Literary Uppsala …

Speaking of human rights, tolerance and road to democracy

by Anisur Rahman

So, what's the difference between a democracy and autocracy? Sheikh Hasina’s or or Khaleda Zia’s government and military controlled one in Bangladesh? How does democracy's patter rate alongside autocracy's? What is the meaning of human rights in my country? What is tolerance? And, what is our road to democracy?

These are the pointers connecting the deliberation made by Swedish writer, politician and member in European Parliament Cecilia Wikström dated June 23 at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, Dhaka University.

Let’s look into those and how they exist in Bangladesh aftermath of the end of a military controlled autocratic caretaker administration through parliamentary elections in December 2008. Now one can see electoral democracy is functioning. This is the condition that helps politicians in sharing powers in politics as well as administration. That is not all. Democracy means to me equal access to every existing right in the country ensuring transparency and accountability having extreme detachment from corruption. It can easily be said there is no equality in society in Bangladesh. Administration is not so transparent as we expect in our dreaming democracy. Accountability is not in practice.

Parliament is not functioning as we expect in parliamentary democracy. Both ruling coalition and opposition alliance are responsible for this. Advisers to PM are in exercise of executive power having no accountability and transparency. PM’s adviser on education and social affairs Dr Alauddin Ahmed invited controversies and was over active beyond his jurisdiction over the issue of monthly payment order program of education ministry. The other adviser HT Imam interfered in ministry’s function notably at law ministry.

Ministers concerned are nervous in taking decision. Minister for food and disaster management Dr Abdur Razzak has been failed to come up with help to save the Aila victims on the coastal areas. On the other hand, he is alleged for having bosom relation with militant’s patronizer Jamaat-Islami leader and principal of Madhupur College Montaz Ali.

Media is not free. Journalists are not safe either from militancy sometimes from power corridors. Two newspaper and a television channel have been shut down. Government should come up with the help of survival of those media houses. If there was any legal weakness, that could be solved in court. This is not good sign to close down of media houses, that created unemployment, fear of investment in media industry, feeling of job insecurity. That will definitely disturb the road to democracy.

Justice is denied to many. Notably ethnic minority community Garo leader Cholesh Richil was killed in 2007 by military. No case has yet been filed against the culprit. No initiative has been taken to investigate the killing.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has killed more than six hundred people since its foundation in 2004. It was expected the government would dissolve this notorious force and punish the responsible elements. Rather government is still allowing this force to kill people ensuring legal immunity.

Against this backdrop, despite seeing good signs of electoral democracy aftermath of successful election in Chittagong City Corporation, I would like to say, the country is on the road to democracy, but does not follow the road signals always. That is the concern, a big concern.

It seems government is serious to try the war criminals in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. Without functional democracy, accountable administration, transparency in governance, controlling political offences by the ruling party elements, freeing from extortion, grabbing and corruption, it will not be easy to try the war criminals who are enjoying strong international network and financial supports.

Independent Human Rights Commission seems meaningless to me when we see poor workers in garment factories are fighting for getting their reasonable minimum wage. It is really shame when we know a worker gets some 1600 BDT (equivalent to nearly 23 US dollar) per month. The corrupt dishonest owners are cheating with them. Police are harassing them. It must have an end. This is one strong irony against the human rights commission. It is alarming that one member in the newly formed commission is alleged for rape and abuse. A committee at Dhaka University is investigating the allegation.

Political tolerance is still questionable. Ruling party’s students’ wing is not allowing the entry of opposition party’s student leaders to Dhaka University. On the other hand, the ruling party student elements are in practice of grabbing and extortion. A ruling party MP Aslamul Haq is trying to make a shaky deal to open a commercial entertainment outlet at Dhaka Zoo in Mirpur zone. It must not be allowed.

In fine, I hope one day, Bangladesh will succeed to try war criminals maintaining transparency. There will be promoted all values for universal human rights. There will be tolerance and respect for alternate opinions. Right to freedom of expression will be guaranteed.

Dreaming road to democracy will be smooth as such democracy in practice in Cecilia Wikström’s country Sweden. Her speech will inspire the young students and academics at Dhaka University to linger their dreams for democracy and universal values in life. Everything will mostly depend on the success of current administration led by Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh. Let’s hope.#


CAPTION

European Parliament Member and Swedish writer Cecilia Wikström speaking on "Human Rights, Tolerance and Road to Democracy" at a function organized by the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, Dhaka University on 23 June 2010. The function was presided over by Professor Muhammad Samad, Director, ISWR, Dhaka University.

Projection of history in poetry

by Anisur Rahman

The term ‘projection’ mostly familiar in the world of cinema where it refers to ‘displaying of an image by devices such as: movie projector, video projector, overhead projector, slide projector and camera obscura’.

The poets do the same in poetry reflecting on life, history and times. Metaphors and similes along with other poetic elements are poets’ ultimate resort to do so. Historical projection or the display of history or presence of history is the ancient practice in poetry. History or historical incidents were dominating subject matters in early poetry, particularly in epic poetry. If we simply note some master epics in this regard we will find the facts.

In reviewing the projection of history in poetry, let’s have a look over Greek poet Homer’s two epics: Iliad and Odyssey. It is worth mentioning that each of these writings involves strong geographic, historic and political symbolism. They can be seen as descriptive pictures of life and warfare in the Bronze Age and the illustrated plans of real journeys. Thus, each one develops a philosophical view of the world, which makes it possible to show the historic light in the form of poetry as well.

One of the most important literary works of ancient India, the Ramayana has had a profound impact on art and culture in the Indian subcontinent and South Asia.

The ancient Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, also termed ‘history’ or Mahākāvya (Great Compositions), refer to epic poems that form a canon of Hindu scripture. Hero-worship was and is a central aspect of Indian culture, and thus readily lent itself to a literary tradition that abounded in epic poetry and literature. On the other hand, The Puranas, a massive collection of verse-form histories of India's many Hindu gods and goddesses, followed in this tradition.

Shahnamé – ‘The Book of Kings’, is an enormous poetic opus written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 AD. It is the national epic of the Persian-speaking world. The Shahnameh tells the mythical and historical past of greater Iran from the creation of the world up until the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. It is to be noted that this voluminous work, regarded by Persian speakers as a literary masterpiece, also reflects Persia's history, cultural values, ancient religion (Zoroastrianism), and profound sense of ethno-national history of Iran.

Novel is playing the major role projecting the history these days. In spite of that modern poets do display historical facts, mythological references in the space of sensitivities and spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. When a poet these days writes a poem addressing or protesting the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and so, this will be a projection of contemporary history in poetry.

Allen Ginsberg’s (1926-1997) many a poem is reflections on contemporary political development. In this regard, his poem ‘September on Jessore Road’ is notable here. He wrote it depicting on the mass killing by the Pakistani occupation army during Bangladesh’s war of liberation in 1971. Here follow last few lines from 152-lined poem:

‘How many fathers in woe
How many sons nowhere to go?
How many daughters nothing to eat?
How many uncles with swollen sick feet?

