palashbiswas

Faces of Future Lost In Virtual Reality
Palash Biswas
( You may publish the article if you like. Contact: Palash Biswas, Gostokanan, sodepur, Kolkata-700110, India. Phone: 033-25659551(r).)

I, personally, feel the tense communication gap with the youth force around me. My only son Tussu will be twenty one years old on 3rd september next. I have not any link with him . However he lives with us. He avoids every opportunity ofdialogue. He is busy with his personal computor and does not like any talk at all. This isn't the tension derived from differing expectations regarding communication, professionalism, and organization. This isn't even the normal parent/child relation. And I feel parents all over the world, particularly, in India face the same intriguing problem with their post modern children.
The faces of future seem to be lost in virtual reality. Mobile, video games, hollywood films, wwf and chatting and downloading with personal computor is the whole world for this helpless lot. They never care for relationship or liabilities. We the parents have to pay for whatever they want. Some of them are , no doubt, very brilliant. But they believe very strongly that the history is dead and dead is the ideology. Thus they have to do nothing as far as the society and the nation are concerned.Have you come to the stark realization that most parents interpret their worlds and faiths through the lens of modernity while their children see the same landscape through postmodern lenses? Maybe you realized this fact and figured out that you must rethink some of your convictions and retool your methods in order to disciple today's teens.
But we also see the career oriented generation to shout slogan on streets, demonsatrate against statepower with as much violence as allowed, clash and scuffle with police, sitting on indefinite hunger strike and even, joining Naxals or any antistate group as they do in the entire north east. They are not anarchist. Not nihilist. Not idealist. but, sometimes, they come out and challange the state power, establishment and we, the parents. But it seems to me that they are still far away from reality and live in virtual reality.We saw the French government to rectify the objectionable labour law enacted as entire student force in France rose against. We also know the history of students movements in countries like US, China,Indonesia, Nepal, Germany, Mexico - where do our own students stand?
We have seen the latest development of anti quota movement. Where do the brillient students hide , untiland unless their own career is not in danger? Reservations in educational institutions have become a tool in the hands of all political parties to garner votes among the socially and educationally backward classes of Indian society.The recent statement made by the HRD Minister Arjun Singh on implementation of 27 per cent reservation in central universities and even in institutes of academic excellence, such as IITs and IIMs is highly regrettable.Institutions of academic excellence should be free from any sort of reservation. Only academic merit should be the criteria for admission to such institutions. The student force cry helplessly that domestic vote bank politics should not be allowed to deteriorate the standards of these institutions of academic excellence, but the bill was passed in the Rjya Sabha and presented in the Loksabha. Now it happens to be decided in the Parliamentary standing committe.

Witout the mass participation of student force and urban yaouth, rising Naxal violence over the years is now emerging as the single largest internal security challenge for India, as the ruling classes put it. They seem to be satisfied this time as their own brillient children have nothing to do with this revolt agianst the state. The demand for crushing Naxalites have become a hype already and recently Prime Minister Manmohan Singh admitted that growing Maoist insurgency was fast emerging as a big threat for the nation. According to reports the 'Naxals' as Maoists are addressed to in local parlance, have now spread to huge swathes of the country's hinterland in south, central and east India in recent years.The insurgency, named after the town of Naxalbari where it emerged in 1967, is thought to affect 165 of the country's 602 administrative districts in a "red corridor" stretching from the southern tip of India all along its eastern half and up to Nepal.

Thousands of people have died in nearly 40 years of Maoist violence including hundreds of policemen. Reports say 157 people had been killed in Maoist-related violence this year alone, up from 114 in the first quarter of 2005. Last November, Bihar authorities were shaken by a Naxal attack on a Jehanabad prison. Some 250-rebel prisoners were freed, and a paramilitary leader was executed. There were several major incidents in the first quarter of 2006. In early March, rebels hijacked a train in Jharkhand and held 40 passengers hostage.
There is hardly any ideological debate in this matter. The youth of today is not concerned whatever the naxals say. But in sixties and seventies, students did cosist as the major force of the agrarian revolt in India.

We had a hero named Amitabh Bachchan , popularly known as angry young man. He had been an odd personalty, fighting against his time and environment. Those were the days of seventies, just after the thunder of spring failed in West Bengal. We had also a romantic superstar rajesh Khanna with his films like Aanand and namakharam, Aaradhana and Amar Prem. We had enjoyed the melancholly of selfdestruction in Devdas with the self destruction of Dilipkumar as Devdas. This generation is also involved with Devdas without the classic black and white tragedy. Tragedy is there with full of colour.
This generation seems to be colorblind. They may not identify all the colors , but they ars always busy with color monitor.
We have an excellent film Rang De Basanti with the tagline : Awakening generation and we see the generation involved with an issue like mig accidents.the Bollywood film industry of India. It was released on 26th January 2006; it was directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (of Aks fame). The film stars Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Madhavan, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, British actress Alice Patten, Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri, Kiron Kher and Anupam Kher. The music is by A. R. Rahman and the album went on to become a chartbuster.
the story line is excellent and the treatment is very good. The director does not sidetrack the issue at all. But in reality , there is no student movement in India dealing with the burning question the nation or the people face. Anti corruption movement is absent since the decline of JP movement in seventies. The Naxals and anti establishment elements of yesterday are well established in the wings of power. The JP movement vanished with the Janta government and we see Laloo, Nitish, Sharad Yadav, Sushil Modi, all heroes of JP movement in Bihar clash with each other in power politics.
Struggling British filmmaker Sue (Alice Patten) comes to India after she reads the diary of her grandfather, who served in the British Force during India's struggle for Independence. She comes to India in order to make a short film about some of the heroes of the Indian Independence Movement, including legends such as Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad. The hitch at this point is that the youth of today do not read the history and they know nothing about the heroes of independence. On the other hand, the history of independence has been made irrelevent. So that ,with the help of her friend Sonia (Soha Ali Khan) in New Delhi, she sets out to find actors suitable for the roles. Sonia introduces Sue to some of her male friends:

Daljeet Singh aka "DJ" (Aamir Khan)
Sukhi (Sharman Joshi)
Karan (Siddharth)
Aslam (Kunal Kapoor)
Sue convinces them to act in her film. Laxman Pandey (Atul Kulkarni), a political party activist, later joins the group though he is initially disliked by the other boys on account of his Hindutva beliefs and contempt of Aslam, who is a Muslim. This scenerio is picked up with the prevailing communal equation of India with the background of Gujrat riots. We simply forget that since the first struggle of Independence in 1857, Muslims have been equally involved with Hindus. In Rang de Basanti, It seem to be a quota only.

As the young men learn their lines and learn more about the history of the Independence movement, they realize that, unlike the men they are playing, they have lived completely for their own pleasures and have ignored India's pressing problems. They lack the spirit of patriotic self-sacrifice.Just as they are beginning to form some higher ideals, they are forced to deal with a real-life tragedy in their midst. Sonia's fiancé, Ajay (Madhavan), is an Indian air-force pilot. He is killed during routine practice when the MiG he is flying, crashes. The friends soon come to realize that Ajay, in fact, chose to steer the plane away from densely populated Ambala city instead of ejecting himself from the plane to save his own life.

The government proclaims that the crash was caused by pilot error. But Sonia and her friends know that Ajay was a seasoned pilot, also that there have been many MiG crashes of late -- too many to be due to pilot error. They discover that the crash was due to a corrupt defence minister (Mohan Agashe), who had signed a contract for cheap, spurious MiG spare parts in return for a large kickback.

Not content to accept this as "just the way things are done", the group decide to protest peacefully. Police forcefully break up their protest. The young men decide to emulate the exploits of their new heroes, Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad, fighting corruption just as Singh and Azad fought the British. Violence ensues.

Legend Named Suchitra Sen
Palash Biswas
(contact: Palash Biswas, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 033- 25659551(r).

Living legend named suchitra Sen is the eternal dreamgirl of Bengalies generation to generation.Whole Bengal was waiting with a glittering hope that she would appear once again in public after self baishment of full three decades as the speculation in media created the premature hype that she is going to get the highest award in Indian cinema, Falke Award for year 2005. At least two of the kolkata based TV channels flashed newsbreak saying she has got it. Now full two days left for the final decision, it is almost certain that she won`t come out. Not at all. Subrata Mukhopadhyay, the high profile EX Mayor of Kolkata is believed to be close to Moonmoon Sen, the daughter of the Tollywood Bollywood queen and her family. influencial quarters in Delhi and Kolkata sent feelers, but Subrata has publicly accepted that it is quite impossible to talk to Suchitra Sen. Subrata had been costar with Moonmoon in a TV serial years before. The active actress models of today Raima Sen and Riya Sen are the grand daughters of Suchitra Sen, but they may not provide any clue. Interestingly, Gulzar, who directed Sen in her most famous Hindi film, Aandhi, is also in contention. So is Sulochana, who isn’t quite in the same league as the other two, but is known to have great lobby-power. Journos would any day vote for Sen, hoping that it will open up the much-wanted interview- and photo-op?
She has gone into a sort of seclusion since her retirement in 1978. She is a devotee of the Ramakrishna Mission and spends the majority of her energy in meditation and prayer.

Bengali cinema has never known another like her. Suchitra Sen, alongwith, Uttam Kumar, formed one of the most enduring romantic screen pairs in the history of cinema. At their best, the pair made the likes of Raj Kapoor-Nargis, Spencer Tracy-Katerine Hepburn pale in comparison, such was the luminosity and chemistry between them onscreen. Together, the Uttam-Suchitra pair heralded the golden age of Bengali cinema. in Bengali , opposit word of Uttam happens to be Adham, but public got it as Suchitra.

