Nazrul Memorial Centres could be cultural hubs

Two picturesque “Nazrul Smriti Kendra” (memorial centres) , established at Kazir Shimla and Namapara of Darirampur in Trishal in memory of Nazrul, could well be beautiful cultural hubs, However  both  have been neglected.

According to insiders, visitors are reluctant to revisit the centres as no new Nazrul memorabilia has been added since their establishment in 2003. The memorabilia at the centres include rare gramophones and records released by His Masters Voice, hand written manuscripts of the poet in Bengali, English, Hindi and Urdu, some photographs of the poet and his family members and a couch.

The memorial centres are also afflicted by a shortage of staff.

The libraries at the centres have not been expanded with books by Nazrul and other writers. Three daily newspapers including two at Namapara centres reveal the poor condition of the library, said Kazi Sumaiya Zaman, a ninth grade student of Kazir Shimla.

The number of visitors has increased in recent days but we cannot keep them engaged with such few publications at the centers, said Md Rusel Hossain, librarian at Kazir Shimla centre.

“If the concerned authorities took right steps, the centres could be a hub for cultural activities and Nazrul artistes,” said Arindam Bhattachayya, principal of Shatrio Sangeet Kala Kendra in Mymensingh.

“As Mymensingh has upgraded as a division, the importance of the centres has increased and they can be developed as a cultural hub for Mymensingh region, a region enriched with folk and traditional culture for centuries,” said the classical maestro.

An official of Nazrul Institute in Dhaka on condition of anonymity said that due to financial constraints the authorities are unable to upgrade the centres.

There is much Nazrul memorabilia housed at National Museum and the centres could be enriched through coordination between Nazrul Institute and National Museum authorities, the official informed.

Both the centers could also be ideal institutions for learning classical music and Nazrul Sangeet, said the official. Meanwhile, a year-long training course on “Nazrul's Shudhha Sur and Bani” ( authentic tune and lyrics) by Nazrul Institute began at Namapara center three months ago and around 50 students  have enlisted so far, said Akhtaruzzaman Mondol of Namapara centre.