Nirendranath’s centenary celebrations draw to an end
Times of India | 5 January 2025
12 Kolkata: The birth centenary celebration of author Nirendranath Chakravarty (1924-2018) concluded at Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi on Saturday evening, when writers, researchers and book lovers paid their tribute to the ‘Kolkatar Jishu' poet.
An elaborate discussion was held on Nirendranath and his close connection with life in Kolkata in bygone decades. Historian and professor Dipesh Chakraborty delivered a lecture on the poet and his works, discussed the poetic self and social consciousness of Nirendranath, reading out and explaining the imagery in his poems, ‘Kolkatar Jishu' and ‘Jangaley Ek Unmadini', published in 1969 and 1987. Dipesh pointed out that both the poems were set against the turbulent 1960s, with Nirendranath viewing society through the eyes of a destitute child and a fictional character, ‘Amalangshu Chattoraj'. "Kolkatar Jishu appears to me as an epiphany, and the poem upholds the poet's social consciousness. The story of a mad woman and her plight, as described in ‘Jangaler Ek Unmadini', is a true incident experienced by the poet at Bangur Avenue, where he lived in the 1960s," said Dipesh.
Author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, who was present at the event, said, "I have several fond memories with Nirendranath Chakravorty, and today these are flocking to my mind. Had he not been there, I would have perhaps not ventured into writing children's literature."
Nirendranath's family and minister Indranil Sen were also present at the event.
The birth centenary celebrations over the past year included several seminars and panel discussions in his memory.