133 RD BIRTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF RASH BEHARI BOSE AT MAHABODHI SOCIETY [ 25 MAY, 1886 -- 25 MAY, 2019 ]
HOME FROM HOMAGE
Just returned from the Mahabodhi Society where the great spirit of the redoubtable revolutionary loomed large on the proceedings to make with his blessings a grand success of the commemorative programme on the occasion of his 133rd birth anniversary.
THE OCTOGENARIAN WHO HAD ONCE BEEN WITH BHAGAWANJI
Sri Bijoy Nag presided over the proceedings and in a brief impassioned speech, in response to a question on Bhagawanji's having been allegedly a PTSD patient and a schizophrenic personality at that, busted the theory with reverential emotion effusing that left the discerning audience in awe of the seminal personality of Netaji.
Q & A
Dr. Madhusudan Pal took charge of the Q & A Session as he responded many a time to a query without mincing words and sparing none of the miscreants who have over 70 years distorted and destroyed the narrative of the revolutionary freedom struggle where our hero of the day was the stellar being who wielded his force across the entire first half of the 20th century spanning two world wars and the inter-war years that eventually brought us freedom. Prof. Nandalal Chakraborty also answered questions from the audience but we were not privileged to hear him through for any length of time owing to paucity of the same.
FORGER OF ASIAN UNITY
Dr. Rama Prasad Bandopadhyay, a management expert, also delighted the audience with his talk on Rash Behari's contribution to the resurgence of a united Asia decades after his death and his contribution to the rise of Indonesia as a free country.
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
Dr. Shankar Kumar Chatterjee spoke on the events of Rash Behari Bose's life, giving a chronological account of it to bring the somewhat straying discourse to the mainstream again.
YOUNG AUTHOR
A young author, merely 24 years of age, Soumyabroto Dasgupta, enthralled us all with his talk on Rashbehari in Japan. Incidentally, he has recently published his book in Bengali entitled 'Japan ey Rash Behari' which is on sale right now. I propose to purchase a copy of it so impressed was I with his brief but captivating speech.
Dr. Pabitra Kumar Gupta had earlier spoken on the seminal figures of the early days of the freedom struggle wherein he had mentioned the roles of Tagore, Nazrul and Rash Behari.
SONGS
Smt. Sanjukta Bhaduri had set up the mood for the afternoon's events with three songs. The first one was the Shvetashvatar Upanishad shloka 'Shrinvantu vishve' and its Bengali version composed by Tagore, 'Shono shono suroloko bashi'. The second song was Tagore's 'O amar desher maati'. She concluded with a Nazrul 'Durgamo giri kantar maru'.
VOLCANIC WORDS
Dr. Madhusudan Pal was at his best today with his impassioned outbursts at the perpetrators of the perversion of the history of the freedom struggle. He was unsparing in his criticism of the polity that has ever betrayed the revolutionary cause in India and literally launched a tirade against the traitors to the nation wherein he spared neither messiah nor man. His unrelenting verbal assault, never with acrimony but with the spirit of the patriot who took his nation's plight to heart and would not rest till he had unburdened his agony in communicating it to his assembled brethren, did us all proud. His forthright body language and volcanic words lit up the afternoon and gave it the right revolutionary fervour which otherwise would have been sadly missing despite the erudition of the lectures before and after.
REFRESHMENTS
There was a midway recess for lunch as we were all served sumptuous fried rice with potato curry, and tea was served to all after the programme got over.
SUBLIMITY
With the national flag fluttering on both sides of the speaker's desk and the imposing photograph of Rash Behari Bose making its strange spiritual presence felt, this afternoon saw us not so much paying homage to the hero but in us being lifted up to an ethereal realm by his grace. This may have been a personal experience for I certainly cannot vouch for all but, I am sure, all will agree that it was a memorable afternoon spent ruminating the revolutionary who had spent his whole life brooding on our well-being which then lay in the womb of impregnated but undelivered history.
A CRITICISM
A final word and that, however, must be by way of due criticism and it is this. The young Turks, who did serve all very well and in every possible way throughout the programme, were very talkative throughout, almost to the point of flouting all norms of civility that ought to obtain during such a programme, and it was very much regrettable indeed. Not only that, taking the cue from them, it seems, others, much more advanced in age, also gave vent to their dialogues and discussions while the speakers on the dais spoke and this included even the professors gathered who would be part of the panel that would hold the attention of the audience. It seemed that we do not quite deserve to hold such commemorative meetings in the absence of fundamental civility that ought to characterise the polity of an emerging free nation. I regretfully say that men behaved today, despite Rash Behari, as a gentlemanly mob that they have been accustomed to being for God knows how long. This is a matter of serious concern and I would draw the attention of the organisers to this effect and blame them squarely for this great transgression of civic norms for they were most culpable to this offence.
GRATITUDE TO A FRIEND
However, all things said and done, it was all due to Dr. Shankar Kumar Chatterjee's magnanimity in allowing me passage to and fro in his self-driven car that made it possible for me to enjoy this programme so well for there was neither weariness of travel attending it nor the monotony of lonesomeness en route either way. The heat could be avoided in an air-conditioned car and his luminous company gave the added fillip to my already boosted mood anticipating the day's events. No thankfulness will be enough for all his graciousness today and I must desist from offering such.
May God bless all and may the revolutionaries live in us as beacons in this dark night of our seafaring through uncharted terrain but to the eventual destination of India's glory and true freedom ! Vande Mataram ! Jai Hind !
