Kazi Nazrul Islam's Journalism
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Kazi Nazrul Islam's Journalism
Non FictionCelebrated as the national poet of Bangladesh and fondly commemorated in India as the 'Rebel Poet', Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899–1976) is widely known for his poetry and music, although his political philosophy and anti-colonial revolutionary sentiments are best expressed in his journalistic writings.
Nazrul's journalistic career spans across three key newspapers: Nabajug, Dhumketu and Langol. Editorials in Nabajug addressed a diverse range of subjects, including untouchability, racial discrimination, power structure and the importance of communal harmony. Dhumketu, perhaps the most significant amongst Nazrul's revolutionary contributions, became a testimonial to the reclamation of India's complete freedom, which eventually proved perilous for Nazrul. Langol, the mouthpiece of the Labour Swaraj Party, was the first Bengali paper specifically for and by the working class. It provided voice to the labourers and peasants, speaking self-reflexively about the nation's agro-economy.
Kazi Nazrul Islam's Journalism brings together for the first time in English Nazrul's editorials published in the colonial Indian subcontinent and showcases Nazrul's far-reaching views on subjects close to his heart. By critically examining these essays, Arka Deb establishes Nazrul's relevance in the current times.
Arka Deb is the editor in chief of inscript.me. He has worked as a senior journalist at CNN-News18, Asianet News and Anandabazar Patrika. His interests include archival projects, particularly on art, culture and current affairs. Recently, Arka was awarded a fellowship by the Nazrul Centre for Social and Cultural Studies, Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol, India, for a project that came to fruition in the form of this book. Arka has authored and edited several books, including Facebook : Mukh o Mukhosh (2021), which he co-authored with renowned journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Cyril Sam. Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Journalism is a collection of brief essays that illustrates the present state of Indian politics and the machineries behind the spread of misinformation and disinformation through social media for vested interests at the individual, social and governmental levels. His other books are Tushar (2016; 2022), an anthology on the 1970s famous Bengali poet Tushar Roy; Ganikasambad (2020; 2022), a sociocultural depiction of modern Bengali brothels; Kathabarta (2019), a collection of intriguing dialogues between the maestros of Bengali art and culture spanning over the last century; and Ashukhi Somoyer Brittanto (2022), a collection of essays on sociopolitical trends criticising the state apparatus. His work has been appreciated by the Bengali intelligentsia as well as acclaimed by literary critics.
