Hiren Pandit: Nirmalendu Goon is the bearer of freedom, Bangabandhu, liberation war, national spirit, history, and tradition. A poet who believes in the nonconformist life, the ascetic who wraps himself in the invocation of embodied love. Sometimes a revolutionary, sometimes a lover. His voice is constantly raised in favor of the life of ordinary people. His poetry contains pluralism, social responsibility, and various themes. The diversity of subject matter, spontaneity, humanism, and emotions are noticeable features of his poetry. This is probably why his poetry is widely read and at the top of popularity. His poetry is a unique collection of artistry, which has made him one of the leading poets of Bengali poetry. He was also recognized by the state and society long ago.
Social responsibility is a moral framework according to which individuals should work with others and organizations to benefit society. Each person is socially responsible for maintaining the balance between economies and ecosystems. A poet, a literary man, a philosopher, or whatever, a man’s social position determines his consciousness. Naturally, the picture of social status becomes clear in whatever artists, poets, and writers do. As for the art of art, pleasure, and feeling have never actively considered the social position of the artist or the poet. But Nirmulendu Goon, a widely discussed and respected poet in Bengali poetry, is a living embodiment of social responsibility. In poetry, he is colorfully embellished and expanded.
He is a successful devotee of poetry today, and his long wanderings in poetry make him seem like an engrossed saint. His poetry resounds with various accompaniments and resonances. He was born in the turbulent period of the 60s. State obstacles in social, political, economic, and cultural fields created an intolerable, hostile environment at that time. Attempts to block the circle of literature, art, and culture are raised. Politics is the first in poetry, and in the poetry of a conscious poet, politics becomes a helpful force in developing the thoughts and imagination of many people. The position of the poet in society binds his consciousness even though he is an advanced man.
Nirmalendu Goon is a famous poet of Bangladesh; people recite his numerous poems. Born on 21 June 1945 in Barhatta, Netrakona, he is now moving forward with the spring of 79: Mother Beenapani Devi and father Sukhendu Prakash Goon. Apart from poetry and painting, he also wrote prose and travelogues. His writings mainly expressed love, class struggle, and opposition to autocracy. In 1970, he gained popularity after his first poetry book ‘Premangshur Rakta Chai’ was published. His poem Hulia, written in a historical context, became a huge hit and was later made into an experimental film by Tanvir Mokammel. He has worked with social responsibility throughout his life.
Nirmalendu Goon wanted to become an MP in 1991. He was denied the nomination of Awami League. But he is not a man who falls behind. As an independent candidate, he chose the crocodile symbol. He did not see the light of victory in the election. He lost by a considerable margin. Luck is good for Bengali literature and Bengali poetry. If he had become an MP, he might not have had much time to write poetry due to his busy legislative schedule.
As a part of social responsibility, Nirmalendu Goon established Kanshban Bidyaniketan (school) at his home village in Barhatta, Netrakona and Kabitakunja in Netrakona district town to institutionalize education and knowledge practice. Shailja, an institution for music education called Sangeet Bidyalaya (Music school) was established, built a library as part of social work. Kabitakunja has collected the books of the world’s best poets. Poetry and book lovers can research poetry. At present, books of poems by thousands of poets of different languages have been collected here. There is a unique arrangement here only around poetry. Apart from writing poems, poets consider these works very important.
The artistic community awakened to open the way for the people’s liberation and joined the struggle with the common sense of the country’s people. Motivated by deep patriotism, the poet Nirmalendu Goon woke up to solve this barrenness with a new sense of life. He opened the door to the unobstructed horizon of new consciousness by making poetry an art.
In this regard, their achievements are marked with glorious glory. He is a brilliant and brave character in this fleet. Apart from writing poetry, he also sees social responsibility equally. To know Kavi Nirmalendu Goon fully, one has to go to Kanshban, the village home of the poet.
Elephants welcome upon entering the village, the school founded by the poet, and the sculptures of Sir Isaac Newton and Kazi Nazrul Islam at the entrance will welcome you; the main house is like a different world – enter Shaheed Minar, with open stage, library. At the Painting Gallery (Chitrashala), children can be amazed by the paintings and sculptures of Kabiguru Rabindranath and Madhukabi Micheal Madhusudhan. One can go to Kanshban and wonder if they will all believe that poet Nirmalendu Goon can do so much; this is part of the poet’s social responsibility. He loves his mother, soil, and motherland more than himself. The example of patriotism he set is scarce.
He was emotionally involved with the six-point movement of 1966. After that, no disasters before and after independence were left out; every time this state went astray, he took up the pen and wrote one class struggle and anti-dictatorship poems. He was the foremost among the poets and writers who remained vocal about Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a hostile political environment. But this poet had to protest to many people to publish his first poetry book, but no one agreed.
The absolute truth is that the market for modern poetry books is tiny. Later, however, he was happy when the Khan Brothers became interested in self-publishing. After that, there was no looking back. It is to be noted that his first poem, ‘New Kandari,’ was published in the newspaper ‘Uttar Akash’, published from Netrakona. The number of poetry books published by him is more than one hundred, one of them is ‘Premanshu Rakt Chai’, ‘Kabita, Amimangsita Ramani’, ‘Dirgh Dibas Long Rajani’, ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jal’, ‘Tar Agei Chai Samajtantra’, ‘Dur Ha Dushasan’, ‘Forever.’ Flute’, ‘Don’t Be Sad, Live,’ ‘Ananda Udyan,’ ‘Fifty-Six Years,’ ‘Lost Beloved Women Poems,’ etc. There is a book of his stories titled ‘Apan Dal Manso.’ Apart from this, he wrote a book of rhymes named ‘Sonar Kuthar.’ There are three autobiographies titled ‘Amar Kokkebela,’ ‘Amar Kanthaswar’, and ‘Atmakatha-71’.
He lived a life of his own free will for poetry. Poetry or art for whom, art for people or art for art, art first or life first? Sacrificing human life for art is an expression of greed. Find answers to these questions very quickly. We also get from his simple sayings that he wrote from the desire for poetry and immortality. There is always an attempt to give mortal life an immortal form. This is the main drive of life. People do social and philanthropic work, all intending to increase its acceptance.
The poet prefers to be young with an independent mind rather than growing up with a subordinate mind. The poet fought the liberation war. Freedom was his ultimate desire. He is a libertarian. Freedom is adorable to him. He grows by birth and shrinks by death. You have much more to give to our beloved Bangladesh. ‘Kabitakunja’, established on the banks of the Magra river in the Malni area of Netrakona district town, the birthplace of freedom award-winning poet Nirmalendu Goon, has been approved as an organ of Sheikh Hasina University. It was proposed that the authorities of Sheikh Hasina University include it as an organ institution. The proposal was approved considering the introduction of comparative literature and world poetry as one of the subjects in the university, along with Bengali literature and English literature.
Hiren Pandit is a columnist and a researcher.