150 admirers, including kin, walk to celebrate 100 years of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s ‘Bidrohi’

Kolkata: The West Bengal Heritage Commission, along with Kazi Nazrul University, organized a rally on the centenary-year celebration of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s poem ‘Bidrohi’ (The Rebel). Around 150 admirers of the poet, including Bangladesh deputy high commissioner Toufique Hasan, Kazi Nazrul University VC Sadhan Chakraborty, the poet’s daughter-in-law Kalyani Kazi and the poet’s grandson Kazi Anirban, joined the rally, walking from Subodh Mallick Square to the 3/4C address on Taltala Lane where Nazrul had written ‘Bidrohi’ in 1921.
Kazi Anirban told TOI that a year-long celebration of the poem has created ripples in Bangladesh, South Korea, the United States and Canada. “My sister Anindita lives in New Jersey and has organized an online event to mark the poem’s centenary. I feel it is significant that Kolkata organized such an event too. My grandfather’s words ring true even in the contemporary context.” The response to Sunday’s rally was “overwhelming”, he said. Members of the Facebook group Purono Kolkatar Golpo, Swarnali Chattopadhya and Jayanta Sen, joined the rally as well. The poet’s granddaughter, Mishti Kazi, came all the way from Bangladesh to attend the rally.
Anirban walked down memory lane and remembered the genesis of ‘Bidrohi’ in 1921. Nazrul lived in this Taltala house along with close friend and Communist leader Muzaffar Ahmad. “Muzaffar Ahmad had fallen asleep when my grandfather had started writing this poem with a pencil. Next morning when Muzaffar asked my dadu why he chose to use a pencil, my grandfather had replied saying using a pencil was the best option in case he ran out of ink and lost his emotional tempo,” Anirban said.
WBHC chairperson Suvaprasanna remembered meeting the poet. “I have never been to the Taltala house though I had the good fortune of meeting the poet at the Christopher Road house where he used to live with his son, Sabyasachi. I have been to that house on two of his birthdays. I am so happy to see so many people walking to celebrate the poem’s centenary,” he said.
‘Bidrohi’ was first published in the Bijoli little magazine. “As far as I know, nowhere in the world has there ever been such a celebration of a poem’s centenary. This poem is a big example of how a good piece of writing can transcend the barriers of religion, caste and nationalities to inspire people,” Suvaprasanna said.