Dear Alochoks
No ruling party can afford to undermine Nazrul or Tagore. We have so little to show for ourselves that we need to use these two giants as crutches to ease our conscience. This is why our political parties try to hijack our cultural heritage. It's why every political committee in the country has to have a `cultural secretary'.
Zillur Rahman's speech at the inaugural ceremony Nazrul's anniversary was as boring and uninspiring and unmoving as the man himself. Most people would have switched off. Except party loyalists. How satisfying it must have been to them to see the President on the podium flanked by Black Jackets to the left and right. Of course the
Our political classes like to talk as if their party is the defender of these amazing minds. But the truth is the intelligence, integrity and values of Tagore and Nazrul have nothing whatsoever to do with public and national life in
If they were alive today in Dhaka, Tagore would have fled to
I believe Nazrul in his prime would have railed against our political classes. He would have gone on hunger strike at the steps of parliament. He would have written with an even more brilliant fire against AL and BNP than he did against the British.
Both Tagore and Nazrul wrote with an honesty that is not to be found today. How they would mock and satirise and condemn our self inflicted condition today. And it would take geniuses like them to penetrate our thick skulls, to slice through our stubborn Bongu pride, to hold up the naked truth for all to see.
Speaking of our culture - I wish Professor Abdullah Abu Syed was President of Bangladesh. How grand that would be! How inspiring for our youth! How useful! How fantastic! How fitting!
If Tagore or Nazrul dared to criticize a Nethri in 2011, our political classes would have made him `controversial' within a week.
Bloody hypocrites!
Ezajur rahman
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "Dr. M. Mohsin Ali" <drmohsinali@...> wrote:
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> That's not true. BTV is full of National Poet Nazrul's programs. Nazrul's picture is always on the screen of BTV.
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> The President of the Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh His Excellency Zillur Rahman himself inaugurated the 3-Day National Program for the celebration of the 112th Birth Anniversary of the National Poet of Bangladesh, which is the highest national honour in a country for a person.
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> Poet (Kobi Guru) Rabindranath's 150th Birth Anniversary celebration was also for 3-Day Program inaugurated by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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> Both the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and Bishwa Kobi Rabindranath Tagore are the national heroes of Bangladesh and they are also always alive in the Bengali culture, literature, heritage and history. Please do not try to divide Bengalees by drawing line between the National Poet and Bishwa Kobi. Both are in the hearts of the Bengalees. Please do not try to compare them. They have made their places in the hearts of the Bengalees by their own contributions which cannot be measured and compared.
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> Please remember, it was Bangobandhu Sheikh Mujib and his Government who brought Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam to independent Bangladesh from Kolikata and made him the National Poet of Bangladesh.
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> Thank you.
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> Dr. Mohsin Ali.
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> --- On Thu, 5/26/11, Isha Khan bdmailer@... wrote:
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> From: Isha Khan bdmailer@...
> Subject: [ALOCHONA] BD government undermines national poet
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> Date: Thursday, May 26
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> BD government undermines national poet
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> This is a matter of great shame for the entire nation to witness the way Bangladesh government has recently undermined, if not dampened the great image of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. It may be mentioned here that the government organized huge programs and events to celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Rabindra Nath Tagore, while the state-owned Bangladesh Television not only continued programs on Tagore for days, but also erected three large gates with portrait of Rabindra Nath Tagore with Bangla and Hindi greetings texts.
> A private television channel also organized a grand event, which was sponsored by a local mobile phone operator, which has recently been purchased by an Indian company. It was learnt from numerous sources that millions of dollars were spent only in Bangladesh for celebrating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Tagore. On the other hand, series of albums both by Tagore singers and singers, who have never sung Tagore songs were released by a number of mostly unknown, if not non-existent audio production companies in Bangladesh. The whole plan was just to give a kind of prophetic and divine touch to the birth anniversary of Tagore, who has been able to successfully establish his self-given title of 'Biswa Kobi' [Global Poet].
> I tried to learn as to which international body gave this title to Rabidra Nath Tagore. I even sent hundreds of test messages to people I know in Bangladesh, requesting information on this issue. None of them could come up with any substantial information, except the argument that as Tagore got Nobel Prize in literature, so he is global poet. I reminded them tha
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