Millions of babies in pain
Millions of mothers in rain
Millions of brothers in woe
Millions of children nowhere to go’

Norwegian poet Henrik Ibsen’s (1828-1926) poems are considered to be the bonsai presentation of Norway’s history, geography and life. One can know Chile much reading Pablo Neruda’s poems. Same can be in case of Rabindranath Tagore (1961-1941) and Shamsur Rahman (1929-2006). One can know much about the life during the colonial Bengal (West Bengal and Bangladesh), reading Tagore’s poems. On the other hand, one can know post-1947, Bangladesh reading Shamsur Rahman’s poetry. These are honest projection of history in poetry.

Though novels are occupying the major tasks in projection of history, poetry is not away from it at all. Poetry is an individual poet’s personal politics. This politics refers to life and time he is leading and passing. This reality always gets back a poet to history of his own way of looking into. Poetry has its particular ways of depicting history. Chinese poet Mao Zedong (1893- 1976) depicted his political beliefs and historical truths in his poems to encourage his party workers.

There are thousands of examples in early poetry in almost every ethnic language. The poems were written on certain purpose, particularly for depicting the past national glories and or projecting their national heroes or leaders or talents. When a poet writes a poem about Abraham Lincoln or Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King or Dag Hammarskjöld, Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman or Olof Palme or Yassir Arafat or any other leader, it will certainly project the history, but with a positive projection.

On the other hand, if a poet writes a poem about W Bush, Blair, Osama-bin-Laden, or even Obama, we are not sure it will have the same spirit of projection! May it be the projection of protest! We can find such projection of history in poetry in different ethnic languages protesting the colonial rules in different countries. In this regard, a post-Tagore generation Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam (1999-1976) is to be mentioned. He wrote a poem called ‘The Revolt’ protesting the British colonial role in India. For this he had to be imprisoned for long by the colonial rulers.

When British poet, Ted Hughes (1930-1998) writes a complete collection of poems called ‘Crow’ and all poems are about crow. To be frank, these poems are ironically present the mock history of human beings all around us. A poet has poetic liberty to depict history in pseudo or direct or indirect or guise or disguise, but to promote the truth and beauty in life. A true poet always aware of this, and so is Ted Hughes.

A poet as his poetry is committed to life not to history. But, history comes from life. Thus poetry has a strong commitment to projection of history within. From the beginning till date, poets in different continents in all ages and all languages are aware of this truth. The projection promotes glories in life, helps people getting their dreams linger. It will be on how long poetry and life will be. I hope so. #

Photo sources:

Allen Ginsberg: http://www.grazian-archive.com/quiddity/Ginsberg/Ginsberg_2.jpg

Shahnameh: http://www.persianmirror.com/Article_det.cfm?id=1084&getArticleCategory=54&getArticleSubCategory=236

Kazi Nazrul Islam: http://www.bangladeshtourism.gov.bd/dtls.php?gid=140

Creative Writing Workshop and Spring Literary Festival in Uppsala

MAY SERIES


Welcome you all to the May series of workshops on May 26 and 27. During this series, we will have four guest authors Jasim Mohamed, Jonas Modig, Maria Modig and Henrik C. Enbohm. I am herewith sending you the short presentations on their biographies as well.

Participants are also invited to read their poem/text during the Spring Literary Festival afterwards the workshop on May 27.


The topics will be as follows:

May 26, 2010: Wednesday ( 17.30-19.30)

Jasim Mohamed: The state of Arabic poetry

Anisur Rahman: Finding the way to get into dramatic writing/Career in theatre


May 27, 2010: Thursday (17.30-18.30: workshops/18.30-20.00: festival)

Jonas Modig: His own world of poetry

Maria Modig: Self censorship in writing

Henrik C. Enbohm: International perspectives of literature reflecting on his visit to Bangladesh, participation in poetry festival and celebration of International Mother Language Day in Dhaka in 2007

Jasim Mohamed, svensk-irakisk poet och översättare, skriver på både svenska och arabiskagett ut bl.a. diktsamlingen : Övningar in i ett annat språk.

Jonas Modig läser av sin omgivning med stor känslighet. Han är en poet som vill tala till sina läsare, om upplevelser, erfarenheter och intryck. Detta är centrallyrik av allra bästa märke. Radfall knyter på många sätt an till Jonas förra diktsamling Annandagar (2007), där han skrev om en av hans söner som dog i tsunamin och sorgearbetet efteråt. Allvaret och det klara tonfallet är detsamma i Radfall, men ämnena är annorlunda, cirklarna är vidare.

Maria Modig, a writer born in 1945, has published three novels during the late 1990s. After 50 she decided to take the risk to write fiction…that is a choice of changing perspectives perhaps…
She still gives lectures and sometimes write articles for magazines but most of the time I read or write. She is now working on her fourth novel and that seems to take some time…In the meantime, she has been writing notes for a reflection book together with Jonas Modig which was be published 2005 and also the latest published books: Skiljetecken 2008, Bokförlaget Langenskiöld 2008 and Att vara med barnbarn 2009 Hjalmarson & Högberg 2009.

Henrik C. Enbohm, a poet, journalist literary and art critic, is currently International Secretary of The Swedish Writers’ Union. He also edits union’s magazine Författaren. He was assisting director to the Writers’ and Literary Translators’ Congress---WALTIC 2008 in Stockholm. He was also a member in the editorial board of 10tal, a literary magazine.

Venue: Uppsala City Library

Program Leader

Anisur Rahman
ICORN Guest Author in Uppsala
Cell: 0700 255 039
E-post: anisbangla@yahoo.com

Poets are excluded…as is Ghayath

Please allow him to stay in Sweden

by Anisur Rahman


I got an email from one of my friend’s father teaching at a university in the USA. His name is Azizul Haque. He sent me his feedback regarding my presentation ‘Future of poetry’ at a symposium on poetry at English Department, Uppsala University dated April 9, 2010 as saying, ‘Perhaps we need poetries depicting the real stories of human life be it in Bangladesh or elsewhere. There is a universal beauty everywhere’.

Yes absolute it is! But, on the contrary to it, I should say the other stories today that is really more than disappointing. Prior to that I would also like to echo the voice made by formerly my colleague in Dhaka Dr Binoy Barman in his article ‘The value of poetry’ where he is so optimistic for poetry as I am indeed. I am the extreme believer in poetry, though I cannot trust in the leading of life of a poet…at least not in this capital epitomized bureaucratized state functionality.

We are passing the times of Plato spirited imaginary state. Plato excluded poets from his imaginary state. Today we are witnessing Plato states all around us…either welfare or not, democratic or not, autocratic or not, barbaric or not, so what.

I am trying to survive in being poet in the mission of poetry. I believe poetry is a shelter in life, but a true poet has no shelter. An individual talent cannot make his living in poetry. Poetry advocates for peace and beauties. A poet hardly finds peace in his own life. Poets are excluded from many countries. Poets are in prison within boundaries of four walls and even out of them.

It reminded me the sad stories of my Palestinian poet and journalist friend Ghayath Almadhoun. He sought his refuge in Sweden over a year. His application has been refused by the authorities concerned.

We all know the story of Palestine and what is happening there. Moreover, Ghayath’s family was excluded for quite long and they housed in one other country in Middle East. Finally, he managed to come to Sweden. It was not a big ambition as a human being first than as a poet. He just wanted to survive.

