Persecuted Rebel, Nazrul

Persecuted Rebel, Nazrul

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - One Hundred sixty Three

Palash Biswas


"The Bidrohi."


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.

The rebel poet Nazrul, in his poem "Bidrohi," once said....
“ I am the unutterable grief,

I am the trembling first touch of the virgin,
I am the throbbing tenderness of her first stolen kiss.
I am the fleeting glace of the veiled beloved,
I am her constant surreptitious gaze...
”
..

“ I am the burning volcano in the bosom of the earth,

I am the wild fire of the woods,
I am Hell's mad terrific sea of wrath!
I ride on the wings of the lightning with joy and profound,
I scatter misery and fear all around,
I bring earth-quakes on this world!
”

“(8th stanza)”


“ I am the rebel eternal,

I raise my head beyond this world,
High, ever erect and alone!
”
He also wrote....


I will stamp my footprints on the chest of God


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



Today is the 108th birth anniversary of our rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Popularly called the 'Bidrohi Kobi', or rebel poet, Islam was also a musician, a revolutionary and a philosopher whose most popular works are in Bengali.

We, the partition Victim underprevileged Bengalies uprooted from homel;and and evicted from Bengali geopolitics and History, live on such assets as the legacies of Tagore, Nazrul and Sharat! We could sustain only these three personalities as our ancestral memory could hold it! We have been deprived of not only citizenship and human rights, but our memory is also snapped mercilessly. In my childhood, Iwas lucky enough to get the copies of Agni Veena and Sanchayita by Rabindranath! My late father Pulin Babu had been associated with his roots lifelong. He is perhaps the only Benagli who led a peasant Uprising in Terai, Nainital in 1958 and was also arrested during Bhasha Andolana in Dhaka. He always tried his best to keep me update. We had Dainik Basumati daily in our thatched home in Basantipur, seven KM away from Pant Nagar University. We had electricity in 1969. Until than, I was habitual to read nazrul and Rabindra in dim Light.

Particulrly, Bidrohi and Dhoomketu were my favourites!

We the refugee Bengalies scattered all over India and facing Eviction Drive, do identify ourselves with Rabindra and nazrul, perhaps unrightfully. We could as we enjoy a different life in different geopolitics where Bengali Brhaminical Persecution Machinery won`t work!

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.Nazrul's first book of poems, Agni-Veena had appeared in October, 1922. A collection of his editorials in Nabayug was published at the same time under the title Yuga Bani but was, as has been stated before, proscribed. While in jail Nazrul composed a number of romantic poems, most outstanding among which Pujarini. These poems were smuggled out of jail and published in book form under the title Dolon Champa.
Moslem Bharat, a monthly first published by Moslem writers in April, 1920, was at this time the chief vehicle of publication of Nazrul's writings though he wrote for several other journals as well. Nazrul's first contribution to Moslem Bharat in 1922 was Badhan Hara, a novel in the form of letters. Among his contributions to Moslem Bharat in the first tear were some outstanding poems: Shatil Arab, an ode to the river of that name, Moharram, Korbani, Fatiha Doazdaham, Badal Prater Sharab and allegory entitled Badal Barishane and other poems and songs. Special mention should be made of a poem entitled Kheya Patar Tarani, a wonderful combination of sublimity with resonant rhyme.

Our treatment of Nazrul was very inhumane.It is still inhuman accross the border!
Born May 25, 1899, Nazrul Islam was initially a muezzin at a local mosque before switching to poetry, drama, and literature. He also worked as a journalist in Calcutta, now Kolkata, following a stint with the Indian Army.

Television channels accross the divided Bengal, Friday ran special programmes, remembering and reciting some of Islam's most popular works, like 'Bidrohi', 'Bhangar Gaan' and 'Dhumketu', through which he called upon people to join the revolution against the British Raj.

The Bangladesh government had invited him and his family to the country and he settled down here in 1972. He died four years later on Aug 29, 1976.