Eminent Bengali film director Mrinal Sen happens to be in the elite panel to decide national awards and he contradicts the speculation whatsoever. Mind you, none of the Bengal`s great directors Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal sen and the modern directors could include the grand lady in their celebrated cast. Though, Ray created Nayak with Uttam kumar in lead. Ghatak used the talent of supriya Chowdhari in Meghe Dhaka Tara and Komal Gandhar. But even Aparna Sen could not convince Suchitra to work in her film. Such is the personality she possess that it may not be trespassed in anyway. It is good for Indian cinema that she happened to be in the lead role of Gulzar`s Aandhi.
After partition of Bengal with independence, the only positive thing seems to be her continuous presence since fifties. Bengalies have a divided history, geography, cuture, art and literature now. Five corore Bengalies have been termed illegalmigrants or Bangladeshi and they are deprived of citizenship, mother tongue and minimum huamn or civil rights. Those underprevileged underclasses destined of inherent ineqaulity and injustice also have suchitra sen as their dream girl.
We in Uttar Pradesh, in our childhood in sixties did not know Jyoti Basu or Tara shankar Bandopadhyay, not even Manik Bandopadhyaay, satyajit Ray , Rwitwik Ghatak or Mrinal Sen, but we knew Suchitra Sen. In those days all Up cities having some Bengali population used to screen black and white Bengali films on Sundays. I first saw Surya Toran in about 1969. More over Bengalies outside Bengal had the regaular viewing of their dreamgirl in Hindi films like Devdas and Mamta.
Suchitra Sen has delivered super hits like Aandhi, Devdas and Mamta in the past. In Bengali she has acted in superhits like Sharé Chuyattor, Pathé Holo Deri, Shaptapadi, Shaat-Paké BaNdha, Shapmochan etc.

Suchitra Sen went into shell after her retirement from the filmdom three decades ago. It is said that she visited Uttam kumar`s house late after midnight when the hero died. After that day no one has a glimpse. some years back, she turned out to get her photo identity card. Aleading daily published the photo on firs page next day. It annoyed her to much. Now that the ethereal beauty will be facilitated with the highest award of the Indian Cinema, it would have been interesting to see whether she made a public appearance to accept the award.A formal letter from the Government of India has already been sent to the actress’ Kolkata Alipore House.Her fans and media may excite about the fact that the reclusive like Greta Garbo, Suchitra Sen will end the mystery that has been shrouding her for years and accept the award from the President of India, but her granddaughter Raima Sen, also a Bollywood actress, does not hope her ‘dida’ will come out of seclusion to accept the award.

If the I&B minister, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, could line up a good array of soccer manoeuvres, perhaps it would have worked.It couldnot happen. If pulling this off sounds difficult, then there is an even more arduous task ahead, were she to be named — to get Bengal’s Greta Garbo out of her self-imposed exile and on to the stage to receive the award. Here too, Priyada left no stone unturned, but without any result till this date.
n the space of a few seconds a range of a dozen emotions could flicker across a silent close-up of Suchitra Sen's face. She was one of the great silently emotive actresses of cinema history. One Indian film critic said of her. "She is the face that launched umpteen hits. She was a rage, the kind that only Marilyn Monroe succeeded to be in Hollywood." The same article (zeenext.com) comments on her popular impact. "A generation of girls grew up copying her mannerisms - from her hairstyle to the way she walked and talked. "
The most popular Bengali actress. Suchitra Sen is the first Indian actress awarded in an international film festival. She received the Best Actress award for the movie saat paake bandha in 1963 Moscow film festival. Suchitra Sen and Uttamkumar combination created a series of popular Bengali hits. She made only about a dozen Hindi Bollywood films the first being Bimpal Roy's, " Devdas "(1955) in which she immortalized the character of Parvati or 'Paro'. For that role Suchitra Sen won the Filmfare Best Actress award.

Suchitra was born in 1934 in Patna, Bihar. Another name is Rama. Studied at Shantiniketan. First film was in 1953 - saat number kayedi. Sang modern songs. Acted in Hindi films too. Her role in Aandhi was acclaimed. Stopped acting and disconnected herself from cinema world since 1978. She was born Roma Sen in Patna, Bihar. Her debut was in the unreleased Shesh Kothai made in 1952. The following year saw her act opposite Uttam Kumar for the first time in Sharey Chuattar. The film, an effervescent comedy was also the breakthrough film of director Nirmal Dey and was a huge hit at the box-office. However it is remembered more for launching the pair of Kumar and Sen. They went on to become icons of Bengali romantic melodramas for more than twenty years becoming almost a genre into themselves. Their films were famous for the soft-focus close ups of the stars particularly Sen and lavishly mounted scenes of romance against windswept expanses and richly decorated interiors with fluttering curtains and such mnemonic objects as bunches of tube roses etc. Some popular films of the pair include Shap Mochan (1955), Sagarika (1956), Harano Sur (1957), Saptapadi (1961), Bipasha (1962) and Grihadah (1967).
I
One final Hollywood reference has been pinned to Suchitra Sen as she has been called the 'Garbo' of Indian film. Suchitra Sen was easily the most popular actress that Bengali Cinema has ever seen. Her ethereal beauty coupled with her phenomenon acting talent and immense box office popularity, particularly her on-screen pairing with the late Uttam Kumar, gave her a legendary cult status in Bengal. She in fact created a new image in Bengali Cinema of the articulate if tragic heroine carving out an independence space outside that of family and tradition.

One of Suchitra's best known performances was in Deep Jweley Jai (1959). She played Radha, a hospital nurse employed by a progressive psychiatrist, Pahadi Sanyal and is expected to develop a personal relationship with male patients as part of their therapy. Sanyal diagnoses the hero, Basanta Choudhury, as having an unresolved Oedipal dilemma -the inevitable consequence for men denied a nurturing woman. He orders Radha to play the role though she is hesitant as earlier in a similar case she had fallen in love with the patient. She finally agrees and bears up to Choudhury's violence, impersonates his mother, sings his poetic compositions and in the process falls in love yet again. In the end even as she brings about his cure, she suffers a nervous breakdown. The film is full of beautiful often partly lit close ups of Sen which set the tone of the film and is aided by a mesmerizing performance by her. Asit Sen remade the film in Hindi as Khamoshi with Waheeda Rehman in the Suchitra Sen role.
The next major feather in Suchitra Sen's cap was 'Uttar Phalguni' (1966), where she carried the film in a double role as the prostitute mother and the lawyer daughter. This film was remade in Hindi as 'Mamta' with Suchitra herself. But perhaps Suchitra's biggest histrionic triumph was Saat Pake Bandha (1963). She played Archana who tries to overcome her domineering and snobbish mother (powerfully played by veteran Chhaya Devi) by marrying Sukhendu a serious University Lecturer played by Soumitra Chatterjee. However the mother continues to interfere reminding her son-in-law of his poverty. Suffering from divided loyalties, Archana's problems are aggravated when Sukhendu insists she sever all ties with her parents. Archana separates from Sukhendu and stays independently completing her studies. When she finally accepts her wifely duties and returns home it is too late as Sukhendu has resigned and gone abroad. Suchitra Sens's sensitively etched and finely nuanced performance won her the Best Actress Award at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1963 and the film itself was the basis for Kora Kaagaz (1974) starring Jaya Bhadhuri in the Suchitra Sen role.
While her supremacy in Bengal was unquestioned, Suchitra's forays into Hindi Cinema were far too infrequent and comparatively less successful. It is hard to fathom the reason for this. While her screen presence in her Hindi films was as stunning as ever, perhaps because of language problems her performances look a trifle stilted and reined in. Her first Hindi film was Bimal Roy's Devdas (1955) where she played Parvati to Dilip Kumar's Devdas. It was her finely honed performance that gave the film its necessary tone of lofty virtue, noble sacrifice and loyal devotion. Musafir (1957), Hrishikesh Mukherjee's episodic film of marriage, birth and death and Champakali (1957) failed to set the box-office alight and even her most uninhibited Hindi film performance in Bombay ka Babu (1960) opposite Dev Anand was plagued by troubles between her and the director, Raj Khosla. Mamta (1966) based on Uttar Falguni by the same director Asit Sen, saw her carry the film on her shoulder with a strong performance as both the mother, a courtesan and the daughter, a lawyer. She made a huge impact with Gulzar's Aandhi (1975) playing a powerful woman politician whose marriage had broken up since her husband, Sanjeev Kumar, opposed her having a career after marriage. Aandhi however ran into controversy due to her role which was based on Indira Gandhi and was even banned for a while.

She retired from the screen in 1978 and has since gone into almost Greta Garbo like seclusion. A devotee of Ramakrishna Mission, Suchitra now immerses herself in meditation and prayer. Her outdoor visits are confined to Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission. Her daughter Moon Moon Sen and grand daughters Riya and Raima are all actresses as well.

The politics of new quota for OBC seems to undermine the very concept of reservation and social justice. Leave alone, the questions of equality and human rights. The situation is this that every vacancy has to be decided on quota basis while the indiginious production syastem destroyed and globalisation has destructed not only our traditional economy, but also future job opportunities despite the so called media hype of information explosion, technology and out sourcing. for whom do you fix the quota while you have no capacity to provided the minimumjob opportunities to the unemployed generation next?

Ustad Bismillah Khan, the Demise of a Music God
Palash Biswas
(contact: Palash Biswas, gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata-700110, India. Phone: 033-25659551)
On August18, 2006 only, he wished to perform at India Gate. Music was his religion. He used to play football and Zinadin Zidan was his icon. He was a deewana of Begam Akhtar and He found Lata Mangeshkar always surilee. He used to call his God Allaho Akbar in Rag Bhairavee.
He is no More
Certain instruments become indelibly linked with particular performers. In the Hindustani realm, the santoor is closely associated with Shivkumar Sharma and the rudra vina with Zia Mohiuddin Khan, but historically, perhaps the closest and most intimate association has been with Bismillah Khan and the shehnai.
He is no More.
After the Bomb Blast in Banaras , everyone was afraid of reactions to follow. But Banaras remained calm and composed. Peace was prevailed and communal harmony was sustained. It was the result of the initiative taken by a man who was the symbol of Banaras as the Great ganges and Lord Vishwanath are. He never entertained to shift elsewhere. He was the Ustad.
He is no more.
Legendary musician Ustad Bismillah Khan was buried with full state honours. The maestro passed away early on Monday after a cardiac arrest. He was 90. He had been admitted to the ICU of Heritage Hospital in Varanasi last week. The Government declared a one-day national mourning in view of the legendary musician's death. Home Ministry officials said that flags would be flown at half mast in all the government buildings as part of the mourning.
A day of state mourning has also been declared in Uttar Pradesh and schools, colleges and offices there will remain closed for the day.
President A P J Abdul Kalam has also condoled the death of the shehnai maestro.
Kalam, who is currently on a visit to Bangalore, expressed shock over his death, a Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson said.
"His condition suddenly deteriorated and he suffered a cardiac arrest at 1.45 a.m. Although Khan was put on the life support system, doctors could not revive him. He was declared dead at 2.20 a.m. on Monday," hospital superintendent P S R Aiyer said.
Khan's condition had marginally improved on Sunday with his vital parameters like pulse, respiration rate and blood pressure at normal levels, doctors attending on him had said. He had even been given solid food after he expressed a desire to eat home-cooked halwa.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan pays tribute to the late Ustad Bismillah Khan, who passed away early Monday morning:The death of Ustad Bismillah Khan is a personal loss to me as our families have had a long association. He used to refer to my father Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb as uncle and had great regard for him.It was a pleasure and unique honour to play duets with Khan saheb whenever I got an opportunity to. Last year, I played along with him in Delhi and Kolkata. Ustadji had played duets with many other maestros but when it came to the sarod, the honour always came my way.The Ustad played the shehnai, not in keeping with the grammar of music, but with its poetry. His concept of music was very beautiful and his vision, superb. What is remarkable is that he kept performing, until the very end.

