Kazi Nazrul: An Inspiration of Love and Liberty

Introduction: Kazi Nazrul Islam is best known as a Bengali poet, musician, revolutionary, and philosopher among the people of the sub-continent. The poet is popularly known as the ‘Rebel Poet’ (Bidrohi Kobi). He fought to the last of his life against the oppression of human being through slavery hatred and tradition. He is also best known and the people of Bangladesh and India for pioneering works of Bengali poetry. Kazi Nazrul is also recognized as the ‘National Poet’ in Bangladesh and commemorated in India. Scholars recognize him for leading a cultural renaissance in the Muslim community in both Bangladesh and India. He is called and treated as the inspiration of love and liberty. The versatile creations of Nazrul are the live embodiment of love and affection.    

Philosophy of Nazrul: The poet was always an omnist (who believes in all religions) and he often expressed his wish and will of experiencing religious harmony in India. By creating a bridge from traditional Islam to a modern sensibility, he helped bring people into a new relationship with modern life. Nazrul criticized religious fanaticism and blamed people and not religions for religious violence in India. He started exploring religious themes after the death of his mother and sons. The poet always tried to establish equality in the society. He didn’t like to see the disparity and inconsistency in the society.

A Brief Early Life of Nazrul: Kazi Nazrul Islam was born at village of Churulia in Burdwan district of West Bengal in India on May 25 in 1899. His father Kazi Fakir Ahmed, was an imam and caretaker of a local mosque and mausoleum. Nazrul's mother was Zaheda Khatun. He (Nazrul) had two brothers--Kazi Shahebjan and Kazi Ali Hussain--and a sister, Umme Kulsum. His nickname was Dukhu Mia (Sad Man). Nazrul began attending maktab (the local religious school run by the mosque) where he studied the holy Quran and other scripture, Islamic philosophy, and theology. Kazi Nazrul’s family was devastated with the death of his father in 1908. Nazrul began working in his father’s workplace as a caretaker to support his family, as well as assisting teachers in school when he was only ten and then he became the muazzin at the mosque, leading the community prayers.

Later, Nazrul became attracted to folk theater and joined a leto (traveling theatrical group) run by his uncle Bazle Karim. He then started working and traveling with the group, learning acting, as well as writing songs and poems for the plays and musicals. Nazrul began learning Bengali and Sanskrit literature, as well as Hindu scriptures such as the Puranas through his work and experiences. The young poet composed a number of folk plays for the group and he started being popular. In 1910, Nazrul left the group and enrolled in the Raniganj Searsole Raj School, and later transferred to the Mathrun High English School where he studied under the headmaster and poet Kumudranjan Mallik. Nazrul left the school and joined a group of ‘kaviyals’ as he became unable to continue paying his school fees. Later he took jobs as a cook at the house of a Christian railway guard and at a bakery and tea stall in the town of Asansol. In 1914, Nazrul joined the Darirampur School in Trishal, Mymensingh. Amongst other subjects, Nazrul studied Bengali, Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian literature and classical music under teachers who were impressed by his dedication and skill. Studying up to Class X, Nazrul did not appear for the matriculation pre-test examination and enlisted his name in the Indian Army in 1917. Some historians conjectured that Nazrul may have wished to obtain military training with a view to using it later for pursuing the independence of India. Attached to the 49th Bengal Regiment, he was posted to the cantonment in Karachi, where he wrote his first prose and poetry. Although he never saw active fighting, he rose in rank from corporal to havildar, and served as quartermaster for his battalion. During this period, Nazrul read extensively and was deeply influenced by Rabindranath Tagore and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, as well as the Persian poet Hafiz. He learned Persian poetry from the regiment’s Punjabi moulvi, practiced music, and pursued his literary interests. His first prose work, Baunduler Atmakahini (Life of a Vagabond) was published in May 1919. Later, his poem ‘Mukti’ (Freedom) was published by the ’Bangla Mussalman Sahitya Patrik’ (Bengali Muslim Literary Journal) in July 1919.

