Subhash Mukhopadhyay | |
|---|---|
 Subhash Mukhopadhyay | |
| Born | (1919-02-12)12 February 1919 |
| Died | 8 July 2003 (aged 84) |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Genre | novels, poetry, libretto |
Subhash Mukhopadhyay (Shubhash Mukhopaddhaeⓘ; 12 February 1919 – 8 July 2003) was one of the foremostIndianBengalipoets of the 20th century. He is also known as the "podatik kobi" ("foot-soldier poet") in the field of Bengali literature. A book of thirty of Subhash's best known poems in English translation, titled ' As Day is Breaking', was published in 2014 by Anjan Basu, a Bangalore-based writer/critic. The book includes a rather detailed introduction to the poet's work as well.[1][2] He was honoured withJnanpith Award in 1991.[3]
Mukhopadhyay was born in 1919 inKrishnanagar, a town inNadia district in the province ofWest Bengal.[4][5] An excellent student, he studiedphilosophy at theScottish Church College inCalcutta, graduating with honours in 1941.[6]
Like his contemporarySukanta Bhattacharya, Mukhopadhyay developed strong political beliefs at an early age. He was deeply committed to the cause of social justice, and was active inleft-wing student politics through his college years. Following graduation, he formally joined theCommunist Party of India. He thus became one of a handful of literary practitioners with first-hand experience as a party worker and activist.
In 1940, while still a student, he published his first volume of poetryPadatik (Pedestrian).[5] Many critics regard this book as a milestone in the development of modern Bengali poetry. It represented a clear departure from the earlierKallol generation of poets; and Subhash's distinctive, direct voice, allied with his technical skill and radical world-view, gained him great popularity. In his poetry, Subhash grappled with the massive upheavals of that era which ruptured Bengali society from top to bottom. The 1940s were marked byworld war,famine,partition,communal riots and mass emigration in Bengal. Subhash's writings broke away from the traditional moorings of the establishment poets, and instead addressed the despair and disillusion felt by the common people. He remained throughout his life an advocate of the indivisibility of the Bengali people and Bengali culture. His radical activism continued unabated. He was one of the leaders of the "Anti-Fascist Writers' and Artists' Association", formed in March 1942 in reaction to the murder ofSomen Chanda, a fellow-writer andMarxist activist. Subhash remained attached with the Communist Party until 1982, and spent time in jail as a political prisoner briefly in the late 1960s. From the late 1950s onwards, Subhash's poetry evolved into something more personal and introspective. The lyricism ofPhul phutuk na phutuk, aaj Boshonto, one of his most famous poems, was a result of this period.
Later in the 1970s, Subhash's poetry took a turn toward the narrative and theallegorical. But he never lost his technical facility nor his unique voice. Besides verse, Subhash also wrote works of prose including novels, essays and travelogues. He was active in journalism too, having served on the editorial staff of daily and weekly newspapers. He was an editor of the leading Bengali literary journalParichay. He was also an accomplished and popular writer for children. He edited the Bengali children's periodicalSandesh jointly withSatyajit Ray for a few years in the early sixties.[7]
Besides the above, Subhash's work as a translator is notable. He is credited with having translated many ofNazim Hizmet's works into Bengali (from Turkish).
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Mukhopadhyay married Gita Bandyopadhyay, also a well-known writer, in 1951. They adopted three daughters and a son.
According to those close to him, Mukhopadhyay had become disillusioned with politics in his final years. He suffered from severe heart and kidney ailments, and died inKolkata in July 2003. He was 84.
Mukhopadhyay received numerous awards and honours in his lifetime, including the two highest literary prizes in India: theSahitya Akademi Award in 1964 (forJoto Dureii Jai), and theJnanpith Award in 1991. The Government of India awarded the civilian honour of thePadma Bhushan in 2003.[8]
Phul phutuk na phutuk, aaj Boshonto
Shaan-badhano footpath-ey
Pathorey paa dubiye
Ek katth-khotta gachh
Kochi kochi pataePaanjor phatiye hashchhey.
Translation to English:
Whether flowers bloom or not, it's Spring today
Standing on the concrete pavement
Dipping his toes into the rock
A curmudgeonly tree
Decked out in new leavesLaughs his heart out.
When you see, may you not feel hurt,
May your sight be soothed and you feel good,
For that
I have stuck flowers in all the thorns pricked in my breast,
Do smile.
May you not feel sad when you hear,
May your ears be soothed with sweet sound and you feel good,
For that
I have wrapped my weeping heart in melodious tunesDo smile, all ye, do enjoy...
He was a fellow of theSahitya Akademi, and was the Deputy Secretary of the Progressive Writers' Union. He was conferred Deshikottama (Honorary D.Litt.) by theVisva-Bharati University,Santiniketan. He was the Organizer-General of theAfro-Asian Writers' Association in 1983. He was also a member of the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi since 1987.
The U.S.Library of Congress has a collection of forty titles by him including translations.
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