Born in 1916, he has raised the status of one of India's most distinctively voiced instruments unprecedentedly. In its folk form this double-reeded instrument is used on a variety of ritual occasions but is especially associated with weddings. Bismillah Khan has recorded extensively and like many Indian classical artists most of his early work was released by EMI India or its overseas partners. His historic jugalbandi with Vilayat Khan was chosen to inaugurate the Music of India series on EMI India's parent company in Britain. This series licensed the work of masters such as Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Nikhil Banerjee. The debut release in the Music of India series, however, featured in the terminology of the album duettos on "Chaiti-Dhun" and "Bhairavee Thumree." The third in the series was another shehnai jugalbandi, this time with violinist V.G. Jog.
It was a further indication of the esteem in which Bismillah Khan was held
Condoling the maestro's death, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed Ustad Bismillah Khan as one of the greatest musicians of the country.He said the maestro was a "phenomenal exponent" of India's composite culture whose ideals would continue to inspire the coming generations."This is truly a sad day for the world of music. A legendary personality Ustad Bismillah Khan is no more with us. His passing away brings an end to an era," he said.The Prime Minister also called him the greatest exponent of shehnai, adding that his music was imbued with divinity.
The Lok Sabha also paid rich tributes to Ustad Bismillah Khan.Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said though the void created by his demise would never be filled, the universal appeal of his music would continue to inspire generations of music lovers.
Get well messages were pouring in from across the country for shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan, who was hospitalised in Varanasi Thursday morning following a brief illness.Musicians, Bollywood stars, artistes and many others have sent messages for Bismillah Khan, 92. He was admitted to hospital after he became very weak. He had fallen ill about a week ago and was being treated by a private consultant at his residence in Varanasi. Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar and her sister Usha Mangeshkar wished that the maestro gets well soon and is also able to perform at the India Gate - his ardent wish. ‘We appeal to the people and music lovers to pray for his good health and early recovery.’Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar’s Ravi Shankar Foundation, in a message, said they prayed for Khan’s recovery. Ravi Shankar, a contemporary of Bismillah Khan, is out of the country. In a message, superstar Amitabh Bachchan said: ‘I appeal to people across the world and music lovers to pray to god for Ustad Bismillah Khan’s good health.’
Get well messages also came from veteran actor Dilip Kumar and from noted classical musician Amjad Ali Khan.The priest of the Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, Rajendra Tiwary, also sent a message for the maestro.
The legendary shehani maestro, a man of tenderness, a man who believes in remaining private and who believes that musicians are supposed to be heard and not seen. The legend was born on 21 March 1916. His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon in Bihar and he was trained under his uncle, the late Ali Bux `Vilayatu’, a shehnai player attached to Varanasi’s Vishwanath Temple. It was Khan Sahib who poured his heart out into Raga Kafi from Red Fort on the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony.
Where others see conflict and contradiction between his music and his religion, Bismillah Khan sees only a divine unity. Music, sur, namaaz is the same thing. His namaaz is the seven shuddh and five komal surs. Even as a devout Shia, Khan Sahib is also a staunch devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of music.

His honorary doctorate from the Benares Hindu University and Shantiniketan bespeaks of his fame. He has been bequeathed with the Sangeet Natak Academi Award, the Tansen Award of the Madhya Pradesh government and also the prestigious Padma Vibhushan.
He has played in Afghanistan, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Canada, West Africa, USA, USSR, Japan, Hong Kong and almost every capital city across the world. His music is an ocean and he feels that he has barely reached the shore after 81 years of his life and his search is still incomplete.
Ustad Bismillah Khan was the third classical musician after Pt Ravi Shankar and M S Subbulakshmi to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour in the country.
During his long and fruitful career as an artiste, Khan enthralled audiences at performances across the globe. He was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, the Tansen award as well as the Padma Vibhushan.
Ustad Bismillah Khan was born in a small village in Bihar about 60 years ago. He spent his childhood in the holy city of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganga, where his uncle was the official shehnai player in the famous Visvanath temple.It was due to this that Bismillah became inclined for the Shehnai. At an early age, he familiarized himself with various forms of the music of UP, such as Thumri, Chaiti, Kajri, Sawani etc. Later he studied Khayal music and mastered a large number of ragas. Ever since Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar introduced Indian music to the West, a number of Indian musicians have been invited to perform abroad. It was therefore hardly surprising that a musician of Bismillah Khan's caliber should be one of them.
The shehnai maestro is survived by his five sons and three daughters.
The maestro's daughter Dr Soma Ghosh also recalled the time with her father. "He narrated many stories on his experiences, on how my career should progress. He showered me with so much love," she said.
According to UNI, even as an emotionally charged funeral procession of shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan reached Karbala-Fatamaan for burial, the people queued all along the two-kilometre road through which he had gone to express his Aasu Ka Nazrana during the 5th and 8th day of the Moharram.
Even a light drizzle did not deter the crowds. The route was jammed with thousands of people joining the funeral procession, which started from Beniabagh.Later, the body wrapped in the national tri-colour was put on a coffin and lifted to a carriage of the Central Reserve Police Force. A guard of honour was also given to the departed soul by the state police.
Bismillah Khan's youngest son Nazim sat on the front of the carriage along with other family members.
The burial would take place under a Neem tree just by the side of the place where Khan saheb used to sit and play the shehnai during Moharram. An army contingent will also give a guard of honour at the Karbala Fatamaan.
The funeral passed through Nai Sarak, Shaikh Saleem Fatak, Pali Mahal, Fitar Kundh and Lallanpara before reaching Karbal Fatamaan.

Ustad Bismillah Khan, the Demise of a Music God
Palash Biswas
(contact: Palash Biswas, gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata-700110, India. Phone: 033-25659551)
On August18, 2006 only, he wished to perform at India Gate. Music was his religion. He used to play football and Zinadin Zidan was his icon. He was a deewana of Begam Akhtar and He found Lata Mangeshkar always surilee. He used to call his God Allaho Akbar in Rag Bhairavee.
He is no More
Certain instruments become indelibly linked with particular performers. In the Hindustani realm, the santoor is closely associated with Shivkumar Sharma and the rudra vina with Zia Mohiuddin Khan, but historically, perhaps the closest and most intimate association has been with Bismillah Khan and the shehnai.
He is no More.
After the Bomb Blast in Banaras , everyone was afraid of reactions to follow. But Banaras remained calm and composed. Peace was prevailed and communal harmony was sustained. It was the result of the initiative taken by a man who was the symbol of Banaras as the Great ganges and Lord Vishwanath are. He never entertained to shift elsewhere. He was the Ustad.
He is no more.
Legendary musician Ustad Bismillah Khan was buried with full state honours. The maestro passed away early on Monday after a cardiac arrest. He was 90. He had been admitted to the ICU of Heritage Hospital in Varanasi last week. The Government declared a one-day national mourning in view of the legendary musician's death. Home Ministry officials said that flags would be flown at half mast in all the government buildings as part of the mourning.
A day of state mourning has also been declared in Uttar Pradesh and schools, colleges and offices there will remain closed for the day.
President A P J Abdul Kalam has also condoled the death of the shehnai maestro.
Kalam, who is currently on a visit to Bangalore, expressed shock over his death, a Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson said.
"His condition suddenly deteriorated and he suffered a cardiac arrest at 1.45 a.m. Although Khan was put on the life support system, doctors could not revive him. He was declared dead at 2.20 a.m. on Monday," hospital superintendent P S R Aiyer said.
Khan's condition had marginally improved on Sunday with his vital parameters like pulse, respiration rate and blood pressure at normal levels, doctors attending on him had said. He had even been given solid food after he expressed a desire to eat home-cooked halwa.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan pays tribute to the late Ustad Bismillah Khan, who passed away early Monday morning:The death of Ustad Bismillah Khan is a personal loss to me as our families have had a long association. He used to refer to my father Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb as uncle and had great regard for him.It was a pleasure and unique honour to play duets with Khan saheb whenever I got an opportunity to. Last year, I played along with him in Delhi and Kolkata. Ustadji had played duets with many other maestros but when it came to the sarod, the honour always came my way.The Ustad played the shehnai, not in keeping with the grammar of music, but with its poetry. His concept of music was very beautiful and his vision, superb. What is remarkable is that he kept performing, until the very end.

