By Roy Lie A Tjam
With music, dance, and recitation of their works, the two greatest writers of Bengali literature, Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, were recently celebrated.
It was on the sunny Saturday of May 23 that the Ambassador of Bangladesh, H.E. Mr. Sheikh Mohammed Belal, opened the doors of the Bangladesh House in Wassenaar to celebrate these Bengali luminaries.
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On this sunny afternoon, about a hundred Bangladeshi and others gathered on the lush green lawn of the Bangladesh House with the Deputy Mayor of The Hague, Mr. Rabin Baldewsingh, present as the Chief Guest. In his welcome speech, Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal introduced snapshots of Rabindranath Tagore’s literary works. Tagore was a Bengali polymath who elevated Bengali literature to a new high when he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in literature in 1913. Kazi Nazrul Islam, equally talented, remained mostly outside the knowledge of non-Bengali readers for dearth of translations of his work. Both of these literary giants were highly praised by the general public as they devoted a good amount of their writings to the ordinary people of the Bengal.
Tagore introduced new prose, verse forms, and colloquial language into Bangladeshi literature, thereby freeing it from traditional models based on classical Sanskrit. He was highly influential in introducing the best of Indian culture to the West and vice versa, and he is generally regarded as the outstanding creative artist of the modern Indian subcontinent.
Kazi Nazrul Islam, popularly known as Nazrul, is recognized for his forceful writings against colonial occupation in the Bengal. His poetry and music are famous for their fierce rebellion against fascism and oppression. Completing a large body of acclaimed works throughout his decorated life, Nazrul is officially recognized as the National Poet of Bangladesh and is widely commemorated and revered in India, especially in West Bengal. Throughout his career, Nazrul wrote short stories, novels, and essays but is best known for his poems, in which he pioneered new forms such as Bengali ghazals. Nazru alsol wrote and composed the music for his nearly 4,000 songs.
Mr. Rabin Baldewsigh, who wrote extensively on Tagore, informed the audience about Tagore’s visit to The Hague in the 1920’s, narrating how Tagore brought the East nearer to the West. Mr. Rabin also recited a poem titled “Ïn the shadow of thoughts” from his book Tamanna. The crowd was ecstatic when Mr. Rabin sang a song in his native Sarinami language as well as a Tagore song in Bangla.
Another Dutch citizen, Dr. Peter Custer, presented the keynote paper on Kazi Nazrul Islam tilted ” ‘Nazrul Islam’s Universal Significance Today”. Dr. Custer, is fluent in Bengali due to his prolonged stay in Bangladesh as a Dutch journalist in the early seventies .
Ambassador Belal, while highlighting the secular character of the people of Bangladesh, also narrated on how this literary duo worked to bring the two cultures of the East and West closer together. Echoing their longing for a world free from oppression and communalism, Mr. Belal urged all to return to the teachings of Tagore and Nazrul. Mr. Belal also acknowledged the contributions of two Dutch citizens, Mr. Harry Bahl and Mr. Mayeed Faruque, who fought as freedom fighters during the Bangladesh war for independence in 1971.
Ambassador Belal informed the guests about the upcoming visits of a twin ministerial delegation, as well as a sizable business and CEO delegation, from the Netherlands to Bangladesh in June 2015, acknowledging Dutch contributions towards the socio-economic development of Bangladesh.
Children, men, and women, dressed in traditional Bangladeshi attire performed music, recitations, and dance during this two hour long cultural extravaganza. The ceremony came to a musical conclusion after Dr. Dilruba Nasrin, the wife of Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal, voiced her thanks.
Dinner was served, delicious traditional Bangladeshi cuisine topped the menu, and was enjoyed immensely by all.