Nazrul’s Philosophy about Love: The main philosophy of Nazrul’s writings includes love both in union and separation. Many songs of the great poet evolved by the spirit of love. The songs ‘amar ganer mala ami korbo kare dan’, and ‘abar bhalobashar sadh jage’ where Nazrul expressed his feelings and emotions over love. It appears that Nazrul’s love is love forever where joy and sorrow will remain together. His poems over love are highly moving and poignant. He wrote ‘momo ek hate baka basher bashori r hate ronoturjo’. His poem ‘Bhalo Lagar Smriti’ translated as ‘Memories of Liking’ by Mohammad Nurul Huda, an eminent scholar on Nazrul Islam’s literary creations, is one of the most melodious poems in Bengali literature. A few lines are like this: ‘Memories of liking cannot be forgotten, so I visit your compound again and again, The curved moon still rises in the sky, the purple flower blooms in my garden; The light that plays on its flute at radiant dawn, now overflows my heart with endless joy. O my sweet darling, desert’s desire still lingers in my heart.’ Another tragic love song is like this, ‘amar jabar somoy holo dao bidai’. The songs mentioned above, Nazrul wrote several hundred songs, which will touch the hearts of lovers all the time. The used to see the love and sorrow at the same time. The tangible example of this is ‘noyon bhora jol go tomar, achol bhora phul’. He will be remembered all the time for his outstanding creations in this regard.   

Nazrul’s Poems a Strength of Liberty:  In 1921, Nazrul published his breakthrough poem called ‘Bidrohi’ (The Rebel), which immediately drew the attention of people who used to see the dream of liberty. The poem was not only the style of the working revolutionary in that it was abnormally bellicose, but it also challenged the tyrannical position of the British. Nazrul accomplished his poem Mukti published in Mussalman Sahitya Patrica. In 1922, the poem was published in the publication ‘Bidrohi’, which made him a famous and perennial rebel poet. Bidrohi was one of the greatest poets in Bengali literature, where the elements of the revolution were the consolidated subject. Some famous lines of the poem are always uttered by the readers.

‘I am the unutterable grief, I am the throbbing ten, I am the wildfire on the woods, I am Hell’s mad terrific sea of wrath! I ride on the wings of lightning with joy and profundity, I scatter misery and fear all around, I will bring earthquakes on this world!’

The lines mentioned above denote the depth of Nazrul’s rebellious nature. The poem was actually written after seeing the circumstances of his motherland during the British period.

Nazrul used to think about social justice and tried to reduce the disparity between poor and rich. Daridro (Pain or Poverty) is one of the social awakening poems, where Nazrul depicted his pain for the people of the country.  ‘O poverty thous hast made me great, Thou hast made me honored like Christ, With his crown of thorns. Thou hast given me the Courage to reveal all. To thee, I owe My insolent, naked eyes and sharp tongue.’

This poem has incredibly carried the social message and the profound love and concern for the people of his country.  Like this poem, Nazrul wrote another significant poem on women’s rights and showed his proper respect for them (women).  Nari (Women) is one of the effective poems to show respect and his thoughts to establish the parity between the rights of men and women. He wrote ‘I don’t see any difference Between a man and a woman, Whatever great or benevolent, That are in this world achievements, Half of that was by a woman, The other half by man.’ The lines helped the woman to change their mindset and they were encouraged to voice their rights in the society. Like the poems, he wrote several hundred poems and songs to change society and establish social justice. Thus, people started awakening regarding their rights and liberty getting inspiration from Nazrul's writings.   

In 1922, Nazrul established his own magazine called ‘Dhumketu’ (The Comet) which featured anticolonial poems that wrestled with government oppression and independence.

Nazrul’s Brief Later Life:  In 1924, Nazrul got married to Pramila Devi, a Hindu woman, sparking controversy because of their different religions. However, their marriage was just another indication that Nazrul firmly believed that the Muslim and Hindus were capable of unity and coexistence. During conducting a children’s radio show on All India Radio on July 10 in 1942, Kazi Nazrul suddenly lost his ability to speak, which was later attributed to mental instability. Consequentially, he was admitted to a mental hospital, where he stayed for several months. Despite treatments from doctors and support from Pramila, his health condition continued to deteriorate. In 1953, he was diagnosed by a Viennese doctor as having Pick’s disease, a rare and incurable neurodegenerative illness. His wife’s health also suffered, and she died in 1962.

Ten years later, Nazrul arrived in Bangladesh, where he was given the honor of being made the new country’s national poet. On August 29 in 1976, Nazrul passed away. He wrote ‘moshjider e pashe amay kobor dio bhai, jeno gore thekeo muazziner azan shute pai’. Following the final desire, he was laid to rest beside the central mosque of the University of Dhaka. Though Nazrul had been misunderstood and neglected during his whole life during his eternal journey, he was honored. Scholars from all over the world are now doing research on the works of Nazrul. Thus, he will be remembered as the symbol of love and liberty across the globe.  

[The different secondary sources--New World Encyclopedia, Newspapers, Google, and Research Articles--have been used to prepare the article]  

(M Mahbub Alam is a teacher at a private university and journalist at dhakaprokash24.com, email: mahbubuda@gmail.com)