Born in 1916, he has raised the status of one of India's most distinctively voiced instruments unprecedentedly. In its folk form this double-reeded instrument is used on a variety of ritual occasions but is especially associated with weddings. Bismillah Khan has recorded extensively and like many Indian classical artists most of his early work was released by EMI India or its overseas partners. His historic jugalbandi with Vilayat Khan was chosen to inaugurate the Music of India series on EMI India's parent company in Britain. This series licensed the work of masters such as Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Nikhil Banerjee. The debut release in the Music of India series, however, featured in the terminology of the album duettos on "Chaiti-Dhun" and "Bhairavee Thumree." The third in the series was another shehnai jugalbandi, this time with violinist V.G. Jog.
It was a further indication of the esteem in which Bismillah Khan was held
Condoling the maestro's death, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed Ustad Bismillah Khan as one of the greatest musicians of the country.He said the maestro was a "phenomenal exponent" of India's composite culture whose ideals would continue to inspire the coming generations."This is truly a sad day for the world of music. A legendary personality Ustad Bismillah Khan is no more with us. His passing away brings an end to an era," he said.The Prime Minister also called him the greatest exponent of shehnai, adding that his music was imbued with divinity.
The Lok Sabha also paid rich tributes to Ustad Bismillah Khan.Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said though the void created by his demise would never be filled, the universal appeal of his music would continue to inspire generations of music lovers.
Get well messages were pouring in from across the country for shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan, who was hospitalised in Varanasi Thursday morning following a brief illness.Musicians, Bollywood stars, artistes and many others have sent messages for Bismillah Khan, 92. He was admitted to hospital after he became very weak. He had fallen ill about a week ago and was being treated by a private consultant at his residence in Varanasi. Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar and her sister Usha Mangeshkar wished that the maestro gets well soon and is also able to perform at the India Gate - his ardent wish. ‘We appeal to the people and music lovers to pray for his good health and early recovery.’Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar’s Ravi Shankar Foundation, in a message, said they prayed for Khan’s recovery. Ravi Shankar, a contemporary of Bismillah Khan, is out of the country. In a message, superstar Amitabh Bachchan said: ‘I appeal to people across the world and music lovers to pray to god for Ustad Bismillah Khan’s good health.’
Get well messages also came from veteran actor Dilip Kumar and from noted classical musician Amjad Ali Khan.The priest of the Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, Rajendra Tiwary, also sent a message for the maestro.
The legendary shehani maestro, a man of tenderness, a man who believes in remaining private and who believes that musicians are supposed to be heard and not seen. The legend was born on 21 March 1916. His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon in Bihar and he was trained under his uncle, the late Ali Bux `Vilayatu’, a shehnai player attached to Varanasi’s Vishwanath Temple. It was Khan Sahib who poured his heart out into Raga Kafi from Red Fort on the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony.
Where others see conflict and contradiction between his music and his religion, Bismillah Khan sees only a divine unity. Music, sur, namaaz is the same thing. His namaaz is the seven shuddh and five komal surs. Even as a devout Shia, Khan Sahib is also a staunch devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of music.

His honorary doctorate from the Benares Hindu University and Shantiniketan bespeaks of his fame. He has been bequeathed with the Sangeet Natak Academi Award, the Tansen Award of the Madhya Pradesh government and also the prestigious Padma Vibhushan.
He has played in Afghanistan, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Canada, West Africa, USA, USSR, Japan, Hong Kong and almost every capital city across the world. His music is an ocean and he feels that he has barely reached the shore after 81 years of his life and his search is still incomplete.
Ustad Bismillah Khan was the third classical musician after Pt Ravi Shankar and M S Subbulakshmi to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour in the country.
During his long and fruitful career as an artiste, Khan enthralled audiences at performances across the globe. He was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, the Tansen award as well as the Padma Vibhushan.
Ustad Bismillah Khan was born in a small village in Bihar about 60 years ago. He spent his childhood in the holy city of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganga, where his uncle was the official shehnai player in the famous Visvanath temple.It was due to this that Bismillah became inclined for the Shehnai. At an early age, he familiarized himself with various forms of the music of UP, such as Thumri, Chaiti, Kajri, Sawani etc. Later he studied Khayal music and mastered a large number of ragas. Ever since Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar introduced Indian music to the West, a number of Indian musicians have been invited to perform abroad. It was therefore hardly surprising that a musician of Bismillah Khan's caliber should be one of them.
The shehnai maestro is survived by his five sons and three daughters.
The maestro's daughter Dr Soma Ghosh also recalled the time with her father. "He narrated many stories on his experiences, on how my career should progress. He showered me with so much love," she said.
According to UNI, even as an emotionally charged funeral procession of shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan reached Karbala-Fatamaan for burial, the people queued all along the two-kilometre road through which he had gone to express his Aasu Ka Nazrana during the 5th and 8th day of the Moharram.
Even a light drizzle did not deter the crowds. The route was jammed with thousands of people joining the funeral procession, which started from Beniabagh.Later, the body wrapped in the national tri-colour was put on a coffin and lifted to a carriage of the Central Reserve Police Force. A guard of honour was also given to the departed soul by the state police.
Bismillah Khan's youngest son Nazim sat on the front of the carriage along with other family members.
The burial would take place under a Neem tree just by the side of the place where Khan saheb used to sit and play the shehnai during Moharram. An army contingent will also give a guard of honour at the Karbala Fatamaan.
The funeral passed through Nai Sarak, Shaikh Saleem Fatak, Pali Mahal, Fitar Kundh and Lallanpara before reaching Karbal Fatamaan.

Lal Shaloo, a Psyche of Suprestition Depicted, Well Relevent Even Today
Palash Biswas
(contact: Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 033-25659551)
We, the people outside bangladesh know the Bengali nation and nationality, the contemporary politics, society and life on the basis of the reading of popular writing by controversial an exiled writer Taslima Nasrin, human rights activist and another exiled writer Salam Azad and news clippings by media around. So Lajja becomes the window for us and we evaluate Bangladesh by Ethenic Cleansing. Sometimes we come to know Bangladesh knowing Humayoon Aazad, Humayoon Kabir And even, Shamsur Rahman. We know the history of West Bengal, its politics, society, life, art, culture and literature and identify Bangladesh. It is true that the fight for democracy and human rights in a islamic setup has highlighted the intellegentia Bangladesh to some extent.We know the traditional Bengali society reading Bankim, Sharat, Rabindra,Tara shankar and Manik Bandopadhyay which portrays hardly anything about the majority Muslim society and life in Bangladesh. Until and unless we read the classics written by Akhtaruzzaman Ilius and Syed Waliullah, we have to depend on either Sharat Chattopadhyay or Taslima Nasrin.
The incident of independence of India and Pakistan from British rule bore more importance for the people of then Bengal. Since then the Bangla speaking community were divided into two parts – the East and the West Bengal. It turns into the smashing of the millennium old culture and unity of Bangali nation. Moreover the existence of language became a great question just after the creation of Pakistan. The West-Pakistan ruling government tried to impose Urdu as the principal language on the Bangali people.The Bangla novel written in East Bengal after 1947 focused primarily on the contemporary social scene and the realities of social life. Novels written immediately after Partition had as their background the Second World War, the famine of 1943, the pakistan movement, political instability, communal riots and the Partition which divided the subcontinent into India and Pakistan.
Then came the historic event of Language Movement which changed the traditional history and geography of this subcontinent with the creation of Bangladesh. The whole society reacted strongly. This leaves a permanent impression on Bengali literature. In this tumultuous era, Syed Waliullah’s Lalshalu (1948) was published. From this novel the early superstitious scenario of a Muslim Bangla village could be visualised. Later Syed Waliullah translated it in English by the name Tree without roots. Mahbub-ul Alam wrote Mofijon, also published in 1948. Mind you, Syed Waliullah wrote in East Pakistan, governed by the Pak Islamic rulers. Comparatively a more complex situation was there than the modern writers have to face nowadays.
Lalsalu by syed waliullah depicts the hunger, superstitions, religious bigotry and exploitation of East Bengali villagers. We see present Bengali novels in West Bengal lacks this content. WEST BENGAL based novels are the post modern expression of metro life which is deprived of earthen touch altogether.
Akhtaruzzaman Elias , one of the most artistic but least productive writers, wrote only two novels. He has started his journey with Chilekothar Sepai. His most prestigious work Khoabnama, which came out in 1996, is considered as a milestone in the history of Bangla novels.
Syed Waliullah’s Lalshalu is a Bengali classic. He exposed entire system of religius superstition ferlessly. The English translation, now generally accepted as having been done by Syed Waliullah himself, is long out of print. The changes in the English version — there are more detailed descriptions of the land as well as changes in the character of the protagonist, Majeed — make Tree Without Roots an almost original creation, perhaps the first novel in English by a Bengali Muslim. Though critical of Majeed’s exploitation of religion, Syed Waliullah looks sympathetically at his protagonist for whom religion means food and shelter. Told in Syed Waliullah’s simple, idiomatic and often lyrical English, Tree Without Roots is essential reading for anyone interested in knowing about Muslim Bengal and the impact of religion and superstition on the rural populace.
Lalsalu is a brilliant commentary of rural Muslim psyche. The story opens at a remote village in some marshy region of the country as suddenly a bearded Mullah arrives among the simple and unlettered Muslim community. The setup is no different in any part of the world as long as religious superstition is concerned. Majid, a quite haggardly middle-aged man impresses the innocent villagers with his religious knowledge and profundity. Soon after his arrival, Majid starts cleaning and renovating an old, dilapidated grave lying in an un-cared state since ages among the bamboo forests. One day he declares the grave is of a great Pir or saint and even rebukes the ignorant villagers for neglecting the place for such a long time.
This shrewd and sly fellow, Majid, fast manages to enchant the poor, illiterate folks with his fake speeches on religion and soon succeeds to create a supernatural awe and mystery around the grave thus bringing the people of the entire village under his influence.
The mysterious 'grave overnight turned into a holy place covered with the piece of red cloth (Lal salu) on top of the oval shaped grave and glowing candles gives the place a metaphysical aura. Verses from Quran recited by Majid day and night creating awe in the minds of the villagers, most of them are landless peasants. Completely succumbed in the spell, people start bringing offerings of cash and kinds to the 'holy' shrine, in fact to the self-created vault of Majid.
Once a vagabond with no home and family, Majid, within a few years, makes his fortune and immense influence on the villagers. Majid, the holy man, of the village marries Rahima, a hard working peasant woman, not so young, robustly built yet docile and obedient to his commanding husband. But Majid soon decides to take a younger girl as his wife and marries Jamila, a teenager, who soon sniffs something fishy about her husband's spiritual authority. Jamila, the simple young girl, has been portrayed in the film as the nemesis of Majid, who causes the collapse her husbands hypocritical façade.
We may see similar incidents take place even today while Lord Ganesh drinks Milk worldwide. Weekend reports of Mahim seawater tasting sweet sparked a flood of visitors.
Large crowds continue to throng Mahim beach to drink the seawater, which suddenly tasted sweet. But it is reportedly the most toxic beach in Mumbai. The government has warned people not to drink the water, which is believed to be polluted.Mahim beach is the point where the Mithi river enters the sea. The river runs through congested Kalina and Andheri areas picking up sewage and industrial waste.
Waliullah's literary activities began when, as a student at Feni High School, he edited a hand-written magazine called, Bhorer Alo. His first short story 'Hathat Alor Jhalkani' was published in the Dhaka College magazine. He was proficient in both English and Bangla. He briefly published an English journal, Contemporary. He worked as a sub-editor in Calcutta's Statesman during 1945-47. He also used to write for saogat, mohammadi, Bulbul, Parichay, Arani and Purbasha. After the partition of India in 1947, Syed Waliullah went to Dhaka and joined Radio Pakistan, first as an assistant news editor, and later as a news editor in Karachi (1950-51). From 1951 to 1960 he served as a press attache at the Pakistan embassies in New Delhi, Sydney, Jakarta and London. From 1960 to 1967 he served as first secretary at the Pakistan embassy in Paris and from 1967 to 1971 he worked as a programme specialist at UNESCO in Paris. In 1971 Syed Waliullah worked for the liberation of Bangladesh and joined hands with his friend Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury to enlist the support of a number of French intellectuals including Pierre Emanuel and Andre Malraux in mobilizing world public opinion. Waliullah received several awards for his literary works at home and abroad. He was awarded the Ekushey Padak posthumously in 1983. Syed Waliullah died in Paris on 10 October 1971 and was buried in this city.
Palash Biswas

