Hakim inaugurates digital library on 'the rebel poet'

Kolkata: State Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim inaugurated a digital library on Kazi Nazrul at Nazrul Tirtha in New Town on Wednesday. The library is the first of its kind in the state. Hakim lauded the effort to digitise the books of Nazrul and said his poems and songs, that uphold communal harmony, are still relevant.

Initially, all the original books of Nazrul that have become out of print and are lying in different libraries in Kolkata have been digitised. The library will have the first prints of Nazrul's own books, manuscripts, notations of Nazrul's songs, advertisements and booklets of his records, photos of records and interviews of Nazrul scholars. There will be scripts of dramas where Nazrul songs have been used and copies of Betar Jagat, the magazine of AIR where he had worked. There will be magazines edited by Nazrul as well.

Though Nazrul did not have any formal education, he became famous as a poet at the age of 20 and was known as the "Rebel Poet". He was imprisoned for his criticism of the British rule and many of his poetry books like Agnibina and Bisher Bashi were banned by the British. His criticism of communalism was reflected in his poems and essays.

Nazrul was a brilliant music teacher, composer and singer. The 78 rpm discs of Nazrul's songs by Megaphone Records and Hindusthan Records recorded highest sale between 1935 and 1939. The revolutionaries sang his songs which criticised the oppression of British rule. Some of the Shyama Sangeets composed by him became immensely popular.