Farrukh Ahmed (Bengali-ফররুখ আহমেদ) (1918–1974) was a poet and writer of [Bangladesh]. He was born in the village of Sreepur Upazilla of Magura District.He was the second son of Syed Hatem Ali and Begum Rawshan. He graduated from [Khulna Zila School] in 1937 and did his IA from [Surendranath College|Ripon College], Kolkata in 1939. Then enrolled at the prestigious Scottish Church College to study BA (Hons) in Philosophy and English Literature, but was unable to his complete studies.
As a student, Farrukh Ahmed had been attracted to the [radical humanism] of [Manabendra Nath Roy] and had participated in leftist politics. From the forties, however, he supported the [Pakistan movement]. Despite his Pakistani and Islamic ideals, he supported the Language Movement in 1952 and, later, the liberation war of Bangladesh.
Literary works
His poems reflect the [Arabic] and [Persian language|Persian] legacy in Bengal and are replete with Arabic and Persian words. He also wrote satirical poems and sonnets.
Books
Majhi (1944)
Sirazam Munira (1952)
Naufel O Hatem (1961)
Muhurter Kavita (1963)
Hatemtayi (1966)
Habida Marur Kahini (1981)
Books For Children
Pakhir Basa (1965)
Harafer Chhada (1970)
Chhadar Asar (1970)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
HUMAYUN AZAD
Humayun Azad (Bangla: হুমায়ূন আজাদ) (Rarhi Khal, Dhaka Bangladesh, 28 April 1947 - Munich, Germany, 11 August 2004) was a prolific Bangladeshi author and scholar. He wrote more than seventy titles. He was widely known for his anti-establishment, anti-religion and anti-military voice and was reputed for caustic remarks.
Poetry
Aloukik Ishtimar (অলৌকিক ইষ্টিমার) (1973)
Jolo Chitabagh (জ্বলো চিতাবাঘ) (1980)
Shob Kichu Noshtoder Odhikare Jabe (সব কিছু নষ্টদের অধিকারে যাবে) (1985)
Jotoi Gobhire Jai Modhu Jotoi Uporay Jai Neel (যতোই গভীরে যাই মধু যতোই ওপরে যাই নীল) (1987)
Ami Bachay Chilam Onnoder Shomoy (আমি বেঁচেছিলাম অন্যদের সময়ে) (1990)
Humayun Azader Shreshtho Kobita (হুমায়ূন আজাদের শ্রেষ্ঠ কবিতা) (1993)
Adhunik Bangla Kobita (আধুনিক বাংলা কবিতা) (1994)
Kafone Mora Osrubindu (কাফনে মোড়া অশ্রুবিন্দু) (1998)
Kabya Shonggroho (কাব্য সংগ্রহ) (1998)
Chosha boi (1999)
Fictions
Chappanno Hazar Borgomile (1994) OCLC 60043495
Shob Kichu Bhenge Pore (1995)
Manush Hishbe Amar Oporadhshomuho (1996)
Jadukorer Mrittu (1996)
Shuvobroto, Tar Shomporkito Shushomacher (1997)
Rajnitibidgon (1998)
Kobi Othoba Dondito Aupurush (1999)
Nijer Shongge Nijer Jiboner Modhu (2000)
Fali Fali Ko're Kata Chand (2001)
Uponnashshonggroho-Ak (Collection of Novels, Vol.1) (2001)
Sraboner Brishtite Roktojoba (2002)
Uponnashshonggroho-Dui (Collection of Novels, Vol.2) (2001)
Dosh Hazar Abong Aro Akti Dhorshon (2003)
Pak Sar Jamin Saad Baad (2003) ISBN 984-401-769-6
Ekti Khuner svapna (2004)
Criticism
Rabindraprobondho/Rashtro O Shomajchinta (1973)
Shamsur Rahman/Nishshonggo Sherpa (1983)
Shilpokolar Bimanikikoron O Onnanno Probondho (1988)
Bhasha-Andolon:Shahittik Potobhumi (1990)
Naari (1992) (banned between November 19, 1995 and March 7, 2000)
Protikkriashilotar Dirgho Chayar Niche (1992)
Nibir Nilima (1992)
Matal Torony (1992)
Norokay Anonto Hritu (1992)
Jolpai Ronger Andhokar (1992)
Shimaboddhotar Shutro (1993)
Adhar O Adhayo (1993)
Amar Abishshash (1997)
Parbotto Chattagram:Shobuj Paharer Bhetor Diye Probahito Hingshar Jhornadhara (1997)
Nirbachito Probondho (1999)
Mohabishsho (2000)
Ditio Lingo (originated from Simone The Bevour) (2001)
Amra Ki Ai Bangladesh Cheyechilam (2003)
Amar Notun Jonmo (2005)
Linguistics
Pronominalization in Bengali (1983)
Bangla Bhashar Shotrumitro (1983)
Bakkototto (1994)
Bangla Bhasha Vol.1 (1984)
Bangla Bhasha Vol.2 (1985)
Tulonamulok O Oitihashik Bhashabiggan (1988)
Arthobiggan (1999)
Teenage Literature
Lal Neel Dipaboli Ba Bangla Shahitter Jiboni
Fuler Gondhe Ghum Ashena (1985)
Koto Nodi Shorobor Ba Bangla Bhashar Jiboni (1987)ISBN 984-401-017-9
Abbuke Mone Pore (1989)ISBN 984-401-555-3
Bukpokete Jonakipoka (1993)
Amader Shohoray Akdol Debdut ( 1996)
Andhokaray Gondhoraj (2003)
Death
On August 11, 2004, Professor Azad died in his apartment in Munich, Germany, where he had moved just a week prior to conducting research on the nineteenth century German romantic poet Heinrich Heine. His body was brought home and he was put in his grave in Rarhikhal, his rural homeland.
Poetry
Aloukik Ishtimar (অলৌকিক ইষ্টিমার) (1973)
Jolo Chitabagh (জ্বলো চিতাবাঘ) (1980)
Shob Kichu Noshtoder Odhikare Jabe (সব কিছু নষ্টদের অধিকারে যাবে) (1985)
Jotoi Gobhire Jai Modhu Jotoi Uporay Jai Neel (যতোই গভীরে যাই মধু যতোই ওপরে যাই নীল) (1987)
Ami Bachay Chilam Onnoder Shomoy (আমি বেঁচেছিলাম অন্যদের সময়ে) (1990)
Humayun Azader Shreshtho Kobita (হুমায়ূন আজাদের শ্রেষ্ঠ কবিতা) (1993)
Adhunik Bangla Kobita (আধুনিক বাংলা কবিতা) (1994)
Kafone Mora Osrubindu (কাফনে মোড়া অশ্রুবিন্দু) (1998)
Kabya Shonggroho (কাব্য সংগ্রহ) (1998)
Chosha boi (1999)
Fictions
Chappanno Hazar Borgomile (1994) OCLC 60043495
Shob Kichu Bhenge Pore (1995)
Manush Hishbe Amar Oporadhshomuho (1996)
Jadukorer Mrittu (1996)
Shuvobroto, Tar Shomporkito Shushomacher (1997)
Rajnitibidgon (1998)
Kobi Othoba Dondito Aupurush (1999)
Nijer Shongge Nijer Jiboner Modhu (2000)
Fali Fali Ko're Kata Chand (2001)
Uponnashshonggroho-Ak (Collection of Novels, Vol.1) (2001)
Sraboner Brishtite Roktojoba (2002)
Uponnashshonggroho-Dui (Collection of Novels, Vol.2) (2001)
Dosh Hazar Abong Aro Akti Dhorshon (2003)
Pak Sar Jamin Saad Baad (2003) ISBN 984-401-769-6
Ekti Khuner svapna (2004)
Criticism
Rabindraprobondho/Rashtro O Shomajchinta (1973)
Shamsur Rahman/Nishshonggo Sherpa (1983)
Shilpokolar Bimanikikoron O Onnanno Probondho (1988)
Bhasha-Andolon:Shahittik Potobhumi (1990)
Naari (1992) (banned between November 19, 1995 and March 7, 2000)
Protikkriashilotar Dirgho Chayar Niche (1992)
Nibir Nilima (1992)
Matal Torony (1992)
Norokay Anonto Hritu (1992)
Jolpai Ronger Andhokar (1992)
Shimaboddhotar Shutro (1993)
Adhar O Adhayo (1993)
Amar Abishshash (1997)
Parbotto Chattagram:Shobuj Paharer Bhetor Diye Probahito Hingshar Jhornadhara (1997)
Nirbachito Probondho (1999)
Mohabishsho (2000)
Ditio Lingo (originated from Simone The Bevour) (2001)
Amra Ki Ai Bangladesh Cheyechilam (2003)
Amar Notun Jonmo (2005)
Linguistics
Pronominalization in Bengali (1983)
Bangla Bhashar Shotrumitro (1983)
Bakkototto (1994)
Bangla Bhasha Vol.1 (1984)
Bangla Bhasha Vol.2 (1985)
Tulonamulok O Oitihashik Bhashabiggan (1988)
Arthobiggan (1999)
Teenage Literature
Lal Neel Dipaboli Ba Bangla Shahitter Jiboni
Fuler Gondhe Ghum Ashena (1985)
Koto Nodi Shorobor Ba Bangla Bhashar Jiboni (1987)ISBN 984-401-017-9
Abbuke Mone Pore (1989)ISBN 984-401-555-3
Bukpokete Jonakipoka (1993)
Amader Shohoray Akdol Debdut ( 1996)
Andhokaray Gondhoraj (2003)
Death
On August 11, 2004, Professor Azad died in his apartment in Munich, Germany, where he had moved just a week prior to conducting research on the nineteenth century German romantic poet Heinrich Heine. His body was brought home and he was put in his grave in Rarhikhal, his rural homeland.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
NOVELIST ZAHIR RAIHAN
Zahir Raihan was a Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. He is perhaps best-known for his documentary Stop Genocide made during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He disappeared on December 30, 1971 trying to locate his brother, the famous writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who was captured and killed by the Pakistan army and/or local collaborators during the last days of the war. Evidences have been found that he was killed among many others when some armed Bihari collaborators and disguised soldiers of Pakistan Army fired on them when they went to Mirpur, a distant place from the main city of Dhaka that was still being held by Pakistani/Bihari collaborators.
Biography
Zahir Raihan was born on 19 August 1935, as Mohammad Zahirullah, in the village Majupur, now in Feni District, Bangladesh. After the Partition of Bengal in 1947, he, along with his parents, returned to his village from Calcutta. He obtained Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Bangla from Dhaka University. He had been married twice, to Sumita Devi in 1961 and Shuchonda in 1968, both of whom were film actresses.
Books
Surya Grahan (The eclipse), 1954.
Shesh Bikeler Meye (The Girl from the Afternoon).
Hajar Bachhar Dhare (Through Thousand Years).
Arek Falgun (Another Falgun Day), based on the Language Movement of 1952.
Baraf Gala Nadi (The River of Icy Waters).
Ar Kata Din (For How Long).
Koyekti Mrittu (A Few Deaths).
Trishna (Thirst).
Movies and documentaries
Kokhono Asheni, 1961 (his first film as director).
Sonar Kajol, 1962 (jointly directed with Kolim Sharafi).
Kancher Deyal, 1963.
Sangam, 1964 (the first colour film made in Pakistan).
Bahana, 1965.
Behula, 1966.
Anowara, 1966.
Dui Bhai, 1968.
Jibon Theke Neya, 1969.
Let There Be Light.
Documentary Films
"Stop Genocide", Documentary on the genocide by Pakistani Army in the Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971
"Birth of A Nation"
"Liberation Fighters"(Production)
"Innocent Milions"(Production)
Biography
Zahir Raihan was born on 19 August 1935, as Mohammad Zahirullah, in the village Majupur, now in Feni District, Bangladesh. After the Partition of Bengal in 1947, he, along with his parents, returned to his village from Calcutta. He obtained Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Bangla from Dhaka University. He had been married twice, to Sumita Devi in 1961 and Shuchonda in 1968, both of whom were film actresses.
Books
Surya Grahan (The eclipse), 1954.
Shesh Bikeler Meye (The Girl from the Afternoon).
Hajar Bachhar Dhare (Through Thousand Years).
Arek Falgun (Another Falgun Day), based on the Language Movement of 1952.
Baraf Gala Nadi (The River of Icy Waters).
Ar Kata Din (For How Long).
Koyekti Mrittu (A Few Deaths).
Trishna (Thirst).
Movies and documentaries
Kokhono Asheni, 1961 (his first film as director).
Sonar Kajol, 1962 (jointly directed with Kolim Sharafi).
Kancher Deyal, 1963.
Sangam, 1964 (the first colour film made in Pakistan).
Bahana, 1965.
Behula, 1966.
Anowara, 1966.
Dui Bhai, 1968.
Jibon Theke Neya, 1969.
Let There Be Light.
Documentary Films
"Stop Genocide", Documentary on the genocide by Pakistani Army in the Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971
"Birth of A Nation"
"Liberation Fighters"(Production)
"Innocent Milions"(Production)
MIR MOSHARRAF HOSSAIN
Mir Mosharraf Hossain (Bangla: মীর মশাররফ হোসেন) (1847-1912) was a Bengali language novelist, playwright and essayist in 19th century Bengal. He is principally known for his famous novel "Bishad Sindhu". He is considered as the first novelist to emerge from the Muslim society of Bengal.