Shamsur Rahman As A Reader Feels
Palash Biswas
(You may publish If You please. Contact: Palash Biswas, gosto kanan, sodepur, kolkata-700110,India. Phone: 033-25659551)

I won`t forget the evening in kolkata in 1991. I was a newcomer in Kolkata. I stumbled to apersonality no less than the charming, powerful poet of Bngladesh, Shamshur rahman via his beutiful poetry. I was in the press and I saw a poetry collection on the table of an artist. I opend the book and sat down to settle for the entire evening to go through the lines. The beauty, the diction, the power and content with a solemn style mesmerized me. It was the beginning and I never stopped to read poetry from Bangladesh.
I belong to a partition victim family settled in Uttaranchal in erly fifties. I was born and brought up there destined to inherit a divided history, divided geography, divided culture and heritage. My father used to come kolkata for books every year and we read Rabindara Nath, Bankim, sharat and even Sukanta bhattacharya. We had the access to West Bengal based classic literaure and we had no idea about the literaure beyondthe border. In my college days, I had the translations of Tarashankar, Manik, shankar and other prominent Bengali writers. But only in 1980, when I shifted to Dhanbad I had the taste of some contemporary writings of mahashweta devi, Prafulla Roy, Snil gangopadhyaya, Shankha Gosh, Nirendra nath Chakrabarti, Subhash Mukhopadhyaya, shakti Chattopadhyaya.
Since 1991, I began to read the bangladeshi Literature extensively and I found no one near shamshur Rahman in aesthetics and content consideration and his commitment was unquestionable.Shamsur rahman was indisputably the greatest poet of Bangladesh, with more than sixty books of poetry to his credit. And no one should have any doubt about it.
One of the great contemporary poets of Bangla literature Shamsur Rahman passes away yesterday. Bengalies across the border and worldwide are in mourning. Under Pkistani Rule, the poet from East Pakistan had been a regular contributor to the well reputed Bengali Magizines of kolkata like Kavita( editor Buddhadev Basu) and Kirtibas( editor- Sunil Gangopadhyay). Literary circle in Kolkata feels the shock no less than dhaka. He was 77only.He breathed his last at 6:35pm at the BSMMU (PG) Hospital in the capital. The death sent a massive shock to the Bangla speaking people at home and abroad. He died when the attending doctors removed the life-support “with the consent of his family” after spending 12 days in deep-coma at the hospital. The poet was admitted to the hospital on August 6 with multiple complexities.Thousands of mourners thronged the hospital to have the last glimpse of their beloved poet, amid a pall of gloom, as the news of his demise broke in the city.
Poet Shamsur Rahman was born in Dhaka in 1929. Fourth of 13 children of his parents, he studied at Pogos School, Dhaka College and Dhaka University.He started writing poems after graduating from Dhaka College at the age of eighteen. Rahman studied English literature from Dhaka University. He had a long career as a journalist and was the Editor of the now defunct vernacular national daily, Dainik Bangla. He won numerous awards, including Bangla Academy Award (1969), Ekushey Padak (1977), and in 1991 he received the highest national award –the Swadhinata Padak (Independent Medal).
Shamsur Rahman is indisputably the greatest living poet of Bangladesh, with more than sixty books of poetry to his credit. The renowned critic, Syed Manzoorul Islam, speaks of Rahman as having "produced a solid body of work which has permanently changed the geography and the climate of Bengali poetry. He has given it a new dimension and a meaning, he has created an ethos which belongs indisputably to him. He has given us a language, which we did not have. It is true he has built on the ground of the 30's poets, but he has developed the ground, explored into areas they thought too dark for exploration, has added new features to it, landscaped it and in the process left his footprints all over." The critic, Z. R. Siddiqui, describes Shamsur Rahman as one who is "deeply rooted in his own tradition." In his opinion, Shamsur Rahman "still soaks the language of our times, transcending the limits of geography. In his range of sympathy, his catholicity, his urgent and immediate relevance for us, Shamsur Rahman is second to none."
Shasur Rahman did not flee from Bnagladesh even in the days of 1070 -1971 and he did not stop writing. He was expressing the voice of freedom without any fear. he was the most secular intellectual in Dhaka.He said no to Islamic politics and yes to human rights.Shamsur Rahman was the unofficial “poet laureate” of Bangladesh and has published over 60 books of poetry. He chaired a national committee of editors, writers and artists dedicated to resisting fundamentalist forces opposed to individualism and democracy.
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islam was named as being behind his attempted murder in early 1999, as part of a plot to kill at least 28 prominent Bangladeshi intellectuals. Harkat was described as a group allied to bin Laden; its members style themselves as the "Bangladeshi Taliban."
Rahman was attacked in his home. Three men affiliated with Harkat stormed into his apartment wielding pickaxes. Rahman's wife was seriously injured, but he was not hurt. Neighbors in his apartment building apprehended the men and held them until police arrived. The attackers admitted that they intended to kill the poet. They also stated that their group planned to attack more intellectuals like Rahman, who held outspoken secular views.
As we now and suppurted by others, inspite of the limitations of Islamic Rule and lack of democratic setup, Bangladeshi friends sustain their propeople stand always. According to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, there is a strong current of secularism in Bangladesh, but if that is so, it does not show.It will be remembered that poet Shamsur Rahman was attacked by Harkatul militants a few years ago. The country acknowledged for the first time about the existence of a big Islamic militant network in 1999 when few members of Harkatul Zihad were apprehended in an attempt to murder the eminent poet Shamsur Rahman. It was published in a leading news paper that Harkatul Zihad recruited around 25000 militants all over the country. The involvement of Jamaat-e-Islami and some members of the incumbent Government in a series of actions i.e. installing explosive in the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s meeting, bomb attack in Udichi congregation, Chayanot gathering, Church, CPB meeting, Cinema theatre and later grenade attack in Sheikh Hasina’s meeting in August 21st, grenade attack and killing of Ex finance minister and Awami League leader Dr. Kibria, attack and killing of Dr. Humayun Azad, Mohammod Yunus and so on and so forth was claimed and was endeavored to bring into Government’s notice. Instead Government always put the blame onto the Awami League, India and the secularist, progressive, pro 71 ( pro Liberation War) intellectuals.
Everybody apparently is frightened. If it was just a matter of establishing Islamic Law in Bangladesh, the matter can be of no concern to India. But the matter is much more serious than that. It is plainly silly to believe that the hard-line outfits like Jamaat-i-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote, Islamic Shashan-tantra Andolan and Khilafat Andolan will give up their terrorism easily. Leaflets found at the bomb site make it clear what these outfits want. They say: 'It is time to implement Islamic Iaw in Bangladesh. There is no future with man-made laws'. According to Indrajit Gupta, a former Home Minister, as many as 10 million Bangladesh were living in India illegally between 1996 and 1998. That number has since grown to 20 million, according to Bhibhuti Bhushan Nandy, as reported in The Statesman (23 June 2005). Letting them live unchecked is asking for trouble.
Virtual Bangladesh : Poetry : Shamsur Rahman
Contents:
Obhisaap Dichchhi
Mask
Shower me with petals,
heap bouquets around me,
I won't complain. Unable to move,
I won't ask you to stop
nor, if butterflies or swarms of flies
settle on my nose, can I brush them away.

Indifferent to the scent of jasmine and benjamin,
to rose-water and loud lament,
I lie supine with sightless eyes
while the man who will wash me
scratches his ample behind.
The youthfulness of the lissome maiden,
her firm breasts untouched by grief,
no longer inspires me to chant
nonsense rhymes in praise of life.

You can cover me head to foot with flowers,
my finger won't rise in admonishment.
I will shortly board a truck
for a visit to Banani.[1]
A light breeze will touch my lifeless bones.

I am the broken nest of a weaver-bird,
dreamless and terribly lonely on the long verandah.
If you wish to deck me up like a bridegroom
go ahead, I won't say no
Do as you please, only don't
alter my face too much with collyrium
or any enbalming cosmetic. Just see that I am
just as I am; don't let another face
emerge through the lineaments of mine.
Look! The old mask
under whose pressure
I passed my whole life,
a wearisome handmaiden of anxiety,
has peeled off at last.
For God's sake don't
fix on me another oppressive mask.

[Banani - An affluent suburb of Dhaka. It has a well known cemetery.]

From: Selected Poems of Shamsur Rahman.
Translated and Edited by Kaiser Haq.

Roar, O Freedom
What shall I do with the spring
when I hear only the cuckoo moaning
and cannot see gorgeous flowers blossom?
What shall I do with the garden
Where no birds ever pays a visit?
Oh, how rough and stony is this earth!
Skeletons of trees stand, row after row,
like so many desolate ghosts.

What shall I do with the love
that places on my head a crown of thorns
and hands out to me the cup of hamlock?
What purpose the road serve
On which no one treads,
Where vendors of coloured ice-cream
Or waves of city-inundating processions
are never seen?

I had called you, dearest
When we started our journey
With our face turned to the rising sun.

When the back-pull of bourgeois charm
Kept from your ears the soaring sound
of the people singing.
You are still prisoner under the claws
of a fierce eagle.
you cannot yet walk on a road
with the rainbow coloured carpet spread on it.
Oh, how tough it is to keep going
without you by my side!

