’Rebel poet’ Kazi Nazrul - Page 2

Posted: 18 years ago

 

Kazi Nazrul Islam

Seeing myself I see the unseen creator

Kazi Nazrul Islam: Known as "The Bidrohi Kobi," "The rebel Poet" for his astonishing masterpiece "The Bidrohi." A furious manifesto of self-conscious against immorality. Sajid Kamal describes the poem as, "A universal proclamation, an affirmation, an inspiration, an invocation, of 'The Rebel' within the hearts of each 'I' of the common humanity which lay oppressed, subjugated, exploited, resigned and powerless." It is said that Nazrul would have been Nazrul even if he hadn't written anything else but "The Bidrohi.

The following is a part of the poem "The Bidrohi."


Bidrohi - The Rebel

I clasp the hood of the snake-king
and the fiery wing of the angel Gabriel.
I am the child-divine-restless and defiant.
With my teeth I tear apart the skirt of mother Earth.

Sajed Kamal (translation)

The national poet of Bangladesh, Kazi Nazrul Islam was born in Churulia, Burdhaman district, West Bengal in 1899 (1306 Bengali year.) He didn't grow up with the luxury of enjoying his boyhood, rather lost his father in his early life. For financial hardship, he worked as a teacher in a lower "Islamic school," at the age of 9. His education went up to 10th grade but continued learning Arabic and Persian languages. As a boy, he translated Persian ghazals and Arabic writings in Bengali. He also educated himself enough to enjoy the writings of Keats, Shelly and Whitman.

The British rule of India influenced Nazrul to take an active part through his writings in the Swadishi and Khilafat movement. He was imprisoned by the British government for one year of hard labor for his writing "Andamoyeer Agamaney," which appeared in Dhumketu.

Rabindranath Tagore called him "Dhumketu," "The Comet," Mahatma Ghadhi described his poem as, "The song of the spinning wheel" and "Nazrul is the ultimate spirit of the spinning wheel and freedom runs through his vein."

Nazrul wrote 50 books of poetry and songs, 6 books of stories and novels, 3 books of translations, 53 plays, verse-plays and operas, 2 movie scripts, 5 books of essays and 4000 songs and ghazals. (Source: Nazrul Institute, Bangladesh.)

Nazrul holds the world record of recorded songs, most of which, the music were composed by Nazrul himself. (Source: Nazrul Institute.) 

The Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, not only refused to compromise with the unjust, but carried on so much of agony throughout his entire life. His first son Krishna Muhammad died in less than a year of his birth; his second son Bulbul also died in his childhood. Broken-hearted Nazrul wrote his first Bengali gazal...

He also wrote:

His wife Pramila became paralyzed from her waist down in 1938. Nazrul found himself more hopeless and depressed. Starting in 1942, he felt loss of speeches and finally became mentally dysfunctional and lost his speech completely in a short time.

The rebel poet Nazrul, in his poem "Bidrohi," once said....

I will stamp my footprints on the chest of God He also wrote....

Bury me by a mosque, so that I can hear "The Ajan" in every dawn

As his final wish, in 29th of August in1976, The national poet of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam was laid to eternal rest by the mosque of Dhaka University.

Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago
Who are you, my friend,
searching for God in heaven
and the underworld?
Who are you—searching
through the wilderness
and mountain peaks?
It's a pity—O Rishis and Dervishes,
you go on searching for Him
from country to country
while holding the Jewel of the Heart
in your own heart!
The whole creation looks at you
while your own eyes are shut.
You search for the creator
instead of searching for your self.
O self-inflicted Blind—open your eyes,
look at yourself in the mirror.
You'll see—His shadow falls on your body.

Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago
👏

'Bhul hoye geche bilkul
baki sobkichu bhag hoye geche
bhag hoyniko Nazrul'
- Annadashankar Roy

Literal translation

We committed a grave mistake during partition!
We divided everything in two
Couldn't do that with Nazrul
Posted: 18 years ago

Kazi Nazrul Islam: The
unconquerable spirit

by Muhammad Zamir

Kazi Nazrul Islam burst like a meteor on the literary firmament of Bengal. He arrived at a time when Rabindranath Tagore was the undisputed master. The gay, brave, staccato rhythms of Nazrul Islam were in stark contrast to the sedate and soft rhythms that had characterized the era.
   Nazrul's was a note of revolt. Professor Abu Mohammad Habibullah described it very well when he said it was 'a passionate denunciation of all that was old, ugly and inert, a vibrant call to destroy the diseased world and create a new order of justice, peace and beauty.' For two decades Nazrul almost equaled Tagore as a literary power but also had the maturity to treat Guru Dev with deep reverence.
   Nazrul Islam was barely twenty-one when he made his first appearance in Bengali literature in the nineteen-twenties, having been demobilized from the recently raised Bengali Regiment created for service in the Middle East.
   Buddhava Bose noted in 1942 that Nazrul's appearance 'synchronized with the great upheaval in Indian life known as the first Non-Cooperation Movement. In those days, when the whole of India experienced a sudden, a magical sense of release, we in Bengal found in Nazrul Islam a voice of the moment.' He came to fame with a long rhapsodic poem called 'Vidrohi' (The Rebel). This was followed by others of equal or greater merit.
   Freedom from bondage was the keynote of the poems of his first phase. Wild and exuberant, these poems intoxicated the masses. In this, Nazrul Islam was probably nearer to Dwijendralal Roy and Satyendranath Dutta who had graced the Bengal literary scene before him.
   Nazrul Islam wrote with equal ardour on Hindu and Muslim subjects, on the goddess Kali and on Kemal Pasha. His mind, nourished on the myths and legends of both India and Arabia, was at home as much on the Gangetic plains as in the Arabian desert.
   Nazrul Islam's early writings set him apart from his generation of writers. His work quite often dealt with the Muslim tradition and was marked by the generous and very effective use of Arabic and Persian words and expressions. These were also written in a rhythm and metre which, though within the rhythmic pattern of Bangla poetry, were strikingly original. These poems attracted wide attention not merely for their themes, but also for the resonance of their metres as well as their vigour and passion.
   In one of these poems entitled 'Korbani,' the Muslim festival in which animals, are sacrificed, Nazrul, despite opposition from Muslim pacifists and Hindu mainstream belief, defended it as not mere killing, but as a discovery of one's strength and the overcoming of timidity. In another poem entitled 'Muharram,' the festival of mourning which commemorates the martyrdom of the Prophet's grandson, he called for sacrifice and not for lament. For him the murder at Kerbala was a battle for justice and truth. In another poem 'Kheya Parer Taroni' (The Ferry Boat), he symbolized salvation through the cardinal tenets of the Islamic faith. This piece is remarkable for Nazrul's mastery of words and rhymes evocative of the measured rhythm of the oarsman.
   For the next decade or so, Nazrul dominated the literary scene of Bengal as a prolific writer of prose, poetry and song. He used imagery from Sanskrit, Bengali, Arabic and Persian. He also dovetailed powerful evocative sounds from the classical rhythm and mixed them with the melody patterns of Bengali music. Arabic and Urdu tunes were also relied upon.
   His poems aroused the youth to the supreme and immediate duty of sacrificing themselves for the Mother, identified with the Motherland, who hungry and dishevelled, was crying from door to door for her sons. This was best reflected in his poem 'Moron Boron' (Welcoming Death) where he invokes the god Siva and says, 'Let your feet, heavy with destruction dance in fierce, terrible rhythm over the hearts of those people who die before death.'
   Needless to say, such writings could not but attract the hostile attention of the British colonial government. The final crunch came with the publication of a poem addressed to the goddess Durga, invoking her to appear in her most terrible and destructive aspect and descend in a mad dance to destroy the vile oppressive rule of the foreigners. This resulted in the poet being arrested on the charge of sedition. Nazrul defended himself in court, arguing that he had a sacred right as a poet to speak out the truth, without fear. His defence was, however, overruled. He was jailed for a year; his journal was suppressed and five of his books were proscribed.
   Towards the thirties Nazrul Islam gradually withdrew from frenzied activism to the world of music and to contemplative mysticism. With his innate gift of innovation and defiance of established norms, he began to introduce new themes and new tunes on popular subjects. This is best exemplified in his masterly ghazals which were greatly influenced by the thumri from Lucknow. Strengthened by, and synchronizing with, his new and bold movement in literature (as evident in his Kallol), this new music was able to create a wider and warmer interest in the art of music than had been the case in the recent past. Versatile Nazrul brought into his ghazals, a greater range and abundance than was present in Atul Prasad's works. He also introduced his own personal intensity to the traditional raga, baul and kirtan.
   Nazrul Islam endeared himself to his audiences because he never pretended to be learned or sophisticated. It was the heart that mattered to him the most. He was spontaneous and had the unique gift of being able to produce his literary work in the midst of whatever he was doing at that moment. He was an icon who became the embodiment of Bangalee aspirations, a distinction which cannot be claimed for any one else of his time.
   Muhammad Zamir, a former Secretary and Ambassador, is the President of Bangladesh Center for Folklore Research.

Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago
Kazi Nazrul Islam : Letters of his hardship in life


Letter I:
To Sri Pobitro Gangopadhdhay

December 19, 1920
Dr. Bose's Sanatorium, Deoghar

[excerpted; emphasis mine]

... I just settled at the above address. I couldn't go to Shimultola. I had to change my mind. I will let you know later. It's not a bad place. But I won't be able to live here more than a month, because I am not feeling good here. ... Did you give the money of "Narayan" to Avinash Da? If there is money on hand, ask to send to my address TWO takas of "Bijli" through their office. ... How is your wife? Introduce me to her through this letter. If I don't get your reply by tomorrow, I am going to make you two quarrel later on. ... Let Kanti Babu know my greetings and respects. I will write story for you, but let me organize myself little bit more. It's terribly cold here. Money is finished. Let Afzal or Khan send some moeny soon. Please check on this, and tell them that I carry human blood. If they help me today, it won't go waste! I will make it up in future.

Your ill, dodhi-lubdho
Nazr

 

Letter II:
To Sri Broojbihari Burman

December 12, 1926
Krishna Nagar

Dear Brojo,

I am still bed-ridden. I am suffering much from my illness and agony of other worries. Worrying about money is the biggest one. Only Allah knows how the days are passing. I received fifteen taka you sent. I wanted twenty-five. Of course, I came to know your circumstances too. I will be tremendously grateful, if you can send some more during my difficult time. You are like my young brother; what else can I write to you? Keep me informed about you. How is the market for "Shorbohara?"

Your, 
Kazi Da

Letter III:
Dear Burman,


I am in big trouble. I have slow fever every day. Gopal was supposed to send money, but I did not receive any even today. There is absolutely no money here at home.

As soon as you receive this letter, you must send at least twenty taka by TMO. Otherwise, it would be big trouble for me. There is no money for even grocery. I really will be in serious trouble if no money is sent. I am already deeply indebted, I can't borrow any more from here.

Your
Kazi Da

Source: Nazrul Rochonaboli, Vol. 4, 1996, pp. 371/382/388


[Except for a brief period, Nazrul life was, in addition to other aspects, a financial struggle. Poverty was among his most loyal companion throughout his life. On one hand, he embraced it with nobility and greatness (as indicated in his poem "Daridro") and he could most easily identify with the masses; on the other hand, this was probably the area about which he was most sensitive, as indicated in his article "Boror Priti Balir Baadh".]


Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago
Kazi Nazrul Islam: On Proverty

Poverty
Kazi Nazrul Islam
[(Original: Daridro)
Translation: Kabir Chowdhury]


O poverty, thou hast made me great.
Thou hast made me honoured like Christ
With his crown of thorns. Thou hast given me
Courage  to reveal all. To thee I owe
My insolent, naked eyes and sharp tongue.
Thy curse has turned my violin to  a sowrd.