Life
Mir Mosharraf Hossain was born in the village of Lahinipara in Kushtia (former Nadia District) now in Bangladesh.His widely accepted date of birth is 13th November 1847 [ব্রজেন্দ্রনাথ বন্দোপাধ্যায়: 'স্বর্ণকুমারী দেবী, মীর মশাররফ হোসেন'। সাহিত্য সাধক-চরিতমালা' : ২৮-২৯ সংখ্যক পুস্তিকা। পঞ্চম-সং: কলিকাতা, জৈষ্ঠ্য ১৩৬১. পৃষ্ঠা ৩১।] .But some researchers also claim his date of birth is 26th October, 1947 [আবুল আহসান চৌধুরী. মীর মশাররফ হোসেন. জীবনী গ্রন্থমালা সিরিজ. বাংলা একাডেমী. ঢাকা. ১৯৯৩. পৃষ্ঠা-১১।] .His father Mir Moazzem Hossain was one of the few muslim "zamindars (landlord)" of nineteenth century Bengal.His mother's name is Daulatunnesa.
In 1865 he married Aziz-un-Nesa. But he was very unhappy with her. As a result he married again in 1874. His second wife was Bibi Kulsum then only twelve years old.
He is perhaps most famous for his novel "Bishad Shindhu" (Ocean of Sorrow), depicting the tale of Martyrdom of Hossain or Husayn bin Ali in Karbala. He was one of the first Muslim writers to emerge from colonial British India. Mir Mosharraf Hossain was secular and promoted peace between Hindus and Muslims. His other works include "Jamindar Darpan" (Reflections on Zamindars), a play on the plight of common people under the zamindars (landlords installed by the British colonial rulers) and their struggle against them.
Literary career
Works
Mir Mosarraf Hossain is the first modern Muslim Bengali writer. He wrote more than 35 books.
His literary works were included in the curriculum of school level, secondary, higher secondary and graduation level Bengali Literature in Bangladesh.
Novel
* "Ratnawati (1869)"
* "Bishad Shindhu (1885-1890)"
Play
*"Jamidar Darpan (1873)"
*"Bosontokumari Natok (1873)"
Poetry
* "Gorai Bridge or Gouri Setu (1873)"
Essay
*"Gojibon"
Autobiographical
*"Amar Jiboni" (autobiography)
*"Bibi Kulsum"
..............................
*"Gazi Miar Bostani"
*"Bajimat"
*"Bibi Khodejar Bibaho"
*"Hazrart Umarer Dharmo Jibon Labh"
*"Musolmaner Bangla Shikhya-1"
*"Musolmaner Bangla Shikhya-2"
References
*Golpo Songroho (Collected Stories), the national text book of B.A. (pass and subsidiary) course of Bangladesh, published by University of Dhaka in 1979 (reprint in 1986).
*Bangla Sahitya (Bengali Literature), the national text book of intermediate (college) level of Bangladesh published in 1996 by all educational boards.
Life
Mir Mosharraf Hossain was born in the village of Lahinipara in Kushtia (former Nadia District) now in Bangladesh.His widely accepted date of birth is 13th November 1847 [ব্রজেন্দ্রনাথ বন্দোপাধ্যায়: 'স্বর্ণকুমারী দেবী, মীর মশাররফ হোসেন'। সাহিত্য সাধক-চরিতমালা' : ২৮-২৯ সংখ্যক পুস্তিকা। পঞ্চম-সং: কলিকাতা, জৈষ্ঠ্য ১৩৬১. পৃষ্ঠা ৩১।] .But some researchers also claim his date of birth is 26th October, 1947 [আবুল আহসান চৌধুরী. মীর মশাররফ হোসেন. জীবনী গ্রন্থমালা সিরিজ. বাংলা একাডেমী. ঢাকা. ১৯৯৩. পৃষ্ঠা-১১।] .His father Mir Moazzem Hossain was one of the few muslim "zamindars (landlord)" of nineteenth century Bengal.His mother's name is Daulatunnesa.
In 1865 he married Aziz-un-Nesa. But he was very unhappy with her. As a result he married again in 1874. His second wife was Bibi Kulsum then only twelve years old.
He is perhaps most famous for his novel "Bishad Shindhu" (Ocean of Sorrow), depicting the tale of Martyrdom of Hossain or Husayn bin Ali in Karbala. He was one of the first Muslim writers to emerge from colonial British India. Mir Mosharraf Hossain was secular and promoted peace between Hindus and Muslims. His other works include "Jamindar Darpan" (Reflections on Zamindars), a play on the plight of common people under the zamindars (landlords installed by the British colonial rulers) and their struggle against them.
Literary career
Works
Mir Mosarraf Hossain is the first modern Muslim Bengali writer. He wrote more than 35 books.
His literary works were included in the curriculum of school level, secondary, higher secondary and graduation level Bengali Literature in Bangladesh.
Novel
* "Ratnawati (1869)"
* "Bishad Shindhu (1885-1890)"
Play
*"Jamidar Darpan (1873)"
*"Bosontokumari Natok (1873)"
Poetry
* "Gorai Bridge or Gouri Setu (1873)"
Essay
*"Gojibon"
Autobiographical
*"Amar Jiboni" (autobiography)
*"Bibi Kulsum"
..............................
*"Gazi Miar Bostani"
*"Bajimat"
*"Bibi Khodejar Bibaho"
*"Hazrart Umarer Dharmo Jibon Labh"
*"Musolmaner Bangla Shikhya-1"
*"Musolmaner Bangla Shikhya-2"
References
*Golpo Songroho (Collected Stories), the national text book of B.A. (pass and subsidiary) course of Bangladesh, published by University of Dhaka in 1979 (reprint in 1986).
*Bangla Sahitya (Bengali Literature), the national text book of intermediate (college) level of Bangladesh published in 1996 by all educational boards.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
POET SHAMSUR RAHMAN
Shamsur Rahman (1929 - 2006) is indisputably the greatest poet of Bangladesh, with more than sixty books of poetry to his credit. The renowned critic, Syed Manzoorul Islam, speaks of Rahman as having "produced a solid body of work which has permanently changed the geography and the climate of Bengali poetry. He has given it a new dimension and a meaning, he has created an ethos which belongs indisputably to him. He has given us a language, which we did not have.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
DRAMATIST SELIM AL DIN
Selim Al Din,
A playwright, born in 1949. He was the founding Chairman of Dramatics Department, Jahangirnagar University. He is Director of Teachers and Students Centre, and Professor of Dramatics Department, Jahangirnagar University. He is the President of Vi Ilage Theatre Project under Dhaka Theatre. Mr. Selim wrote the first street play of the country, Charkankra, in 1977. His most important plays include Muntasir Fantasy(1976), Kirton Kho/a (1980), Keramat Manga/(1984), Chaka (1990), and Jaibati Kannyar Man (1991). He has also written a number of TV plays and serials. He did Ph.D. on "Drama in the Middle Age of Bengali literature" in 1995. He got Bangla Academy Award in 1984. He has also got a number of awards from different organizations in Bangladesh. He has visited India in connection with theatre related activities.
A playwright, born in 1949. He was the founding Chairman of Dramatics Department, Jahangirnagar University. He is Director of Teachers and Students Centre, and Professor of Dramatics Department, Jahangirnagar University. He is the President of Vi Ilage Theatre Project under Dhaka Theatre. Mr. Selim wrote the first street play of the country, Charkankra, in 1977. His most important plays include Muntasir Fantasy(1976), Kirton Kho/a (1980), Keramat Manga/(1984), Chaka (1990), and Jaibati Kannyar Man (1991). He has also written a number of TV plays and serials. He did Ph.D. on "Drama in the Middle Age of Bengali literature" in 1995. He got Bangla Academy Award in 1984. He has also got a number of awards from different organizations in Bangladesh. He has visited India in connection with theatre related activities.
Friday, August 6, 2010
RUPOSHIBANGLAR KOBI JIBONANANDA DAS
Jibonananda Das (Bangla: জীবনানন্দ দাশ) (February 17, 1899 - October 22, 1954) is the most popular Bengali poet after Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. He is considered one of the innovators who introduced modernist poetry to Bengali Literature, at a period when it was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore's Romantic poetry[1]. Born in a literary family, with a schoolmaster father and a poet mother, he was raised and educated as a writer. After completing his MA degree in English at Calcutta University in 1921, he began an intermittent teaching career, frequently interrupted by political unrest and personal circumstances. He published his first poem in 1919, and continued to publish poems, collections and novels throughout his life.
In the early days of the twentieth century, Jibonananda was at the forefront of efforts to come out from under the dominating influence of the romantic poetry of Rabindranath Tagore. Jibanananda Das received little attention during his lifetime, and many considered his poetry incomprehensible. Readers, including his contemporary literary commentators, criticized his style and diction. Jibanananda broke the traditional circular structure of poetry (intro-middle-end), and the pattern of logical sequence of words, lines and stanzas. The thematic connotation was often hidden under a rhythmic narrative that requires careful reading between the lines. It is only after his death in 1954, that a competent readership started to emerge who not only was comfortable with Jibanananda's style and diction but also enjoyed his poetry with great pleasure. By the time his centenary was celebrated in 1999, Jibonananda Das was the most popular and the most well-read poet of Bengali literature.
In the early days of the twentieth century, Jibonananda was at the forefront of efforts to come out from under the dominating influence of the romantic poetry of Rabindranath Tagore. Jibanananda Das received little attention during his lifetime, and many considered his poetry incomprehensible. Readers, including his contemporary literary commentators, criticized his style and diction. Jibanananda broke the traditional circular structure of poetry (intro-middle-end), and the pattern of logical sequence of words, lines and stanzas. The thematic connotation was often hidden under a rhythmic narrative that requires careful reading between the lines. It is only after his death in 1954, that a competent readership started to emerge who not only was comfortable with Jibanananda's style and diction but also enjoyed his poetry with great pleasure. By the time his centenary was celebrated in 1999, Jibonananda Das was the most popular and the most well-read poet of Bengali literature.
POLLI KOBI JASIMUDDIN
Jasim Uddin (1903-1976) was a renowned Bengali poet and litterateur, commonly known in Bangladesh as ‘Polli Kobi’, the rural poet.
His verse has a simple, charming bucolic authenticity that earned him the title ‘Polli Kobi’. But, his profound commitments in non-communal socio-political movements championing the cause of humanism give his lyrics and folksy poetry a powerful and universal stance.
In 1969 Jasimuddin was awarded the DLitt by Rabindra Bharati University. He also won several awards, including the President's Award for Pride of Performance (1958), Ekushey Padak (1976) and Swadhinata Dibas Puruskar (posthumous, 1978). In 1974 he was also selected for the Bangla Academy Award but refused it.
Jasimuddin died in Dhaka on 13 March 1976 and was buried in his own village in Faridpur district.
Jasim Uddin’s Major Publications:
Rakhali (Shepherd) (1927)Nokshi Kanthar Maath (1929)Sojan Badiyar Ghat (1933)Rangila Nayer Majhi (1935)Matir Kanna (1951)Suchayani (1961)Padma Nadir Deshe (1969)Bhayabaha Sei Dingulite (1962)Padmapar (1950)Beder Meye (1951)Pallibodhu (1956)Gramer Maya (1959)Thakur Badir Aninay (1961)Germanir Shahare Bandare (1975)Smaraner Sarani Bahi (1978)Bangalir Hasir GalpaDalim KumarBoba Kahini (1964)Field of the Embroidered Quilt (Nokshi Kanthar Maath's English version)
His verse has a simple, charming bucolic authenticity that earned him the title ‘Polli Kobi’. But, his profound commitments in non-communal socio-political movements championing the cause of humanism give his lyrics and folksy poetry a powerful and universal stance.
In 1969 Jasimuddin was awarded the DLitt by Rabindra Bharati University. He also won several awards, including the President's Award for Pride of Performance (1958), Ekushey Padak (1976) and Swadhinata Dibas Puruskar (posthumous, 1978). In 1974 he was also selected for the Bangla Academy Award but refused it.
Jasimuddin died in Dhaka on 13 March 1976 and was buried in his own village in Faridpur district.
Jasim Uddin’s Major Publications:
Rakhali (Shepherd) (1927)Nokshi Kanthar Maath (1929)Sojan Badiyar Ghat (1933)Rangila Nayer Majhi (1935)Matir Kanna (1951)Suchayani (1961)Padma Nadir Deshe (1969)Bhayabaha Sei Dingulite (1962)Padmapar (1950)Beder Meye (1951)Pallibodhu (1956)Gramer Maya (1959)Thakur Badir Aninay (1961)Germanir Shahare Bandare (1975)Smaraner Sarani Bahi (1978)Bangalir Hasir GalpaDalim KumarBoba Kahini (1964)Field of the Embroidered Quilt (Nokshi Kanthar Maath's English version)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
POET AHSAN HABIB
Ahsan Habib was born in 1917 in the village Shankarpasha in what is now [Pirojpur District], [Bangladesh]. He studied in Pirojpur Government School and graduated from it in 1935. After passing the Entrance examination in 1935, he attended Brajamohan College, then affiliated with the University of Calcutta, in Barisal, but dropped out due to financial difficulties. Shortly afterwards, he moved to Kolkata, where, in 1937, he joined the Takbir as assistant editor. He subsequently worked in the Bulbul (1937–38) and the saogat (1939–43). From 1943 to 1948 he also worked as a staff artiste at the Kolkata centre of All India Radio.
After the partition of India in 1947, he left Kolkata for Dhaka. The other publications where he worked include the Daily azad, Monthly mohammadi, Daily Krishak, Daily Ittehad, Weekly Prabaha, etc. He was also the production adviser of Franklin Publications from 1957 to 1964. From 1964 to 1985 he worked at the Dainik Pakistan/ Dainik Bangla.
