Nazrul, a 22-year-old man, wrote the blood-soaked ‘rebel’ poem on the night of the last week of December 1921, when anti-colonial sentiments and aspirations for independence took root after the First World War. The poem was first published in Bijli on 8 January 1922. This poem has inspired Bengalis in many movements and struggles in the last one hundred years. The ‘Rebel Poetry Centenary Celebration Committee’ has taken initiative to organize various programs at home and abroad on the occasion of the centenary of ‘Rebel’.
The year-long program was inaugurated on Friday morning at the Kabir Samadhi premises to celebrate the ‘Centenary of Rebel Poetry’. Convener of the Centenary Celebration Committee Muhammad Ataullah Khan presided over the function and spoke on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Khilkhil Kazi said, “This poem has taught us to raise our heads. Poet Nazrul woke up the sleeping Bengalis with this ‘rebel’ poem. He wrote such poems at the age of twenty-one. “
Khilkhil Kazi said about the contribution of the poem ‘Rebel’ in the freedom movement, ‘The poet composed this wonderful poem with a wooden pencil in one night. The youth of that time was agitated through this poem, young Swadeshi movement has joined in groups. At that time, this ‘rebellious’ poem gave courage to all Bengalis to fight against oppression, injustice and superstition. “The way the rebels inspired everyone in the anti-British movement continues to inspire us today.”
Referring to ‘Rebel Poetry for All Times and All Times’, he said, “We still want to carry the ‘Rebel’ on our shoulders in the fight against all the racism and ethnic strife in the world today. We will never forget the Rebel. It is a timeless poem.” “As long as there are Bengalis, there is struggle, there are oppressed and oppressed people, there are oppressed people, the poem ‘Rebel’ will be with us.”
Speaking on the occasion, Ataullah Khan said, “This poem is not just a poem, it shook the British. This poem played a role in the creation of forty-seven to seventy-one. This poem is an independent Bangladesh, an independent nation. Therefore, for the promotion and practice of this poem, the ‘Centenary Celebration Committee of Rebel Poetry’ has made preparations to organize year-round programs in the country and abroad.
The program was inaugurated by playing ‘Ran Sangeet’ composed by the poet at the tomb of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. After that, Reazul Hossain Titu recited the poem ‘Rebel’. A group of children and teenagers recited ‘Srishtisukher Ullase’.
Earlier, various socio-cultural organizations including ‘Rebel Poetry Centenary Celebration Committee’, Shilpabritta, Jatiya Jago Nari Foundation, Tarkabagish Sahitya Parishad paid homage to the poet with flowers. Besides, after paying homage at the grave of the poet of ‘Dream Bangladesh’, Nazrul Mancha of Bangla Academy recited the poem ‘Vidrohi’.