We were talking to him at the house of our friend and poet Lars Häger in Uppsala on March 20 night after the reading at Uppsala City Theatre marking the World Poetry Day. Among us were Swedish Academy member Katarina Frostensson, Syrian poet Faraj Bayrakdar, Swedish poets Ann Jäderlund, Lars Häger, Magnus Dahlerus, Uppsala Poetry Slam master of ceremony Lars Burstedt, Iraqi poet and member in the board of Swedish PEN Jasim Mohammed and some others.

Faraj is also Ghayath’s family friend. Faraj was in prison some 15 years. Mentioning it Ghayath was saying how it could be possible for Faraj to be in prison so long years. ‘I am tired in a year in Sweden, though I am not in prison here. But, I have started to feel as if I were in prison.’

When a poet is feeling a land is prison, we must say the time is really difficult even more than difficult for him.

I find the value of poetry in life so in society. I am optimist about the future of poetry, but not the hazard free life of a poet. The times, the states, the jobs, the posts, the positions are not for poets. Poets are extremely excluded from states. Poets are most vulnerable political species in society though their words are extreme powerful and full of tidy touches of human sensitivities.

Enough is enough! We have much to say. I would like to end this piece with simple note, ‘Please allow Ghayath Almadhoun to stay in Sweden. A poet is neither enemy to humanity nor even burden for a society. A poet simply loves to be humble, to dream and to show how to dream in life and how to love beauties and truth in life.

Please, let Ghayath survive, let him write, let him breath freely. #

Poetry Today

April 9, 2010

Mini-Symposium on Poetry Today

English Department
Uppsala University
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Future of poetry

by Anisur Rahman

I do not believe as one should say or can say much on the future of poetry, however I would like to make my observations as well. I am simply love to see myself as a miner in the mine of poetry and thus survive. One can say something about the future of a poet, but not poetry truly. Poetry is really un-catchable goddess or beloved. One can only feel, but to understand her is almost impossible.

On the other hand, echoing the voice of one of our Bengali great poets Syed Shamsul Haq (1935--), I would like to say poetry is love-letter to time…. Against this backdrop, it is difficult to say in advance about the mind in a lover so in poetry and its future.

I had an exclusive conversation over social commitment in writing with Swedish writer Ola Larsmo at Café Vetekatten in Stockholm sometime last year. He asked me to whom a writer should be committed. I said, ‘none but life’.

I also believe in the saying by Norwegian talent Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), ‘To be poet is to see’. The future of poetry will be as how the future poets see life and how the life would actually be then. Life is must be for truth and beauty and so is poetry in past, today and in future. This is the subjects in poetry I am pointing out in the question of futurity.

There are some more universal and essential considerations in poetry. Poetry is a matter of ‘words’ ‘spontaneity’ ‘sensitivity’ ‘visibility’ and ‘musicality’. In this consequence I would like to remember Wordsworth (1770-1850) as saying …poetry is spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; and so will be in future. Poetry is also paintings at the same time. I hope future poets will not dismiss this.

Domination of technology is increasing day by day. It does not mean, humans will lose their interest in poetry. In that case use of poetry or presence of poetry or promotion of poetry may be different, but there is no way to find basic variance in futurity of poetry.

There is a saying scientists usually do not ignore the ways …on the other hand the poets do not think of ways but never ignore life. The same will be in future. Commercial use of poetry will be increased …like slogans, ads, t-shirts, city’s beautification and so…

Poetry is a concern of language and mind. Poetry from different languages and lands does have its common language. That language is to tell the mind. Poetry must tell mind either today or tomorrow…always.

In life there is something that can no how be expressed but in poetry…what is difference between photography and painting…that is something camera cannot give the language of mind, imagination and dream, thinking in photography, but a painter’s brush can present those in paintings…so does a poet in poetry…. The same will be in future…

In future, the humans will have mind, (as they have today) power, will of thinking, imagining, dreaming, biasness towards truth, beauties in life so to poetry. The toughest job is to write poetry…I myself do not believe as I have been able to write my successful poem yet…

Patronisation to poetry is somehow necessary. For this it is a must to have value based socialist welfare state functionality. In the history of Bengali poetry some longs years in between 1000-1200 AD and some one hundred years after 1757 during the British colony in Indian sub continent are considered to be the dark ages in Bengali literary tradition. No recognisable poetic tradition was made that time. The causes in this regard were absence of sovereign national governance in Bengal land. Futurity of history as well as life will be reflected in futurity of poetry.

I am not frustrated at all as the appeal of poetry will any how be demeaned in life in future. Moreover, for peace, progress, spirits in mind and biasness towards beauties in life, humans must come back to poetry again and again. Poetry is a shelter in life.


photo source

Syed Shamsul Haque: http://www.newagebd.com/2008/jan/06/heroes07/02.html
Henrik Ibsen: http://goossun.com/b/uploaded_images/Ibsen22-708774.jpg
William Wodrdsworth: http://www.soundoflife.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/william-wordsworth.jpg


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Anisur Rahman presented this piece at the Symposium on ‘Poetry Today’ at English Department, Uppsala University on April 9, 2010

Women Under Theocracy

Independent World Report---IWR in collaboration with Swedish PEN Centre and ABF Stockholm on March 24 presents "Women under theocracy: A discussion," focusing on the oppression of women living under religious regimes. The event took place at the ABF House in Stockholm.

IWR a bimonthly print magazine edited by Bangladesh born talented journalist stationed in Swedish city Örebro, Tasneem Khalil, is a global briefing on human rights, international politics, peace and justice. This is an internationalist newsmagazine of independent human rights journalism, one that celebrates freedom and liberty. Launched in 2009, it highlights the forgotten and untold stories of the world.

Speakers in the discussion included Maryam Namazie and Kajsa Klein and Tasneem Khalil.

This event was moderated by Maria Modig – editorial adviser of Independent World Report and former chairperson, Writers in Prison Committee, Swedish PEN Centre.

Tasneem Khalil, editor and publisher of Independent World Report, gave a brief presentation of the magazine.

Maryam Namazie – rights activist and broadcaster based in the United Kingdom – is an authoritative commentator on Iran, cultural relativism, secularism, religion and political Islam. She is best known for her advocacy, lectures and articles on Iran, women’s rights, political Islam and secularism. She is associated with numerous organisations that include One Law for All, Council of Ex-Muslims, Iran Solidarity, Equal Rights Now, and the Third Camp against US militarism and Islamic terrorism.

Kajsa Klein – a researcher at the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, Stockholm University – works and writes on the role of the Internet on democracy and human rights. Her presentation at the event will focus on how the Internet may aid women’s rights abuses in closed societies, and how a free flow of information may empower women to break free from oppression.

Independent World Report link: http://www.independentworldreport.com

Celebrating World Poetry Day 2010

Poets from different lands on March 21 participated in the World Poetry Day programmes at Hagelbyparken, Botkyrka in Stockholm.

Writers Centre of Sweden along with Swedish Academy, European Union literary project Shahrazad and Swedish Cultural Council organised the programme.