Ahsan Habib started writing while still a student. His first poem, 'Mayer Kabar Pade Kishor', was published in the school magazine in 1934 when he was student of class 10. Subsequently, his poems were published in various journals and magazines such as Desh, Mohammadi, Bichitra, etc. His first book of poems was Ratrishes (1947).[2]
Literary works:
Poems
Chaya Horin (1962)
Shara Dupur (1964)
Ashay Boshoty (1974)
Megh Bole Choitrey Jabo (1976)
Duhate Dui Adim Pathar (1980)
For children
Josna Rater Golpo
Brsti Pade Tapur Tupur (1977)
Chutir Din Dupure 1978)
Novel
Ranee Khaler Shako (a novel for the teenagers)
Aronno Neelima
After the partition of India in 1947, he left Kolkata for Dhaka. The other publications where he worked include the Daily azad, Monthly mohammadi, Daily Krishak, Daily Ittehad, Weekly Prabaha, etc. He was also the production adviser of Franklin Publications from 1957 to 1964. From 1964 to 1985 he worked at the Dainik Pakistan/ Dainik Bangla.
Ahsan Habib started writing while still a student. His first poem, 'Mayer Kabar Pade Kishor', was published in the school magazine in 1934 when he was student of class 10. Subsequently, his poems were published in various journals and magazines such as Desh, Mohammadi, Bichitra, etc. His first book of poems was Ratrishes (1947).[2]
Literary works:
Poems
Chaya Horin (1962)
Shara Dupur (1964)
Ashay Boshoty (1974)
Megh Bole Choitrey Jabo (1976)
Duhate Dui Adim Pathar (1980)
For children
Josna Rater Golpo
Brsti Pade Tapur Tupur (1977)
Chutir Din Dupure 1978)
Novel
Ranee Khaler Shako (a novel for the teenagers)
Aronno Neelima
BENGALI POET SUKUMAR RAY
Sukumar Ray (Bengali: সুকুমার রায়) (1887-1923) was a Bengali humorous poet, story writer and playwright. As perhaps the most famous Indian practitioner of literary nonsense, he is often compared to Lewis Carroll. His works such as the collection of poems "Aboltabol" (Bangla: "আবোলতাবোল")("Gibberish"), novella "HaJaBaRaLa" (Bangla:হযবরল), short story collection "Pagla Dashu" (Bangla:"পাগলা দাশু") ("Crazy Dashu") and play "Chalachittachanchari" (Bangla: "চলচিত্তচঞ্চরী") are considered nonsense masterpieces equal in stature to Alice in Wonderland, and are regarded as some of the greatest treasures of Bangla literature. More than 80 years after his death, Ray remains one of the most popular of children's writers in both West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Sukumar Ray was the son of famous children's story writer Upendrakishore Ray (Ray Chowdhury) and the father of legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Sukumar Ray was also known as the convenor of "Monday Club", a weekly gathering of likeminded people at the Ray residence, where the members were free to express their irreverent opinions about the world at large. A number of delightful poems were penned by Sukumar Ray in relation to the matters concerning Monday Club, primarily soliciting attendance, announcing important meetings etc.
Sukumar Ray was the son of famous children's story writer Upendrakishore Ray (Ray Chowdhury) and the father of legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Sukumar Ray was also known as the convenor of "Monday Club", a weekly gathering of likeminded people at the Ray residence, where the members were free to express their irreverent opinions about the world at large. A number of delightful poems were penned by Sukumar Ray in relation to the matters concerning Monday Club, primarily soliciting attendance, announcing important meetings etc.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
MANIK BANDYAPADHYAY
19 June 1908 - 3 December 1956
Born 19 May 1908 at Doomka town of the Santhal Pargana of West Bengal (India) in a family from Malapdia village of Vikrampur (near Dhaka - capital of Bangladesh). He was his parents' fith son. Father Harikar Bandyapadhyay; mother Niroda Devi. Manik was his nickname - the formal name being Prabodh Kumar. Harihar was a Sub Deputy Collector and had a transferable job. So Manik's chilhood was spent in many parts of the then undivided Bengal - from Comilla in the east to Midnapore in the west. His writing creer started in his teens. The first short story was published at the age of twenty and his first novel at 21.
Bandyopadhyay matriculated from Midnapore in 1926. In 1928, after completing his I.Sc. examination from the Welleslyan Mission College in Bankura, he was admitted to the B.Sc. (Hons. in Maths.) course at the Presidency College of Calcutta. But the carefree young Manik never completed his degree despite much angst to his parents and family elders. He wasn’t a conformist and miserabley failed his parents' traditional expectations.
In those days, income from publications could hardly support a household. Bandyopadhyay commenced employment in 1938 as the Headmaster of the Mymensingh Teachers Training School. That same year he married in Vikrampur's (in Dhaka district now in Bangladesh) Chatterjee family. He became the Assistant editor of the Bangoshree in 1937. He resigned from this position in 1939 to start his own (doomed) publishing business - in partnership with one of his brothers. He hardly knew that he couln't be a successful businessman.
During the Second World War, he joined the Indian National War Front, Provincial Organiser, Bengal as a Publicity Assistant. During this period he was associated with the Calcutta station of All India Radio and took part in many programmes including those related with War propaganda, at least up to the end of 1943.
Bandyopadhyay died a poor death at the age of 48 in 1956 after suffering from a long bout of bacillary dysentery. Some 4 decades after his passing, the West Bengal government in collaboration with that state's Bangla Academy published his life time contributions to Bengali literature - a commendable project indeed!
Major Works
Manik literally means gem and quite a gem he was to the Bengali literature. His short stories are woven from the rich threads plucked from the ordinary impoverished peoples' lives with a masterly crafted texture that always contains a vivid psychoanatomy of their conflicts and dilemmas of existence with an abundant supply of colours squeezed from their immediate and engaging natural surrounds.
Although, not unlike every other Bengali youngsters, still in his teens, he had written (hitherto unpublished and discovered later) some 100 odd poems, it is at the Presidency College, after a wager with his classmates, that Manik started writing short stories.
In December that very year (1928) he won his bet and Atosi Maami (Aunt Atosi) was first published in the popular Bichitra magazine. Soon after, in 1929, two more short stories Neki (The Ignorant) and Byathar Puja (The Anguished Adoration) followed. Both readers and critics alike acclaimed his skills as a short story writer.
Thus encouraged, Bandyopadhyay, then commenced experimenting with the longer story formats. The result was his first 'romantic' (serial) novel Divaraatrir Kavya (The Ode of the Day and Night) - a string of three apparently self-contained but continuing long stories (the author liked to call them allegories, instead of stories or novels. He wrote that the characters were metaphorical representations of people's thoughts, rather than the people themselves). The stories first appeared in 1934 in the Bangoshree, some five years after they were written (and 'collecting dust on the shelf').
A contemporary of Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay - author of the Apu Trilogy (directed by the Oscar winning film director Satyajit Ray), Pather Panchali, Aparajto and Apur Sansar), and to a lesser extent that of Saratchandra Chatterjee, Manik Banduopadhaya's first full-fledged novel Janani (Mother) was published in 1935 - his first, not serially published before. But it was not until his next two novels came out, would the reading public ever realise what treasure awaited them! Classed among the best of world literature heritage of the twentieth century were Bandyopadhyay's Pootool Naacher Itikotha and Padma Nodir Maajhi - both published in 1936.
Pootool Naacher Itikotha (the Puppets' Tale), first appeared serially in the clebrated Bharatbarsha in 1935. 1936 saw the publication of this, much debated and widely translated2 serial novel in book form along with his most popular and universally acclaimed Padma Nodir Maajhi (Padma River Boatman, tarnslated by Barbara Painter and Ian Lovelock3), which faithfully and lovingly depicted the rural life of his native East Bengal. Partly serially published in the Purbasha magazine, this novel, too, was translated in many Indian, Asian and European languages 4.
Consider this:
"The Puppets' Tale" belongs to the mainstream world literature in its sources of conflict: father against son; education against tradition; village against city; man against fate and the inexhaustible enigma of woman and man. In the context of Indian literature, "The Puppets' Tale" is yet another outstanding example of the enormous, amalgamative power of India through the ages.
- Introductory note on the novel's English translation under the auspices of UNESCO. Translator Sachindralal Ghose under the series editor Artur Isenberg
Many short stories of the author have been translated to other Indian and European languages. The most notable of these enormous inventory are Pragoitihasik (Primeval), Sarisrip (The Serpent), Shinrhi (Stairs), Bou (Wives) and Mahakaaler Jotaar Jot (the Matted Locks of Shiva).
Even some of his shortest of stories could have his readers spell-bound with his supreme ability to dissect human minds through a X-Ray-vision psychosis, thus giving a compelling insight into his characters and the situations they found themselves in (often with no fault of their own) – each having harmony or conflict with the rest. Less able writers probably would require pages after pages to describe such profusely intense situations, but not Manik Bandyopadhyay. Here's a snippet:
Oh, star-studded sky of 8 O'Clock! Split into peices with a million thunders. The hungry children of (Bengal) have to fight their own helpless mother for a lousy peice of bread, for a few grains of rice!
[Translated text from the short story Aar Naa Kaanna - a tiny, only three-and-a-quarter page, short story, but heavily laden with an ordinary housewife's failing attempts at making ends meet with inadequate supplies. The young innocent kids can't fathom why their mother was saving flour when they are half fed and they all revolt against her! She has nowhere to hide. She wants the sky to fall apart!]
Emotionally charged, no doubt! Propagandist, no doubt! Politically encapsulated, no doubt. But this helpless cry does clearly demonstrate her dilemma when the half-fed children wants more to eat yet she has only a meagre supply of flour that must last the distance until their father can earn more to buy replenishment. She fails to make the ends meet!
In a short writing career that only lasted twenty eight years, dotted and burdened with financial, health (he suffered from epilepsy), addiction and psychological traumas, Manik Bandyopadhay wrote 39 novels, over 260 short stories, some poems, essays etc.
Born 19 May 1908 at Doomka town of the Santhal Pargana of West Bengal (India) in a family from Malapdia village of Vikrampur (near Dhaka - capital of Bangladesh). He was his parents' fith son. Father Harikar Bandyapadhyay; mother Niroda Devi. Manik was his nickname - the formal name being Prabodh Kumar. Harihar was a Sub Deputy Collector and had a transferable job. So Manik's chilhood was spent in many parts of the then undivided Bengal - from Comilla in the east to Midnapore in the west. His writing creer started in his teens. The first short story was published at the age of twenty and his first novel at 21.
Bandyopadhyay matriculated from Midnapore in 1926. In 1928, after completing his I.Sc. examination from the Welleslyan Mission College in Bankura, he was admitted to the B.Sc. (Hons. in Maths.) course at the Presidency College of Calcutta. But the carefree young Manik never completed his degree despite much angst to his parents and family elders. He wasn’t a conformist and miserabley failed his parents' traditional expectations.
In those days, income from publications could hardly support a household. Bandyopadhyay commenced employment in 1938 as the Headmaster of the Mymensingh Teachers Training School. That same year he married in Vikrampur's (in Dhaka district now in Bangladesh) Chatterjee family. He became the Assistant editor of the Bangoshree in 1937. He resigned from this position in 1939 to start his own (doomed) publishing business - in partnership with one of his brothers. He hardly knew that he couln't be a successful businessman.
During the Second World War, he joined the Indian National War Front, Provincial Organiser, Bengal as a Publicity Assistant. During this period he was associated with the Calcutta station of All India Radio and took part in many programmes including those related with War propaganda, at least up to the end of 1943.
Bandyopadhyay died a poor death at the age of 48 in 1956 after suffering from a long bout of bacillary dysentery. Some 4 decades after his passing, the West Bengal government in collaboration with that state's Bangla Academy published his life time contributions to Bengali literature - a commendable project indeed!
Major Works
Manik literally means gem and quite a gem he was to the Bengali literature. His short stories are woven from the rich threads plucked from the ordinary impoverished peoples' lives with a masterly crafted texture that always contains a vivid psychoanatomy of their conflicts and dilemmas of existence with an abundant supply of colours squeezed from their immediate and engaging natural surrounds.
Although, not unlike every other Bengali youngsters, still in his teens, he had written (hitherto unpublished and discovered later) some 100 odd poems, it is at the Presidency College, after a wager with his classmates, that Manik started writing short stories.
In December that very year (1928) he won his bet and Atosi Maami (Aunt Atosi) was first published in the popular Bichitra magazine. Soon after, in 1929, two more short stories Neki (The Ignorant) and Byathar Puja (The Anguished Adoration) followed. Both readers and critics alike acclaimed his skills as a short story writer.
Thus encouraged, Bandyopadhyay, then commenced experimenting with the longer story formats. The result was his first 'romantic' (serial) novel Divaraatrir Kavya (The Ode of the Day and Night) - a string of three apparently self-contained but continuing long stories (the author liked to call them allegories, instead of stories or novels. He wrote that the characters were metaphorical representations of people's thoughts, rather than the people themselves). The stories first appeared in 1934 in the Bangoshree, some five years after they were written (and 'collecting dust on the shelf').
A contemporary of Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay - author of the Apu Trilogy (directed by the Oscar winning film director Satyajit Ray), Pather Panchali, Aparajto and Apur Sansar), and to a lesser extent that of Saratchandra Chatterjee, Manik Banduopadhaya's first full-fledged novel Janani (Mother) was published in 1935 - his first, not serially published before. But it was not until his next two novels came out, would the reading public ever realise what treasure awaited them! Classed among the best of world literature heritage of the twentieth century were Bandyopadhyay's Pootool Naacher Itikotha and Padma Nodir Maajhi - both published in 1936.
Pootool Naacher Itikotha (the Puppets' Tale), first appeared serially in the clebrated Bharatbarsha in 1935. 1936 saw the publication of this, much debated and widely translated2 serial novel in book form along with his most popular and universally acclaimed Padma Nodir Maajhi (Padma River Boatman, tarnslated by Barbara Painter and Ian Lovelock3), which faithfully and lovingly depicted the rural life of his native East Bengal. Partly serially published in the Purbasha magazine, this novel, too, was translated in many Indian, Asian and European languages 4.
Consider this:
"The Puppets' Tale" belongs to the mainstream world literature in its sources of conflict: father against son; education against tradition; village against city; man against fate and the inexhaustible enigma of woman and man. In the context of Indian literature, "The Puppets' Tale" is yet another outstanding example of the enormous, amalgamative power of India through the ages.