Bengali Songs - NajrulGeeti
http://www.calcuttaweb.com/gaan/najrul/index.shtml
Kazi Nazrul Islam, popularly known asbidrohi kobi (Rebel poet) took the bengali literary world by storm by his poem, bidrohi or the Rebel. Probably no other single poem influenced the Bengali society and people so deeply, and this poem, alongwith many other patriotic poems and songs, inspired the freedom fighters during the struggle against the british, and also during the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. Many regard him as the greatest poetic force in Bengali literature after world famous Rabindranath Tagore. Both Nazrul's poems and prose writing exuberate a certain force and energy, denouncing all social and religious bigotry and plurality, cultural differences and oppression as the principal reasons for national discord and disharmony. Many of his songs and poems were banned by the british administration in pre-partition India.

Nazrul also got equal prominence and popularity in writing songs, almost 3,000 of them, the largest by any Bengali poet and composing music. Many of his songs, particularly the love songs became instantly popular and are still revered. His songs are extremely romantic, lyric, appealing and rich in metaphors. All his works truthfully represent the life-style he led - the struggle of a poor childhood, his intense patriotism, and bohemian life as a poet.

His chief works are: Agnivina, Sanchita, Dolan Champa, Chayanat.

Learn more about Nazrul and his work from Nazrul.Org

Kazi Nazrul Islam Page: Website dedicated to the wonderful life ...The first-ever website dedicated to the most wonderful life and works of the Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam; contains profile of life/ poetry translation/ ...
http://www.nazrul.org/
See also:
Complete Works of Kazi Nazrul Islam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_Works_of_Kazi_Nazrul_Islam
Marxists Internet Archive: Kazi Nazrul Islam
http://www.marxists.org/archive/kazi-nazrul-islam/index.htm


On a different note, itis hard to understand the rational of shipping Nazrul out of calcutta to Dhaka. Nazrul was born in Bardwan in West Bengal and spent most of his adult life in Calcutta. Does it mean that Nazrul, because he was a muslim belongs to Bangladesh? On the same logic Rabindra Nath Tagore then would not be ours because he was a Hindu! Itmight seem very harsh, but Ruling Brahminical Class and Intellegentsia kolkata do not see any Nazrul relevance. First they tried to reject the under previleged rebel voice as nonsense, loud and aesthetecally substanderd. Now, they simply forget Nazrul even on his birthday!

The poet , Capitalist Marxist World Bank slave, butcher of Nandigram, Brahmin chief minister is the In Charge of Bangla academy Nandan campus, which just skipped Nazrul today. A function was arranged in Mahajati Sadan, the venue of the All Party Meeting Farce as a routine! It is not telecasted on Doordarsha. Doordarshan telecasted live the Churulia function which was rather very low profile!

It is understandable! The nation celebrated 150 th anniversary of Mutiny 1857, the government of Bengal and intellegentsia bengal did not care to pay any homage to mangal Pandey!

However, the TV channels and Radio aired Nazrul songs! But the print media, including great Anand publishers did not see the event meaningful! Only Dainik Pratidin published two articles on Nazrul. Even, Bangla Statesman which focuses on Nandigram and Singur so aggressively, did not see any relevance of Nazrul!

Comparatively, we celebrate Rabindra jayanti and Rabindra Death anniversary as if these are Durgotsav renewed. Is it not a Hindutva psyche! What is it? Please tell me! It is needless to say that Rabindranath is a revered character among the Bengali speaking people. Since no one is above criticism, posthumously or not, Rabindranath can be evaluated via his contributions and legacies left behind as did numerous writers and philosophers. By the argumentative token Plato or Socrates or Aristotle is not above the criticism as well. We understand the relevance of Tagore in Indian and Bengali life. We also know his works so well.But this Rabindra Love in West Bengal rejects and hardly finds any space , it is tragic . Very very tragic!

