Jhumu is a masters student of Media studies and journalism. She is working on a Bangladeshi Newspaper as an junior sub-editor (editorial section). Her art is her writing. She prefers to write in Bangladeshi mostly, because she can play with this words more than others…Her Masters thesis Topic is “self expression of Kalighat pot chitra: a case study of babu culture”. In the Dhaka project she is helping to start a dialogue in the Bangla media on a new way if thinking and living with art and social issues. She is also participating in the project as a writer, with her group she studies the cleaner colony in Dhaka. She is married to Sumon, an artist, and together they thrive to contribute to the world.
This is her story:
“Through your eyes you can see the visible things and ears can give you some sounds as well; but if one uses ones all sense and mind also than the environment can give you in depth messages. I do not know how to speak well, properly or in a organizing way; but I can feel all of them and can visualize this feeling through the ‘words’ and tried to express them in a written way. So, I chose my writings and ‘words’ to communicate with people.
Last few years I worked with people, who are formally known as subaltern in this ‘So called’ power system; but for me they are the majority of the country and carry out the core essence of Bangladesh over the centuries. For the very first time they taught me- how this system works, why this working, what is humanity: I could not express my feelings through verbal communication and I started writing. So, today if I can express a single word this is their contribution. For this sometimes I feel guilty that- I could not do anything for them! Then I realized that- these people are not helpless or powerless. They are much more powerful than middle class sentiment can think about it, because they are not mediocre or slaves; they build the country and run it properly. The economy of Bangladesh mostly depends on ‘Remittance’ and ‘garments’; which are totally based on this people!
Here, fact is they don’t like to express themselves anymore and conventional power structure shows them as less powerful. For this I decided to express their thoughts, feelings, power, dreams and philosophy as well through my writing. That is why I switch my educational background from ‘Business administration’ to ‘research’ where my first masters’ thesis topic is based on subaltern studies.
I love to feel music, history and observe people. In the field of music there are lots of people whom I respect more than anything. Among them In Bangla- Kabir sumon and Lalon fakir are mostly recognizable, because, they don’t sing a song rather in every single tone & tune of their song they question people for everything and talked about the philosophy of life.”