- Introductory note on the novel's English translation under the auspices of UNESCO. Translator Sachindralal Ghose under the series editor Artur Isenberg
Many short stories of the author have been translated to other Indian and European languages. The most notable of these enormous inventory are Pragoitihasik (Primeval), Sarisrip (The Serpent), Shinrhi (Stairs), Bou (Wives) and Mahakaaler Jotaar Jot (the Matted Locks of Shiva).
Even some of his shortest of stories could have his readers spell-bound with his supreme ability to dissect human minds through a X-Ray-vision psychosis, thus giving a compelling insight into his characters and the situations they found themselves in (often with no fault of their own) – each having harmony or conflict with the rest. Less able writers probably would require pages after pages to describe such profusely intense situations, but not Manik Bandyopadhyay. Here's a snippet:
Oh, star-studded sky of 8 O'Clock! Split into peices with a million thunders. The hungry children of (Bengal) have to fight their own helpless mother for a lousy peice of bread, for a few grains of rice!
[Translated text from the short story Aar Naa Kaanna - a tiny, only three-and-a-quarter page, short story, but heavily laden with an ordinary housewife's failing attempts at making ends meet with inadequate supplies. The young innocent kids can't fathom why their mother was saving flour when they are half fed and they all revolt against her! She has nowhere to hide. She wants the sky to fall apart!]
Emotionally charged, no doubt! Propagandist, no doubt! Politically encapsulated, no doubt. But this helpless cry does clearly demonstrate her dilemma when the half-fed children wants more to eat yet she has only a meagre supply of flour that must last the distance until their father can earn more to buy replenishment. She fails to make the ends meet!
In a short writing career that only lasted twenty eight years, dotted and burdened with financial, health (he suffered from epilepsy), addiction and psychological traumas, Manik Bandyopadhay wrote 39 novels, over 260 short stories, some poems, essays etc.
MICHEAL MADHUSUDAN DUTTA
Michael Madhusudan Dutta (1824-1873), the 19th century Bengali poet and playwright, was born on 25 January 1824 in a landed family in the village of Sagardari in Jessore district, Bengal (now in Bangladesh). He was the only son of a well-to-do Kayastha Family. His father, Rajnarayan Dutta, was a law practitioner in Kolkata. Madhusudan in his early years, was taught at home by his mother, Jahnabi Devi, and later he joined Sagardari Primary School. At the age of 7 he went to Khidirpur School, Kolkata. In 1843 he got admitted to Kolkata’s famous Hindu College. Here, amongst other subjects, he also studied Bengali, Sanskrit and Persian.
Madhusudan began writing while at Hindu College. He drew everyone's attention at a college function when he recited a self-composed poem. He won several scholarships in college exams as well as a gold medal for an essay on women's education. While a student at Hindu College, Madhusudan's poems in Bengali and English were published in Jnananvesan, Bengal Spectator, Literary Gleamer, Calcutta Library Gazette, Literary Blossom and Comet. Lord Byron was Madhusudan's inspiration.
Michael’s exceptionally colourful personality and his unconventional, dramatic and in many ways tragic life have added to the magnetism and glamour of his name. Generous in friendship, romantic and passionate by temperament, he was also fond of the good life; he was financially irresponsible, and an incorrigible spendthrift. He experimented not only in the field of writing, but also in his personal life.
On 9 February 1843, Madhusudan ran away from home and converted to Christianity, to escape a marriage his father had arranged and also to satiate his fascination with everything English and Western. He took the name 'Michael' upon his conversion and wrote a hymn to be recited on the day of his Baptism. However, on becoming a Christian, Madhusudan had to leave Hindu College as Christians were not allowed to study there during that time. In 1844, he got admitted to Bishop's College and remained there until 1847. There, he also studied Greek and Latin.
Madhusudan's conversion to Christianity estranged him from his family, and his father stopped sending him money. In 1848, Michael left for Madras where he started teaching, first at Madras Male Orphan Asylum School (1848-1852) and then at Madras University High School (1852-1856). Besides teaching, Madhusudan was also involved with a number of newspapers and journals. He edited the Eurasian (later known as the Eastern Guardian), the Madras Circulator and General Chronicle and the Hindu Chronicle. He also worked as Assistant Editor of the Madras Spectator (1848-1856).
While in Madras, Madhusudan married Rebecca Mactavys Thompson and had a family by her. Meanwhile, his mother died and then his father. After his father's death, Madhusudan abandoned Rebecca and his first family due to a failed marriage and returned to Kolkata in February 1856 to live with a Frenchwoman named Henrietta White and had a second family by her. She and Michael did not seem to have been formally married, presumably because Rebecca had never granted him divorce. There is no record either of their marriage or of Michael obtaining a divorce from Rebecca.
In Kolkata, Michael first worked as a clerk at the police court and then as interpreter. He also started contributing to different journals. His friends urged him to write in Bengali.
Madhusudan realized the paucity of good writing in Bengali as well as his own ability to fill this vacuum. While translating Ramnarayan Tarkaratna's play Ratnavali (1858) into English, he felt the absence of good plays in Bengali. He became associated with the Belgachhiya Theatre in Kolkata patronized by the Rajas of Paikpara. In 1858 he wrote the western-style play Sharmistha based on the Mahabharata story of Devayani and Yayati. This was the first original play in Bengali, making Madhusudan the first Bengali playwright.
By dint of his genius, he removed the stagnation in Bengali literature both in style and content. He was the first to use blank verse in 1860 in the play Padmavati based on a Greek myth. This use of blank verse freed Bengalipoetry from the limitations of rhymed verse. This success prompted Madhusudan to write his first Bengali poem, Tilottama-Sambhava in blank verse in that very same year. It is based on the Puranic story of the war waged on the Gods by the demon brothers Sunda and Upasunda. This poem was written entirely in blank verse, and so were the two later poems Meghnad-Badh Kavya (Ballad of Meghnad’s Demise in Ramayana) in 1861 and Virangana. The later poems silenced the critics and detractors, and permanently established the vogue of blank verse literature.
Madhusudan’s epic poem: Meghnad-Badh Kavya is considered his all-time masterpiece till today. Written in blank verse, this epic was based on the Ramayana but inspired by Milton's Paradise Lost. Madhusudan transformed the villainous Ravana into a Hero. This grand heroic-tragic epic was written in nine cantos which is quite unique in the history of Bengali Poetry. Meghnad-Badh Kavya was Bengali literature's first original epic and gave Madhusudan the status of an Epic Poet.
The years 1861-62 were Madhusudan's most fruitful period. These were the years of publication of Meghnad-Badh, Krishna-Kumari, Vrajangana, and Virangana-Kavya (1862). Virangana was modeled on Ovid's heroic epistles, and contains some of Madhusudan's finest blank verses. Technically it is his best work. Almost all his poems, except Brajangana-Kavya (1861) were written in the blank verse pattern.
Madhusudan worked briefly as Editor of the Hindu Patriot before leaving for England on 9 June 1862 to study Law. In 1863 he went to Versailles in France, staying there for about two years. It was in France that Madhusudan overcame the longing for England that had inspired his early works and realized the importance of his motherland and mother tongue - Bengali.
Much of his time abroad, especially in Versailles, was spent in abject poverty, as the money from his late father’s estate on which he was relying did not come regularly. His Indian friends who had inspired him to cross the ocean had by now managed to forget the beggar Madhusudan altogether. He fell hopelessly into debts and appealed for help to the great personality, the scholar, social reformer, and activist Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar (this kind soul was known to all as Dayar Sagar – the ocean of kindness, for his immense generosity).
Vidyasagar labored to ensure that sums owed to Michael from his property at home were remitted to him and sent him a large sum of money to France. However, as Madhusudan was still not in a position to clear off all his debts, he was very often threatened by his creditors with the eventuality of prison-arrests. He was deeply over head and ears in debt.
Madhusudan returned to England from Versailles in 1865. In 1866 he became a Barrister. He returned to Kolkata on 5 January 1867 and started practicing Law. But his practice did not pick up and in June 1870, he was obliged to give up his legal career to work as a translator at the High Court on a monthly salary of Rs 1000.
However, his habit of reckless spending ran up debts again. Despite all ups and downs, Madhusudan kept on writing. In 1871 he wrote Hectarbadh after Homer's Iliad. His last composition was Mayakanan (1873).
Madhusudan's last days were painful, because of debts, illness and lack of treatment. He had no place of his own and had to take shelter in the library of the Zamindars of UttarPara, Hooghly, W.B.
His extravagant life-style, fickleness in money matters, and reckless drinking to drown problems conspired to wreck his health and happiness, and likewise the health and happiness of his second partner Henrietta, who had also succumbed to alcoholism during her days of poverty in Versailles.
On 29 June 1873, three days after the death of Henrietta, the greatest poet of the Bengal renaissance died in Calcutta General Hospital in a miserable condition at the age of only 49 years. Thus, he and his partner both died prematurely, within 3 days of each other’s demise, leaving behind orphaned children.
Even now after more than 100 years to his death, Michael Madhusudan Dutta is revered as the pioneer of the new 19th century awakening of Bengal. With his unusual talent, he brought about revolutionary changes in Bengali language and literature. Drawing profusely on Sanskrit themes for his poems and borrowing from western literature, he set a completely new trend in Bengali literature.
He was a man of real, though somewhat erratic, genius, and a courageous innovator of forms and types which altered the whole course of Bengali literature and added new dimensions to it. To his adventurous spirit, Bengali Literature owes its first blank verse and the sonnet , its first modern comedy and tragedy, and its first epic.
The life-style and poetic virtues of Michael Madhusudan Dutta were not only unconventional but awe inspiring. He would be always highly regarded and remain immortal in the history of Bengali literature as the founder of Amitrakshar Chhanda or blank verse (rhyme less verse) and as its best ever exponent.
Madhusudan used to collect themes for his poetry from the Sanskrit Puranas, ancient Hindu epics and also English and French literature. He also wrote poems about the sorrows and hurts of love spoken by women. He is considered as the Father of Bengali Sonnet. He was also a wonderful linguist. Besides Bengali, Sanskrit and Tamil, he studied Greek, Latin, Italian and French and could read and write the last two languages with perfect grace and ease.
Madhusudan's life was a stupendous boon and also an enormous sorrow. Loss of self-control was mainly responsible for his life’s financial and emotional sorrows and yet it was a God-gifted boon for his over-flowing poetic originality.
The all-inviting epitaph on his grave came from the poet himself:
Madhusudan began writing while at Hindu College. He drew everyone's attention at a college function when he recited a self-composed poem. He won several scholarships in college exams as well as a gold medal for an essay on women's education. While a student at Hindu College, Madhusudan's poems in Bengali and English were published in Jnananvesan, Bengal Spectator, Literary Gleamer, Calcutta Library Gazette, Literary Blossom and Comet. Lord Byron was Madhusudan's inspiration.
Michael’s exceptionally colourful personality and his unconventional, dramatic and in many ways tragic life have added to the magnetism and glamour of his name. Generous in friendship, romantic and passionate by temperament, he was also fond of the good life; he was financially irresponsible, and an incorrigible spendthrift. He experimented not only in the field of writing, but also in his personal life.
On 9 February 1843, Madhusudan ran away from home and converted to Christianity, to escape a marriage his father had arranged and also to satiate his fascination with everything English and Western. He took the name 'Michael' upon his conversion and wrote a hymn to be recited on the day of his Baptism. However, on becoming a Christian, Madhusudan had to leave Hindu College as Christians were not allowed to study there during that time. In 1844, he got admitted to Bishop's College and remained there until 1847. There, he also studied Greek and Latin.
Madhusudan's conversion to Christianity estranged him from his family, and his father stopped sending him money. In 1848, Michael left for Madras where he started teaching, first at Madras Male Orphan Asylum School (1848-1852) and then at Madras University High School (1852-1856). Besides teaching, Madhusudan was also involved with a number of newspapers and journals. He edited the Eurasian (later known as the Eastern Guardian), the Madras Circulator and General Chronicle and the Hindu Chronicle. He also worked as Assistant Editor of the Madras Spectator (1848-1856).
While in Madras, Madhusudan married Rebecca Mactavys Thompson and had a family by her. Meanwhile, his mother died and then his father. After his father's death, Madhusudan abandoned Rebecca and his first family due to a failed marriage and returned to Kolkata in February 1856 to live with a Frenchwoman named Henrietta White and had a second family by her. She and Michael did not seem to have been formally married, presumably because Rebecca had never granted him divorce. There is no record either of their marriage or of Michael obtaining a divorce from Rebecca.
In Kolkata, Michael first worked as a clerk at the police court and then as interpreter. He also started contributing to different journals. His friends urged him to write in Bengali.
Madhusudan realized the paucity of good writing in Bengali as well as his own ability to fill this vacuum. While translating Ramnarayan Tarkaratna's play Ratnavali (1858) into English, he felt the absence of good plays in Bengali. He became associated with the Belgachhiya Theatre in Kolkata patronized by the Rajas of Paikpara. In 1858 he wrote the western-style play Sharmistha based on the Mahabharata story of Devayani and Yayati. This was the first original play in Bengali, making Madhusudan the first Bengali playwright.
By dint of his genius, he removed the stagnation in Bengali literature both in style and content. He was the first to use blank verse in 1860 in the play Padmavati based on a Greek myth. This use of blank verse freed Bengalipoetry from the limitations of rhymed verse. This success prompted Madhusudan to write his first Bengali poem, Tilottama-Sambhava in blank verse in that very same year. It is based on the Puranic story of the war waged on the Gods by the demon brothers Sunda and Upasunda. This poem was written entirely in blank verse, and so were the two later poems Meghnad-Badh Kavya (Ballad of Meghnad’s Demise in Ramayana) in 1861 and Virangana. The later poems silenced the critics and detractors, and permanently established the vogue of blank verse literature.