We know that Bangladesh is through a transitional period once again and Bangla nationality is endangered! We know,the much-talked-about new political party might be floated within two weeks of the day the ban on indoor politics goes.Initiators of the new party said they had already informal talks among them and with the leaders of different parties and they have got huge response from them. What about West Bengal? If bangladesh is bleeding, do we feel intact? So, after Nandigram Genocide!
Whether everyone likes it or not, it is a fact that the national anthem of Bangladesh is written by Rabindranath and he is the towering figure of Bangla language. Also, whether everyone likes it or not, Kazi Nazrul Islam is the national poet of Bangladesh, probably as a better representative of the heritage, culture, and faith of Bangladesh. They had things that were common. Both were born in Bengal and grew up with and served Bangla language and literature. Both were active in their creative work during albeit the same period. Both had love and reverence for everything that represents "beauty" and hatred and condemnation for everything that represents "ugliness".

Despite these common aspects, they were so different and, through their difference they build bridges between themselves and through their works sowed the seed of harmony and bond. To Rabi, Nazrul was "Dhumketu" and he offered Nazrul, among many of his literary devotees, good deal of affection. Nazrul, according to his own words, used to revere Rabi, without getting detracted from his own perceived mission and vision or compromising what he stood for. In the context of Bangladesh, those who ignore, let alone disrespect, Rabindranath because of his Indian or Hindu background, while love or revere Nazrul ought to know how Nazrul had a bad habit against Rabindra-haters.

Nazrul started a bi-weekly magazine, publishing the first "Dhumketu" on August 12, 1922. Earning the moniker of the "rebel poet”, Nazrul also aroused the suspicion of British authorities.[8] A political poem published in "Dhumketu" in September 1922 led to a police raid on the magazine's office. Arrested, Nazrul entered a lengthy plea before the judge in the court.

“ I have been accused of sedition. That is why I am now confined in the prison. On the one side is the crown, on the other the flames of the comet One is the king, sceptre in hand; the other Truth worth the mace of justice. To plead for me, the king of all kings, the judge of all judges, the eternal truth the living God... His laws emerged out of the realisation of a universal truth about mankind. They are for and by a sovereign God. The king is supported by an infinitesimal creature; I by its eternal and indivisible Creator. I am a poet; I have been sent by God to express the unexpressed, to portray the unportrayed. It is God who is heard through the voice of the poet... My voice is but a medium for Truth, the message of God... I am the instrument of that eternal self-evident truth, an instrument that voices forth the message of the ever-true. I am an instrument of God. The instrument is not unbreakable, but who is there to break God? ”


Bangladesh as a nation Friday paid rich tribute to National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, an extraordinary, prolific and versatile poet of Bangla literature, on his 108th birth anniversary, reports UNB.Thousands of people visited the mazar of the poet on Dhaka University campus in the morning to pay their homage to him.

Teachers, students and employees of Dhaka University led by Vice Chancellor S M A Faiz placed wreath at the mazar of the poet in the early morning.

A memorial meeting was held at the mazar with VC S M A Faiz in chair where students of Drama and Music Department of the university performed.

Family members of poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and others offer prayers at the mazar.

Different organisations including Nazrul Academy, Nazrul Institute and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy observed the day with various programmes.

A two-day programme has been chalked out to celebrate the occasion at national level.

President Professor Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed, Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina have given separate messages paying rich tributes to poet Nazrul.

Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the main programme at Osmani Memorial Hall Friday evening



After falling ill in 1942, Nazrul quickly became irrelevent. Wife Pramila died, financial, physical handicap slowly overwhlemed the rebel poet. Wikipedia puts the rest of his life this way,

He entered a world of increasing isolation, until 1972, when the newly formed nation of Bangladesh rediscovered him. He was taken to Dhaka and honoured as the national poet. However, Nazrul’s physcial and mental condition never improved, and he died on August 29, 1976. In accordance with a wish expressed in one of his poems, he was laid to rest beside a mosque on the campus of the University of Dhaka.

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...