I along with Iranian poet Azita Ghahreman, Georgian poet Zurab Rtveliashvili, Polish-Swedish poet Ewa Korolczuk, Swedish poets Anneliu Ostlund, Sara Rassolie, Niclas Nilsson, Cecilia Hansson, Daniel Boyacioglu read poems in the programme. Singer Hind Hamdi. Writers’ Centre official Cecilia Svanberg produced the programme while Cesar Svanberg conducted it.

The occasion was also celebrated one day early at Uppsala City Theatre. Representing Bangladesh, I read my poems in Bengali along side in English and Swedish versions by Ewa Korolczuk and Lars Häger.

Participant poets in Uppsala celebration included Syrian poet Faraj Bayrakdar, Palestinian poet Ghayath Almadhoun, Swedish poets Lars Hager, Lena Koster, Jasim Mohamed, Katarina Frostenson, Ann Jaderlund, Bita Yari and Nahide Arabadji. Angelica Matveeva along with Magnus Karlsson presented musical performance on the occasion.

World Poetry Day is on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999. The purpose of the day is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the UNESCO session declaring the day says, to ‘give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements.’ #

photo link: http://www.forfattarcentrum.se/varldspoesidagen_2010.aspx

Creative Writing-Literary Workshop in Uppsala

APRIL SERIES

Welcome you all to the fourth series of workshops on April 28 and 29. During this series, we will have three guests authors Mats Kempe, Krister Gustavsson and Magnus Dahlerus. I am herewith sending you the short presentations on their biographies as well.

Participants are reminded to submit their texts by April 28 for Anthology and/or for comments to be made by guest authors.

The topics will be as follows:

April 28, 2010: Wednesday

Mats Kempe: Narrative perspectives

Anisur Rahman: Getting into dramatic writing/Career in theatre


April 29, 2010: Thursday

Krister Gustavsson: Att presentera honom som författare, säga något om mitt skrivande, hur mina arbetsmetoder ser ut. Han kommer också att ta upp en del frågor som rör bokförlag, publiceringsmöjligheter, förlagsstruktur, samt litteraturstöd och stipendier.

Magnus Dahlerus: In the making of book reviews

Mats Kempe, född 1966. Debuterade med novellsamlingen "Jag minns aldrig mina drömmar" 1996. Har gett ut tre romaner och tre novellsamlingar, senaste romanen "Tiden angrips först, resten är oviss väntan" kom ut 2008. Är till vardags bibliotekarie på Världsbiblioteket i Stockholm och ansvarig för webbsidan Macondo.nu - ett uppslagsverk på nätet för skönlitteratur från Afrika, Asien, Latinamerika och Mellanöstern. Har tidigare varit Internationell sektreterare på Sveriges författarförbund och arbetat som lärare i kreativt skrivande vid bl a Wiks folkhögskola och Nordiska folkhögskolan i Kungälv. Photo source:
http://www.norstedts.se/Personer/K/Mats-Kempe/ Fotograf: Leif Hansen

Krister Gustavsson är författare och bibliotekarie. Har hittills gett ut 9 diktsamlingar, två romaner och en genreöverskridande bok med inslag av essä, lyrik och berättande prosa. Har även publicerat essäer och artiklar i en rad tidskrifter, samt skrivit litteraturkritik i Nya Wermlands-Tidningen. Arbetar deltid som bibliotekarie på Uppsala stadsbibliotek.

Magnus Dahlerus, a poet, translator and literary critic, works as artistic director at Theatre Blanca in Uppsala.

Venue: Uppsala City Library
Time: 17.30-19.30

Course Leader

Anisur Rahman
ICORN Guest Author in Uppsala
Cell: 0700 255 039
E-post: anisbangla@yahoo.com

Poesi tisdag i Uppsala

Poetry Tuesday in Uppsala


I am seriously thinking to introduce a poetry event for young people in Uppsala. The programme aims at enlightening Uppsala young people who write poems, love to read poems as well as listen to poetry reading and who have future ambition to choose writing as a career.

The programme will include reading, discussion and interactions among young poets. The target group is young people below 20. It will also be open for others. The discussion will focus on process, technique and considerations in writing, tradition and contemporary state of poetry. In fine, it will help the participants to progress further in their noble mission of writing. It will be free of cost to participants. They will get workshop input from the programme as well.

The programme will also include the idea of Featured Poet and Poetry Profile.

Featured Poet: Every Tuesday we will have a featured poet, who has published poetry collection to his or her credit.

Poetry Profile: We will also invite the poet who is just published in Upsala Nya Tidning poetry section on the same day to our programme. Here it is to be noted as UNT has introduced a poetry corner every Tuesday.

My friend UNT Kulturchef Lisa Irenius, who was also a guest author in my workshop at Uppsala City Library, was so influenced by the feedback from participants at the workshop. One of participants proposed to Lisa to introduce ‘Readers’ Poetry’ in UNT. Before that sometime last year I requested her to find a space for poetry.

Against this backdrop, Lisa introduced poetry section in UNT. Such a dynamic initiative from Lisa’s side made me thinking further to contribute to Uppsala literary scene supplementing to the idea. That is why I chose Tuesday as consequence for my programme. It will take place every Tuesday at 18.00-21.00 at a cute and young friendly cafeteria in Uppsala.

Poetry Tuesday in Uppsala or Poesi tisdag i Uppsala is my new dream a new mission. Let’s make it possible, let’s ´make it a success. #

Anisur Rahman
ICORN fristadsförfattare i Uppsala
anisbangla@yahoo.com
Cell: 0700 255 039




Photo source: http://atheiststation.org/mpc/docs/images/POETRY.jpg

Creative Writing-Literary Workshop in Uppsala

third series

Welcome you all to the third series of workshops on March 31 and April1. During this series, we will have two guest authors Styrbjörn Gustafsson and Lars Häger. I am herewith sending you the short presentations on their biographies as well.

Participants are reminded to submit their texts to anisbangla@yahoo.com for Anthology and/or for comments to be made by guest authors.

The topics will be as follows:

March 31, 2010: Wednesday

Styrbjörn Gustafsson: Tranan and perspectives of publishing books

Anisur Rahman: Perspectives of translating poetry/Translation as a career


April 1, 2010: Thursday

Lars Häger: His own world of poetry
Anisur Rahman: Classes of poetry/elements in poetry/subjects in poetry


Styrbjörn Gustafsson has been running Tranan, a publishing house in Stockholm full time for soon some fifteen years, before that he worked as a consultant on international issues, and prior to that he was a folk high school teacher. Styrbjörn, also an author, has some published works on international issues. Tranan’s home page: http://www.tranan.nu/


Lars Häger född 1958 bosatt i Uppsala född i Högdalen utanför Stockholm. Lars Häger har givit ut tre uppmärksammade diktsamlingar sedan 1999: När något lyckligt faller, Det finns lagar för såna som dej och Hål. Lars Häger var månadens poet i Sveriges Radio under november 2008.


Venue: Uppsala City Library
Time: 17.30-19.30 (March 31, 2010, Wednesday)

15.30-17.30 (April 1, 2010, Thursday)

Course Leader

Anisur Rahman
ICORN Guest Author in Uppsala
Cell: 0700 255 039
E-post: anisbangla@yahoo.com


Styrbjörn Gustafsson’s photo credit: http://www.sasnet.lu.se/bilder/tranan.jpg
Lars Häger’s photo credit: Peter Åhrberg

Delighting on facts in making fictions

by Anisur Rahman

Moinul Ahsan Saber’s great subject, like very few writers of his period, is Bangladesh itself in his collection of Bengali short stories Koekti Onuman-Nirbhor Golpo (Some Hypothetical Fictions).