Madhusudan’s epic poem: Meghnad-Badh Kavya is considered his all-time masterpiece till today. Written in blank verse, this epic was based on the Ramayana but inspired by Milton's Paradise Lost. Madhusudan transformed the villainous Ravana into a Hero. This grand heroic-tragic epic was written in nine cantos which is quite unique in the history of Bengali Poetry. Meghnad-Badh Kavya was Bengali literature's first original epic and gave Madhusudan the status of an Epic Poet.
The years 1861-62 were Madhusudan's most fruitful period. These were the years of publication of Meghnad-Badh, Krishna-Kumari, Vrajangana, and Virangana-Kavya (1862). Virangana was modeled on Ovid's heroic epistles, and contains some of Madhusudan's finest blank verses. Technically it is his best work. Almost all his poems, except Brajangana-Kavya (1861) were written in the blank verse pattern.
Madhusudan worked briefly as Editor of the Hindu Patriot before leaving for England on 9 June 1862 to study Law. In 1863 he went to Versailles in France, staying there for about two years. It was in France that Madhusudan overcame the longing for England that had inspired his early works and realized the importance of his motherland and mother tongue - Bengali.
Much of his time abroad, especially in Versailles, was spent in abject poverty, as the money from his late father’s estate on which he was relying did not come regularly. His Indian friends who had inspired him to cross the ocean had by now managed to forget the beggar Madhusudan altogether. He fell hopelessly into debts and appealed for help to the great personality, the scholar, social reformer, and activist Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar (this kind soul was known to all as Dayar Sagar – the ocean of kindness, for his immense generosity).
Vidyasagar labored to ensure that sums owed to Michael from his property at home were remitted to him and sent him a large sum of money to France. However, as Madhusudan was still not in a position to clear off all his debts, he was very often threatened by his creditors with the eventuality of prison-arrests. He was deeply over head and ears in debt.
Madhusudan returned to England from Versailles in 1865. In 1866 he became a Barrister. He returned to Kolkata on 5 January 1867 and started practicing Law. But his practice did not pick up and in June 1870, he was obliged to give up his legal career to work as a translator at the High Court on a monthly salary of Rs 1000.
However, his habit of reckless spending ran up debts again. Despite all ups and downs, Madhusudan kept on writing. In 1871 he wrote Hectarbadh after Homer's Iliad. His last composition was Mayakanan (1873).
Madhusudan's last days were painful, because of debts, illness and lack of treatment. He had no place of his own and had to take shelter in the library of the Zamindars of UttarPara, Hooghly, W.B.
His extravagant life-style, fickleness in money matters, and reckless drinking to drown problems conspired to wreck his health and happiness, and likewise the health and happiness of his second partner Henrietta, who had also succumbed to alcoholism during her days of poverty in Versailles.
On 29 June 1873, three days after the death of Henrietta, the greatest poet of the Bengal renaissance died in Calcutta General Hospital in a miserable condition at the age of only 49 years. Thus, he and his partner both died prematurely, within 3 days of each other’s demise, leaving behind orphaned children.
Even now after more than 100 years to his death, Michael Madhusudan Dutta is revered as the pioneer of the new 19th century awakening of Bengal. With his unusual talent, he brought about revolutionary changes in Bengali language and literature. Drawing profusely on Sanskrit themes for his poems and borrowing from western literature, he set a completely new trend in Bengali literature.
He was a man of real, though somewhat erratic, genius, and a courageous innovator of forms and types which altered the whole course of Bengali literature and added new dimensions to it. To his adventurous spirit, Bengali Literature owes its first blank verse and the sonnet , its first modern comedy and tragedy, and its first epic.
The life-style and poetic virtues of Michael Madhusudan Dutta were not only unconventional but awe inspiring. He would be always highly regarded and remain immortal in the history of Bengali literature as the founder of Amitrakshar Chhanda or blank verse (rhyme less verse) and as its best ever exponent.
Madhusudan used to collect themes for his poetry from the Sanskrit Puranas, ancient Hindu epics and also English and French literature. He also wrote poems about the sorrows and hurts of love spoken by women. He is considered as the Father of Bengali Sonnet. He was also a wonderful linguist. Besides Bengali, Sanskrit and Tamil, he studied Greek, Latin, Italian and French and could read and write the last two languages with perfect grace and ease.
Madhusudan's life was a stupendous boon and also an enormous sorrow. Loss of self-control was mainly responsible for his life’s financial and emotional sorrows and yet it was a God-gifted boon for his over-flowing poetic originality.
The all-inviting epitaph on his grave came from the poet himself:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
KNOW ABOUT ISWAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR
Born: 26 September, 1820
Died: 29 July, 1890
Contributions
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is considered as one of the pillars of Bengal renaissance. In other words, he managed to continue the reforms movement that was started by Raja Rammohan Roy. Vidyasagar was a well-known writer, intellectual and above all a staunch follower of humanity. He brought a revolution in the education system of Bengal. In his book, "Barno-Porichoy" (Introduction to the letter), Vidyasagar refined the Bengali language and made it accessible to the common strata of the society. The title 'Vidyasagar' (ocean of knowledge) was given to him due to his vast knowledge in almost all the subjects. Poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta while writing about Ishwar Chandra said: "The genius and wisdom of an ancient sage, the energy of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother".
Life & Education
Ishwar Chandra Bandopadhyaya, was born in Birsingha village of Midnapore district, West Bengal. His father Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and mother Bhagavati Devi were very religious persons. Their economic condition was not that stable and subsequently the childhood days of Vidyasagar were spent in abject poverty. After the completion of elementary education at the village school, his father took him to Calcutta (Kolkata). It is believed that Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar learned English numbers by following the mile-stones labels on his way to Calcutta at the age of eight years.
Ishwar Chandra was a brilliant student. His quest for knowledge was so intense that he used to study on street light as it was not possible for him to afford a gas lamp at home. He cleared all the examinations with excellence and in quick succession. He was rewarded with a number of scholarships for his academic performance. To support himself and the family Ishwar Chandra also took a part-time job of teaching at Jorashanko.
In the year 1839, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar successfully cleared his Law examination. In 1841, at the age of twenty one years, Ishwar Chandra joined the Fort William College as a head of the Sanskrit department.
After five years, in 1946, Vidyasagar left Fort William College and join the Sanskrit College as 'Assistant Secretary'. In the first year of service, Ishwar Chandra recommended a number of changes to the existing education system. This report resulted into a serious altercation between Ishwar Chandra and College Secretary Rasomoy Dutta. Following this, Vidyasagar resigned from Sanskrit College and rejoined Fort William College but as a head clerk.
A kind-hearted Ishwar
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar would start crying in distress whenever he saw poor and weak people lying on the footpath and street. He used to spend a part of his scholarships and salary for the welfare of those poor people. He would also buy medicine for the sick.
Reforms
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar initiated the concept of widow remarriage and raised concern for the abolition of child-marriage and polygamy. He also opened the doors of the colleges and other educational institutions to lower caste students, which was earlier reserved only for the Brahmins. For his immense generosity and kind-heartedness, people started addressing him as "Dayar Sagar" (ocean of kindness).
Nawab's shoe donation
One day, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and his few friends decided to collect donations to form Calcutta University. He traveled across Bengal and neighboring states asking people to donate for the foundation. While doing so, one day he reached outside the palace of an influential King. After hearing his plea the King, pulled one of his shoes and dropped into Vidyasagar's bag as donation. Vidyasagar thanked Nawab and left.
The very next day Vidyasagar organized an auction of the Nawab's shoe and earned Rs. 1000. The Nawab after hearing that his shoe has fetched so much amount of money, he himself gave a similar amount of money as donation.
Death
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the great scholar, academician and reformer passed away on 29 July, 1891 at the age of 70 years. After his death Rabindranath Tagore said, "One wonders how God, in the process of producing forty million Bengalis, produced a man!"
Died: 29 July, 1890
Contributions
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is considered as one of the pillars of Bengal renaissance. In other words, he managed to continue the reforms movement that was started by Raja Rammohan Roy. Vidyasagar was a well-known writer, intellectual and above all a staunch follower of humanity. He brought a revolution in the education system of Bengal. In his book, "Barno-Porichoy" (Introduction to the letter), Vidyasagar refined the Bengali language and made it accessible to the common strata of the society. The title 'Vidyasagar' (ocean of knowledge) was given to him due to his vast knowledge in almost all the subjects. Poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta while writing about Ishwar Chandra said: "The genius and wisdom of an ancient sage, the energy of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother".
Life & Education
Ishwar Chandra Bandopadhyaya, was born in Birsingha village of Midnapore district, West Bengal. His father Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and mother Bhagavati Devi were very religious persons. Their economic condition was not that stable and subsequently the childhood days of Vidyasagar were spent in abject poverty. After the completion of elementary education at the village school, his father took him to Calcutta (Kolkata). It is believed that Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar learned English numbers by following the mile-stones labels on his way to Calcutta at the age of eight years.
Ishwar Chandra was a brilliant student. His quest for knowledge was so intense that he used to study on street light as it was not possible for him to afford a gas lamp at home. He cleared all the examinations with excellence and in quick succession. He was rewarded with a number of scholarships for his academic performance. To support himself and the family Ishwar Chandra also took a part-time job of teaching at Jorashanko.
In the year 1839, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar successfully cleared his Law examination. In 1841, at the age of twenty one years, Ishwar Chandra joined the Fort William College as a head of the Sanskrit department.
After five years, in 1946, Vidyasagar left Fort William College and join the Sanskrit College as 'Assistant Secretary'. In the first year of service, Ishwar Chandra recommended a number of changes to the existing education system. This report resulted into a serious altercation between Ishwar Chandra and College Secretary Rasomoy Dutta. Following this, Vidyasagar resigned from Sanskrit College and rejoined Fort William College but as a head clerk.
A kind-hearted Ishwar
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar would start crying in distress whenever he saw poor and weak people lying on the footpath and street. He used to spend a part of his scholarships and salary for the welfare of those poor people. He would also buy medicine for the sick.
Reforms
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar initiated the concept of widow remarriage and raised concern for the abolition of child-marriage and polygamy. He also opened the doors of the colleges and other educational institutions to lower caste students, which was earlier reserved only for the Brahmins. For his immense generosity and kind-heartedness, people started addressing him as "Dayar Sagar" (ocean of kindness).
Nawab's shoe donation
One day, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and his few friends decided to collect donations to form Calcutta University. He traveled across Bengal and neighboring states asking people to donate for the foundation. While doing so, one day he reached outside the palace of an influential King. After hearing his plea the King, pulled one of his shoes and dropped into Vidyasagar's bag as donation. Vidyasagar thanked Nawab and left.
The very next day Vidyasagar organized an auction of the Nawab's shoe and earned Rs. 1000. The Nawab after hearing that his shoe has fetched so much amount of money, he himself gave a similar amount of money as donation.
Death
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the great scholar, academician and reformer passed away on 29 July, 1891 at the age of 70 years. After his death Rabindranath Tagore said, "One wonders how God, in the process of producing forty million Bengalis, produced a man!"
KNOW ABOUT ROBINDRANATH TAGORE
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was the youngest son of Debendranath Tagore, a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, which was a new religious sect in nineteenth-century Bengal and which attempted a revival of the ultimate monistic basis of Hinduism as laid down in the Upanishads. He was educated at home; and although at seventeen he was sent to England for formal schooling, he did not finish his studies there. In his mature years, in addition to his many-sided literary activities, he managed the family estates, a project which brought him into close touch with common humanity and increased his interest in social reforms. He also started an experimental school at Shantiniketan where he tried his Upanishadic ideals of education. From time to time he participated in the Indian nationalist movement, though in his own non-sentimental and visionary way; and Gandhi, the political father of modern India, was his devoted friend. Tagore was knighted by the ruling British Government in 1915, but within a few years he resigned the honour as a protest against British policies in India.
Tagore had early success as a writer in his native Bengal. With his translations of some of his poems he became rapidly known in the West. In fact his fame attained a luminous height, taking him across continents on lecture tours and tours of friendship. For the world he became the voice of India's spiritual heritage; and for India, especially for Bengal, he became a great living institution.
Although Tagore wrote successfully in all literary genres, he was first of all a poet. Among his fifty and odd volumes of poetry are Manasi (1890) [The Ideal One], Sonar Tari (1894) [The Golden Boat], Gitanjali (1910) [Song Offerings], Gitimalya (1914) [Wreath of Songs], and Balaka (1916) [The Flight of Cranes]. The English renderings of his poetry, which include The Gardener (1913), Fruit-Gathering (1916), and The Fugitive (1921), do not generally correspond to particular volumes in the original Bengali; and in spite of its title, Gitanjali: Song Offerings (1912), the most acclaimed of them, contains poems from other works besides its namesake. Tagore's major plays are Raja (1910) [The King of the Dark Chamber], Dakghar (1912) [The Post Office], Achalayatan (1912) [The Immovable], Muktadhara (1922) [The Waterfall], and Raktakaravi (1926) [Red Oleanders]. He is the author of several volumes of short stories and a number of novels, among them Gora (1910), Ghare-Baire (1916) [The Home and the World], and Yogayog (1929) [Crosscurrents]. Besides these, he wrote musical dramas, dance dramas, essays of all types, travel diaries, and two autobiographies, one in his middle years and the other shortly before his death in 1941. Tagore also left numerous drawings and paintings, and songs for which he wrote the music himself.
From Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967, Editor Horst Frenz, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1969
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.
Rabindranath Tagore died on August 7, 1941.
Tagore had early success as a writer in his native Bengal. With his translations of some of his poems he became rapidly known in the West. In fact his fame attained a luminous height, taking him across continents on lecture tours and tours of friendship. For the world he became the voice of India's spiritual heritage; and for India, especially for Bengal, he became a great living institution.
