Nazrul’s enduring relevance

The poet fought against social injustice, inequality, oppression and discrimination. He was a renaissance man in the true sense of the term

The 117th anniversary of birth of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam is being celebrated across the country today with great enthusiasm. Kazi Nazrul Islam’s emergence in the literary firmament during the 1920s took everyone by surprise. He is a versatile creative genius of the century. Nazrul explored different branches of Bangla literature. He is a poet, composer of songs, short story writer, novelist, essayist and translator. But his greatness lies in his poetic and musical talents. He wrote about 3,500 songs, perhaps the highest number of songs by any lyricist in the world. Nazrul inherited his parent’s poverty but poverty could not subdue the blazing comet hidden within him. His childhood was a saga of immense misery and struggle.
Nazrul was a soldier who joined the Bengal regiment raised during the First World War. As a journalist too he distinguished himself. In 1920 he joined the daily Navajoog, founded by Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, the then chief minister of Bengal, as the joint editor. In 1922 he became editor of the Dhumketu. He wrote a good number of sparkling editorials that went against the interest of the vested interest. He was arrested on charge of sedition and was sentenced to one year imprisonment. Nazrul went on hunger strike inside the jail. Rabindranath Tagore sent a telegram to him to give up hunger strike.
Nazrul was a great humanist, secularist, socialist, idealist and romanticist.
He stood against social injustice, inequality, oppression and discrimination.  He was a renaissance man in the true sense of the term. Unfortunately his creativity came to an abrupt halt due to an incurable disease in 1942. Even in his relatively short creative life, Nazrul left vast literary output that survives the test of time. Nazrul wrote many songs and poems against the British Raj. His secular mindset endeared him to both the Muslim and the Hindu communities. He dreamt of a society free from tyranny, exploitation and oppression.
 Nazrul is very much relevant in the present Bangladesh context. The present generation should read the works of Nazrul exhaustively and draw inspiration from his revolutionary spirit. More works of Nazrul should be included in the school, college and university curriculum. The government should make efforts so that literary works of Nazrul are available at reasonable prices.

Nazruls enduring relevance

The poet fought against social injustice, inequality, oppression and discrimination. He was a renaissance man in the true sense of the term

The 117th anniversary of birth of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam is being celebrated across the country today with great enthusiasm. Kazi Nazrul Islams emergence in the literary firmament during the 1920s took everyone by surprise. He is a versatile creative genius of the century. Nazrul explored different branches of Bangla literature. He is a poet, composer of songs, short story writer, novelist, essayist and translator. But his greatness lies in his poetic and musical talents. He wrote about 3,500 songs, perhaps the highest number of songs by any lyricist in the world. Nazrul inherited his parents poverty but poverty could not subdue the blazing comet hidden within him. His childhood was a saga of immense misery and struggle. Nazrul was a soldier who joined the Bengal regiment raised during the First World War. As a journalist too he distinguished himself. In 1920 he joined the daily Navajoog, founded by Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, the then chief minister of Bengal, as the joint editor. In 1922 he became editor of the Dhumketu. He wrote a good number of sparkling editorials that went against the interest of the vested interest. He was arrested on charge of sedition and was sentenced to one year imprisonment. Nazrul went on hunger strike inside the jail. Rabindranath Tagore sent a telegram to him to give up hunger strike. Nazrul was a great humanist, secularist, socialist, idealist and romanticist. He stood against social injustice, inequality, oppression and discrimination. He was a renaissance man in the true sense of the term. Unfortunately his creativity came to an abrupt halt due to an incurable disease in 1942. Even in his relatively short creative life, Nazrul left vast literary output that survives the test of time. Nazrul wrote many songs and poems against the British Raj. His secular mindset endeared him to both the Muslim and the Hindu communities. He dreamt of a society free from tyranny, exploitation and oppression. Nazrul is very much relevant in the present Bangladesh context. The present generation should read the works of Nazrul exhaustively and draw inspiration from his revolutionary spirit. More works of Nazrul should be included in the school, college and university curriculum. The government should make efforts so that literary works of Nazrul are available at reasonable prices.