On Tuesday, one of the great Bangladeshi intellectuals, Prof. Kabir Chowdhury, passed away at the age of 89.
He was a true champion of Bengali secular nationalism. He, like all
proper leftist nationalists, saw nationalism as a way to
internationalism, and lived his beliefs through practice, chairing the
Bangladesh Afro-Asian Writers' Union, the Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity
Union, and the Bangladesh-Soviet Friendship Society amongst others. His
loss is a profound one for all of us who share in the secular values he
dedicated his life's work to preserving in Bangladesh.
I
remember how warm and welcoming he was, the wide range of books,
paintings and sculptures at his beautiful, modernist flat, how
effusively he spoke about Bengali culture, secularism and the Language
Movement. I was honoured to meet him, spend some time with him over tea,
and benefit from his knowledge and wisdom. I'm so sad I will never
have that chance again.
Below is a transcription of my interview with Prof. Kabir Chowdhury, in Dhaka, on 23 March 2008.
KC:
The call for the recognition of Bangla was first raised in 1948, by
Dhirendranath Dutt. Sometimes we forget about that and focus on 1952,
which is understandable because 1952 was the major eruption of Bengali
nationalist feelings. Ultimately it was a political movement firstly for
autonomy and later the demand for total independence. And it grew,
unlike political movements in other countries, over the question of
language and culture. This is quite a difference in comparison to other
liberation struggles in other countries. Because of the West Pakistan
military rulers’ insensitiveness and inability to understand the Bengali
people’s total commitment to language and through language, culture,
because they didn’t understand this, the situation got out of hand.
There was nothing revolutionary in accepting two languages as state
languages. Think of Canada, Switzerland and other places. But because of
their ignorance they made tensions worse, and then of course later they
made things even worse by committing genocide.
From
culture it became a political movement. Major highlights were 1952,
then 1969, the mass movement and 1970. And then the Liberation War 1971.
I’m giving a talk on 1971 the war and our literature tomorrow at the
Independent University, Bangladesh. Firstly I will talk about the
liberation wars of all countries leave an impact on all cultures. That
manifestation one can see in all walks of life. In art, in poetry,
novels, everywhere. For example in the Soviet Union: I have visited all
the regions of the Soviet Union of the earlier days, and I have seen
beautiful sculptures and paintings. You can recall in the European
context, Delacroix’s painting of Liberty symbolised as a woman, leading
the people. She is holding a flag, running and people are running behind
her. In Bangladesh there are many paintings and sculptures. You will
know Shahabuddin, who has exhibited in many places in Europe. He is now
an expatriate living in France. He has one picture, Muktijuddha, Freedom
Fighter, with a sinewy, muscled, half-clad man with a flag running. I
have decided to speak about the impact of liberation war, and
specifically talking about Bangladesh liberation war and literature.
There has not been a complete overvew done of the cultural impact of our
liberation war, so I will begin by categorising the books that reflect
all of this, historical accounts, memoirs, diaries, compendiums, novels.
Then
I’ll come to literatures specifically – that is the main thing. In all
branches of culture we find this reflection of our liberation war –
poetry, grammar, short stories, novels, sketches. By extension, films,
there have been many films about the war. But poetry is especially
touching – in fact all the senior major appreciated poets, young poets,
and unknown poets, all have written at least on poem on the war. There
are hundreds of poems. Some highlight the glories and courage, some
highlight the pain and sorrow and devastation. Shamsur Rahman’s very
well known poem “Liberty.” There is another remarkable poem whose words
we tend to forget – Written on the night of the genocide on 25 March
1971, just before he left for India, Ghulam Mustafa wrote a stunning
poem. He printed a few hundred copies for publication, and then he fled
to India. The poem is astoundingly beautiful. I have translated it. It
is “Bangla Charo” “Quit This is one of the earliest poems which
possesses a very militarised tone.
In
terms of novels, Rabeya Khatun has written quite beautiful stories upon
the war, Selina Hossain has written both short stories and novels.
Anwara Shamsul Haq – Syed Shamsul Haq’s wife, has also written stories.
NA:
What was happening in terms of culture in the Pakistan period? I know
that Kabar was performed at Dhaka Central Jail – but was it performed
anywhere else during that time?
KC:
In Dhaka cultural things were happening, but things were also happening
all over the country during this period. In 1952, Kabar happened in
Dhaka but it was also performed all around the country. There is
Mumtazuddin Ahmed, at that time, his plays were performed in the large
open park in Chittagong, and his plays also expressed a strong militant
sense.
There was a poem by Shamshur Rahman “Na Ami Jabo Na” “No I won’t go’ - “I
won’t go, I stay with them who are fated to die.” “Obishap Dicche” uses
classical image of Greek mythology, the Tantalus myth.
Going back to novels, there are also Anwar Pasha’s Rifles Roti Women and Shaukat Osman’s Jahannam Hocche Bidhay and Neke Aranya. The West Pakistanis incompletely missed the meaning of Kritadaser Hasi.
Missed in the sense, it was a symbolic story of the defiance of the
downtrodden against the oppressor. And finally, the defeat of the
oppressor in the sense of what is demanded he couldn’t get in the last
chapter in the scene. But, they thought it was a novel featuring Harun
ur Rashid, he was projected as a cruel sultan. That point was missed but
because somebody from East Pakistan has written a novel about Harun ur
Rashid, they gave it a prize.
Others who have written dramas include Abdullah al Mamun, also there is Syed Shamsul Haq’s Payer Awaz Pawa Jai. Zahir
Rahain has written about 1952 but he didn’t live to write on the
liberation war. He was a very talented filmmaker, but also wrote stories
– Arek Phalgun, on 1952. As well as the celebrated Jibon Theke Niye. Like Osman, he wasn’t able to present facts in the direct fashion but had to use metaphoric images. Ahmed Safa’s Omkar,
is similarly metaphorical - he uses an image of a dumb girl who
witnesses all the repressions. She cries out at the end, finally, and
then dies.