Although Tagore wrote successfully in all literary genres, he was first of all a poet. Among his fifty and odd volumes of poetry are Manasi (1890) [The Ideal One], Sonar Tari (1894) [The Golden Boat], Gitanjali (1910) [Song Offerings], Gitimalya (1914) [Wreath of Songs], and Balaka (1916) [The Flight of Cranes]. The English renderings of his poetry, which include The Gardener (1913), Fruit-Gathering (1916), and The Fugitive (1921), do not generally correspond to particular volumes in the original Bengali; and in spite of its title, Gitanjali: Song Offerings (1912), the most acclaimed of them, contains poems from other works besides its namesake. Tagore's major plays are Raja (1910) [The King of the Dark Chamber], Dakghar (1912) [The Post Office], Achalayatan (1912) [The Immovable], Muktadhara (1922) [The Waterfall], and Raktakaravi (1926) [Red Oleanders]. He is the author of several volumes of short stories and a number of novels, among them Gora (1910), Ghare-Baire (1916) [The Home and the World], and Yogayog (1929) [Crosscurrents]. Besides these, he wrote musical dramas, dance dramas, essays of all types, travel diaries, and two autobiographies, one in his middle years and the other shortly before his death in 1941. Tagore also left numerous drawings and paintings, and songs for which he wrote the music himself.
From Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967, Editor Horst Frenz, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1969
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.
Rabindranath Tagore died on August 7, 1941.
NATIONAL POET KAZI NAZRUL ISLAM
Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899 – 1976) – He is known as Bidrohi Kobi - The Rebel Poet of Bengal, The National Poet of Bangladesh, and more truly a World Poet.
Nazrul said, "Even though I was born in this country (Bengal), in this society, I don't belong to just this country, this society. I belong to the world." [Nazrul Rochonaboli, Bangla Academy, Vol. 4, p. 91]
He was a very versatile poet, lyricist and writer who composed many beautiful verses of poems, prose, songs and classical music.
Nazrul known as the ‘Rebel’ poet in Bengali literature and the ‘Bulbul’ or Nightingale of Bengali music, was one of the most colorful personalities of undivided Bengal. He may be considered a pioneer of post-Tagore modernity in Bengali poetry. The new kind of poetry that he wrote made possible the emergence of modernity in Bengali poetry during the 1920s and 1930s. His poems, songs, novels, short stories, plays and political activities expressed strong protest against various forms of oppression - slavery, communalism, feudalism and colonialism - and forced the British government not only to ban many of his books but also to put him in prison. While in prison, Kazi Nazrul lslam once fasted for 40 days to protest against the tyranny of the then British government.
Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on May 24, 1899 in Churulia village, Bardhawan in West Bengal, India. His mother was Zaheda Khatun and his father Kazi Fakir Ahmed was the Imaam of the local village mosque. The second of three sons and one daughter, Nazrul lost his father in 1908 when he was only 9 years old and his father died at the age of 60. Nazrul’s nickname was “Dukhu Mia” (hapless chap), a name that aptly reflects the hardships and misery of his life right from the early years. His father’s premature death forced him, at the age of 10, to become the Muazzin (a caller for prayer) of the local mosque. This early exposure to the principles and practices of Islam was to have a significant impact on his later literary endeavors.
In 1910, at the age of 11, Nazrul returned to his student life enrolling in class VI. The Headmaster of the school remembers him in the following words: “He was a small, good-looking boy, always the first to greet me. I used to smile at him and pat him on the back. He was very shy.”
Again, financial difficulties compelled him to leave school after class VI, and Dukhu Mia ended up as a cook in a bakery and tea-shop in Asansole.
In his youth, Nazrul joined a folk-opera group inspired by his uncle Bazle Karim who himself was well-known for composing songs in Arabic, Persian and Urdu. As a member of this folk-opera group, the young Nazrul was not only a performer, but began composing poems and songs himself. Nazrul’s involvement with the group was an important formative influence in his literary career.
Nazrul submitted to the hard life with characteristic courage. In 1914, Nazrul escaped from the rigors of the tea-shop to re-enter a school in Darirampur village, Trishal in Mymensingh district. Although Nazrul had to change schools two or three times, he managed to continue up to class X, and in 1917 he joined the Indian Army when boys of his age were busy preparing for the matriculation pre-test examination.
For almost three years, up to March-April 1920, Nazrul served in the army and was promoted to the rank of Battalion Quarter Master Havildar. Even as a soldier, he continued his literary and musical activities, publishing his first piece ‘The Autobiography of a Delinquent” (Saogat, May 1919) and his first poem, “Freedom” in Bangiya Musalman. Sahitya-patrika, (July 1919), during his posting at Karachi cantonment. What is remarkable is that even when he was in Karachi, he subscribed regularly to the leading contemporary literary periodicals that were published from Calcutta like, Prabasi, Bharatbarsha, Bharati, Saogat and others.
When after the 1st World War in 1920, the 49th Bengal Regiment was disbanded, Nazrul returned to Calcutta to begin his journalistic and literary life. His poems, essays and novels began to appear regularly in a number of periodicals and within a year he became well known not only to the prominent Muslim intellectuals of the time, but was also accepted by the Hindu literary establishment in Calcutta. In 1921, Nazrul went to Santiniketan to meet Rabindranath Tagore – his master-poet, the source of his inspiration…
The same year, Nazrul was engaged to be married to the love of his life - Nargis, the niece of a well-known Muslim publisher Ali Akbar Khan, in Daulatpur, Comilla, but on the day of the wedding (18th June, 1921) Nazrul suddenly backed out at the last moment, and left the place due to some serious misunderstandings and disagreements. However, many songs and poems reveal the deep wound that this experience inflicted on the young Nazrul and his lingering love for Nargis.
In 1922, Nazrul published a volume of short stories Byathar Dan (The Gift of Sorrow), an anthology of poems Agnibeena, an anthology of essays Yugabani, and a bi-weekly magazine, Dhumketu. A political poem published in Dhumketu in September 1922, led to a police raid on the magazine’s office, a ban on his anthology Yugabani, and one year’s rigorous imprisonment for the poet himself.
On April 14, 1923, when Nazrul lslam was transferred from the Alipore jail to the Hooghly jail, he began a fast to protest the mistreatment by a British jail-superintendent. Immediately, Rabindranath Tagore, who had dedicated his musical play, Basanta, to Nazrul, sent a telegram saying: “Give up hunger strike, our literature claims you”, but the telegram was sent back to the sender with the stamp “addressee not found.”
Nazrul broke his fast more than a month later and was eventually released from prison in December 1923. On 25th April 1924, Kazi Nazrul lslam married a Hindu woman Pramila Devi and set up his residence in Hooghly. An anthology of poems ‘Bisher Banshi’ and an anthology of songs ‘Bhangar Gan’ were published later this year and both volumes were seized by the government. Nazrul soon became actively involved in politics (1925), joined rallies and meetings, and became a member of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee. He also played an active role in the formation of a workers and peasants party.
In 1926, Nazrul went and settled in Krishnanagar. His patriotic and nationalistic songs expanded in scope to articulate the aspirations of the downtrodden classes. His music became truly people-oriented in its appeal. Several songs composed in 1926 and 1927 celebrating fraternity between the Hindus and Muslims and the struggle of the masses, gave rise to what may be called “mass music”. Nazrul’s musical creativity established him not only as an egalitarian composer of “mass music”, but also as the innovator of the Bengali Ghazal.
The two forms, music for the masses and ghazal, exemplified the two aspects of the youthful poet: struggle and love. Nazrul injected a revitalizing masculinity and youthfulness into Bengali music. Despite illness, poverty and other hardships, Nazrul wrote and composed some of his best songs during his Krishnanagar stay.
From 1928 to 1932, Nazrul became directly involved with His Master’s Voice Gramophone Company as a lyricist, composer and trainer, and many records of Nazrul songs, sung by some of the most well-known singers of the time were produced. The newly established Indian Broadcasting Company also enlisted Nazrul as a lyricist and composer and he remained actively involved with several gramophone companies and the Radio till his last working days. Nazrul songs were in great demand on the stage as well. He not only wrote songs for his own plays, but generously provided lyrics and set them to tune for a number of well-known dramatists of the time.
In 1929, a colorful national reception was accorded to Nazrul in Calcutta and was attended by prominent people like the scientist Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, Barrister S. Wajid Ali and Subashchandra Bose.
In the midst of these productive activities, tragedy struck twice in rapid succession: first, Nazrul’s mother died in 1928; a year later, his 4 year old son Bulbul died of small pox, five months after the birth of his second son Shabyashachi.
Between 1928 and 1935, Nazrul published 10 volumes of songs containing over 800 songs of which more than 600 were based on classical ragas, almost 100 were folk tunes and kirtans and some 30 were patriotic and other songs. Thus during the 1930s, Nazrul established a firm classical foundation in Bengali Music. His songs dealt with the themes of love, nature, divinity and nationalism.
In 1936, the film Vidyapati was produced based on Nazrul’s recorded play. In the same year, Rabindranath Tagore’s novel Gora was filmed with Nazrul as its music director and included one of his own songs. In June 1936, Sachin Sengupta’s important play, Siraj-ud-daulah was staged. The songs and music were written and directed by Nazrul. The play and songs met with such unprecedented success that a gramophone recording was made, and at that time was commonly heard in almost every Bengali household.
In October 1939, Nazrul’s relationship with Calcutta Radio was formalized, and numerous musical programs were directly broadcast under his supervision. Worth mentioning are the critical and research oriented programs such as “Haramoni” and “Navaraga-malika”.
During 1939, different recording companies issued a total of over 1000 records, 1648 of which were Nazrul’s songs. The total number of his unrecorded songs is perhaps twice as much. Nazrul’s songs were also broadcast from Dhaka Radio. This trend continued throughout 1941, with songs based on many different ragas and narrative ballads. Apart from these, Nazrul occasionally took part in recitation and commentary of the Holy Ouran.
In early 1941, Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Huq commenced re-publication of the daily newspaper Nabayuga (“New Age”). Nazrul was its Chief Editor returning to the world of journalism at the final stage of his active life. On August 8th 1941, Rabindranath Tagore died. Nazrul spontaneously composed two poems in Tagore’s memory, of which one was broadcast and recorded on gramophone. Within a year, Nazrul himself fell seriously ill and gradually lost his power of speech, being stricken by cerebral palsy. Thereafter from July 1942 till his death in August 1976, the poet spent 34 years in mute silence unable to speak even a single word.
In October 1942, mental dysfunction set in and Nazrul was admitted to Lumbini Park Mental Hospital in Calcutta, but there was no improvement in his mental condition and he began losing his memory. By then, despite having earned lavish sums through his music, he had also spent recklessly and was in financial difficulties. Many of his old friends turned away in this dark hour, and he became increasingly embittered, as evidenced in this letter to a friend Zulfikar Haider on July 17, 1942 :
...I am bed-ridden due to blood pressure. I am writing with great difficulty. My home is filled with worries: illness, debt, creditors; day and night I am struggling.
...My nerves are shattered. For the last six months, I used to visit Mr. Haque (A. K. Fazlul Haque, the then Chief Minister of undivided Bengal) daily and spend 5-6 hours like a beggar…I am unable to have quality medical help…
This might be my last letter to you. With only great difficulty, I can utter a few words. I am in pain almost all over my body. I might get money like the poet Firdausi on the day of the funeral prayer (janajar namaz).
However, I have asked my relatives to refuse that money.
Yours,
Nazrul
Source: Dr. Sushilkumar Gupta, Nazrul Choritmanosh (Calcutta: De's Publishing, 1960), p. 106]
Nazrul entered a world of increasing isolation, though still revered by Bengalis. In 1945, Calcutta University awarded him the “Jagattarini Gold medal”. In 1952, he was transferred to the Ranchi Mental Hospital from where he was sent to London for treatment at the initiative of the “Nazrul Treatment Society” formed and financed by some of his ardent admirers when they came to know of his financial hardships.
Several eminent physicians in London including Sir William Sargent, were of the opinion that his initial treatment had been inadequate and incomplete. Thereafter, Nazrul was taken to Vienna where his condition was diagnosed as incurable. He and his family returned to India in December 1953. He spent the rest of his life in utter misery.
Earlier his wife, Pramila Devi, had become ill in 1939 and though paralyzed from the waist down, she spent the next 23 years of her life, caring for her husband until her death at the age of 54 on 30th June, 1962. As per her last wish, she was buried at her husband’s birthplace, Churulia. [Nazrul’s sons, Aniruddha died in 1974 at the age of 43, and Shabyashachi in 1979 at the age of 50.]
In 1962, Nazrul was awarded the ‘Padmabhushan’ Title by the Govt. of India. In 1969, Rabindra Bharati University honored him D. Lit Degree. In Nazrul’s opinion, the highest recognition he ever cherished was when his master-poet, the inspiration of his life, Rabindranath Tagore dedicated his “Bashanto” opera to Nazrul, saying that Nazrul had ushered in Bashanto (Spring) in the life of the Nation, thus recognizing him as a wonderful poet.
When in sound health, Nazrul had earlier come to Dhaka in December 1940 to attend the 1st anniversary of the Dhaka radio station. In 1971, the Government in exile of Bangladesh continued to pay the pension due to him by the Government of East Pakistan. After the liberation of Bangladesh, at the request of the Bangladesh Government, the Government of India allowed Nazrul to be taken for residing in Bangladesh with his family.
Nazrul arrived on 24 May 1972, as guest of the Government of Bangladesh and was accorded due honors. The President and Prime Minister paid their homage to him. In 1974, the Dhaka University awarded him the degree of Doctorate of Literature. In 1976, the Government awarded him the “Ekushey Padak” Gold Medal.