O proud saint, thy terrible fire
Has rendered my heaven barren.
It has prematurely dried beauty.
My feelings and my life .
Time and again I stretched my lean, cupped hands
To accept the gift of the beautiful.
But those hungry ones always came before me.
And did snatch it away ruthlessly,
Now my word of imagination is
Dry as a vast desert.
And my own beautiful!  

My yellow-stalked pensive desire
Wants to blossom like the fragrant shafali.
But thou cruel one
Dost ruthlessly break the soft stalk
As the woodcutter chopsthe branches
Off the trees. My heart  grows tender
Like the autum morning
It fills with love
Like the dew-laden earth.
But thou art the blazing sun
And thy fiery heart dries up the tiny drop of the earth
I grow listlessin the shadowy skirt of the earth
And my dreams of beauty and goodness vanish!
With a bitter tongue thou askest,
"What's the use of nectar?
It has no sting, no introxication, no madness it.
The search for heaven's secred drink
Is not for the in this sorrow-filled earth.

Thou art the surpent, born in pai .
Thou will sit in the bower of thorns
And weave the garland of flowers.
I put on thy forhead the sing
Of suffering and woe."

So I sing, I weave a garland,
While my throat is on fire,
And my serpent daughter bites me all over!

O unforgiving Durbasha! thou wanderest
From door to door with thy beggar's bowl.
Thou goes to the peaceful abode of
Some sleeping happy couple
And sternly callest, "O fool,
Knowest thou, that this earth is not anybody's
Pleasure bower for luxury adn ease.
Here is sorrow and separation
And a hundred wants and disease.
Under the arms of the beloved
There are thorns in the bed,
And now must thou prepare
To savour these." The unhappy home
Is shattered in a moment,
And woeful laments rend
The air. The light of joy is extinguished
And endless nights descends.

Thou walkest the road alone
Lean, hungryand starved.
Suddenly some sight makes thy eyebrows
Arch in annoyance and thine eyes
Blazeforth-firesof anger!
And lo! famine, pestilence and tornado
Visit the country, pleasuregarden burn,
Palaces tumble, thy law
Knows nothing but death and destruction.
Nor for theethe license of courtesy.
Thou seekest the unashaamed revelation of stark nakedness.
Thou knowest no timid hesitation or polite embarrassment
Thou dost raise high the lowly head.
At thy signal the travellers on the road to death
Put round their neck the fatal noose
With cheerful smile on their faces!
Nursing the fire of perennial want in their bosom
They worship the god of death in fiendish glee !
Thou tramplest the crown of Lakshmi
Under thy feet. What tune
Dost thou want to wiring
Out of her violine? At thy touch
the music turns into criesof anguish!
Waking up in the morning Iheard yesterday
The plantive Sanai mourning those
Who had not returned yet, At home
The singer cried for them and wept bitter tears
And floating with that music the soul of the beloved
Wandered far to the distant spot
Where the love anxiously waited.
This morning I got up
And heard the Sanai again
Crying as mournfully as ever.
And the pensive Shefalika,
       sad as a widow's smile,
Falls in clusters, spreading
A mild fragrance in the air.
Today the butterfly dances in restless joy
Numbing the flowers with its kisses.
And the wings of the bee
Carry the yellow of the petals,
It's body covered with honey.

Life seems to have sprung up suddenly
On all sides. Asong of welcome
Comes unconciously to my lips
And unbidden tears spring to my eyes
Some one seems to have entwined my soul
With that of mother-earth. She comes forward
And with her dust-adorned hands
Offers me her presents.
It seems to me that she is the youngest daughterof mine,
My darling child!
But suddenlyI wake up with a start. O cruel saint, being my child,
Thou weepest in my home, hungry and stoned!

O my child, my darling one
I could not give thee even a drop of milk
No right have I to rejoice.
Poverty weeps within my doors forever
As my spouse and my child.
Who will play the flute?
Where shall I get the happy smile
Of the beautiful? Where the honeyed drink
I have drunk deep the hemlock
Of bitter tears!