His poetry, with its vibrant rhythms and iconoclastic themes, forms a striking contrast to rabindranath tagore's poetry. Though he respected and admired the older poet, he wrote outside the sphere of Rabindranath's influence and paved the way for the modern Bangla poems of the post-thirties. Through literature, journalism and political activism, Nazrul fought against foreign rule, communalism, imperialism, colonialism, fundamentalism and exploitation. In response, the British colonial government proscribed his books and newspapers and put him behind bars. Through his written Rajbandir Jabanbandi (a political prisoner's deposition) and his 40-day hunger strike, Nazrul protested against the harassment. In support of him, Rabindranath dedicated one of his books to him.

Nazrul used subjects and vocabulary never used in Bangla poetry before. He became immensely popular for portraying in his poems contemporary political and social phenomenon. Some fundamental conflicts of human civilisation also formed the themes of his poems. Singularly non-communal, Nazrul drew upon his mixed Hindu and Muslim cultural traditions. He used Sanskrit and Arabic metres as easily as he did traditional Bangla ones. He referred to Persian archetypes with as much ease as he did ancient Hindu ones. He was aware of history, both ancient and contemporary, of his own country and of the world outside.

Nazrul nourished almost all the streams of Bangla songs and established them on the solid foundation of north Indian classical music. It was through the originality of his musical talent that the folk base of Bangla songs was linked to the subcontinental tradition of classical music. nazrul songs can be described as the quintessence of Bangla songs apart from their being the Bangla edition of north Indian classical music. Through a wide variety of themes and tunes Nazrul truly turned Bangla songs into modern music.


TARA MUZIK GEARS UP TO CELEBRATE KOBI NAZRUL'S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY
To commemorate Nazrul Islam's 108 th birth anniversary,
TARA MUZIK has lined up a bouquet of special programmes.
Joto Din Robe Praner Pradeep – A bouquet of Nazrulgeeti by Indrani Sen, Anup Ghoshal, Sushmit Goswami and others.
The song sung by Indrani Sen and Anup Ghoshal include some very popular Nazrulgeeti such as
Kaberi Nodi Jole Ke go,
Anjali Loho mor Sangeete,
Shajiachho Jogi, etc.
The programme will be aired on
Saturday, May 26, 2007 at 06.30 a.m.
on TARA MUZIK.

Kheyali Nazrul – Nazrulgeeti based on different Ragas by Swarnendu Chakraborty The programme will be aired on
Saturday, May 26, at 08.30 a.m.
on TARA MUZIK





Kazi Nazrul Islam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kazi Nazrul Islam (Bengali: ???? ????? ?????) (b. May 25, 1899 — d. August 29, 1976) was a Bengali poet, musician, revolutionary and philosopher who is best known for pioneering works of Bengali poetry. He is popularly known as the Bidrohi Kobi — Rebel Poet — as many of his works showcase an intense rebellion against oppression of humans through slavery, hatred and tradition. He is officially recognised as the national poet of Bangladesh and commemorated in India.

Born in a poor Muslim family, Nazrul received religious education and worked as a muezzin at a local mosque. He learned of poetry, drama, and literature while working with theatrical groups. After a stint in the Indian Army, Nazrul established himself as a journalist in Kolkata (then Calcutta). He assailed the British Raj and preached revolution through his poetic works, such as "Bidrohi" ("The Rebel") and "Bhangar Gaan" ("The Song of Destruction"), as well as his publication "Dhumketu" ("The Comet"). While in prison, Nazrul wrote the "Rajbandir Jabanbandi" ("Deposition of a Political Prisoner"), intensifying his criticism of imperialism. Nazrul condemned Muslim religious fundamentalism and explored the lives of downtrodden masses in India. He remained active in political organisations and literary, art, and music societies.