On 22 July 1975, Nazrul was transferred to the Post Graduate Hospital for continuous medical supervision. He spent the remaining one year, one month and eight days of his life there. Towards the end of August 1976, his condition deteriorated, his temperature shot up to over 105 degrees, and on 29 August 1976, he breathed his last at 10:10 a.m.
As soon as Nazrul’s death was broadcast over Radio and T.V. the news spread like wild fire and plunged the Bengali nation in profound gloom. Life came to a standstill in Dhaka as thousands of men and women lined up to have a last glimpse of the rebel poet’s mortal remains in the Teacher-Students’ Centre of the University of Dhaka.
At 5 p.m. on the same day, Kazi Nazrul Islam was buried with full state honor beside the Dhaka University mosque. Now almost three decades after his death, Kazi Nazrul Islam resides in the hearts of millions of Bangladeshis as their national poet.
Emerging from the overall backwardness of the Muslims of Bengal in the 1920s, Nazrul injected the community with a much-needed sense of self-confidence. Almost single handedly, Nazrul brought about a renaissance amongst Bengali Muslims, and led them into modernity. The genius of Nazrul achieved the impossible and the Bengali nation remains eternally indebted to him.
Bangladesh honored itself by honoring Kazi Nazrul Islam with the citizenship of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Now, the world over, Nazrul is known as the National Poet of Bangladesh.
By the time he passed away in Dhaka on August 29, 1976 -- having spent 34 years in paralytic torment – he had become a legend, the exemplar of a religious sensibility that was not bounded by abstract definitions, but defined itself in the acts of devotion, empathy and creativity. He was the Rebel Poet. His humanistic vision, philosophy and spirit transcended many orthodox boundaries. He was also a very down-to-earth, maatir-manush, his communication so simple and straight-forward that could be understood by the masses.
In those days of India’s struggle for Independence and Undivided Bengal, Nazrul always believed in the strength of Hindu-Muslim Unity. Being a Muslim, he himself married a Hindu Woman, Pramila Devi, and also wrote devotional songs – Shyama Sangeet – dedicated to the Hindu Goddess – Ma Kali. He deserves to be known as a very versatile poet, lyricist and writer. He was a mass-oriented, revolutionary, literary figure, always protesting against bigotry, injustice, extremism, fanaticism, exploitation, oppression and inequality of all kinds. He was a bold and undaunted activist always feared by the establishment. He was a passionate advocate of religious harmony always advocating better hindu-muslim relationships. Through his songs and poetry, he propagated the universal values of love, peace, tolerance, freedom, justice, harmony and cooperation. As a persona, he had an indomitable human spirit and was full of love, valour, creativity, humanity and romanticism. He was very warm-hearted and loving and could express his feelings in the most beautiful way through his writings.
The Rejected Blood
[Excerpts of 2 letters Kazi Nazrul Islam wrote to Kazi Motihar Hussain, Nazrul Rochonaboli, Bangla Academy, Vol.4, pp. 416, 420]
Dear Motihar,
Recently, something interesting happened. Nothing big, but I thought I would mention it. There was an Ad in the Daily Bosumoti a few days ago that there is a Brahmin gentleman in his deathbed. He might live if donation of blood from a healthy, young person is given to him. He lives, right here, in Kolkata. I have agreed to donate blood. Today the doctor will examine me. He will take blood from me for transfusion. Nothing to be afraid, but I have to take rest for couple of days. I would let you know what happens. Please don't mind if my letter-writing is delayed a few days.
As a friend, I have a request. Please don't let anyone know about it.
Dear Motihar,
I didn't donate blood. That doctor-fellow says: my heart is weak....I felt like giving him a punch to show how weak is the heart. The real issue is altogether different. The Brahmin gentleman did not want to accept the blood of a Muslim. Alas humanity; alas, its religion! Anyway, no Hindu youth has come forward to donate blood. The guy will die, but won't accept the blood of a "Nere”! (muslim of low status)
Nazrul's Flowery Tribute to Life and Beauty:
For conferring on me the honor as the chair of this Eid conference, I offer my gratitude to the Bengal Muslim Literary Society (Bongio Musalman Shahitto Shomiti). Let me first offer you my Eid greetings. Eid is the celebration of joy and sacrifice.
Today, this is a poetry conference. Poets and writers have gathered here. Poets, writers, musicians are messengers who bring to people the message from the realm of joy and beauty. That’s why they are the pride of human civilization. The human thirst for joy and beauty is eternal. Just as a person feels hunger for food, so he does feel thirst for beauty…The poets are there to quench the thirst of the non-poets. The demand for the beauty dimension of life co-exists with the ordinary needs of people’s life. One day I observed a person returning from the market, holding a hen in one hand and some Tuberose (Rajanigandha) flowers in the other. I complimented him saying, "I have never seen such a combination of Fair and Fowl (foul) together!"
The duty of delivering the cup of beauty-ambrosia is on the shoulders of poets and writers. Lot of hardship and suffering, the writers face in this path, but they must not be afraid. Through growing trees and paddy (rice), people turn acres and acres into plantations, but how many undertake cultivation of roses? It is even more unfortunate that the thirst for the beauty is so scanty among the educated ones of this land. It’s no wonder that the poet-writers of this land have to struggle so much in their life. But let’s not despair. The blows of pain must be welcomed with the visits of joy. The life and works of the poets and writers are like Lotus. Each of its petals has bloomed because of being stricken with so much pain and suffering.
I vividly remember my great feeling and realization of this one day in life. My son passed away. My heart was broken by the deep sadness at this loss. That day, I found Hasna-Hena (a flower) blooming in my house. I smelled the fragrance of that Hasna-Hena to my heart’s delight. That’s the way to enjoy life – that’s living a full life. I have cherished the experience of this very kind of life. My poetry and music have emanated from my life’s experiences. I sang with the rhythm of life – these are the expressions of that rhythm. Whether my poetry and music are great or mediocre, I don’t know. But I want to state emphatically – I have lived my life fully. I have never dreaded pain or suffering. I have dived into the ocean waves of life.
I was the first in my class. The headmaster had great hope that I would bring more honor to the school, but the world war of Europe came along. One day I saw people going to war. I also joined a platoon. I went to Chattogram, saw the sea, and I thoroughly enjoyed my life by diving into it. One day a policeman aimed his pistol at my forehead, while standing right in front of me, and said, "I can kill you." I exclaimed: "Friend! Indeed, I have been searching for death all along…”
[Excerpts from an address "Shwadhin-Chittotar Jagoron", given in 1940 in Calcutta Eid gathering of Bongio Musalman Shahitto Shomiti. Nazrul Rochonaboli, Vol. 4, 1996, p. 115.]
Nazrul said, "Even though I was born in this country (Bengal), in this society, I don't belong to just this country, this society. I belong to the world." [Nazrul Rochonaboli, Bangla Academy, Vol. 4, p. 91]
He was a very versatile poet, lyricist and writer who composed many beautiful verses of poems, prose, songs and classical music.
Nazrul known as the ‘Rebel’ poet in Bengali literature and the ‘Bulbul’ or Nightingale of Bengali music, was one of the most colorful personalities of undivided Bengal. He may be considered a pioneer of post-Tagore modernity in Bengali poetry. The new kind of poetry that he wrote made possible the emergence of modernity in Bengali poetry during the 1920s and 1930s. His poems, songs, novels, short stories, plays and political activities expressed strong protest against various forms of oppression - slavery, communalism, feudalism and colonialism - and forced the British government not only to ban many of his books but also to put him in prison. While in prison, Kazi Nazrul lslam once fasted for 40 days to protest against the tyranny of the then British government.
Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on May 24, 1899 in Churulia village, Bardhawan in West Bengal, India. His mother was Zaheda Khatun and his father Kazi Fakir Ahmed was the Imaam of the local village mosque. The second of three sons and one daughter, Nazrul lost his father in 1908 when he was only 9 years old and his father died at the age of 60. Nazrul’s nickname was “Dukhu Mia” (hapless chap), a name that aptly reflects the hardships and misery of his life right from the early years. His father’s premature death forced him, at the age of 10, to become the Muazzin (a caller for prayer) of the local mosque. This early exposure to the principles and practices of Islam was to have a significant impact on his later literary endeavors.
In 1910, at the age of 11, Nazrul returned to his student life enrolling in class VI. The Headmaster of the school remembers him in the following words: “He was a small, good-looking boy, always the first to greet me. I used to smile at him and pat him on the back. He was very shy.”
Again, financial difficulties compelled him to leave school after class VI, and Dukhu Mia ended up as a cook in a bakery and tea-shop in Asansole.
In his youth, Nazrul joined a folk-opera group inspired by his uncle Bazle Karim who himself was well-known for composing songs in Arabic, Persian and Urdu. As a member of this folk-opera group, the young Nazrul was not only a performer, but began composing poems and songs himself. Nazrul’s involvement with the group was an important formative influence in his literary career.
Nazrul submitted to the hard life with characteristic courage. In 1914, Nazrul escaped from the rigors of the tea-shop to re-enter a school in Darirampur village, Trishal in Mymensingh district. Although Nazrul had to change schools two or three times, he managed to continue up to class X, and in 1917 he joined the Indian Army when boys of his age were busy preparing for the matriculation pre-test examination.
For almost three years, up to March-April 1920, Nazrul served in the army and was promoted to the rank of Battalion Quarter Master Havildar. Even as a soldier, he continued his literary and musical activities, publishing his first piece ‘The Autobiography of a Delinquent” (Saogat, May 1919) and his first poem, “Freedom” in Bangiya Musalman. Sahitya-patrika, (July 1919), during his posting at Karachi cantonment. What is remarkable is that even when he was in Karachi, he subscribed regularly to the leading contemporary literary periodicals that were published from Calcutta like, Prabasi, Bharatbarsha, Bharati, Saogat and others.
When after the 1st World War in 1920, the 49th Bengal Regiment was disbanded, Nazrul returned to Calcutta to begin his journalistic and literary life. His poems, essays and novels began to appear regularly in a number of periodicals and within a year he became well known not only to the prominent Muslim intellectuals of the time, but was also accepted by the Hindu literary establishment in Calcutta. In 1921, Nazrul went to Santiniketan to meet Rabindranath Tagore – his master-poet, the source of his inspiration…
The same year, Nazrul was engaged to be married to the love of his life - Nargis, the niece of a well-known Muslim publisher Ali Akbar Khan, in Daulatpur, Comilla, but on the day of the wedding (18th June, 1921) Nazrul suddenly backed out at the last moment, and left the place due to some serious misunderstandings and disagreements. However, many songs and poems reveal the deep wound that this experience inflicted on the young Nazrul and his lingering love for Nargis.
In 1922, Nazrul published a volume of short stories Byathar Dan (The Gift of Sorrow), an anthology of poems Agnibeena, an anthology of essays Yugabani, and a bi-weekly magazine, Dhumketu. A political poem published in Dhumketu in September 1922, led to a police raid on the magazine’s office, a ban on his anthology Yugabani, and one year’s rigorous imprisonment for the poet himself.
On April 14, 1923, when Nazrul lslam was transferred from the Alipore jail to the Hooghly jail, he began a fast to protest the mistreatment by a British jail-superintendent. Immediately, Rabindranath Tagore, who had dedicated his musical play, Basanta, to Nazrul, sent a telegram saying: “Give up hunger strike, our literature claims you”, but the telegram was sent back to the sender with the stamp “addressee not found.”
Nazrul broke his fast more than a month later and was eventually released from prison in December 1923. On 25th April 1924, Kazi Nazrul lslam married a Hindu woman Pramila Devi and set up his residence in Hooghly. An anthology of poems ‘Bisher Banshi’ and an anthology of songs ‘Bhangar Gan’ were published later this year and both volumes were seized by the government. Nazrul soon became actively involved in politics (1925), joined rallies and meetings, and became a member of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee. He also played an active role in the formation of a workers and peasants party.
In 1926, Nazrul went and settled in Krishnanagar. His patriotic and nationalistic songs expanded in scope to articulate the aspirations of the downtrodden classes. His music became truly people-oriented in its appeal. Several songs composed in 1926 and 1927 celebrating fraternity between the Hindus and Muslims and the struggle of the masses, gave rise to what may be called “mass music”. Nazrul’s musical creativity established him not only as an egalitarian composer of “mass music”, but also as the innovator of the Bengali Ghazal.
The two forms, music for the masses and ghazal, exemplified the two aspects of the youthful poet: struggle and love. Nazrul injected a revitalizing masculinity and youthfulness into Bengali music. Despite illness, poverty and other hardships, Nazrul wrote and composed some of his best songs during his Krishnanagar stay.
From 1928 to 1932, Nazrul became directly involved with His Master’s Voice Gramophone Company as a lyricist, composer and trainer, and many records of Nazrul songs, sung by some of the most well-known singers of the time were produced. The newly established Indian Broadcasting Company also enlisted Nazrul as a lyricist and composer and he remained actively involved with several gramophone companies and the Radio till his last working days. Nazrul songs were in great demand on the stage as well. He not only wrote songs for his own plays, but generously provided lyrics and set them to tune for a number of well-known dramatists of the time.
In 1929, a colorful national reception was accorded to Nazrul in Calcutta and was attended by prominent people like the scientist Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, Barrister S. Wajid Ali and Subashchandra Bose.
In the midst of these productive activities, tragedy struck twice in rapid succession: first, Nazrul’s mother died in 1928; a year later, his 4 year old son Bulbul died of small pox, five months after the birth of his second son Shabyashachi.
Between 1928 and 1935, Nazrul published 10 volumes of songs containing over 800 songs of which more than 600 were based on classical ragas, almost 100 were folk tunes and kirtans and some 30 were patriotic and other songs. Thus during the 1930s, Nazrul established a firm classical foundation in Bengali Music. His songs dealt with the themes of love, nature, divinity and nationalism.