A horrid monster comes, casting dark shadows
all around;
in a moment he crushes under his heels
the foundation of new civilization,
he hangs the full moon on the scaffold,
declares unlawful the blossoming
of the lotus and the rose.
He bans my poems, stanza by stanza,
quietly, without any fanfare,
he bans your breath,
he bans the fragrance of your hair.

By the bent body of the young girl
sitting on the lonely porch of old age.
waiting for the dawn of happy days.
By the long days and nights of Nelson Mandella
spent behind the bars.

By the martyrdom of the heroic youth
Noor Hossain,
O Freedom, raise your head like Titan,
give a sky shattering shout,
tear off the chain around
your wrists.
Roar, Freedom, roar mightily!

Translation: Kabir Chowdhury

Tourism Minus Connectivity
Palash Biswas
(You may publish the matter if you pl. Contact: Plash Biswas, GOstokanan, Sodepur, kolkata-700110, India. Phone: 033-25659551)
Come September and Bengali season begins in Hills of Kumaon. Bengalies love to visit kumaon, associated with Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore and Swami Vivekanand. Almora is famous as the Kolkata of Kumaun. Traditionally Bengali middle class and lower middle class tourists prefer Kumaon to any other tourist destination as the Bengalies feel cultural closeness with kumauni people. Low budget tourism and affordable costing also influence their choice.
But Bengali tourists have only one direct train Howrah Kathgodam Bagh Express to connect kumun with Kolkata. This train involves at least fourty hours of tedious journy. The rout is too lengthy.We have no superfast train to connect Kolkata, Mumbai,chennai or even lucknow with kumaon. While deharadoon being the capital, Garwal enjoys better connectivity with superfast trains like himgir iand Upasana. It is mysterious theat the so called representatives of kumaun are not much puzzled to improve connectivity with rest of the world.
Since the turmoil in Kashmir is seriously associated with the question of security as well as safety, the peace loving Bengalies simply opt for Kumaon. They don`t feel safe either in North east excluding Sikkim.
Air connectivity has been alwaysan area that acts as a stumbling block to the growth of tourism in Uttaranchal,specially Kumaon. The well to do familes as well as the foriegn tourist avoid kumon for lack of air connectivity. They opt for Kashmir, Himachal or darjiling. The continuous disturbance and turmoil in Kashmir and darjiling has helped to boost the tourism revenue in the state which has hardly any other source of income in the Uttaranchal hills.Darjiling had been suffering from the gorkhaland movement while the recent grened attacks on tourists in Srinagar have demoralised the Bengali tourists.With the objective of blocking every kind of entertainment to the people of the Kashmir valley, Pakistan-sponsored militants had not only imposed restriction on the screening of films besides ordering the closing of theatres. Thus, in kolkata, the traveling agents suggest the uttaranchal tour which involves long long bus journy as it is understood safe.Though the state gets around 14 million tourists, but lack of air connectivity has failed to attract high spenders.
Though the state gets around 14 million tourists, but lack of air connectivity has failed to attract high spenders. To address the connectivity issue, the Uttaranchal Tourism Development Board (UTD has asked IDFC to do a feasibility study for having a mountain airline. "It is still in the planning stage. We are looking at the feasibility of having a mountain airline, which will connect the high altitude destinations of Uttaranchal and Himachal. We have spoken to Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department about it and they are eager as well. Such an airline will be a combination of fixed wings aircraft, ATRs and choppers," said N N Prasad, secretary, department of tourism, culture and information, government of Uttaranchal and CEO, Uttaranchal Tourism Development Board.
At the recently concluded Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) held in Kolkata, U K Singh, additional CEO, Uttaranchal Tourism Development Board (UTD, revealed plans stating: The state tourism department has earmarked Rs 1.20 crore to prepare 20 master plans for tourism promotion and find out potential areas of tourism development. Elucidating the proposed plans, Singh disclosed: Improvement of air, road and rail connectivity is top priority combined with enhancing private sector participation and involving local communities. Elaborating further Singh disclosed, We have other developments in mind which include selling the state as a pilgrimage destination, since four of India’s holiest sites, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath are in Uttaranchal. The state also has the potential for adventure tourism, eco-tourism and cave-tourism
Kumaon was formerly an administrative division of British India, in the United Provinces, with headquarters at Nainital. Kumaon proper constituted an old Rajput principality, which became extinct at the beginning of the 19th century. The region was annexed after the Gurkha war of 1815, and was governed for seventy years on the non-regulation system by three administrators, Mr. Traill, Mr J. H. Batten and Sir Henry Ramsay.It consists of a large Himalayan tract, together with two submontane strips called the Terai and the Bhabhar. The submontane strips were up to 1850 an almost impenetrable forest, given up to wild animals; but after 1850 the numerous clearings attracted a large population from the hills, who cultivated the rich soil during the hot and cold seasons, returning to the hills in the rains. The rest of Kumaon is a maze of mountains, part of the Himalaya range, some of which are among the loftiest known. In a tract not more than 225 km in length and 65 km in breadth there are over thirty peaks rising to elevations exceeding 5500 m. The rivers like Gori , Dhauli , Kali etc rise chiefly in the southern slope of the Tibetan watershed north of the loftiest peaks, amongst which they make their way down valleys'of rapid declivity and extraordinary depth. The principal are the Sarda (Kali), the Pindar and Kailganga, whose waters join the Alaknanda. The river Sarda ( Kali) forms the international boundary between India and Nepal. The pilgrim route currently used to visit Kailash-Mansarovar , goes along this river and crosses into Tibet at Lipu Lekh pass.The chief trees are the Chir Pine, Himalayan Cypress, Pindrow Fir, alder, sal or iron-wood, and saindan. Limestone, sandstone, slate, gneiss and granite constitute the principal geological formations. Mines of iron, copper, gypsum, lead and asbestos exist; but they are not thoroughly worked. Except in the submontane strips and deep valleys the climate is mild. The rainfall of the outer Himalayan range, which is first struck by the monsoon, is double that of the central hills, in the average proportion of 2000 mm to 1000 mm. No winter passes without snow on the higher ridges, and in some years it is universal throughout the mountain tract. Frosts, especially in the valleys, are often severe.
The word Kumaon can be traced back to the 5th century BC. The Kassite Assyrians left their homeland 'Kummah', on the banks of river Euphrates,and settled in the northern part of India.These inhabitants formed Koliyan tribe and having their new settlement as Kumaoon. Lord Buddha's mother, Mayabati belonged to this clan.
An another version of the origin is that word Kumaon is believed to have been derived from "Kurmanchal", meaning land of the Kurmavatar (the tortoise incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver according to Hindu mythology). The region of Kumaon is named after as such.
Lack of any Helicopter service the torists are deprived to penetrate in the heart of Kumau. Making Almora or Kausani transit points, a tourist can move in the remote areas. but tourists have to make Nainital or Ranikhet, the most costly Hill stations their transit points.Almora is a wonderful place to conveniently enjoy the spectacular snowscape of the central Himalayas. Most of the days in Almora are flawless. Almost everyday the tourist can see almost every peak. Almora allows you to enjoy the mighty Himalayas together with ridge after ridge of hills. A trip to the Kumaoon region remains incomplete without having been to the beautiful scenic spots of beautiful Kaushani. The town is shaded by pine and oak trees. Kaushani situated at a hight of 1,890 m is the place where the myriad charms of nature are displayed. Climate of Kaushani is pleasant throughout the year, yet the best time would be March-May or September-November
The problem of connectivity also affects tourism involving Jim Corbett National Park. Since Ramnagar, though connected with Moradabad on broad gauge , has not been made a turminal for long distance trains. It would have improved the connectivity with Chamoli and Paudi districts of Garwal. India had the proud distinction of being chosen as the venue for the inauguration of Project Tiger in India; earlier part of Uttar Pradesh now comes under Uttaranchal, the newly found state. Jim Corbett National Park India is home to a variety of flora and fauna, Corbett park is famous for its wild population of Tigers, Leopards and Elephants.
Thus the focus of Kumaun i tourism happens to be Nainital.The hill station of Nainital is situated at a height of 1938 m . It is at a distance of 1402.4 km from Calcutta. It is extremely cold with the temperatures varying from 26.7°-10.6° in summer and 15.6°-2.8° in winter. But Bengalies always feel at home in Nainital.The ideal time for touring Nainital would be either from March to June or from mid September to the end of October and Bengalies visit kumaun during this period.. Heavy construction and serious ecological problems endanger the very existence of the beauty for ever. To save nainital it is mendatory to decentralise the tourist pressure Which is nearly impossible in present connectivity circumstances.
The lake or for that matter the town is surrounded by the seven lofty hills of Naina or China peak 2640 m, Alma (2432 m), Sher-ka-Danda (2405 m), Laria Kanta (2485 m), Ayarpatta or Dorothy seat (2320 m), Hondi Boondi (2179 m) and Deopatta or Camel's Back (2422 m). The peaceful atmosphere of this hamlet of solitude is shaded by Poplars and Deodars and the Mall is beautified with rows of Chinar trees. Nainital has been the home of the Uttar Pradesh government in summer sice the Raj. Though the town was born in the year 1842, after the renowned British hunter P Barren had built the Pilgrim's Cottage, its colourful past was absolutely devastated by the week-long torrential downpour causing massive landslides in September 16th 1880. There were 151 victims of that landslide who perished in the Assembly hall. In lieu of this a new entertainment centre has been built ie, in the form of todays modern flats. The cynosure of all tourists are the series of lush green vallyes on the sides of the Naini lake which has developed through hundred years.
Palash Biswas
!2 Th August, 2006.
Address:
Palash Biswas
Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata-700110, India.
Phone: 033-25659551.(r).

