Kolkata: Authors, artists, researchers and book lovers gathered at Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi on Saturday to mark the birth centenary of Nirendranath Chakravarty, “the last emblem of Bengali Renaissance”.
“Niren-da left us physically but he lives on with his sublime creations. I congratulate the poet Nirendranath, who is immortal, on his centenary and pay homage to the person, who is no more.
I had a close association with him and he shaped my career,” said author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, as he addressed the audience, which included painter Shuvaprasanna, researcher Madhusree Sen Sanyal, author Binata Roy Chowdhury and the poet’s family.
The panel discussion centred around Nirendranath as a ‘social poet’, whose works, like ‘Kolkatar Jishu’, held a mirror to society. Shuvaprasanna said, “His poetry presents pictures of society and the time he belonged to. He is the last emblem of Bengali Renaissance.”
Nirendranath was the third president of Akademi from 2003 to 2011. Suvamoy Mondal of Akademi recounted, “Everything he said used to be laced with a profound sense of humour.”
Among the poet’s family present was Alapan Bandyopadhyay, his son-in-law. “He was a guardian to me and his teachings helped me move ahead in life. Along with my wife, I have compiled a book with articles published on him during his lifetime and after his death,” said Bandyopadhyay, chief adviser to CM Mamata Banerjee.
Nirendranath’s son Krishnarup recited two poems that were composed during his childhood, at a time, when they lived in a rented house in Tala. “The curtains on my father’s birth centenary celebrations will come down with a lecture by professor Dipesh Chakraborty in Jan,” he announced.