And still even today
I hear the mournful tune of the Sanai.




Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago

Kazi Nazrul Islam(1898-1976):Poet-icon of Bangladesh
 

Portrait of Kazi Nazrul Islam
(Portrait of Kazi Nazrul Islam: water colour, by Alaptagin Tushar 1995 Dhaka)


Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on the 25th May 1898 at Churulia in the district of Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
This partiot, poet, composer writer, political figure or the myriad minded man edited a politico-cultural magazine "Dhumketu".

The poet died at Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh as National poet on the 29th August 1976. Nazrul Institute, an institution works for research and propagating the poets life, works and ideals, is situated in Dhaka with several branches in divisional towns. Bangla Academy has published collected works of the poet to celebrate the poets birth centenary in the year(1999).

 

                                                                      
A marble statue of poet just behind him in the picture

The rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was crowned in 1972 as the national poet of Bangladesh. He was living a seclusive life with no care in a shabby, nasty and crowded cottage in Calcutta. West Bengal government did not even arrange a bed in any convalescent home for the poet who was suffering from irreversible brain-damage and living nearly a vegetative life.
 
Under the auspicious of Bangladesh government of Sheik Mujibur Rahman
, the poet was moved to Dhaka, capital of newly liberated Bangladesh situated 125 km west of Trishal a small township in Mymensingh district where Kazi Nazrul Islam spent several years during his boyhood.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman arranged round the clock nursing, physiotherapy since his arrival in Dhaka.
The picture used in this page is from 1972 taken on his birthday. Firoza Begum, the famous Nazrulgeeti-singer in Bangladesh, who was acquainted with the poet during her youth, had the opportunity to sing infront of him on his birthday or popularly called Nazrul jayanti in 1972.The ailing poet being able neither to speak nor to hear became overwhelmed with joy which radiated from his face, this rare moment of the poet's life was camera freezed by my friend, an ametaur photographer and now a physician in Dhaka, Mamunar Rashid (Madan) , he even arranged my entrance at Nazrul' s residence at Dhanmondi at the outskirt of Dhaka at the same occasion.

Bangladesh postal authority issued a set of 2 postal stamps on the occasion of the first death anniversary of the national poet of Bangladesh. 

Pakistan issued also a set of 2 stamps on the great poet,musician and patriot Kazi Nazrul Islam in the year 1968.Pakistan made mistake by writing the poets birth year 1889 ,these stamps were not issued.Some are known to have released in error.Pakistan postal authority again made mistake and stated the poet's birth year 1899. 

Indian government issued a stamp on the centenary birth anniversary of this great man in 1999. 

 

The Poet Icon in Stamps
The Poet Icon in Stamps
 
Popular songs and famous poems of Kazi Nazrul Islam

A poem of Kazi Nazrul Islam in Swedish

A nursery-rhyme of Kazi Nazrul Islam in Swedish

More about Nazrul
This page is dedicated to Muzaffar Ahmed, 
who was one of the founder members of the Indian communist Party.
Taking all the risks of the police brutality of the British India 
and on foot reached Taskhent from Calcutta 
with other figures like M.N.Roy,Bhupendranath Dutta,
Biren Chatterjii, Gholam Ambia Lohani in 1920.
Muzaffar Ahmed was a regular contributer of the Dhumketu( eng: Comet ),
a bangla literary magazine edited by Kazi Nazrul Islam from Calcutta.
Reactionary section of the Indian Congress 
and the British government did all their best to bann the magazine in 1922.

Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago

Professor Rafiqul Islam speaks on
The revolutionary and secular Nazrul


Kazi Nazrul Islam


Kazi Nazrul Islam, whose birthday we celebrate on May 25, came to the literary spotlight in 1921 with his iconoclastic poem of the unstoppable rebel hero, 'Vidrohi'. Set in a heroic metre and invoking images from both Hindu and Muslim mythology, the poem epitomizes the rebellious side of the poet as well as the romantic, gentle aspect. Apart from poems, however, Kazi Nazrul Islam also wrote editorials, essays, short stories, novels and plays. Professor Rafiqul Islam, at present Pro-Vice Chancellor University of Liberal Arts and one of the foremost authorities on Kazi Nazrul Islam, speaks to Robab Rosan about our national poet

Professor Rafiqul Islam is one of the foremost authorities on Kazi Nazrul Islam in Bangladesh. His debut publication on Nazrul was Nazrul Nirdeshika, a bibliography of the poet, which, apart from publications, also lists Nazrul's recorded songs. Professor Islam's second book on Nazrul was his 1972 biography of the poet, perhaps the first comprehensive biography of Nazrul. This was followed by Kazi Nazrul Islam: Jiban O Kabita (1977), based on his doctoral thesis. The book includes a short biography of the poet as well as a brief discussion of some selected poems.
   In 1990, an expanded edition of Professor Islam's Kazi Nazrul Islam: Jibon O Sahitya was published from Kolkata. In this book Professor Islam included a discussion of the poet's novels, stories, essays and plays besides poetry. A subsequent edition of this book, published under the title Kazi Nazrul Islam: Jibon O Srishti, also included discussions of Nazrul's music. Professor Islam's various articles on Nazrul, published in dailies, literary magazines, periodicals and journals, have been anthologized in Nazrul Prasanga, published by the Nazrul Institute.
   Professor Islam is at present revising his biography of the poet to cover the last years of the poet's life.
   Professor Islam regrets the lack of interest in Nazrul. He points out that much more work should have been done on Nazrul. 'While it is true that during the centennial celebrations in 1999, a number of books were published from Dhaka and Kolkata—many of them providing much new information on the poet—no remarkable work on the poet has been done subsequently.'
   About some of his findings, Professor Islam says, 'It was generally accepted that. "Jodi ar banshi na baje" was Nazrul's last lecture, I have discovered that there were two other important essays written by the poet after this one. Nazrul wrote a long poem on the communal riot in Dhaka. I had got one page of the poem, but was later able to get the entire piece.'
   'We do not have complete information about his music. We do not know how many songs Nazrul wrote nor do we know all the changes that were made in them, when they were recorded or printed. The poet himself often changed the lines of some of his poems, when he compiled them for books. Changes made by his disciples after his illness amounts to distortion.'
   'I have been able to gather much information from both Dhaka and Kolkata for my revised biography of Nazrul. Unfortunately, I have not been able to collect all copies of the newspaper Nava Yug, with which Nazrul was associated. In 1941, Nazrul was the chief editor of the paper. Apart from poems he had also written editorials for the paper. However, we have the complete files of Dhumketu, Langal, and Ganovani.'
   About the songs of Nazrul, Professor Islam said that it is not possible to identify all the lyrics of Nazrul, as many of them have been passed off as the work of others. 'However, we have got a lot of information on Nazrul's lyrics and their tunes. A Kolkata scholar, Brahmamohan Thakur, has worked on this subject very seriously and carefully. I should also add that a few songs were considered to be by Nazrul, but aren't. We have identified these lyrics and corrected the misinformation.'
   'Many songs of Nazrul have been lost, particularly, the tunes. If we have collected about two and a half thousand lyrics, we have been able to collect at the most a little over fifteen hundred tunes. The tunes of Nazrul's songs collected from the recording companies are authentic as long as Nazrul was well during the recording. In Dhaka, the noted music director Sudhin Das has worked to make notations of Nazrul Sangeet listening to the original records.'


