Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976)

111th birth anniversary of a rebel poet

Kazi Nazrul Islam was born in a poor Muslim family on this day in 1899 at Churulia village in Bardhwan district of the Indian State of West Bengal. He received religious education at his boyhood and also worked as a Muazzin of a mosque of his locality. He learned of poetry, drama, and literature while he was working with theatrical groups.

Nazrul wrote a large number of poems and songs in his life. His fiery poems had inspired the people to fight against injustice and repression of the then British colonial rule. The fearless voice of the poet also earned him the wrath of the British rulers who had jailed him several times for igniting people's desire for independence.

After independence of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh government gave this great poet Bangladeshi citizenship. He died on August 29, 1976 and was buried in front of Dhaka University central mosque according to his last wish.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

150th birth anniversary of a Bengali polymath

Rabindranath Tagore was India’s ultimate Renaissance man and his influence is still felt in all branches of the arts, particularly in Bengal. He was born in 1861 into the rich and cultivated Tagore family. He was a versatile genius, - a poet, lyricist, novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, choreographer, actor and singer. He is the composer of "Jana Gana Mana" the national anthem of India as well as "Amar Shonar Bangla" the national anthem of Bangladesh. Following the translation of his poem "Gitanjali" into English by William Butler Yeats, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1913 and became Asia’s first Nobel laureate. He was also knighted by the British government, but he returned the honour in protest against the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh. Mahatma Gandhi called him Gurudev (“Great Teacher”). Tagore died in August 1941, but his memory is still deeply revered by Bengalis and his portraits, if not his books, occupy pride of place in nearly all middleclass Bengali homes.