Victims of Ilegal Mining have not to be Rescued
(Please publish immidiately to save the trapped thirty five miners as media underplays this accident.)
Palash Biswas
contact: Palash Biswas, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, kolkata-700110

A mine closed since 1967 is waterlogged for seven full days. It is said that thirty to thirty five illegal miners are trapped in the deathtrap. The illegal mine Gangtuli is situated in an island of river Damodar, inunder Neturia police station in purulia district of West Bengal.The villagers of the Khera Kyari village of Jharkhand are waiting for their near and dear ones for the last four days. Labourers from this village had gone to work in an illegal mine in Puralia district of West Bengal on August 1, but have not yet returned. According to information, on that day, water entered these mines from the overflowing Damodar river, leaving these labourers trapped inside the mine.
The Parliament is in the session full of activities and so is the west Bengal Assembly.
We may recall the operation Mrityunjay to rescue the five year lad of hariyana, Prince, thanks to the round the clock live telecast by each and every TV channel. Live sms and opinion polls compelled the state government, the centre, the President and prime minister of India as well as the great sympathetic indians involved in the army rescue operation continued for more than fourty hours. Which ultimately was successful without doubt.
Illegal mining thrives in the Ranigunj-Asansol coal belt in West Bengal, with the local mafia using the Santhal tribal people from Jharkhand as cheap labour.
Shame on whosoever it may concern as no serious attempt was made to rescue the unlucky poor miners of the flooded illegal mine and seven full days passed. Army personeel, two officers and four soldiers from the Adra Cant visited the spot on Sunday, the sixth day, and declined to help the rescue operation. The DM Mr Debbrata Bandopadhyay was too late to seek the help from the army. CPIM MP Basudev Acharya also visited the mine on saturday, the fifth day and could not do much. He met the Chief Minister of West Bengal Buddhadev Battachary on Monday, the seventh day. Official sources say that any survival is near impossible.
The Chief minister told the press in the writers that his government is watching the incident and the development. he acknowledged the continuity of illegal mining in coal fields. Bhattachary told that the government is worried amidst a newsbreak of another accident in an illegal minie in Asansol. The mine is situated in Rasoolpur jungle under Barabani PC area. The mine subsided last night as several people were working underground. no rescue operation started. In Gangtuli, the problem is very complex as the waterlevel of Damodar is thretening. You can not just pump out the water unless the flow of water is stopped. Thus, the all India Bouri samaj has appealed the President of India to direct the DVC to stop the flow of Damodar. But the Barabani mine is not waterlogged. and here again, as it happened for three decades, there is no rescue operation to save the miners of the illegal mine. Two thousand square mile area is filled with killer methen gas and no initiative taken to rescue the surviving local people. Only on Monday, ECl workers under the leadership of ECL officer R Chattopadhyay visited the mine and it is said that they tried to launch a rescue operation and very soon, they gave up. DiIG police, Medinipur M Ram Babu visted the place on monday as the CM was addressing the scribes in the Writers. The police and the ECL officials maintain that no survey report or map of the illegal mine is available. Hence, the divers also can not help.
Most of the illegal mining is done in closed or abandoned mines. Sometimes it is done in operational collieries of ECL and even on private property, where workers are commissioned to dig until they hit coal. There are around 1,380 abandoned pits and inclines of ECL in the region.
Often the entire process of illegal mining, starting from employing workers to transporting processed coal from bhattas, is controlled by a group of people, each one involved in a particular activity. For example, a labour contractor employs men and women to work in a particular mine-pit controlled by another person, who in turn sells the coal to the owner of a bhatta. Sometimes one person controls all the operations.
IT is practically a parallel industry, the only difference being that nobody is responsible for anybody else. Most of the accidents and deaths go unreported and are quickly covered up.
Meanwhile , the coal minister of India, ex Robinhood of Jharkhand movement, Shibu Soren visited the spot two days ago and denied any possibility of rescue operation, However, a vital rumour was spread in between that the minister has declared Rs two lac as compensation for each dead miner. Mind you, the affected familes are never used to come out as the history of illegal mining in the coalfields continue even afer three dacades of nationalisation of coal mines. In 1981 , there was a similar case in Giridih. Some three hundred people were said to be working underground in the abandoned coal mine adjoing giridih Muffassil as the mine subesided. No body could survive the subsidence and there was no rescue operation. At that time the jharkhand movement was in full swing under the leadership of dhanbad MP AK Roy, Dumka MP Shibu Soren and MLA Vinod bihari Mahato. The CPI giridih was on agitation. But it could not help the victims. The writer of these lines himself search dozens villages to locte the families involved. A grim silence was everywhere. Nobody wept.
Again it happened in Chapapur during 1982. The illegal mine situated in Nirsa under dhanbad district, susided. The police came into action and three dead bodies were recovered. Some more were believed to be underneath. But no family came forward.
This time, in the magical effect of the ministerial announcement rumour, villagers of Kherkyari lodged a FIR in adjoining Chirkunda police station of Jharkhand that ten individuals are entrapped in the deathtrap. According to the OC Chirkunda the names of the lost miners as follows: Ujjwal Mandal, Deepak Bouri, Subodh Gope, Dhiren Mandal, Alok Mandal, Upen Mandal, Kartik Gope, Manik Bouri, Jaga Gope And Dashrath Gope.
Madahv Gope of Kherkyari is waiting on the riverbank as waiting Govardhan Bouri, whose son Madhu Bouri is entrapped in the mine.
The villagers claim that several people from Mihijam and Madhupur came to work in the closed mine and they, too, are entrapped. madhupur and Mihijam are in Santhal Pargana, the stronghold of Shibu Soren.
Illegal mining in the coal fields situated on the West Bengal-Jharkhand borders has been on for years, thanks to the active coal mafias in the region. Several mines in the Ranigunj-Asansol coal belt in West Bengal, was closed by the Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) long ago, and extraction of coal from there was declared illegal. But mining operations still go on in full swing by courtesy of the coal mafia. The ECL authorities, though aware of the plunder, seem to have turned a blind eye to it, and there is no one else to challenge this illegal operation. So is the case in BCCL , mostly operative in Jharkhand. This illegal mining is the flow of income in the industrial belt of Bengal where most of the small industries are closed.
Directrorate of Coal MInes safety, DGMS has its head quarter in Dhanbad which deals with mines safety in all coal fields in India. Mining is hazardous and the modernization and latest technology including opencast mining could not help mines safety much. While The DGMSwas in full strength, it could not cope with its mammoth task. Now the work force curtailed and with so many deficits, DGMS is no expected to do much. Somehow , it has become irrelevent. Faulty survey and maps, criminal negligence of duty on part of officials have been the causes of watrlogging in mines. The best example may be quoted as Chasnala.
Declaring unsafe mines abandoned stops the DGMSto take any action .But the safety of the mines have to be the responsiblity of coal companies along with the ministery. Not to mention the law and order problems, the direct liablity of the state government.Both these points are overlooked and the coal mafia goes happy go round under the umbrella of political protection.There is no record of how many people go inside to work and how many come out at the end of the day. For sums ranging between Rs.20 and Rs.40 a day, these people, mostly belonging to the Santhal tribe, from neighbouring Jharkhand, risk their lives for the underworld coal traffickers. Accidents and deaths are common in these mines, and even claiming the body of a dead relative is fraught with danger because that would amount to exposing the illegal operations. But the income goes into the pockets of mafia dons, officials and political leaders. Whereas the workers risk their life to earn livelihood and are always in insafety.The labourers work under the constant fear of getting caught. At the sight of a stranger they disappear into one of the innumerable ratholes. They fear not only the police but also the goons of rivals in the mafia.
So no serious attempt is made to stop illegal mining.
Palash Biswas
Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata-700110, India.
Phone: o33-25659551(r)

No way to stop refugee Influx From Bangladesh
Palash Bisaws
(You may publish the matter if it seems relevent any way)
contactalash biswas
Gostokanan, sodepur, Kolkata-700110,India. Phone:033-25659551

