Dhaka, Aug 27 (bdnews24.com) – The nation is observing national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's 35th death anniversary in line with the Bengali calendar.
The revolutionary poet and renowned Bengali lyricist died on Vadra 12, 1383 (August 29, 1976) at the age of 77.
Various socio-cultural and political organisations have undertaken elaborate programmes to mark the occasion on Saturday.
Bangla Academy, Shilpakala Academy and Nazrul Institute have chalked out separate programmes. Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and private TV channels are broadcasting programmes portraying the rebel poet's life and works.
The day began with Nazrul's family placing wreaths at his grave at the Dhaka University in the morning.
The cultural affairs ministry, Jatiya Kobi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Dhaka University, Nazrul Academy, Nazrul Institute and many other organisation also placed wreaths at the poet's grave.
Dhaka University arranged a discussion to mark the day at the Nazrul Complex where Nazrul researcher Prof Rafiqul Islam lectured on the poet's life and literary work.
Nazrul took the Bengali literary world by storm with his moving poetry and lyrics.
'Agnibina', 'Sanchita', 'Dolan Chanpa', 'Chhayanaut' are some of his chief works.
Nazrul's entire life was an epitome of diversity. In his early life, Nazrul received religious education and worked as muezzin, delivering the Azan and calling people for prayer.
He joined his uncle Bazlul Karim's travelling theatrical group and gained experience as a lyricist.
The poet had institutional education up to Grade-X. However, he did not appear in the matriculation pre-test and enlisted in the Indian army at 1917. During his life as an army man, Nazrul used his time to pursue his education.
In 1920, the poet and philosopher decided to end his military career and settle in Kolkata. Being in the heart of India's cultural capital, he eventually started work with the press and the period led to his literary rebellion against British interventions in the subcontinent.
During his visit to Comilla in 1921, Nazrul met a young Hindu woman, Pramila Devi, with whom he fell in love and later married on April 25, 1921
The cutting words of his literary work earned him the hostility of the British, leading to his imprisonment in September, 1922.
Not to be subdued by the British oppression, Nazrul used his year in prison to turn out a massive number of works that fuelled the anti-British movement. Many of his works from this period were banned by the colonial government.
He was shaken by a number of familial deaths, including that of his mother in 1928 and two sons Bulbul and Krishna Mohammad, which caused a change in his work.
His work turned away significantly from rebellious expositions of society to deeper examination of religious themes.
Nazrul also was shaken by the death of Rabindranath Tagore, and afterwards Nazrul himself fell seriously ill and gradually began losing his power of speech. His behaviour became erratic, and, spending recklessly, he fell into financial difficulties. In spite of her own illness, his wife constantly cared for her husband.
Nazrul's health seriously deteriorated over the years and he grew increasingly depressed. In 1972, the newly independent nation of Bangladesh obtained permission from the Government of India to bring Nazrul to live in Dhaka and accorded him honorary citizenship.
Despite receiving treatment and attention, Nazrul's physical and mental health did not improve. In 1974, his youngest son, Kazi Aniruddha, an eminent guitarist died, and Nazrul soon succumbed to his long-standing ailments on August 29, 1976.
In accordance with a wish he had expressed in one of his poems, he was buried beside a mosque on the campus of the University of Dhaka. Tens of thousands of people attended his funeral; Bangladesh observed two days of national mourning and the Indian Parliament observed a minute of silence in his honour.
CONTRIBUTION TO ARTS AND SOCIETY
Nazrul's poetry was characterised by an abundant use of rhetorical devices, which he employed to convey conviction and sensuousness. He often wrote without care for organisation or polish.
His works have often been criticised for egotism, but his admirers counter that they carry more a sense of self-confidence than ego. They cite his ability to defy God yet maintain an inner, humble devotion to Him.
Nazrul's poetry is regarded as rugged but unique in comparison to Tagore's sophisticated style. Nazrul's use of Persian vocabulary was controversial but it widened the scope of his work. He was also the initiator of 'Gazals' in Bengali.
He is also deemed to be one of the key initiators of the use of classical melody in Bengali music.
Nazrul's unfathomable depth of knowledge and feel for music could be, up to an extent, realised by the mastery with which he formulated a large number of musical moods or 'Raga'.
His works for children have won acclaim for his use of rich language, imagination, enthusiasm and an ability to fascinate young readers.
Nazrul is regarded for his secularism. He was the first person to cite Christians of Bengal in his novel Mrityukhudha. He was also the first user of folk terms in Bengali literature. Nazrul pioneered new styles and expressed radical ideas and emotions in a large body of work.
Scholars credit him for spearheading a cultural renaissance in Muslim-majority Bengal, "liberating" poetry and literature in Bengali from its medieval mould. Nazrul was awarded the Jagattarini Gold Medal in 1945 — the highest honour for work in Bengali literature by the University of Kolkata — and awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honours in 1960.
The Government of Bangladesh conferred upon him the status of "national poet." He was awarded the Ekushey Padak by the Government of Bangladesh in 1976 and presented an Honorary D.Litt. by the University of Dhaka . Many centres of learning and culture in India and Bangladesh have been founded and dedicated to his memory.
An ardent believer in humanity and the 'universal man', one of his most famous view points was 'let people of all countries and all times come together under one great union of humanity. Let them listen to the flute music of one great unity. Should a single person be hurt, all hearts should feel it equally; if one person is insulted; it is a shame to all mankind, an insult to all! Today is the grand uprising of the agony of universal man.'
Nazrul reached the peak of fame with the publication of "Bidrohi" in 1922, which remains his most famous work, winning admiration of India's literary classes with his description of the rebel, whose impact is fierce and ruthless even as its spirit is deep.
The poem introduced a new revolutionary spirit. Nazrul professed faith in the belief in the equality of women — a view his contemporaries considered revolutionary. However, Nazrul's poems strongly emphasise the confluence of the roles of both sexes and their equal importance to life.
Nazrul assailed fanaticism in religion, denouncing it as evil and inherently irreligious. He devoted many of his works to expound upon the principle of human equality, exploring the Qur'an and the life of Islam's prophet Muhammad.
Nazrul has been compared to William Butler Yeats for being the first Muslim poet to create imagery and symbolism of Muslim historical figures such as Qasim, Ali, Umar, Kamal Pasha, Anwar Pasha and the prophet Muhammad. His vigorous assault on extremism and the mistreatment of women provoked condemnation from Muslim and Hindu fundamentalists.
bdnews24.com/corr/ost/jr/1421h.