bangladesh4u

Mohammad Gani , USA


So we find our national Anthem, the basic identity and the spirits, as a sovereign nation has a nebulous root of origin. Visions in Tagore’s “Amar Sonar Bangla” was truly and only intended for the restoration of “United Bengal” in 1906 and never delivered for a separated wing of United Bengal, namely “Bangladesh” as we see today

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25 March 1971, if were a “Big bang” explosion that caused the creation of Bangladesh; then our glorious national Anthem, “Amar Sonar Bangla (desh)” was not any scattered or disintegrated element out of that explosion. This patriotic and beautiful poem of emotional love for our land of all memories, land of anything and everything with valiant spirits has stories behind the story as it became our sacred national Anthem in 1971.

I do not know exactly how and where it was processed to become officially as our national Anthem and whether there was any research or solicitation of public comments before being finalized, my speculation is that it was approved by the provisional “Mujibnagar” Government established in Calcutta few days after 17 April 1971.

We first listened to this patriotic song from the “Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendra” that first proclaimed in a radio message broadcast from a captured station in Chittagong on March 26, 1971. Two days later, the “Voice of Independent Bangladesh” announced that a “Major Zia” would form a new government with himself occupying the “Presidency”. Zia’s self appointment as “President” was considered brash, quickly realized that his action was unpopular, Zia yielded his “office” to the incarcerated Sk. Mujibur Rahman.

Origin of Bangladesh national Anthem: The greatest and the most genius of our times in Bengali literatures and language, Kabi Guru Rabindranath Tagore wrote this beautiful piece, a dulcet wonder in late 1906 after he joined “Swadeshi movement” against Lord Curzon’s plan of two Bengal approach. It also expresses his patriotism, extraordinary love and loyalty to the United Bengal, especially the rural Bengal, the “Gram Bangla”. Tagore was born in 1861 at Jorasanko in Calcutta (West Bengal, India) and at the age of seventeen (1878) he was sent to England for studies. He enrolled at a public school in Brighton, England and later he studied at the University College London but returned to Bengal in 1880 without a degree.

In 1898, Tagore began managing his family’s estates in Shelidah, a region now in Bangladesh. Known as “Zamindar Babu” he traveled across his vast estate in “Gram Bangla” while living out in his family’s barge the “PADMA”. Uncommon natural beauty and everyday lives of common people of “Gram Bangla” attracted Tagore with true love of emotion those he felt deep in his heart and soul. Close touch with the common humanity made him “obsessive and compulsive” towards the natural beauty of the United Bengal and its ordinary people. He loved the splendor of “Gram Bangla”, perhaps for its poverty and imperfection. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature on December 10, 1913.

Early Background & Vision of this poem: British Governor General, Lord George Curzon divided United Bengal into Eastern and Western sectors in 1905 in order to improve administrative control of this huge and populous province. He established a new province called Eastern Bengal and Assam which had its capital at Dhaka.

The new province of West Bengal (Now an Indian Province) had its capital at Calcutta, which also was the capital of British India. Curzon’s decision was fiercely challenged by the educated and largely Hindu upper classes of Calcutta. The Indian National Congress, a Hindu-dominated political organization supported by the Calcutta elite initiated a well-planned campaign (Swadeshi movement) against Curzon; accusing him of trying to adopt a “divide and rule” policy.

Tagore joined them (Swadeshi movement) in 1906 and strongly voiced against the partition of United Bengal. He then also wrote this song (now Bangladesh National Anthem) “Amar Sonar Bangla (desh)” in late 1906 that reflected his true attraction and divine love towards the United Bengal. Later he withdrew himself from “Swadeshi campaign” when the movement turned violent. Thus Tagore was a proud and ardent patriot of “United Bengal” and his patriotic poems and songs have passed into the common heritage of India; like the song “Bharata Bhagya Vidata” is now sung all over India as their national anthem.

Muslim’s view on divided Bengal: In 1906, the Muslim League declared its support for the partition of Bengal and to proclaim its mission as a political association to protect and advance the political rights and interests of the Muslims of India. They initially supported the British government and condemned the “Swadeshi movement”.

During the next few years, the long neglected and predominantly Muslim eastern region of Bengal made significant progress in education and communications. Many Muslims in East Bengal viewed the partition as initial recognition of their cultural and political separation from the Hindu majority population. Muslims generally favored the partition of Bengal but could not compete with the politically more established and financially powerful Hindus.

For strategic reasons the British voided the partition of Bengal in 1912, a decision that caused estrangement between the Muslims and Hindus. The reunited province was reconstituted and the capital of India was moved from Calcutta to the New Delhi. This reunion of divided Bengal was perceived by Muslims as a British accommodation to Hindu pressures. And therefore, Tagore’s dream “the United Bengal” survived until mid-August 1947.

Bangladesh; Vision of independence: Sk. Mujibur Rahman announced (1966) his controversial six-point political and economic program for East Pakistani provincial autonomy. President Ayub Khan interpreted Mujib’s demands as tantamount to a call for independence. After pro-Mujib supporters rioted in a general strike in Dhaka, the government arrested Mujib in January 1968. On March 25, 1969 Ayub resigned and handed over the administration to the commander in Chief General A.M Yahya Khan who awarded East Pakistan 162 seats out of the 300-member National Assembly.

Awami League won all but 2 of the 162 seats allotted for East Pakistan in the National Assembly. Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party came in a poor second nationally, winning 81 out of the 138 of West Pakistani seats in the National Assembly. The Awami League’s electoral victory promised it control of the Government, with Mujib as the country’s prime minister but the inaugural Assembly never met. Talks among Yahya, Muhib and Bhutto collapsed and Yahya decided to “solve” the problem of East Pakistan by repression. On the evening of March 25, 1971 he flew back to Islamabad.

The military crackdown in East Pakistan began the same night. Within hours a wholesale slaughter had commenced in Dhaka with the heaviest attacks concentrated on the Dhaka University and the Hindu area of the old town.. During the entire nine-month liberation struggle more than 1 million people died at the hands of the Pakistani Army.

Pakistani Army surrendered on 16, 1971 and the representatives of the Bangladeshi Government and the Mukti Bahini were absent from the ceremony of surrender. This new nation considered this ceremony insulting and caused consternation in Dacca (Dhaka) and in New Delhi. The birth of a new nation BANGLADESH, very different from Tagore’s dream of the “United Bengal” began.....

So we find our national Anthem, the basic identity and the spirits, as a sovereign nation has a nebulous root of origin. Visions in Tagore’s “Amar Sonar Bangla” was truly and only intended for the restoration of “United Bengal” in 1906 and never delivered for a separated wing of United Bengal, namely “Bangladesh” as we see today. With due affirmation of all respects, spirits and love for our founding fathers, this nation someday may need to re-evaluate the nexus of visions between the “United Bengal” and “Bangladesh” and find the true meaning, origin and appropriateness of adopting this archaic song as our national anthem!

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Mohammad Gani writes from USA , His e mail : mgani69@gmail.com
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(Ref: US Library of Congress and thanx to my friend Rezaul Karim).