An icon of our freedom

Last Friday morning we were all waiting at the Central Shaheed Minar for him to come, as we used to do on innumerable occasions over the last four decades. He would come here to inaugurate, or preside over, a function or to recite his poems. This time, too, he came as scheduled, with closed eyes which he will never open again to see the beauty of his beloved country and his beloved people. He came, lifeless, borne on the shoulders of his friends and admirers. It was our greatest modern poet Shamsur Rahman's last visit to the Shaheed Minar.

We do have some icons of our freedom like our national flag, our national anthem or Bangabandhu. Shamsur Rahman, too, became one of these icons through his immortal poems like 'Swadhinata Tumi' or 'Tomake Pawar Jonye,' 'Hey Swadhinata' and his courageous and inspiring role during all progressive movements in independent Bangladesh. He was not a freedom fighter, in the strict sense of the term, but he was more than that. His poems written during the liberation war of Bangladesh inspired the freedom fighters. He turned into an institution which represented the freedom struggle, the fight against communalism, or fundamentalism, and the aspiration for an exploitation free peaceful Bangladesh.

The greatness of Shamsur Rahman lies not only in his ability to write extraordinary poems based on aesthetics, human values or relationships between individuals, but also in his involvement in all the progressive movements of our country, which made him highly respected and loved. He was vocal, in own inimitable way, against all oppressions and injustices. He would always rise to the occasion, compose a poem or come to the streets in protest. His immortal poems on our Language Movement, mass upsurge of 1969, Liberation War, and the like, have crossed the barriers of time to become classics which will inspire the readers from generation to generation. As a poet he will be ranked with Rabindranath, Nazrul and Jibanananda in Bengali literature.

For cultural activists like us, Shamsur Rahman was a big shelter. With his passing away, we have become like orphans. As if a cyclone had uprooted the huge shade which was always there over us. We can fondly remember his active role from the early days of our Shammilito Shangskritic Jote. It was the custom, in the early years, that the front ranking poets would recite their poems on the inaugural day of our Ekushey February programmes. Obviously, Shamsur Rahman was the main attraction of that soiree. He was the inspiring figure behind the Jatiyo Kabita Parishad which came into existence during the autocratic regime of General Ershad who could successfully bribe some of our poets to give him a humane face. From that very day, poetry in Bangladesh got a new dimension. It became a sharp weapon in the fight against the oppressive forces and establish the rights of common people. The tradition Shamsur Rahman set still goes on, and will continue even in his absence. Shamsur Rahman's resignation from the post of Editor of Dainik Bangla was a big boost to the movement against the autocratic regime.

On a number of occasions, Shammilito Shangskritic Jote, Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation and many other socio-cultural organizations invited him to inaugurate, or preside over, many events. When many respected figures of our society failed to maintain their dignity and ideology and became disputed, Shamsur Rahman was the obvious choice. Today we feel guilty when we recollect that he had to attend many functions, in spite of his failing health, at the insistence of the organizers. Some one sitting next to him on the dais helping him with eye-drops was a familiar sight. In spite of his fragile health he was out and out a courageous person.

Real greatness makes a man, or woman, humble and polite. Shamsur Rahman was a living example of this statement. Anyone could approach him, could come close enough to him to him to call him 'Rahman Bhai'. His quiet and charming personality would move anyone around him. He would always speak the truth, and never tried to utter words to win the favour of powerful people. I had the opportunity to be present on a few occasions when most of the people were speaking what the then Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, would be pleased to hear. Shamsur Rahman's was the lone voice speaking the hard truth. Sheikh Hasina, too, had the grace to accept his criticism.

The poet, our conscious keeper, is dead. When his presence is absolutely necessary at this critical time of our national history, he will not be here to guide us, or kindle the brave spirit in us. But his immortal poems will inspire us for ages to come. Shamsur Rahman's memory will last as long as Bengali literature and culture will live.

Rahman Bhai, could you feel on Friday how much people love you, adore you, respect you? We have not seen, in the recent past, such a spontaneous presence of thousands of admirers to pay their last respects to their beloved poet. The State failed to honour you in your last journey, but the people did not.

We will fail in our duties if we don't express our gratitude to Tia, the poet's daughter-in-law. She was more than his daughter taking care of him all these years. The poet felt assured when Tia was around him. May god bless her for her good deeds!

Shamsur Rahman is dead. Long live his memory.

The author is a theatre personality