Written by Sugata Bose
HOME FROM HOMAGE
Just returned from the Mahabodhi Society where the great spirit of the redoubtable revolutionary loomed large on the proceedings to make with his blessings a grand success of the commemorative programme on the occasion of his 133rd birth anniversary.
THE OCTOGENARIAN WHO HAD ONCE BEEN WITH BHAGAWANJI
Sri Bijoy Nag presided over the proceedings and in a brief impassioned speech, in response to a question on Bhagawanji's having been allegedly a PTSD patient and a schizophrenic personality at that, busted the theory with reverential emotion effusing that left the discerning audience in awe of the seminal personality of Netaji.
Q & A
Dr. Madhusudan Pal took charge of the Q & A Session as he responded many a time to a query without mincing words and sparing none of the miscreants who have over 70 years distorted and destroyed the narrative of the revolutionary freedom struggle where our hero of the day was the stellar being who wielded his force across the entire first half of the 20th century spanning two world wars and the inter-war years that eventually brought us freedom. Prof. Nandalal Chakraborty also answered questions from the audience but we were not privileged to hear him through for any length of time owing to paucity of the same.
FORGER OF ASIAN UNITY
Dr. Rama Prasad Bandopadhyay, a management expert, also delighted the audience with his talk on Rash Behari's contribution to the resurgence of a united Asia decades after his death and his contribution to the rise of Indonesia as a free country.
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
Dr. Shankar Kumar Chatterjee spoke on the events of Rash Behari Bose's life, giving a chronological account of it to bring the somewhat straying discourse to the mainstream again.
YOUNG AUTHOR
A young author, merely 24 years of age, Soumyabroto Dasgupta, enthralled us all with his talk on Rashbehari in Japan. Incidentally, he has recently published his book in Bengali entitled 'Japan ey Rash Behari' which is on sale right now. I propose to purchase a copy of it so impressed was I with his brief but captivating speech.
Dr. Pabitra Kumar Gupta had earlier spoken on the seminal figures of the early days of the freedom struggle wherein he had mentioned the roles of Tagore, Nazrul and Rash Behari.
SONGS
Smt. Sanjukta Bhaduri had set up the mood for the afternoon's events with three songs. The first one was the Shvetashvatar Upanishad shloka 'Shrinvantu vishve' and its Bengali version composed by Tagore, 'Shono shono suroloko bashi'. The second song was Tagore's 'O amar desher maati'. She concluded with a Nazrul 'Durgamo giri kantar maru'.
VOLCANIC WORDS
Dr. Madhusudan Pal was at his best today with his impassioned outbursts at the perpetrators of the perversion of the history of the freedom struggle. He was unsparing in his criticism of the polity that has ever betrayed the revolutionary cause in India and literally launched a tirade against the traitors to the nation wherein he spared neither messiah nor man. His unrelenting verbal assault, never with acrimony but with the spirit of the patriot who took his nation's plight to heart and would not rest till he had unburdened his agony in communicating it to his assembled brethren, did us all proud. His forthright body language and volcanic words lit up the afternoon and gave it the right revolutionary fervour which otherwise would have been sadly missing despite the erudition of the lectures before and after.
REFRESHMENTS
There was a midway recess for lunch as we were all served sumptuous fried rice with potato curry, and tea was served to all after the programme got over.
SUBLIMITY
With the national flag fluttering on both sides of the speaker's desk and the imposing photograph of Rash Behari Bose making its strange spiritual presence felt, this afternoon saw us not so much paying homage to the hero but in us being lifted up to an ethereal realm by his grace. This may have been a personal experience for I certainly cannot vouch for all but, I am sure, all will agree that it was a memorable afternoon spent ruminating the revolutionary who had spent his whole life brooding on our well-being which then lay in the womb of impregnated but undelivered history.
A CRITICISM
A final word and that, however, must be by way of due criticism and it is this. The young Turks, who did serve all very well and in every possible way throughout the programme, were very talkative throughout, almost to the point of flouting all norms of civility that ought to obtain during such a programme, and it was very much regrettable indeed. Not only that, taking the cue from them, it seems, others, much more advanced in age, also gave vent to their dialogues and discussions while the speakers on the dais spoke and this included even the professors gathered who would be part of the panel that would hold the attention of the audience. It seemed that we do not quite deserve to hold such commemorative meetings in the absence of fundamental civility that ought to characterise the polity of an emerging free nation. I regretfully say that men behaved today, despite Rash Behari, as a gentlemanly mob that they have been accustomed to being for God knows how long. This is a matter of serious concern and I would draw the attention of the organisers to this effect and blame them squarely for this great transgression of civic norms for they were most culpable to this offence.
GRATITUDE TO A FRIEND
However, all things said and done, it was all due to Dr. Shankar Kumar Chatterjee's magnanimity in allowing me passage to and fro in his self-driven car that made it possible for me to enjoy this programme so well for there was neither weariness of travel attending it nor the monotony of lonesomeness en route either way. The heat could be avoided in an air-conditioned car and his luminous company gave the added fillip to my already boosted mood anticipating the day's events. No thankfulness will be enough for all his graciousness today and I must desist from offering such.
May God bless all and may the revolutionaries live in us as beacons in this dark night of our seafaring through uncharted terrain but to the eventual destination of India's glory and true freedom ! Vande Mataram ! Jai Hind !
Written by Sugata Bose
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