Nazrul's writings explore themes such as love, freedom, and revolution; he opposed all bigotry, including religious and gender. His impassioned patriotic stance (during British India) often earned him prison time. He wrote short stories, novels, and essays but is best-known for his poems, in which he pioneered new forms such as Bengali ghazals. Nazrul wrote and composed music for his nearly 3000 songs which are collectively known as Nazrul Sangeet (Nazrul songs) and widely popular today. At the age of 43 (in 1942) he began showing the signs of an unknown disease, losing his voice and memory. Suffering from Pick's Disease,[1] as later diagnosed by Dr. Hans Hoff in Austria (Vienna), Nazrul gradually yielded to incurable mental illness, which forced him to live in isolation for many years. Invited by the Government of Bangladesh, Nazrul and his family moved to Dhaka in 1972, where he died four years later.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazi_Nazrul_Islam

Nazrul Geeti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Nazrul geeti)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazrul_geeti
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Music of Bangladesh. (Discuss)
Nazrul Geeti, (more appropriately, Nazrul Sangeet), literally meaning "music of Nazrul," are the works of Kazi Nazrul Islam, national poet of Bangladesh and active revolutionary during Indian Independence Movement. Nazrul Sangeet incorporate revolutionary notions as well as more spiritual, philosophical and romantic themes.

Kazi Nazrul Islam used his music as a major way of disseminating his revolutionary notions, mainly by the use of strong words and powerful, but catchy, tunes. Among the revolutionary songs, Karar Oi Louho Kopat (Prison-doors of Steel) is best known and has been used several movies, especially those made during the pre-independence period of Bangladesh.lk
Nazrul joined the 49 Bengal Regiment and was posted to Karachi. His life in the army lasted about two years and a half from the close of 1917 to March-April 1920. During this time, from an ordinary soldier he rose to havildar (battalion quartermaster). During his stay in the army, Nazrul learnt Persian from the regiment's Punjabi moulvi, practised music with other musical-minded soldiers to the accompaniment of local and foreign instruments and at the same time pursued literary activities in both prose and poetry. Nazrul's stories and poems written at Karachi cantonment were published in different journals: his first prose writing 'Baunduler Atmakahini' (saogat, May 1919), first published poem 'Mukti' (bangiya mussalman sahitya patrika, July 1919).

During his stay at Karachi, Nazrul subscribed to various literary journals published from Kolkata: Prabasi, Bharatbarsa, Bharati, Manasi, Marmavani, sabujpatra, Saogat and Bangiya Mussalman Sahitya Patrika. During his stay at Karachi, Nazrul had books by Rabindranath and sharat chandra chattopadhyay as well as writings of the Persian poet Hafiz. In fact, it was at Karachi cantonment that Nazrul's literary activities truly began.

At the end of the First World War, Nazrul returned to Bengal and began the career of a litterateur-journalist in Kolkata. His first accommodation was at the office of the bangiya mussalman sahitya samiti at 32 College Street, where he roomed with Muzaffar ahmed, an official of the organisation. People started becoming aware of a new talent in Bangla when journals like moslem bharat, Bangiya Mussalman Sahitya Patrika and Upasana published his novel Bandhan-hara and poems such as 'Bodhan', 'Shat-il-Arab', 'Badal Prater Sharab', 'Agamani', 'Kheya-parer Tarani', 'Korbani', 'Moharram' and 'Fateha-i-Doazdaham'. In a letter published in Moslem Bharat, the poet-critic mohitlal majumder profusely praised Nazrul's poems 'Kheya-parer Tarani' and 'Badal Prater Sharab' and welcomed him to the learned society of Bengal. At the office of the Bangia Mussalman Sahitya Samiti, Nazrul became close to quite a few contemporary Muslim litterateurs such as mohammad mozammel huq, Afzalul Huq, kazi abdul wadud and muhammad shahidullah. Nazrul also used to attend two other popular literary addas or talking clubs: 'Gajendar Adda' and 'Bharatiya Adda'. Here he came in close contact with top personalities of contemporary Bangla art, literature, music and theatre such as atulprasad sen, Dinendranath Thakur, abanindranath tagore, satyendranath dutta, Charuchandra Bannerjee, Ustad Karamatullah Khan, premankur atarthi, shishir kumar bhaduri, Hemendrakumar Roy, sharatchandra chattopadhyay, Nirmalendu Lahiri and dhurjatiprasad mukhopadhyay. In October 1921, Nazrul went to santiniketan with Muhammad Shahidullah and met Rabindranath. For the subsequent two decades, up to Rabindranath's death in 1941, these two important poets of Bengal maintained a close association.

