Readers` Forum

The poet who fought injustices Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976) is our national poet, popularly known as rebel poet, who fought against all kinds of injustice, superstition, infidelity, greed, pride, jealousy and immorality. He also strongly protested against colonialism, neo-colonialism.The poet declared his unity with those who fought for equality through social revolution, sang songs of humanity and of the oppressed against oppressors. In his Kuli-Majur poem, we read:”Saw that day in the train, as he was a coolie, A gentleman (?) pushed him down (out of the compartment).Burst my eyes into tears, will the weak like thisBe oppressed through out the world!”The British government jailed him for one year for composing the poem ‘Anandamoyir Agamone’. To protest the misjudgment, the poet started hunger strike and passed 39 days without break. The government fearing his collapse tried to use the poet’s mother to call off the strike. Nazrul said to his weeping mother: Mother remember, you are the mother of Kazi Nazrul Islam. I have dedicated my life for the honour of my country and glory thereof. Bless me, my mother, so that I may make your wailing face smile. O Mother! Cry not. It beseems not for the mother of Kazi Nazrul Islam to wail.Kazi Nazrul Islam not only loved freedom, he paid utmost importance to feed the hungry. We read in his poetry ‘Aamar Koifiot’:The hungry child wants not self-rule;Wants he handful of rice, some salt,Day passes on, fed not the baby,In his empty stomach, burns fire.Unfortunately, the poet fell ill in 1942 after which he could not write a single word. His famous poems are Bidrohi, Dhumketu, Qurbani, Samyabadi, Manush, Kuli-Majur, Nari, Anowar Pasha, Muharram, Khaled, Omar, Shatil Arab, Aamar Koifiot and Anandamoyir Agamone, among others. An English Poet, Kolriz, said: No man is ever yet a great poet without being at the same time a profound philosopher. Ameer HamzahDhaka