   Professor Islam noted that during Nazrul's birth centenary, the Nazrul Institute had published many books, including poetry, novels, essays and notations, as well as a collection of Nazrul's poems in English translation. In Kolkata, the Bangla Academy published Nazrul's works and a biography. In Dhaka, we were unable to publish a complete biography of Nazrul.'
   According to Professor Islam, the perspective of West Bengal scholars differs from ours. 'The frame of reference of the biography published from Kolkata is Rabindranath Tagore. Yet I appreciate their work. They have used much information taken from research done in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, in many places they have not acknowledged the researchers.'
   'However, they published a biography during the centennial, which we could not. I was chairman of the Nazrul Institute at the time, but was very busy arranging the programmes. I was also associated with the celebration committees in India, particularly with the Bangla Academy and the Sahitya Academy in Kolkata, Vishwabharati in Santiniketan, the conference in Delhi, the North America Nazrul Festival in Florida and the Nazrul centenary celebrations in East London. During this time a Nazrul Centre was set up in East London. With all these commitments I did not have time to work on the biography.'
   Professor Rafiqul Islam described Nazrul as the great revolutionary and secular poet of this region who fought with his writings against both colonialism and communalism. 'Nazrul is the greatest non-communal poet in the Bangla language. He wrote for all communities, for Muslims as well as Hindus. Unfortunately, people who profess to be non-communal tend to be silent about Nazrul. If we want to be vocal against communalism or fundamentalism, Nazrul is the most powerful inspiration.'
   Professor Islam regretted that Nazrul was being politicised. 'Another tragedy is that we have declared Nazrul our national poet. We have thus made him a poet of the government, a poet of a political party, a poet of bureaucrats. Instead of poets and writers, bureaucrats preside over the functions on Nazrul only because of the positions they occupy not because of the regard they have for the poet. Nazrul always fought against the establishment but now he has been made a poet of the establishment, which is very unfortunate.'
   'We had plans to build a mausoleum on the tomb of Nazrul, but we did not do this. In 1929, Nazrul was honoured with a national reception at which the top social and political leaders of both the Hindu and Muslim communities were present. Nazrul was declared the National Poet of the Bengalis. So, Nazrul is not only the National Poet of Bangladesh, he is the National Poet of all Bengalis. All Bengalis should therefore work on the poet. We should not wait for grants from the government.'
   Professor Islam noted that as Bangla is limited to the Bengali community, the study of Nazrul is limited – as is the study of Tagore. However, Tagore has benefited by English translations. 'Similarly, good translations can play an important role in promoting Nazrul's literature. But we do not have good translators.' On an optimistic note, Professor Islam added, that some of Nazrul's poems have been translated into several Indian languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Oriya, Malayalam, and Assamese. Nazrul has also been translated into Japanese and Russian. Some of his works have also been translated into French and Spanish in Bangladesh.
   Professor Islam praised the quality of Nazrul's prose writings. 'Though Nazrul's stories are few, they are powerful and socially relevant. His novels too are well worth studying. Nazrul's essays are powerful critiques of imperialism and communalism. Nazrul's views on politics, social stratification, and human relations are manifested in his essays.'
   Professor Islam was critical of the neglect of Nazrul's original plays. 'To mark the anniversaries of Nazrul, the satellite television channels adapt Nazrul's stories into plays. However, they are not producing the original plays written by the poet such as Putuler Biye, Madhumala, Shilpi, Aleya and others. They should first produce the original plays, then the adaptations from stories and novels.' He regretted that while we possess almost all of Nazrul's, plays, a play that Nazrul wrote while jailed in Behrampur, is missing.
   The British government kept a close watch on writers – as well as revolutionaries. 'Nazrul's police files were perhaps thicker than those on any other writer in undivided India. Shishir Kar, a researcher based in Kolkata collected the police reports related to Nazrul from the police archives and has written a book, under the title Nishiddha Nazrul. Unfortunately, another book of his, "The British Raj and The Rebel Poet of Bengal,'' was not published by the Nazrul Institute.'
   Commenting on the present condition of Nazrul scholarship in Bangladesh, Professor Rafiqul Islam noted that our attitude is revealed by the way we have allowed the houses associated with Nazrul to fall into disuse. The house in Comilla where Nazrul used to live has been demolished. 'Apart from Darirampur, the other places have not been preserved. However, in West Bengal, the places associated with Kazi Nazrul Islam have been preserved. The jail cells where Nazrul stayed have been turned into museums.'
   'It is a matter of great satisfaction that a number of young scholars have done important research on Nazrul and obtained M.Phil and Ph.D degrees,' Professor Islam concluded.


Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago

Kazi Nazrul Islam

Some Poems
Thives and Robbers
Jagorani(Bangla Script)

Short Biography(in Bangla)

 

When some one talks about Bangla literature, first of all two names come in front of us, Rabindranath and Nazrul. Kazi Nazrul Islam is popularly known as rebel poet (Vidrohi Kabi). He was an exceptional talented person in bangla literature.

When still a school student in his teens Nazrul joined the newly recruited Bengali regiment (1916) and sent to Mesopotamia some months before the armistice. The resiment was not given a chance to face battle but all the same Nazrul got his fill of the fighting gusto which later-found expression in poetic effusion and warmth. His first two significant poems, Pralayollas (Exhilaration at the Final Dissolution) and Vidrohi (Rebellion)appared early in 1922 and his furst book of poem Agnibina (The lute of fire)was out before the year was over. The book was received with an enthusiasm never experienced in India before or since. After he joined the Kollol group and wrote mostly deft and pungent verse and songs galore.

Nazrul Islam wrote a good numbers of valuable poems, songs, novels, dramas. He had a good command on classic indian song. He could sing, recite and act with considerable proficiency.

Nazrul was an emotional soul, but his emotion was unstable and volatile. Those who came in personal contact with him were moved by his irresistible enthuasiasm and sincerity. But his literary output falls far short of his merit, except the early poems in Agnibina. After Agnibina his best known books of poems and songs are Dolonchampa(1923), Biser Bansi (The poisonous flute, 1924), Bhangar Gan (Songs of break-up, 1924), Puber Haoya (The east wind 1925) and Bulbul(1928).

Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago
Posted: 18 years ago

Rabindranath Tagore's dedication to Nazrul
and recognition of him as a "POET"
Studying Nazrul's life one finds that just like Nazrul revered Rabindranath as the "master-poet", Rabindranath also unreservedly reciprocated by recognizing and blessing Nazrul's poetic talent. Rabindranath sent a statement of blessing when "Dhumketu" started publishing, he was very anxious when Nazrul was on hunger strike, and he honored Nazrul by dedicating his drama "Boshonto" to him.
Upon request from Rabindranath, Pabitra Gangopadhdhay went to personally deliver a copy of Boshonto to Nazrul at Alipur central jail. In this context what Rabindranath conveyed to Pabitro G. reveals his high thought about Nazrul's creative works. Pabitro G. wrote:
"Nazrul was imprisoned at Alipur Centra Jail at that time. I used to visit him every week. Somehow Rabindranath must have known about it, otherwise he would not have instructed me to see him at Jorashako. He said: 'Nazrul has ushered in Boshonto (Spring) in the life of the nation. That's why I have dedicated my recently published "Boshonto" drama to him. I would have been very happy if I could deliver this to him personally, but since I am not able to do it, please deliver this book to him on my behalf. ...
I have dedicated "Boshonto" to Nazrul and in my dedication I have addressed him as "Poet". [note: Rabindranath did not recognize many others by addressing them as "poet". This meant something very special.] I know that some of you might not approve of it. I believe that they hold such attitude without reading Nazrul's poems. And, even if they have read, they did not do so in search of beauty and creativity, rather they looked down upon him. ... Also many of you insist that there should not be noises of swords in poetry. But when the whole nation's heart is tuned to this etho, when the sound of sword creates jhangkar and a feeling of unison is observed, it is naturally expected to find expression in poetry. IF I WERE YOUNG TODAY, MY PEN WOULD HAVE PLAYED SIMILAR TUNE...'
Someone brought two copies of "Boshonto" to the poet. He signed one copy and gave it to me saying, 'Please tell him, he should not feel sad that I was not able to deliver this to him personally. Wholeheartedly, I am blessing him without reservation. Also tell him, he must not stop writing poetry under any circumstances. Soldiers are always available, but we also need poets to inspire them."
...
Due to his personality traits, Rabindranath used to call him "Uddam

Edited by Qwest - 18 years ago

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