Nazrul's life as a journalist began with the publication of the evening daily nabajug on 12 July 1920. Though ak fazlul huq (Sher-e-Bangla) was listed as editor, the work was mainly done by Nazrul. The political situation was volatile: the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat movements were in full swing. In this climate, Nazrul's fiery article, Muhajirin hatyar janya dayi ke? (Who is responsible for killing the refugees?) led to the forfeiture of the security deposit of the paper. A police watch was placed on Nazrul.

Along with carrying out his journalistic activities, writing about the socio-political aspects of the national and international developments, Nazrul was also attending various political meetings with Muzaffar Ahmed. At the same time, he participated in cultural activities, attending social gatherings and rendering songs. He was yet to compose tunes for his songs, but Mohini Sengupta, a musicologist and member of the Brahma Samaj, set a few of his songs to music and published the songs with their notations. Among these songs were 'Hayta tomar paba dekha' and 'Ore e kon sneha-suradhuni'. Nazrul's song 'Bajao prabhu bajao ghana' was first published in the Baishakh issue of Saogat in BS 1327 (1920 AD).

April-June 1921 marked an important change in Nazrul's life. He met the book publisher Ali Akbar Khan at the office of the Muslim Sahitya Samiti and accompanied him to Comilla. There he visited the house of Biroja Sundari Devi, where he met Promila, a young Hindu woman whom he would marry subsequently.

Nazrul accompanied Ali Akbar Khan to his village Daulatpur and stayed there for some time. Returning to Comilla on 19 June, he stayed there for 17 days. Comilla was in ferment on account of the non-cooperation movement. Nazrul joined many processions and meetings and sang his newly composed patriotic songs that he had set to music himself: E kon pagal pathik chhute elo bandini mar anginay (Who is this stranger rushing to the courtyard of the imprisoned mother?), Aji rakta-nishi bhore/ eki e shuni ore/ mukti-kolahal bandi-shrnkhle (On this blood-stained dawn why this clamour for freedom by prisoners in shackles?) Thus the amateur composer and singer of Kolkata turned into a political activist and composer of patriotic songs.

In November 1921 Nazrul went to Comilla again. An all-India strike had been called on the day. Nazrul joined the procession of the non-cooperationists and sang Bhiksa dao! Bhiksa dao! Phire chao ogo purabasi (Give alms, give alms, look back O townspeople.) Many Muslims of India, led by Maulana Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shawkat Ali, had joined in the khilafat movement to save Turkey's feudal regime. Nazrul had no faith in the philosophies of either Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement or the Khilafat movement. Instead he supported Mustafa Kamal Ataturk's new Turkish movement that had overthrown the sultanate and believed that only through armed revolution would India be liberated. Nevertheless, he joined those movements for the sake of a united anti-imperialist struggle.

After his return to Kolkata in December 1921, Nazrul composed two of his most famous revolutionary writings: 'Vidrohi' and 'Bhangar Gan'. These two compositions totally changed the tenor of Bangla poetry.

Towards the end of 1921 Nazrul composed another famous poem: 'Kamal Pasha'. This poem demonstrated Nazrul's sense of contemporary international history and the hollowness of the Indian Khilafat movement. Nazrul was most deeply influenced by the leadership of Mostafa Kamal Pasha, who had overthrown the feudal sultanate and turned Turkey into a secular and modern republic. Nazrul was particularly impressed by the way Kamal Pasha had removed fundamentalism from Turkish society as well as got women to give up their veils. He wondered why the reforms in Turkey could not be replicated in India and Bengal.

All his life Nazrul fought against fundamentalism, superstition and ritualistic social behaviour, especially among Muslims. The socialist revolution in Russia in 1917 also influenced Nazrul in many ways. This was borne out by the publication in langal and Ganavani of 'samyabadi' and 'sarbahara' poems and his translation of the 'Communist International' under the title 'Jago Anashana Bandi Utha Re Yata' (Wake up and rise all the prisoners of hunger).

