Naxalbari Analysis in The Lowland

A small village in West Bengal that was the center of an uprising by the CPI(M) led by Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal. At the time of the uprising, the peasants of the village were being systematically forced off of their land, and sharecroppers were being killed with impunity by local police when they attempted to occupy or work on the land from which they’d been exiled. The Naxalite rebellion was the attempt to rise up against oppressive police and paramilitary forces and redistribute land to the impoverished. Though rooted in the desire for equality and justice, the Naxalite movement would soon resort to violent methods and become known as a radical terrorist faction.

Naxalbari Term Timeline in The Lowland

The timeline below shows where the term Naxalbari appears in The Lowland. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Political and Personal Violence Theme Icon

In 1967, the boys begin hearing about Naxalbari on the radio and in the newspaper. One of a string of villages in the... (full context)

In March of 1967, a sharecropper in Naxalbari ploughs land from which he has been illegally evited, and his landlord sends “thugs” to... (full context)

...Udayan often stay up late, listening to the radio and discussing what is happening in Naxalbari. Udayan supports the peasant rebellion, but Subhash has reservations, feeling that the peasants’ primitive weapons... (full context)

Over the summer, the conflict worsens, and there are demonstrations in support of the Naxalbari peasants at both Subhash and Udayan’s colleges. The West Bengal government authorizes a raid of... (full context)

...Calcutta University. Udayan’s schedule becomes erratic, and he frequently misses dinner. Subhash knows that the Naxalbari movement is spreading throughout India, and suspects that his brother is involved, but does not... (full context)

...distributed, and from reading them Subhash learns that the peasant rebels are still active in Naxalbari. They are even having some success, and landowners are fleeing after a spate of landowning... (full context)

...paper on which is written a list of slogans glorifying Mao and the uprising in Naxalbari. One night, when Udayan comes home late, Subhash asks if he has been out painting... (full context)

...again finds himself in the position of lookout as Udayan paints the slogan “Long live Naxalbari” in English on a wall. Subhash is not afraid of being caught, and remembers, in... (full context)

...asks Subhash about India—he is ignorant of the politics there and does not know what Naxalbari is or what it stands for. (full context)

Udayan’s letters no longer mention Naxalbari or any kind of politics. He asks repeatedly, though, when Subhash is going to return... (full context)

...in the evening, Gauri is surprised to find that there is nothing about Calcutta or Naxalbari on the broadcast—the things that tore her city apart and “shattered” her life are not... (full context)

The Lowland

Jhumpa Lahiri

Naxalbari Term Analysis

Naxalbari Term Timeline in The Lowland