school books depicting stories of rural life in BangladeshTill then most artists and writers romanticised the natureentangled lives of the Jumma peoplemdasha minority tribal group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh Roaja wanted to paint the violent struggle necessary to maintain the Jumma way of life which often went against military occupation ldquoAt the time the different indigenous people including the Jumma started an armed struggle to demand autonomy which resulted in having to hide and live in the forest Most of my artwork is influenced by this devastation I witnessed as a childrdquo he lamentsIn an ongoing exhibition we get to delve into his lifersquos experiences expressed through a series of monochrome ink drawings of his community which opens a window for the viewer to visualise the crises they face In Generation Wish Yielding Trees and Atomic Tree we see social and political power roles and struggles given a utopian reversal Without any background art or motifs betraying the location or physical topography of what is being portrayed an exaggerated juxtaposition of resized people immediately symbolises and draws the eye to a shift in dynamics We see minusculesized corporates and military figures bowing to or submissively placed against the Jumma people drawn in their traditional garb and ornaments with motifs of their shifting slashandburn form of agriculture known as jhum farming appearing as a common thread in each workA similar theme runs through another series titled Right to Relief ldquoDuring the pandemic I stumbled upon images of relief distribution in Bangladesh on Facebook The people receiving relief seemed embarrassed and helpless while those doling it out wore smiles of triumph There was an image where one person received a single sack of rice from multiple relief givers who were broadly smiling at the camera The receiver was desperately trying to hide his face in shame and humiliation I would like to envision a future where therersquos dignity in seeking relief and not a show of powerrdquo he says Another series of seven ink sketches titled Go Back to Roots opens a lens into a more humble world the Jumma way of lifeHe works primarily in performance installation and drawing often finding inspiration and materials among the arearsquos tribal cultures and natural hilly landscape Human bodies blend seamlessly into branches leaves and roots to create visions of interconnectedness and resilience PicsAshish RajeRoaja explains the political dynamics between 11 different indigenous people living in the region between the three hill districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts ldquoTo protect the land and culture a tribal organisation called Shanti Bahini was formed which led to armed conflict between them and the Bangladesh Army I spent my childhood in a horrible state of war Living in a village in a remote hilly area I didnrsquot get a chance to play football or cricketmdashwe played war games Also one of the most unpleasant experiences I had as a child was when the army would surround and search our house on winter nights They would force every family member to line up in the yard while they ransacked the house Each time they would put a gun to my fatherrsquos head and warn him against giving shelter or food to Shanti Bahini As a result I always felt like I had a heavy weapon against my head I donrsquot create art based on politics Itrsquos a presentation of events that happened from my childhood to now and ahope that the government and army will respect the persecuted indigenous people in the futurerdquoRoajarsquos early drawings were sketched secretly rolled up and hidden in bamboo sticks in a corner of his house He recalls one of his teachers viewing his work and telling him hersquos very talented but warning him about getting into trouble should anyone else see it Out of fear he destroyed each and every one of them Today he also recreates his art and message through impromptu performances at each exhibit While most of these enactments are an extension of his work theyrsquore often not planned with a fixed direction ldquoI usually go with what Irsquom feeling in that momentmdashthe ideas come to me along the wayrdquoWHAT Joydeb Roajarsquos solo exhibitionWHEN Till August 20 Tuesday to Saturday from 11 AM to 630 PMWHERE Jhaveri Contemporary third floor Devidas Mansion Apollo Bandar ColabaCALL 22021051