In 1936, the film Vidyapati was produced based on Nazrul’s recorded play. In the same year, Rabindranath Tagore’s novel Gora was filmed with Nazrul as its music director and included one of his own songs. In June 1936, Sachin Sengupta’s important play, Siraj-ud-daulah was staged. The songs and music were written and directed by Nazrul. The play and songs met with such unprecedented success that a gramophone recording was made, and at that time was commonly heard in almost every Bengali household.
In October 1939, Nazrul’s relationship with Calcutta Radio was formalized, and numerous musical programs were directly broadcast under his supervision. Worth mentioning are the critical and research oriented programs such as “Haramoni” and “Navaraga-malika”.
During 1939, different recording companies issued a total of over 1000 records, 1648 of which were Nazrul’s songs. The total number of his unrecorded songs is perhaps twice as much. Nazrul’s songs were also broadcast from Dhaka Radio. This trend continued throughout 1941, with songs based on many different ragas and narrative ballads. Apart from these, Nazrul occasionally took part in recitation and commentary of the Holy Ouran.
In early 1941, Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Huq commenced re-publication of the daily newspaper Nabayuga (“New Age”). Nazrul was its Chief Editor returning to the world of journalism at the final stage of his active life. On August 8th 1941, Rabindranath Tagore died. Nazrul spontaneously composed two poems in Tagore’s memory, of which one was broadcast and recorded on gramophone. Within a year, Nazrul himself fell seriously ill and gradually lost his power of speech, being stricken by cerebral palsy. Thereafter from July 1942 till his death in August 1976, the poet spent 34 years in mute silence unable to speak even a single word.
In October 1942, mental dysfunction set in and Nazrul was admitted to Lumbini Park Mental Hospital in Calcutta, but there was no improvement in his mental condition and he began losing his memory. By then, despite having earned lavish sums through his music, he had also spent recklessly and was in financial difficulties. Many of his old friends turned away in this dark hour, and he became increasingly embittered, as evidenced in this letter to a friend Zulfikar Haider on July 17, 1942 :
...I am bed-ridden due to blood pressure. I am writing with great difficulty. My home is filled with worries: illness, debt, creditors; day and night I am struggling.
...My nerves are shattered. For the last six months, I used to visit Mr. Haque (A. K. Fazlul Haque, the then Chief Minister of undivided Bengal) daily and spend 5-6 hours like a beggar…I am unable to have quality medical help…
This might be my last letter to you. With only great difficulty, I can utter a few words. I am in pain almost all over my body. I might get money like the poet Firdausi on the day of the funeral prayer (janajar namaz).
However, I have asked my relatives to refuse that money.
Yours,
Nazrul
Source: Dr. Sushilkumar Gupta, Nazrul Choritmanosh (Calcutta: De's Publishing, 1960), p. 106]
Nazrul entered a world of increasing isolation, though still revered by Bengalis. In 1945, Calcutta University awarded him the “Jagattarini Gold medal”. In 1952, he was transferred to the Ranchi Mental Hospital from where he was sent to London for treatment at the initiative of the “Nazrul Treatment Society” formed and financed by some of his ardent admirers when they came to know of his financial hardships.
Several eminent physicians in London including Sir William Sargent, were of the opinion that his initial treatment had been inadequate and incomplete. Thereafter, Nazrul was taken to Vienna where his condition was diagnosed as incurable. He and his family returned to India in December 1953. He spent the rest of his life in utter misery.
Earlier his wife, Pramila Devi, had become ill in 1939 and though paralyzed from the waist down, she spent the next 23 years of her life, caring for her husband until her death at the age of 54 on 30th June, 1962. As per her last wish, she was buried at her husband’s birthplace, Churulia. [Nazrul’s sons, Aniruddha died in 1974 at the age of 43, and Shabyashachi in 1979 at the age of 50.]
In 1962, Nazrul was awarded the ‘Padmabhushan’ Title by the Govt. of India. In 1969, Rabindra Bharati University honored him D. Lit Degree. In Nazrul’s opinion, the highest recognition he ever cherished was when his master-poet, the inspiration of his life, Rabindranath Tagore dedicated his “Bashanto” opera to Nazrul, saying that Nazrul had ushered in Bashanto (Spring) in the life of the Nation, thus recognizing him as a wonderful poet.
When in sound health, Nazrul had earlier come to Dhaka in December 1940 to attend the 1st anniversary of the Dhaka radio station. In 1971, the Government in exile of Bangladesh continued to pay the pension due to him by the Government of East Pakistan. After the liberation of Bangladesh, at the request of the Bangladesh Government, the Government of India allowed Nazrul to be taken for residing in Bangladesh with his family.
Nazrul arrived on 24 May 1972, as guest of the Government of Bangladesh and was accorded due honors. The President and Prime Minister paid their homage to him. In 1974, the Dhaka University awarded him the degree of Doctorate of Literature. In 1976, the Government awarded him the “Ekushey Padak” Gold Medal.
On 22 July 1975, Nazrul was transferred to the Post Graduate Hospital for continuous medical supervision. He spent the remaining one year, one month and eight days of his life there. Towards the end of August 1976, his condition deteriorated, his temperature shot up to over 105 degrees, and on 29 August 1976, he breathed his last at 10:10 a.m.
As soon as Nazrul’s death was broadcast over Radio and T.V. the news spread like wild fire and plunged the Bengali nation in profound gloom. Life came to a standstill in Dhaka as thousands of men and women lined up to have a last glimpse of the rebel poet’s mortal remains in the Teacher-Students’ Centre of the University of Dhaka.
At 5 p.m. on the same day, Kazi Nazrul Islam was buried with full state honor beside the Dhaka University mosque. Now almost three decades after his death, Kazi Nazrul Islam resides in the hearts of millions of Bangladeshis as their national poet.
Emerging from the overall backwardness of the Muslims of Bengal in the 1920s, Nazrul injected the community with a much-needed sense of self-confidence. Almost single handedly, Nazrul brought about a renaissance amongst Bengali Muslims, and led them into modernity. The genius of Nazrul achieved the impossible and the Bengali nation remains eternally indebted to him.
Bangladesh honored itself by honoring Kazi Nazrul Islam with the citizenship of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Now, the world over, Nazrul is known as the National Poet of Bangladesh.
By the time he passed away in Dhaka on August 29, 1976 -- having spent 34 years in paralytic torment – he had become a legend, the exemplar of a religious sensibility that was not bounded by abstract definitions, but defined itself in the acts of devotion, empathy and creativity. He was the Rebel Poet. His humanistic vision, philosophy and spirit transcended many orthodox boundaries. He was also a very down-to-earth, maatir-manush, his communication so simple and straight-forward that could be understood by the masses.
In those days of India’s struggle for Independence and Undivided Bengal, Nazrul always believed in the strength of Hindu-Muslim Unity. Being a Muslim, he himself married a Hindu Woman, Pramila Devi, and also wrote devotional songs – Shyama Sangeet – dedicated to the Hindu Goddess – Ma Kali. He deserves to be known as a very versatile poet, lyricist and writer. He was a mass-oriented, revolutionary, literary figure, always protesting against bigotry, injustice, extremism, fanaticism, exploitation, oppression and inequality of all kinds. He was a bold and undaunted activist always feared by the establishment. He was a passionate advocate of religious harmony always advocating better hindu-muslim relationships. Through his songs and poetry, he propagated the universal values of love, peace, tolerance, freedom, justice, harmony and cooperation. As a persona, he had an indomitable human spirit and was full of love, valour, creativity, humanity and romanticism. He was very warm-hearted and loving and could express his feelings in the most beautiful way through his writings.
The Rejected Blood
[Excerpts of 2 letters Kazi Nazrul Islam wrote to Kazi Motihar Hussain, Nazrul Rochonaboli, Bangla Academy, Vol.4, pp. 416, 420]
Dear Motihar,
Recently, something interesting happened. Nothing big, but I thought I would mention it. There was an Ad in the Daily Bosumoti a few days ago that there is a Brahmin gentleman in his deathbed. He might live if donation of blood from a healthy, young person is given to him. He lives, right here, in Kolkata. I have agreed to donate blood. Today the doctor will examine me. He will take blood from me for transfusion. Nothing to be afraid, but I have to take rest for couple of days. I would let you know what happens. Please don't mind if my letter-writing is delayed a few days.
As a friend, I have a request. Please don't let anyone know about it.
Dear Motihar,
I didn't donate blood. That doctor-fellow says: my heart is weak....I felt like giving him a punch to show how weak is the heart. The real issue is altogether different. The Brahmin gentleman did not want to accept the blood of a Muslim. Alas humanity; alas, its religion! Anyway, no Hindu youth has come forward to donate blood. The guy will die, but won't accept the blood of a "Nere”! (muslim of low status)
Nazrul's Flowery Tribute to Life and Beauty:
For conferring on me the honor as the chair of this Eid conference, I offer my gratitude to the Bengal Muslim Literary Society (Bongio Musalman Shahitto Shomiti). Let me first offer you my Eid greetings. Eid is the celebration of joy and sacrifice.
Today, this is a poetry conference. Poets and writers have gathered here. Poets, writers, musicians are messengers who bring to people the message from the realm of joy and beauty. That’s why they are the pride of human civilization. The human thirst for joy and beauty is eternal. Just as a person feels hunger for food, so he does feel thirst for beauty…The poets are there to quench the thirst of the non-poets. The demand for the beauty dimension of life co-exists with the ordinary needs of people’s life. One day I observed a person returning from the market, holding a hen in one hand and some Tuberose (Rajanigandha) flowers in the other. I complimented him saying, "I have never seen such a combination of Fair and Fowl (foul) together!"
The duty of delivering the cup of beauty-ambrosia is on the shoulders of poets and writers. Lot of hardship and suffering, the writers face in this path, but they must not be afraid. Through growing trees and paddy (rice), people turn acres and acres into plantations, but how many undertake cultivation of roses? It is even more unfortunate that the thirst for the beauty is so scanty among the educated ones of this land. It’s no wonder that the poet-writers of this land have to struggle so much in their life. But let’s not despair. The blows of pain must be welcomed with the visits of joy. The life and works of the poets and writers are like Lotus. Each of its petals has bloomed because of being stricken with so much pain and suffering.
I vividly remember my great feeling and realization of this one day in life. My son passed away. My heart was broken by the deep sadness at this loss. That day, I found Hasna-Hena (a flower) blooming in my house. I smelled the fragrance of that Hasna-Hena to my heart’s delight. That’s the way to enjoy life – that’s living a full life. I have cherished the experience of this very kind of life. My poetry and music have emanated from my life’s experiences. I sang with the rhythm of life – these are the expressions of that rhythm. Whether my poetry and music are great or mediocre, I don’t know. But I want to state emphatically – I have lived my life fully. I have never dreaded pain or suffering. I have dived into the ocean waves of life.
I was the first in my class. The headmaster had great hope that I would bring more honor to the school, but the world war of Europe came along. One day I saw people going to war. I also joined a platoon. I went to Chattogram, saw the sea, and I thoroughly enjoyed my life by diving into it. One day a policeman aimed his pistol at my forehead, while standing right in front of me, and said, "I can kill you." I exclaimed: "Friend! Indeed, I have been searching for death all along…”
[Excerpts from an address "Shwadhin-Chittotar Jagoron", given in 1940 in Calcutta Eid gathering of Bongio Musalman Shahitto Shomiti. Nazrul Rochonaboli, Vol. 4, 1996, p. 115.]
SUNNO PURAN
‘Sunno Puran’ is an evidence of Bengali middle age. Ramai Pondit wrote this ancient manuscript. Its written age is 13th century. It was a literary composition in which both prose and verse are used.
SHEK SHUVUDOA
‘Shek Shuvodoa’ is an evidence of Bengali middle age. It was written by Holaudh Mishra. It was a literary composition in which both prose and verse are used. It was written in 13th century. In this ancient manuscript there is – ‘Pir Mahattogapok Bangla Chora’, ‘Khonar Bochon’, ‘Vatiali Prem Songeet’.
SRI KRISHNO KIRTON
Sri Krishno Kirton is an evidence of bengali middle age. Boru Chandidas wrote this ancient manuscript in 14th century. Bosonto Ranzon Rai discovered it from the district of Bakura in Kakilla village in 1907. Now-a-days this ancient manuscript is known to ‘Sri Krishno Kirton’. Bosonto Ranzon Rai edited this ancient manuscript from ‘Kolkata Bongio Sahitto Porishad’ in 1916. ‘Sri Krishno Kirton’ is divided into 13 parts.
BONKIMCHANDRA COTTOPADDHAI
Bonkimchandra Cottopaddhai is the father of Bengali novel. He is one of famous writer of Bengali literature. He is a founder editor of ‘BONGO DORSHON’ literature paper. His famous novels are – Durgesnondini, Kopalkundola, Bisbrikho, Krishnokanter Wil, Rajsingho. He also wrote many articles. His famous articles are – Lokorohosho, Komolakanter Doptor. He was born in 1838 in West Bengal in the district of Chobbish Porgona in Kathalpara village. He was died in 1894.
BEGUM ROKEYA SAKHAWAT HOSSAIN
Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain is a pioneer of woman wakefulness. She is famous for her struggle of establishing women rights and female education. She was a writer. Her mentionable books are - ‘Podmorag’, ‘Motichur’, ‘Oborodhbasini’, ‘Sultana’s Dream’. She was born on 1880 in the district of Rongpur in Pairabondo village. She was died on 1932.
CHORJAPOD
Chorjapod is the first evidence of Bengali literature. Mohamopadhai Horoprasad Sastri discovered it from a royal court of Nepal. In 1907 he edited this ancient manuscript from ‘Bongio Sahitto Porishod Potrica’ by name “Hajar Bochorer Purono Bangla Vashar Boddho Gan O Doha”. In this ancient manuscript there are 46 and a half poem. About 24 poets had written the entire poem. Kanho Pad is the highest poem writer in Chorjapod. He wrote 13 poems. Luipad is the first poem writer in Chorjapod.
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