Saber is too acute an observer of his fellow Bengalí men and women, disappointingly are sketchy and marginal sometimes to complete this self-appointed task. He is too gifted at portraying his characters into outstanding, profoundly memorable grotesques. Centred on life in Bangladesh connecting politics and unexpected happenings that not to be spirited in line with Liberation War in 1971, the collection finds several of Saber’s key stylistic traits already in place.

Standing on strong tradition of post Tagore contemporary state of Bengali short stories, he epitomised and became close to these stories in this book are rich in styles and approaches to the times passed by Saber. Most stories in this collection are psychologically complex – end with the words having that spirit that matches with psyche of modern Bengali life.

Such touches make one’s reading of Saber a very immediate, stimulating experience. His evocations of scenes, facts and place become so relevant as such we are involved. This is an observation that can be made for promoting as some of the finest examples of descriptive writing.

The distancing of his narratives, through which a sense is imparted that the teller of the story and its author are not the same, is artful, and grows only more sophisticated throughout Saber’s progress as a fiction writer.

The story, set alongside Nokor (employment), represents the high point of Saber’s career as a writer of short fiction. This triumphant, which all contains pointed condemnations of the dehumanising effects of politics and bureaucracy take place in Bangladesh during recent decades.
As for the link between Saber and Kafka, is expressed precisely and with great connection over absurdity in modern Bengali life at home and abroad. Can we differentiate that from the finding that Kafka observed and thus presented in his writings?

In Saber and Kafka the absurd central character belongs to the absurd world around him but, pathetically and tragically, attempts to struggle out of it into the world of humans – and disappears in despair. And exactly such things happen in case of Abu Taleb in the story entitled as ‘Abu Taleb’s Sorol Proshno’ (The ordinary question in Abu Taleb) as in fine we can see he has agreed to have the recognition of a freedom fighter from the elements in the campaign of the anti-Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 and they dominate country’s politics and governance in its insights and outsights.

In the story called, ‘Sir,’ the reality and metamorphoses of statue of much expected Ratan Sir in the eyes of his expatriate student Manik and his wife Ruma in the discovery of terrorist gang leader Manik, who is ironically addressed as Manik Sir among his fellow elements and other people in his locality. This is the irony of fate of our present day Bengali life in Dhaka and other cities. Our mastan Maniks are so prominent as we cannot even find out the symbol of ideals in our society--- to be mentioned Manik sir, a school teacher. How mockery we see in our life that Saber has honestly portrayed in this story.

In the story called Amar Premika Surma, Eta Ki Taar Golpo? (My beloved Surma, is it her story?), Saber has simply presented the poverty scenes of population in villages have their troubles in hunger and deprivation due to politics cooked by Ershad-Khaleda-Hasina leadership, river erosion and bitter winter. At the same time we find discriminations in life style between the rich and the poor alongside having coloured imaginations and dreams in the eyes of the narrator, a university boy, in the story over his love-making with a rich village girl named Surma.

Two stories, ‘Eke Amra Kaktalio Bolte Pari (We can call it a miracle) and Abdul Hakimer Khosra Khata (Abdul Hakim’s Rough Notebook) are simply a bonsai presentation of the conflicts of village politics in Bangladesh.

The 92-page tiny book featuring six short fictions is to be noted as a masterpiece in respect to portray the mockeries and ironies taking place in post 1971 Bangladesh till the date, isn’t? It is a strong example in the art of short story in delighting on facts in making fiction. It is moreover a new development too in the tradition of post Tagore Bengali fiction in line with the spirit of absurdity made by Franz Kafka and others in world literature as well.

Koekti Onuman-Nirbhor Golpo (Collection of Bengali short fictions), by Moinul Ahsan Saber, Cover design by Dhruba Esh, Published by Dibyaprokash, Dhaka, Published in February 2008, Price: 100 Bangladesh Taka (pages 92)

A Peruvian voice in poetry

by Anisur Rahman


‘In the blackness of nights
seeking refuge in its shadows
the future forms,
vanish the day gone by.

In its silence
vanish its discarded voices
its sounds vanquish,
vanish the day gone by.

In the darkness of every night
in the misterious dance of every night
the night gets pregnant with a new day.’--- (Night and Day by Azril Bacal)



That's one of the poems I read written by Peruvian poet Azril Bacal during the launch of his first collection of poems ‘Refracciones Itinerantes’ (Refractions Travelers) at the Café Cardemumma, Uppsala City Library on Monday. The poems are orginally written in Spanish and some have been translated into English and Swedish by the poet.

Azril, a social scientist by profession who lectures at Uppsala and some other universities in Sweden and Latin America, I came in touch with him during my workshop on Creative Writing at the Uppsala City Library in January-May 2010.

Spanish Society in Uppsala has published the book. Among others who spoke and read from Azril’s poems included Leonardo Rosiello, lecturer at the Department of Modern Languages at Uppsala University, Lars Burstedt, well-known driving forces among poetry lovers in Uppsala and poet Magdalena Rooth Robertson .

This idea of presenting times, history, nature and life in a slim volume of poems indicates his own voice, technique and way of expression in the diverse world of poetry.

Indeed, despite being an illiterate, listening to reading of poems by Azril and Lars, I've felt so appealing by the way style his writing voice shimmers from one state to another in the mind of a reader.

He published extensively on the issue of cultural diversity, anti-racism and citizenship. Amongst his publication, 'Citizenship and national identity in latin America: the persisting salience of race and ethnicity' in Olmmen (ed.), Citizenship and National Identity: From Colonialism to Globalism, 1997; Ethnic Discrimination: Comparative Perspectives, Uppsala Universitet: Research Report from the Department of Sociology, 1992; 2 ; Ethnic Discrimination in Sweden: Basic Issues and Reflections, Uppsala Universitet: Op. Cit. 1992: 53-69; From Organism to Identity: The Road from Psychology to Social-Psychology. Towards an Epistemology of Self-Determination, University of Karlstad, Department of Social Sciences, Section of Communication, Working Paper 1994; 1. #

Photo courtesy: http://www4.theworldmarch.org/adhesiones/galeria/20090615060916_azril_bacal_roij.jpg

Creative Writing-Literary Workshop in Uppsala

2010 february series

Welcome you all to the February series of workshops on Wednesday and Thursday. During this series, we will have two guest authors Lisa Irenius and Lars Sund. I am herewith sending you the short presentations on their biographies.

Participants are reminded to submit their sample write-ups in a couple of weeks.

