Is poet Farrukh Ahmed banned?
Shahriar Noori
The government has quietly proscribed the writings of Farrukh Ahmed (1918-1974) in government publication without making any formal announcement. This banning of Farrukh's works in any government-sponsored publication is learnt to have been initiated by the prime minister's office (PMO) last year through the good offices of the Ministry of Information (MoI).
It is for the second time that the writings including the songs and dramas of Farrukh are being banned.
It may be pointed out that the late poet's monthly mention after his retirement had been stopped from 1972 -73 for allegedly supporting the war crimes of Pakistan Army in a report of a screening committee of the time. His monthly pension amounted to around taka 600 minus regular annual increment was restored after protests raised by the then leading intellectuals and poets, according to official publication. Ahmed Safa, a prominent writer who died a premature death a few years ago, took the lead.
Interestingly, his journalist son Sayed Ahmed Akhtar, who was working as a senior sub-editor in the official news agency BSS, was forced to resign.
In connection with the observance of Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary, the ministry of the information published a collection of poems of 28 selected Bengali poets, including Kazi Nazrul Islam on Tagore in its monthly publication called Shachitra Bangladesh in October, 2010. However, Farrukh Ahmed's noted poem on Tagore was conspicuously absent. The publication was brought out reflecting the government's decision to show respect to the only Nobel Laureate on Bangla literature.
When asked how Farrukh Ahmed's poem on Tagore could be absent from the collection on Tagore, no official from the ministry agreed to talk, let alone explain the reason. One of them, however, hinted that it might have been dropped due to technical reason. On further query the official without elaborating said: "please don't use my words in any form in your story."
Poet Farrukh wrote an acclaimed poem in two parts on Tagore which was first published by a Kolkata-based literary magazine, Mrittika in 1946. It was published and edited by an influential writer Kazi Afseruddin Ahmed.
Farrukh, a great modern poet, whose poetic theme was based on resurgence of Islam. He has 17 books of poem to his credit. His first book Saat Sagarer Majhi was first published in 1944 and was an instant hit in undivided Bengal. The poet received President's Award in 1962, Bangla Academy award in 1962, Unseco award for writing on Children in 1964. The poet was restored in full honour by president Ziaur Rahman and received posthumously Ekushey Padak and Swadinata Padak in 1977 and 1980 respectively.
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