Importance of the character of Ferumiya in "The Other Jew".

In Kapil Krishna Thakur's "Anya Ihudi"(translated into English as "The Other Jew" by Angshuman Kar), which is included in "Survival and Other Stories", edited by I. Acharya and S. P. Sinha, Ferumiya is an evil character who does not physically appear in the story. But this character has an adverse effect on the whole story from the beginning to the end.


              Bishtucharan's coming from Boultali to West Bengal is only for this Ferumiya. For Bishtu, Ferumiya is "dirty rotten scoundrel" who "has destroyed his dear daughter", Jhunu. Actually Ferumiya wants to marry Jhunu, but she doesn't accept his proposal, that's why "they assaulted her all through the night" and killed her. In Bishtucharan's words ---- "She has not died. She was killed. My beautiful innocent daughter....."


             This incident brings a large change in Bishtu's life. Previously Bishtucharan was a great pundit and all the people of Bangladesh have respected him. But after this incident, he tells Braja, "....you used to call me Pandit. But now I realize I was the stupidest of you all..."


              When he comes to India to live  with Braja, after this incident, he has to compromise with his ideals: "But the teacher in Bishtucharan feels disturbed even over such trifles. All through these years he has got used to a peaceful, intense life, now he finds difficulty in adjusting to this sudden change to this open life, to this hustle and bustle.


              When he gets the news of Feru's death, he becomes the happiest person of the world. But this is the irony of his life. Because when he goes home to give this news to his younger daughter, Runu, the same incident repeats itself and he realises that one Ferumiya may die, but in order to change the society, all the Ferumiyas have to be demolished and debunked.