The topics will be as follows:

February 24

Lisa Irenisus: About what makes a good culture article, in a wider sense: including essays, documentary articles, analytic reportages and so
Anisur Rahman: Poetry matters

February 25

Lars Sund: His own techniques of writing & so
Anisur Rahman: Perspectives of translating poetry

Lisa Irenius, kulturchef i Upsala Nya Tidning, född 1978 i Stockholm. Magister i statsvetenskap/europeisk politik från Stlms universitet och College of Europe i Belgien. Har även bott och arbetat som bl a frilansjournalist i Frankrike och Italien. Författare till en reportagebok om svenska ungdomar som flyttar utomlands, "Sedan gymnasiet har alla våra kompisar flytt utomlands" (W&W), tillsammans med Madelaine Levy. Har skrivit för SvD, DN, Bang m.fl, samt arbetat som redaktör på tidskriften Axess och på DN Kultur.

Lars Sund är finlandssvensk författare, sedan drygt 30 år bosatt i Uppsala. Han debuterade i Finland med en diktsamling och har gett ut sex romaner. Colorado Avenue (1991), första delen av den s k Siklaxtrilogin som skildrar 1900-talet i en sydösterbottnisk bygd, har dramatiserats och även blivit film och tv-serie.

I vår ger Lars Sund En morgontrött fågelskådares bekännelser, en essäbok om fåglar och människor som ägnar en stor del av sin tid åt att titta på fåglar.

Venue: Uppsala City Library

Time: 17.30-19.30

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anisur Rahman
Course Leader
E-post: anisbangla@yahoo.com


photo courtesy
Lisa Irenius’ facebook page
http://www.swedishbookreview.com/article-2005-s-sund.asp

Library is parliament for reading republic

Authors' role in vitalising a local library


by Anisur Rahman

Library is considered to be storehouse of knowledge. It shows storehouse of bundles of paper made products only, without visitors or readers. It is like parliament for reading republic. An author is an ambassador for this republic.

When an author visits a local library, it indicates the functionality of reading republic that will encourage the reading public in getting involved with fresh outlook through interactions with their ambassadors. Authors are also considered to be unwritten guardians for languages.

Library is a platform for writer, as parliament or respective councils are for politicians. Academics have their spaces in academia as every other careerist does have. Library is considered to be a platform for writers as of readers as well.

Without effective debate there is no meaning of parliament building as of libraries without the visit of authors and readers. Author’s visit to a local library also enriches the cultural scenes at that respective locality. It helps enlighten the social as well as cultural progress in the region concerned. It also dignifies an individual library thus. Authors can play their greater role in vitalising a local library through participating in programmes over discussion, workshop, reading, debate and interaction. A great author is first a great reader. His way of developing reading taste may help one shape the choice in his/her.

In a writer, many a thing remains to be addressed and shared with the readers. On the other hand, the readers have many things to ask to an author. It also increases the number of visitors to the library as that of their visits.

Without students, a school loses its appeal and necessity. Library needs readers. Library is public school avoiding all burden sum exams on its learners, I mean visitor or readers. It is an school for a self educated learner. Library should be considered as university for the mass avoiding all barriers in attaining knowledge. When an author will have his occasion to meet with readers in a library, it helps live the mass university. University education means to achieve knowledge and ideas through debate. A library must have such spirit. This spirit and debate can be energised when an author pays his visit on that purpose.

Library as mass university offers ever knowledge non-miser, unconditional, non-payment. Such a university does not offer certificate but knowledge to cause beauties and truths in life. In this respect, I would like to share with you a strong example from my land Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s great philosopher Aroj Ali Matubbar (1900-1985) was born to a poor farming family. He studied for only a few months at the village maqtab (school for Islam studies). He lost his father in his early age. At his 12, his inherited property of 2 acres of land was auctioned off as the minor boy was unable to pay land tax. The landless boy faced even more critical crisis when a local usurer called him out of his ancestral homestead. Destitute Aroj Ali grew up somehow on the charity of others and by working as a farm labourer. He could not attend in any school due to his poverty.

A kindhearted man helped him finish the Bangla Primers. Persevering as he was, he kept on reading more and more. To satisfy his thirst for knowledge he studied all the Bangla books in Barisal Public Library like a serious student. A teacher of philosophy at the B M College, Kazi Ghulam Quadir, was impressed by his depth of knowledge and understanding, so he helped him borrow books from the college library. This is how his mind was shaped. Now he is internationally recognised philosopher and his texts are taught and studied at different universities.

Library can thus help one in shaping his/her mind. This task can be more beautiful and easier through authors’ visit to a library. The dark and the light prevail in society at the same time. Library always stands for light and gets it spirit up. Through the visit of an author, the mission is beautified and helps the readers cheering up. Author gets inspirations and feedback from the readers thus as well.

Every other platform for gaining knowledge in life does have their time span, notably school-university does have academic year and syllabus. Library is like river. It must have flawless water. Its destination is the vast sea of knowledge. Author’s visit somehow helps gaining the flow speeding as well as cheering up.

In my initial days in Sweden, library was great help and attraction to me. I am grateful for getting cooperation from Fisksätra and International Library. My librarian friend Barbro Bolonassos is a must mention in this regard.

I came to Sweden in summer 2008 on a scholarship offered by the Swedish Writers’ Union. Meanwhile, I had political problem and Bangladesh witnessed militarisation in administration along side strong presence of Islamist militancy in line with the regressive beliefs of Jamaat-Shibir.

Referring that troublesome time in my life, I can remember Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore was insulted by the immigration officials at the California Naval Port in August 1929, on his way to Japan via Canada. A long ago of this incident, Tagore became so famous over the world getting the 1913 Nobel Prize for literature. In spite of that, the immigrant official threw many such questions to Tagore that was disappointing as a Bengali-Indian. After that Tagore met the press conference in San Francisco and expressed his disappointment as saying the immigration officials concerned foolish. He cancelled his scheduled lectures in Chicago, San Francisco and New York.

Mahatma Gandhi too had difficult times in his exile in South Africa. Tagore and Gandhi were worldwide famous by that time. I am not any such important.

When I first time visited Sweden on an invitation from the Swedish Writers’ Union in 2006, immigration-custom officials at Arlanda Airport had long unexpected conversation with me on the excuse of checking my luggage that killed my long hours and I was tired from my way back from Mexico via Paris. I was disappointed. One of them, asked me 'Is Bangladesh a difficult place for a poet? I responded to him as saying, 'I can see not only Bangladesh even your Sweden is difficult so.’

I had very struggle some time in Sweden. I used to work for restaurant, distribute advertising leaflets and to do cleaning work. However, I did never forget as I was a committed writer. I was a regular visitor to library. That difficulties, I faced, helped me to see life different way and I reflected on that of my seeing in my novel ‘Oi Andhakar Ashe’ (The Dark Sounds) and in some poems. I had strong supports from my friends at the Swedish Writers’ Union, Swedish PEN, Solidarity House, Uppsala Kommun, Uppsala University, and entire media as well. In fine, the truth has won.

When an author can avail himself of his platform in libraries, it means in life. Society requires it to be enlightened. When one in Sweden loses every access to life without person number or migration board formalities, some libraries (not all) offer their cooperation without any asking. This is an approach rare in other parts in the world and it should be model for every sound and enlightened society.

