Poet Sufia Kamal’s 14th anniversary of death will be observed today.
One of the leading female poets of the country Sufia Kamal began writing as early as the late 1920s, when it was almost beyond imagination that a Bengali Muslim woman would write poems.
When Muslim woman were not allowed to take part in the mainstream education, the adamant poet was determined to pursue her education for which she still is the source of inspiration to many women to date.
Sufia Kamal also worked for the women’s empowerment and dedicated most of her time in social works.
She was on the forefront with her indomitable courage in all the struggles that the country faced in 1947, 1952, 1961, 1969, 1971 and in 1990.
She was also successful organiser of leading socio-cultural organisations like Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Chhayanaut and others.
For her contributions as an activist and a poet, Sufia Kamal was conferred to many prestigious awards. Among them are the Independence Day Award, Ekushey Padak, Bangla Acdemy Award, Lenin Centenary Jubilee Medal and Czechoslovakia Medal.
Born into a landowning conservative Muslim family in Barisal in 1911, Sufia Kamal received education at home.
One thing was, however, key to Sufia Kamal’s emergence as a poet and social worker is her meeting with Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain in 1918. Sufia Kamal was also inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and the National Poet of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Her first poem Basanti was published in Saogat in 1926. Her first collection of poems Sanjher Maya (Evening Enchantment) was published in 1938 with a foreword by Kazi Nazrul Islam who had great affection for Sufia Kamal.
Poems of her other collections such as Mrittikar Ghran, Ekatturer Diary, Benibinyas Samay To Ar Nei, Ekale Amader Kal demonstrate her skills as both romantic and socially conscious poet.
As a poet, she was not only a visionary but also inspired her fellows to overcome odds of all sorts.
‘I think today’s female poets are a legacy of Sufia Kamal without whose presence the literary scenario would not be as it is now,’ said poet Asad Chowdhury.
Besides being a leading poet, she was also a social reformer who upheld women’s cause throughout her life, works and career. Sufia Kamal was and still is a source of inspiration and courage.
‘When I remember Sufia Kamal, spontaneously Bertolt Brecht’s popular mother character of Mother Courage flashes before my eyes,’ eminent poet-playwright Syed Shamsul Haque told New Age.
‘She embodies courage, and she needs to be evaluated as a whole because her literary works and social works are inseparable,’ Haque added.
Professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury likened Sufia Kamal with Begum Rokeya. ‘She was always active in the country’s cultural and social causes. Her participation in literature, social and woman causes makes her an unforgettable figure for us,’ said Serajul Islam Choudhury.
Like previous years, Chhayanaut will organise a commemorative programme on Saturday to observe the death anniversary of Sufia Kamal.
‘She was the first chairperson of Chhayanaut and headed it till her death. She was an idol of progressive thought, and was deeply engaged with Chhayanaut,’ Khairul Anam Shakil, general secretary of Chhayanaut, told New Age.
-With New Age input