Rs.13.34 billion Project for fencing on Indo-Bangladesh border sanctioned.Illegal migration of Bangladesh nationals into India is a cause of great concern and vitally affects the security interest of the country. The continuous and sustained illegal migration also affects the demographic composition of population, especially in the neighbouring States and gives rise to social tensions. With this in view, the Government of Inida have decided to fence the entire Indo-Bangladesh border. Meanwhile the government of India has got the citizenship act, 1955 revised with the objective of deporting two corore illegal migrants, most of which belong originally to bangladesh.
It is questionable, why the refugees rehabiliated in fifties and sixties in UP, Uttaranchal, Assam, Dandyakaranya project covering Chhattisgargh, Orrissa and Andhra, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajsthan, tamilnadu and elsewhere are still deprived of citizenship for almost five decades. While the citizenship act, 1955 allowed citizenship by birth, why the students belonging to the refugee community have not to be considered as Indian citizens.
Since, the genuine citizens and the illegal migrants may not be distinguished as the govt.of India and different states and the ruling parties countrywide, have not taken any initiative to screen the genuine citizens, the problem has become so complex. The new citizenship enacted and the proposed fencing on border are not enough to stop the influx of refugees across the border.
In West Bengal only, the election commission has deleted over 13 lac names from the voter list as the concerned people could not prove their Indian citizenship. Thousands were arrested and lacs were absconding before the 2006 Assembly Elections.
what happened? How many illegal migrants have been deported after such a high profile administrative exercise? The answer is non. The ruling left front has transformed itself in a protection umbrella. So each the case in every other state. The election commission routine exercise has to be repeated in Uttarancjhal and Uttarpradesh in the next Assembly elections and the results would be the same.Everywhere, the ruling parties use the refugees as mobile and solid votebank. Thus the genuine partition victims as well as the genuine citizens have to be harrassed enmasse to create the cover for the illegal migrants countrywide.
It is better to grant Indian citizenship to all refugees rehabiliated in different states without any precondition. Then only, physically you may come to know the real number of the illegal migrants and think any majorto deport them.
Again, the point is to be noted that there had been no official refugee policy for those coming from east Benagal, either in centre or the states. There had been hardly any diplomatic or biliteral attempt to stop the influx of refugees across the border.
More over, until and unless, the prosecution of minorities in bangladesh comes to an end, it is quite impossible to stop the influx ofrefugees. It is a great irony that the govt.of india and different states have been a total failure in affairs of border security and illegal migrants overtwo corore have to be deported.It has to be understood that brutal atrocities, state sponsored discrimination, xenophobia and social divide have threatened the very fabric of minority community in Bangladesh. Hundreds of thousands of minority have fled out of the country. In this chaos, their children are left most vulnerable. Some becomes victims to trafficking whereas some end up in brothel.
Bangladesh has completely failed to protect its minority communities and its Governments have been systematically perpetrating crime against humanity/ethnic cleansing against them violating all International rules. The situation is further aggravated by lack of good governance. Remote villages where criminals prowl through for next victims, there, children especially girls are increasingly becoming victim of brutal gang rape.While some escape out of the country with their families, some ends up kidnapped or abandoned due to harsh ground realities.These little hearts have no place to go and no body to seek help. The prejudice in domestic law and lack of government support for minority children are increasingly becoming noticeable in the country.
No body was accounted for the massacare of three million human beings in the East Pakistan, which India had the obligation to do so, as was the allied forces in Germany after WWII. Although a war was won but in no time the victory was transformed into colossal shameful defeat. In the history, that war in 1971 would not be remembered more than a third world battle because of the third world standard of the leaderships of the biggest third world country in this earth.
incidences or there are some reasons behind the brutal murders of these three leaders?
The circulatory nature of these illegal migrants inthe border area has resulted in dual citizenship of these migrants.Different political parties at different periods gave illegal
migrants protection due to which local administrations could not
impose strict law and order. Illegal migrants are enrolled in voters
list and used as vote banks. Indian politicians have often therefore,
encouraged Bangladeshi migration. It is now almost impossible to
separate them from India citizens.
The main antisocial activities illegal migrants are involved in
include smuggling, robbery and associated crime, prostitution,
beggary, and trafficking in women and children.
On behalf of 20 million East bengal refugees coming over to India in
different dates and phases since 1947 partition and riots over there
awaiting citizenship and rehabilitation and even minimum human rights
including that of matribhasha and reservation, in different states of India,
submitted herewith some views and suggestions.
Views and comments
1. That is evident from the statement of object and reasons of the bill
given by Shri Lk Adwani, home minister of India that the bill has been
mooted with the main object of preventing grant of Indian Citizenshipto
illegal migrants; grant of dual citizenship to foreigners of Indian origin
and compulsary registration with issue of National identity card for all
citizens of India.
2.That it appears from the insertion illegal migrant in the bill that the
central govt. wants to make all types of illegal migrants including East
Bengal Refugees of minority communities in india, who have mostly been
compelled to come clandesinely , inelligible for registration as Citizenof
india U/S 5(1)(A)/5(1)(C)of the citizenship act, 1955 and therefore liable
to be adopted to their counties of origin.
Although it is an attempt in right direction in dealing with anti social,
subversive and terrorist foreign elements, it will put millions of Indian
patriots and freedom fighters of Eastbengal refugeesof minority communities
in India awaiting citizenship and rehabilititionin alarm,sever grief and
tension. By inserting the word illegalmigrant in section 5 of the existing
citizenship act, 1955,an abortiveattempthas perhaps been madeby the centre
to validate the questionable executive order n.26011/16/71- 1c dt.
29.11.1971 issued by ministry of home affairsafter the creation of
BanglaDesh in 1971. the said circular suddenly withheld, bannedgrant of
citizenship and refugee benefits to all East bengal refugees of minority
communities coming from Bangladesh.
The said circularwas issued immorally, illegally, in breach of trust/pledge
and in violation of fundamental rightsof minorites of Bangladesh/ Pakistan
to come over to india and enjoy the fruits of independence gauaranted bythe
partition and independence documents. It is also violation of international
laws for refugees and the un charter on rights of refugees.
3. that the proposal for compulsary registration of all citizens and issues
of National Identity Card to them with a view to screening out and
identifyingthe foreignersin india is a lofty idea and can be made meaningful
and workable only when Bangladesh/ Pakistani refugees of minority communites
are simultaneously granted National Identity Cards.
Suggetions
Special provisions should be made to safeguard the rigths as well as the
citizenship of those refugees who are resettled all over India after
partition.
The flaw of refugees should be chequed immidiately. and until the atrocities
agnaist minorities beyond border stop it is next to impossible.
Specific provisionbe made in the bill for Bangladeshi/pakistani refugees of
minority communities staying in India continuously for registration as
migrants. So the tortured ones may be saved.
All refugees rehabiliated all over india must be registered as Indian
citizens s they hold permanent addresses and property, ration card and
voting rights for generaations.
Bangladeshi politicians, however, insist the recent spike in violence is more political than religious in nature, and that the rising anti-Indian feeling is fuelled by India's 'bullying tactics' like erecting the fence and its 'baseless charges' against Bangladesh.
In this current environment of highly intense anti Bangladesh and anti refugee tension highlighted in recent terrorist events in India, we Indians tend to lose sight
of other past moments of violence involving the formation of nation
states and ethnic genocides which have altered histories, politics
and cultures inthis part of the world. Communities in Punjab as well Bengal have a divided geography and divided history with painful heritage. The nation has forgotten the partition victims so easily.Events before and after 1947 when two of the largest forced migrations in
the world occurred whose dangerous consequences are still unfolding.
We forgot that the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947 was marked by
the partition of the subcontinent and transfer of populations on the
basis of two major religions – Hinduism and Islam – spelling out
unprecedented violence, expulsion and exodus. 1948 saw the expulsion
of Palestinians in the cause of a Zionist Israel. The Palestinians
currently constitute the largest group of displaced persons
internationally with no right to return, and in the Indian context,
the state of Pakistan again subdivided into another nation state of
Bangladesh, involving massive violence and displacement.
Apart from the longstanding worry of over massive illegal migration from Bangladesh, the main Indian concerns include: rebels from northeast Indian states who operate with impunity from Bangladeshi territory the growing influence and activities of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and Al Qaeda in Dhaka, Rapidly rising fundamentalism and anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh
Increasing cross-border traffic in drugs, arms, women, children, and cattle.The mushrooming madrassas springing up along the border, many funded by Pakistani and Saudi Arabian 'charities'
Repeated skirmishes between India's Border Security Force and the Bangladesh Rifles over disputed territory and the latter's attempts to stop the fencing work being undertaken by India
Dhaka's perpetual refusal to grant transit rights and permission to Indian companies like Tata to set up shop there.
Dhaka meets all these charges with staunch denial. In turn, it accuses India of bullying its smaller neighbour, interfering in its internal affairs, starving it of water and sheltering Bangladeshi criminals.
While depicting the tragedy of the uprooted, we have to keep in mind
the broader issue of restructuring of public and
private social spaces in post-partition Kolkata and West Bengal. We
have discussions, reminiscences and literary works on the re-shaping
of the Bengali middle class Hindu homes as well as the public world
of workplaces and politics, but no documentation is available about those dispalaced persons, rehabilated or non- rehabilated in other parts of this India.
The Population Studies Unit conducted a qualitative survey during
2002-03 on the effects of undocumented migration from Bangladesh to
West Bengal. In this study undocumented migrants are defined as those who have entered West Bengal without valid documents in post-1971 period.Undocumented migration from Bangladesh has contributed to increased fertility and child population in West Bengal due again to
a number of factors:
The study reveals that though undocumented migration from Bangladesh
to West Bengal has been a continuous process, the peak period was
during and after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. Immediately
following Mujibur Rehman?s assassination on 15 August 1975, too,
migration took place extensively. The main reasons for this massive
migration during the period of 1971-80, as discerned from the
multiple responses of different professionals are: liberation war in Bangladesh,
Mujibur's assassination in Bangladesh, political instability in Bangladesh,lack of safety and security for Hindu families mainly due to war,religious issue and communal tension affecting mainly Hindus duringregime of Ziaur Rahman (1975-81).
Economic depression, lack of industrialisation, social insecurity, demographic
explosion, political instability, the domination of religious
fundamentalists in Bangladesh, cultural similarity, and homo-ethnic
climate in West Bengal are the main motivating factors behind the
migration phenomenon.
The continuous inflowof migrants has also aggravated the unemployment problem in the
unorganised informal sector. Deforestation, land grab, trade grab,
illegal occupancy of pavements and railway platforms by undocumented
migrants are creating pressure on natural resources. Pre-existing
slums have also grown out of proportion.
See the site: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook) where the exact population in July 2002 in Bangladesh was shown to be 133,376,684 and religious distributions were: Muslim 83 %, Hindu 16 %, Other 1% (1998%). Quite a large number of Hindu populations, aren't they ? I am not sure if any country or even UN has such comprehensive data about this world, and I never had any doubt or question about their authenticity. The other site: ( http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/modern/hindu_bangla.html), provides statistics on the number of Hindus massacred in the then East Pakistan in 1971, to be exact 2.47 millions. This figure is calculated based on many international investigations, is close to three million as claimed by many peoples including the post independent Government in Bangladesh. Why then this game to downplay the numbers of Hindus in Bangladesh (both inhabitants and those killed in 1971)?
Very often inhuman methods are applied to conduct systematic ethnic cleansing; different approaches are taken for this purpose. Occupation of their properties in the pretext of various laws to force the Hindus to sell their properties at a very cheap price which in turn also forces them to flee the land. Hindu business communities and other professionals are the groups subjected to continuous pressure mainly by the whole Government machinery (you may find some extraordinary exceptions).Quite often Hindu young girls, even minors are kidnapped and forcefully converted and married to Muslims in connivance with security, administrative and judicial machineries. To violet and dishonour Hindu women is also a part of the strategy, as instructed in the Quran (considered as an additional key to the heaven although that is already exclusively granted to the Muslims). Continuous pressure to the Hindu community by dishonouring their women folk is part of the whole strategy ( http://www.janakantha.com October 12, 2002).
One never hears any justice is brought upon those who rape the Hindu women in Bangladesh (many such crimes go unreported because of social implications and instead they prefer to migrate to India). Since the security and administrative apparatus are almost completely devoid of Hindus, these peoples enjoy all opportunity to terrorise the Hindu civilians, by abusing, harassing, raiding their homes, severe torture without any reason, sometimes even selective murder. These are done to generate terror in the hearts of Hindus, to force them to leave their homes, more or less the way the prophet used to do to the infidels (even during the present military operation several Hindus were murdered in the city of Dhaka, quite unusual in terms of number and timing).
The sufferings may not end there in Bangladesh, their last possessions can be taken away even in the Indian side by threatening these helpless and defenceless civilians of all ages to be sent back to Bangladesh. Very often entire families are sent to jails in India (violating International laws. India had even the legal responsibility to evacuate non-Muslims from Pakistan according to the statute of partition /independence in 1947), and continues the endless agony of these human beings.
A very large number of human beings have been subjected to continuous atrocities and crimes are being perpetrated against them during the last 55 years. This is only comparable to what was done to the Jews during WWII. All the three countries, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India are directly involved to this colossal human suffering in the modern history of mankind.
Palash Biswas
Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata-700110, India.
Phone:033-25659551.