Library must not be an outlet for making money or selling services. I am afraid as some libraries have introduced fee to visitors for entry to some author programmes. It does not go with a library’s spirit and goal. It is not a good sign for a welfare state, is it? #


photo caption: Aroj Ali Matubbar (1900-1985)--- a great Bengali humanist philosopher

photo & Aroj Aliu Matubbar’s biographical information courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aroj_Ali_Matubbar.jpg

Poetry is not for bureaucrats, businessmen . . .

by Anisur Rahman

The people who enjoy business and bureaucracy as their career, they don’t need to be poet. In their trial of being poet, they somehow invite troubles and dart waters in the world of poetry. I am thus not dismissing the exception. Such great exception is our very respected poet Abul Hossain.

This question of bureaucracy and business over poetry knocks me when I learn a seating top ranking bureaucrat of Bangladesh is fuelling the troubles over the expulsion of businessman cum poet Mohan Raihan from the Poetry Council of Bangladesh.

Once, Finish Writers’ Union expelled its member, who was also the president of Finland at the same time. In spite of being president of the country, he had nothing to do against the expulsion decision of the union. It indicates one could be so powerful, if he missed poetic power as a poet, other power does not mean any in the survival of a poet as of being in the union of writers or the council of poets.

I think this is clear pointer to the bureaucrat and the businessman having total different pace, love to have signboards of being poet. It will not work. History does not tell us so. Poetry is not so silly matter. It requires cent percent honesty within.

A successful bureaucrat these days does have snake skin. He can change it as a snake does when it is necessary in different regimes like Jamaat-BNP or military or Awami League. So is the bureaucrat concerned, I am talking about.

When president of Finland was powerless to the Finish Writers’ Union, then a businessman or a bureaucrat should not be a headache for the Poetry Council of Bangladesh. The council upholds its very strong conceptual position, though it struggles a lot in the need of infrastructural capacity.

Against this backdrop, it is much expected and high time the government come up with necessary supports for its smooth functional and help it in having institutional shape to contribute to literary scenes in Bangladesh having large international collaboration with other countries. Poets are considered to be unwritten guardians of languages. In line with this spirit, the government should do something in favour of the poetry council, when ministers stress their commitment to promote the spirit of International Mother Language Day and thus help survival of beauties in different languages.

Business and politics is highest form of compromise in life. Poetry never allows compromising. Bureaucracy has no sovereign spirit for one who wants to be a poet. So? Poetry is not for businessmen, not for bureaucrats, not for politicians. One can point out Pablo Neruda, Mao Zedong and others. They were the Himalayas in their entities. In one life, an individual who could cash the identity of a bureaucrat or a businessman or a politician, he does not need to be poet. It is a pity for a bureacrat or a businessman concerned has no space to be a poet within or out. #

Photo courtesy: http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=76564

Stop violence on ethnic minority people in Bangladesh

Withdraw military from CHT zone, form judicial probe body, punish the culprits


by Anisur Rahman


Since the formation of the Awami League led grand alliance government in January 2009, for past one year, the ethnic minority community people of Bangladesh have been free from tension as it is expected Chittagong Hill Tracts--CHT Peace deal to be implemented fully and no violence will take place over them. They do not know this relief is not freedom at all for them as they have shrugged off the terror of living their lives in the gun-sights of heavily armed soldiers, in the densely militarised zone in the south east hilly part of Bangladesh.

After long years of military occupation has contradicted to democracy and freedom in their land. Observing the beginning of military withdrawal last year, it was expected, it was then faced with peaceful process to ensure a violence free own way of free living in free zone but not the kind it knew how to see. Soon time witnessed tragic plots over the life of indigenous people in CHT.

This one is nourished by indigenous people's memory of years of repression in which many have been killed, many have been ‘disappeared’, many tortured, injured, and humiliated by military as well as settlers. Settlers in ethnic minority community regions seem to us as if they were colonial powers in their dynamism. For the greater protection of the culture and lives of ethnic minorities, separate land commission was much expected that would prohibit the mainstream Bengali settlers wiling to settle in ethnic zones. It did not happen. Rather, militarisation happened in ethnic zones as well as in civil administration.

It is condemned! It is unaccepted! It is unexpected! But, it is the outcome of real frustration under the cover of democracy. Ethnic minority community people are alien citizens in their own land. State behaves enemy with them. Military is occupation forces to them. Civil administration carries the legacy of Robert Clive spirit. Military epitomizes the Pak Sar Jamin Sad Bad forces.

Quoting from the link: http://www.bodytree.org/articles1.html it can be said as in 1971, after the Bangladesh Liberation War resulted in Bangladesh's independence, the they hoped for political recognition and some form of autonomy within the state of Bangladesh.

During the 1970s and 80s, the government brought 400,000 Muslim Bengali settlers & on the plains into CHT an area with little cultivatable land remaining after the construction of the Kaptai Dam alongside major military stationing over there. This military occupation has obstructed political and economic development and resulted in gross human rights abuses. Many indigenous people had refuge in India.

It is reported as the 1997 Peace Accord between the Bangladeshi government and CHT tribal leaders promised tba.1 refugees could return to their original land in Bangladesh. However, very few of the agreements that were set down in the Peace Accord have been kept. Only a small number of refugee families were able to move back onto their land, since in many cases it was now inhabited by Bengali settlers from the plains.

Not surprisingly, the voice that the government of Bangladesh has tried so silence in CHT region has massed into a deafening roar and military as well as settlers violence over their lives, their homes on February 20, 2010. The following day February 21, 2010, the government would vow to protect and help survival of the ethnic minority languages and cultures! What a farce it is! Military will fire on them, get their houses burns, they will kill them. On the other hand, so bogus commitment from the administration!

At least two indigenous persons were claimed by the authorities to have been killed as the military opened fire on agitated indigenous people feuding with settlers in remote Gangaram Mukh area of Baghaichhari upazila in Rangamati district on February 20, 2010. Indigenous people claimed the number of killed to be at least six.

The settlers had allegedly set fire to 40 houses of indigenous families on February 19 night. They burnt 160 more houses in 11 villages on February 20 morning in the presence of the army. They also burnt down a church and a Buddhist temple, alleged members of the indigenous community.
Does it mean during the long hours there was a functional democratic administration in Bangladesh? It is due for military as they will save the lives of minorities and their properties. On the contrary to it, military victimized the endangered communities! What a disgrace it is! Does it mean democracy? Does it indicate the functionality of parliament? It means still cantonment is more powerful than parliament. It means regress is dominating progress in the name of democracy.

It must be investigated and made accountable who command military to fire on the ethnic minority people and their homes. Judicial Probe Committee is a must! Full withdrawal of military, separate land commission, withdrawal of settlers and prohibited the Bengalis in other regions. Militarisation under the guardianship of an elected parliament must not be allowed. It is not democracy.

The unimaginable sums of public money that are needed to keep the military occupation of CHT region is money that ought by right to be spent on schools and hospitals and food for an impoverished, malnutritioned population in CHT region.

What kind of government can possibly allow that it has the right to military can fire on the ethnic minority communities? This question can carry a message to the existing elements in the Bangladesh administration today.

The Bangladesh military occupation of CHT regions makes monsters of us all. It allows Muslim Bengali chauvinists to target and victimise ethnic people in Chittagong by holding them hostage to the freedom struggle being waged by indeginous people in that zone.

