Year-long progs to mark birth centenary of Bengali poet Nirendranath Chakraborty

KOLKATA: Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay credits the legendary Bengali poet Nirendranath Chakraborty for inspiring him to venture into writing for children. Initially, Mukhopadhyay held the belief that his writing was limited to adults. However, it was Nirendranath’s encouragement and guidance that persuaded him to explore the world of children’s literature.

Nirendranath’s centenary celebrations will begin on October 19 this year. Bangla Akademi has planned various events throughout the year, forming a committee for the occasion. On Tuesday, members of the committee, including vice presidents Indranil Sen and Bratya Basu, along with Chakraborty’s family, came together at Bangla Akademi to announce the year-long programmes marking his birth centenary. Different magazines are also featuring articles on the renowned poet, and Sahitya Akademi is hosting two-day discussions on February 18 and 19. President Madhav Kaushik will unveil a monograph dedicated to Chakraborty during these sessions.

“Nirendranath is a legend whose writings will always enhance Bengali literature. Remembering him through his works is important, and that’s the purpose of this committee,” said Mukhopadhyay, who is the president of the committee honouring the birth centenary of Nirendranath.

Tourism minister Indranil Sen first encountered Narendranath’s poems during his school days at Patha Bhavan. State Education Minister Bratya Basu reminisced about Nirendranath and said, “Being part of the Nirendranath Chakraborty committee is an honour. From my childhood, I’ve been familiar with Nirendranath’s poems.” Basu fondly recalled Nirendranath’s ‘Kabitar Class,’ a book he was encouraged to read by his father when he was in class X. Former chief secretary of West Bengal Alapan Bandyopadhyay was also present at Bangla Akademi on Tuesday.

Nirendranath, born on October 19, 1924, in the Faridpur district of undivided India, graduated from Calcutta University and started his career as a journalist. Although he wrote fiction, memoirs, and essays, he is best known as a poet. In 1974, Nirendranath won the Sahitya Akademi award for his poem ‘Ulanga Raja’ (The Naked King).