Among Nazrul's literary works published in 1922 the most notable were Byathar Dan, a collection of short stories, Agni-vina, a collection of poems, and Yugavani, a collection of essays. Agni-vina, which included 'Pralayollas', 'Agamani', 'Kheya-parer Tarani', 'Shat-il-Arab', 'Vidrohi' and 'Kamal Pasha', created a stir in Bangla literature and proved to be a turning point in Bangla poetry. Its first edition was sold out soon after publication, and several editions in quick succession had to be printed.

On August 12 1922 Nazrul published the dhumketu, which played an important role in reviving the concept of armed revolution after the failure of the Non-cooperation and Khilafat movements. In a sense the Dhumketu became the mouthpiece of revolutionaries. The paper appeared, bearing on its mast these words of blessing from Rabindranath: Kazi Nazrul Islam kalyaniyesu, ay chale ayre dhumketu/ andhare bandh agnisetu, durdiner ei durgashire udiye de tor vijay ketan 'Dear Kazi Nazrul Islam, Come O comet come. Blaze in darkness the bridge of fire, hoist your flag of victory atop this fortress in distress'. After Nazrul's veiled political poem Anandamayir Agamane (on welcoming the arrival of the goddess Durga) appeared in the Dhumketu on 26 September 1922, the issue was proscribed. Nazrul's book of essays, Yugavani, was also proscribed on 23 November 1922. The same day the poet was arrested in Comilla and brought to Kolkata. On 7 January 1923, Nazrul, as an under-trial prisoner, gave a deposition in self-defence in the court of chief presidency magistrate Swinho. That deposition, 'Rajbandir Jabanbandi', has been acknowledged as a piece of literature. In the judgement delivered on January 16, Nazrul was sentenced to a year's rigorous imprisonment.

While Nazrul was serving his term in Alipore Central Jail, Rabindranath dedicated to him his musical play Basanta (22 January 1923). Nazrul celebrated the news by composing his poem about the ecstasy of poetic creation: 'Aj Srsti Sukher Ullase' (In the ecstasy of creation). On 14 April 1923, Nazrul was moved to Hughli Jail. The same day he began a hunger strike in protest against the ill treatment of political prisoners. Rabindranath sent Nazrul a telegram saying: 'Give up hunger-strike, our literature claims you'. The telegram was not delivered. Meanwhile, under the pressure of public opinion, the civilian jail inspector, Dr Abdullah Suhrawardy, visited the jail on 22 May 1923 and at his persuasion Nazrul broke his 40-day hunger strike. On 18 June, Nazrul was transferred to Behrampur jail. He was released on December 15, after suffering imprisonment for a year and three weeks. While in Hughli Jail Nazrul wrote his famous song, 'Ei shikal-para chhal moder e shikal-para chhal' (Chains cannot bind us) and in Behrampur jail he wrote another famous song 'Jater name bajjati sab jat-jaliyat khelchhe juya' (The communal cheats are gambling in the name of communities).

The first anthology of Nazrul's poems on love and nature, Dolan-Chanpa, was published in October 1923. Its long poem 'Pujarini' reveals Nazrul's multifaceted perception of romantic love. It was not surprising that Nazrul's thoughts at this time of political turmoil should have turned to thoughts of love. His acquaintance with Promila had ripened to love, and, despite the disapproval of many, Nazrul married Promila in Kolkata on 24 April 1924. Promila was from a Brahmo family and only her mother, Giribala Devi, accepted the marriage. Nazrul was also detached from his family. Nazrul and Promila set up home at Hughli.

Two collections of Nazrul's songs and poems were published that August: Biser Banshi and Bhangar Gan. Both the books were proscribed by the government in October and November. Meanwhile, Nazrul's songs were becoming popular. In 1925, His Master's Voice (HMV) produced the first gramophone record of Nazrul's songs.