Bangladesh needs autonomous from CHT zone just as much as - if not more than – CHT zone needs autonomy from Bangladesh. It can easily be possible through the full implementation of 1997 CHT Peace Deal. #

Photo caption: Massacre on houses belonging to ethnic minority people in CHT on February 20, 2010
Photo source: http://www.samakal.com.bd/admin/news_images/256/image_256_48434.jpg

External link: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=127234

Are we observing cultural ruination?

by Anisur Rahman

February 17, 2010

Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
Uppsala University


I am grateful to the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, its executive director Henning Melber, his colleague Karin Andersson Schiebe and others for every thing they have done to commemorate the UNESCO International Mother Language Day and promote the spirit of great humanist Dag Hammarskjöld. I feel honoured and privileged for offering me the space to be in touch with Hammarskjöld Foundation. Thanks are always due to my friend and cultural affairs officer at Uppsala Kommun Annika Strömberg.

For the first time, I visited Sweden in 2006 on an invitation from the Swedish Writers’ Union. At that time, my boss at my newspaper where I used to work, suggested me to know much about Dag Hammarskjöld and Olof Palmo. During the one week stay in Stockholm, I tried to collect some books in English on Hammarskjöld but I did not find any. Even it could not be possible for me to be in Uppsala then. I was little bit unhappy for that at the end. In fine, this occasion today is a great bonus to be the soldier in line with Dag Hammarskjöld spirit.

This is a thrilling privileged feeling in me to be here not as a poet or as a guest author in Uppsala, but as an ordinary voice from Bangladesh, my homeland as in the question of the east or the west during Dag Hammarskjöld days at UN, he always stood for the east to promote the values and realities for a troubled free world and making the UN a functional international organisation in true sense.

Our great Bengali poet, Rabindranath Tagore, who got Nobel Literature Prize in 1913, was the first Nobel laureate from the east. The time was British colonial occupation in India, Bangladesh and other regions in the east. Tagore was so disappointed at the colonial role and much more upset reading a book written by German priest Dr Theodor Christlib The Indo-British Opium at his youth. After more than fifty years of that Tagore wrote a book entitled as ‘Kalantar’ ‘Time Span’ at the backdrop of his visit to China. In it he made a comment, the European torch of civilisation outside of Europe is not to show lights but put the fires on. And the time was European colonies in different countries. After the end of the World War II, a great humanist from Europe had the vow to put the fires off. The humanist was from Sweden and his name was Dag Hammarskjöld.

In 1947, Indian sub continent was liberated from British colony as two separate parts India and Pakistan. Today’s Bangladesh was made a part of Pakistan. The distance between two parts of Pakistan---East Bengal (Bangladesh) and West Pakistan was 1200 British miles. Hindi majority people got the India as a Hindi state. Muslim majority people got the Pakistan as a Muslim state. There were many controversies and confusions what would be the state of other minorities in India and Pakistan who are not either Hindu or Muslim. That is still a big question in that region even after the six decades or so at the end of European colony there.

In Pakistan, there were many language community people including Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi and other more than fifty ethnic minority languages. Then West Pakistan controlled the administrative power in entire land. They tried to impose Urdu as the state language, though it was not majority people language. Bengalis from eastern part of Pakistan demanded Bengali to be the state language along side Urdu. The authority did not entertain the logical demand. Rather the police fired on a demonstration during the language movement on Dhaka University campus on 21 February in 1952. In 1956, Pakistan recognised Bengali as state language along side Urdu. In 1971, Bangladesh liberated from Pakistani colonial occupation.

In 1999, UNESCO declared February 21, as the International Mother Language Day to commemorate the Language Movement in Bangladesh as well as to promote the spirit of necessity for the survival of vulnerable languages worldwide. How dangerous colonial fires for language and culture could be, to show that I will just present some facts before you:

1. Aotearoa was the original name of today’s New Zealand and its language was te reo. After the long British settling there, now English is all in all and te reo is in life support!

(By the mid-20th century there were concerns that the language was dying out. Major initiatives launched from the 1980s have brought about a revival of te reo. In the early 21st century, over 130,000 people of Maori ethnicity could speak and understand te reo, one of the three official languages of New Zealand (the others are English and New Zealand Sign Language).

2. For helping a language survive, it must always be used by minimum fifty thousand people. The experts on language have made this observation. Gaelic is a language in Scotland and it is at its border line of fifty thousand.

One hundred years, back Gaelic had two hundred thousand users and twenty years back eighty thousands. It is used by 1.5 percent people in Scotland. Once it was the main language of Scottish people. As soon as, this language will have its end, Gaelic culture will grace the same fate.

3. In Europe, there is a sincere initiative to help languages’ survival. In spite of that languages are dying here.

4. As per the number of users the major languages in the list are: 1. Mandarin Chinese, 2. English 3. Hindi/Urdu 4. Spanish 5. Bengali 6. Arabic 7. Russian 8. Portuguese 9. Japanese 10 German 11. French. This serial has been showed considering their use as mother tongues. However, the scene of language use are different to it. At this back drop English is to be considered as white shark. And the list is as follows: 1.English 2. Mandarian Chinese 3. Hindi/Urdu 4. Spanish 5. Russian 6. Indonesian/Malaysian 7. Arabic 8. Portuguese 9. Bengali 10. Japanese 11. French.

5. Native English speaker is only 350 million. On the other hand, total users of English are 1900 million.

6. Two thousand years back, Latin had its strong position bolding out other languages in Europe. Now Latin is a dead language as Sanskrit is in South Asia. English is doing the same today. English is Lingua Franca. Noticing such trend of English, Mahatma Gandhi in 1946 said, ‘It seems people have been drunk at alcohol over English. European school students from different countries are using English during their excursion to any second land.

7. The Dutch are making debate as they think English should be the medium of higher education. Their argument is availability of reference books and doctoral thesis in English. May God bless them. I appreciate the love for French in France and Swedish in Sweden.

8. When Microsoft launched its Encarta World Dictionary, Bill Gates was so excited and made a comment, ‘One world, one dictionary’. I hope the human civilisation will not have such devastating ruination.

9. In 1867, Mathew Arnold made a comment as saying what we call the modern civilisation, requires similar level of English speaking world. To do this, it is urgent to ruin all cultural ethnicities. When a language dies, its culture gets ruination. Are we observing cultural ruination in the name of globalisation?

Sweden is now witnessing so many language minority communities from different parts of the world. That can be a great opportunity to build a multi language lab and language museum having attachment with major universities in Uppsala, Stockholm, Gothenburg and elsewhere. Sweden can also have expansion of exchange projects over language and translation with different countries.

In Sweden, I have observed as it is not clear to many either Sweden should promote multi cultural society or protect its Swedish tradition. I would like to say as there is no contradiction between protecting cultural tradition and multiculturalism. Multiculturalism does not mean, one will sacrifice her own culture. Rather it will help to enrich one’s own culture when people of different culture will meet and share those many things in life.

Cultural aggression is the other fact. If issues regarding language, literature and culture are subjected to be commodities for market competition, there is a great chance of inviting cultural aggression somehow. This may be a necessary pointer to be marked in the policy-making concerning language and culture in today’s Sweden.#

Photo courtesy: http://japetus.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/dag-hammarskjold-map.jpg

http://bdoza.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/tagore2.jpg