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Today marks the 125th birth anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam, the rebel poet who is also known as the national poet of Bangladesh. However, there is an ambiguity in the formalisation of the tag. Bangla-speaking people worldwide remember Kazi Nazrul Islam on the day, as they used to do over the decades. The day is also celebrated in Bangladesh as an annual national event where enthusiasm is subdued. Instead of highlighting the core spirits of the life and works of Nazrul, the current trend is more focused on formal observance.
Born on May 24, 1899, at a remote village in Indian state of West Bengal, Nazrul faced many a vicissitude. Despite living for 77 years, he was only active for 43 due to an unknown disease that robbed him of his voice and memory. A medical team in Vienna diagnosed the disease as Pick's disease, a rare incurable neurodegenerative disease. Nazrul's creative works were the output of his 25 years of tireless, tempting and troublesome efforts. During that period, he wrote many poetry, short stories, three long-fictions, and various essays. He had composed more than a thousand songs and written around four thousand musical lyrics.
Nazrul opted for various works for livelihood as poverty was his life-time companion. His boyhood started as a caretaker of a mausoleum in his native village. Due to hard-core poverty, his education life was disrupted many times, and he was unable to sit for the entrance examination. In 1917, he joined the 49 Bengal Regiment and was posted to Karachi. His life in the army, a critical phase, lasted around two and a half years. It was the period when the turbulent genius learned Persian, practised music and pursued literary activities. After returning from the army, he started his career as a journalist and devoted himself to poetry and prose. His revolutionary poem 'Bidrohi' (Rebel) was published in 1921 and drew big applause from the Bengalis, especially younger ones. He soon became known as a rebel poet. His fiery writings challenged the British rulers of India and landed him in jail.
Through his journalistic and literary works, Nazrul shocked society as he called for India's freedom from colonial rule, elimination of poverty and disparity and also communal hostility. Through his writing and activities, he persistently challenged religious fundamentalism. A good part of his writings called for establishing Hindu-Muslim religious harmony in the nation's greater interest. Again, his works, especially songs, include love and romanticism that have enthralled people decade after decade.
So, Nazrul's life and works uphold humanity at its best. His orientation to communism and socialism drove him to stand for socio-economic justice for all. He was always bold in his assertions without thinking of the outcome and ready to face wrath from various quarters, including the British-India government.
It's intriguing to note that even a century after Nazrul's productive time of life, a significant portion of the population in this country continues to grapple with socioeconomic injustice and inequality. Despite the country's impressive economic growth, the distribution of its benefits remains uneven. Nazrul's anti-regime stance, driven by his vision of an equitable society, continues to unsettle the ruling classes. His fight against fundamentalism and his call for religious harmony remain as relevant as ever. This is why commemorating the birth or death anniversary of a poet of his stature calls for particular care and appreciation for the causes he valued sacrosanct.