Impact of Nazrul’s poem on working people: May Day perspective

Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
Nazrul was born on May 24 in 1899 in Churulia village under Asansol of Burdwan in India’s West Bengal. In his childhood, Nazrul joined a folk opera group and began composing poems and songs. When he was in class 10, he joined the Indian Army in 1917. Even as a soldier, he continued his literary activities, publishing his first piece “The Autobiography of a Delinquent” in the May 1919 issue of Saogat and his first poem “Freedom” in Bangiya Musalman Sahitya Patrika in July 1919. When the 49th Bengal Regiment was disbanded after World War I in 1920, Nazrul returned to Kolkata to begin his journalistic and literary life. His fiery editorials in the daily Nabayug made him suspect in the eyes of the British administration. His most celebrated poem “Bidrohi” (The rebel) was published in 1922, which shook the very foundation of British colonial rule, putting his literary career on a strong footing.

We know that Nazrul’s childhood and youth were spent in poverty. His father was the imam of a local mosque. When he died, Nazrul was only nine years old. At that age, he had to take care of the mosque and the work of the moezzin to fulfill his family responsibilities. He passed the preliminary examination from the village school. As a result, he became fluent in Islamic education at an early age. Through reciting the Qur’an, he became well informed about Islam, starting from Namaz, Fasting, Hajj, Zakat. And for this reason, he was able to use this Islamic tradition skillfully in his later poetry and songs. When he was twelve, he joined the team ‘Leto’. It can be said that it was this experience that ignited Nazrul’s poetic talent, as a result, Nazrul was introduced to many mythological stories at that age. At the age of eighteen, Nazrul joined the then British-ruled Indian Army after studying up to the 10th standard. From late 1917 to March-April 1920, this period was Nazrul’s military career; But this period became very important and significant in his life. His aim was to build anti-British organizations and movements in the North West Frontier Province of India with the help of Afghanistan. He somehow came to know about all these activities of Indian revolutionaries. After all, even in the British army, he developed the mentality of fighting against the British. Because the fight against imperialist British seemed reasonable to him. This influence of the Russian Revolution was later strongly reflected in his poetry, politics, and newspaper writing.

Kazi Nazrul was a spokesman of Hindu Muslim community, too. He did not express any hatred towards any religion and he clearly announced that any heinous act in the name of religion could not be tolerated. Nazrul was again the advocate of the working class. He advised people to honour the working class. He tried to make the Hindu-Muslim unity. He made several speeches so that Hindus and Muslims do not confront. He was a harbinger for their unification. Nazrul believed that if the Hindus and the Muslims have their unity, mutual help and live in harmony, the society will develop and there will be no more communalism. There will be no class struggle, class difference and nasty competition about self-interest. Nazrul believed the saying- ‘unity is strength.’ It is true that only the power of unity or the force of togetherness will help people succeed. By division, people fall to awkward situation and face troubles. Nazrul was vehemently criticized it, urging people not to misunderstand and harass him. Nazrul did all these things only for the betterment of the two communities.

Earlier we have seen that in 1922, Nazrul directly declared war of independence against the imperialist British government in ‘Dhumketu’ newspaper. He was imprisoned by the British government for his poem titled ‘Anandamayi’s Arrival’ published in this magazine; But he was not discouraged by that, but with renewed zeal he took up the pen against the exploits of the British rulers. This time, he sided with the farmers-labourers, that is, the poor working people, against bigotry. The reflection of Marxist thought is clear in his choice of words ‘proletarian’ or ‘communist’. The newspaper ‘Langal’ was published as the mouthpiece of the Labor-Swaraj Party which was formed in Calcutta in 1925, which was managed by Nazrul. In fact, since a few days before that, the leftists were trying to organize the peasants and laborers and instill class-consciousness among them and incite class-struggle. This Mazur-Swaraj Party was formed for that purpose. The first manifesto of this party was published with Nazrul’s signature.

In 1929, Nazrul in a meeting in Chittagong spoke for the women emancipation. In another meeting, he advised the youth to resist and uproot the narrow idea from society, suggesting to be active and energetic. He was always dedicated to the interest of the farmers, workers and fishermen and he was always uncompromising against the conspiracy and decision of the orthodox. He always spoke for peace and progress for society, wrote a set of poems in a book titled ‘Samyabadi’. He believed that irrespective of caste and creed, every man is equal and there is no difference from one man to another. From these poems, we can understand the depth of his communism and assess how caring he was about the neglected. In his poem ‘Eid Moon’, Nazrul he highlighted the lower class people and told them to be united with new inspiration. In other poems Nazrul, also spoke for the amazing power of the proletariat. Later in a gathering organized by the leftist parties in Kushtia, Nazrul rendered songs for the audience. The next day Muzaffar Ahmed came back to Kalkata but poet Nazrul spent some days in Kushtia. After that, Muzaffar Ahmed was arrested, causing Nazrul to start his new journey to the world of songs. He concentrated on songs and before he fell sick, the poet he again travelled to the field of communism for some days.

Nazrul witnessed the sufferings of the laborers working in the bread shop, observed the disaster of humanity in the war field in his youth, the stark disparity between the rich and the poor in the various challenges of life, the Hindu Muslim conflict, the violence between people, the cruel scenario oppression. He tried to uproot all these bad elements with might & main. Realizing the negative impact of those bad scenarios, he created outstanding literary works. He has been given the recognition of our national poet. His writing power has made Bengalis stronger in senses and help removing the black, weaker & critical evil forces of life. He is a rebellious poet, he is a poet of love, he is a poet of exploitation. Nazrul’s deep belief was that ‘there is nothing greater than man, nothing nobler’ and that is why he wanted to break down the walls that divide people. Moreover, Kazi Nazrul’s unique contribution to Bengali literature will remain an exemplary model for all ages.

Nazrul literature is equally relevant even today after centuries. Humanist Nazrul has become a poet of humanity in the 21st century. Nazrul was indeed the hero of making impossible possible in the 20th century. Nazrul is a poet and artist of the first half of the 20th century. The creations of a creative artist and poet of that time have spread influence even in the 21st century. Just as on May 1, the global poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s poetry has spread beyond a place in a country and his poetry has the ability to spread beyond his own country and nation. He called the world oppressed, the world for humanity. We read it in awe. I feel surprised by his foresight and the depth of his compassion and wisdom towards humanity. He stated,
“All the people of all the lands of all times come”
Stand in an estuary and listen a flute of unity.

Finally, we can say that the universality of kazi Nazrul can never be dined in regards to well-being and rights of the working class. Moreover, his appeal in establishing the honor and prestige has surpassed beyond time and space. On the issue of class discrimination and dignity Nazrul was never a compromising. So it can be asserted that Kazi Nazrul was the real spokesman for the well-being of the distressed and his literary works will not be time bound. Rather it will augment our future youths for emancipation for the scale of suppression, exploitation and ill treatments towards humanity.

(Former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar & VDP, Writer, columnist and researcher)