Sankha Ghosh, Anubrata Mondal.
An award-winning poet who was slammed by a TMC strongman for his poem that criticised the recent pre-panchayat poll violence, has received support from another noted literary figure.
Jnanpith, Sahitya Akademi awards winner and Padma Bhusan recipient Sankha Ghosh’s recent poem ‘Mukto Ganatantra (Free Democracy)’ recently riled Trinamool’s Birbhum president Anubrata Mondal, who targeted the poet during three public rallies in Purulia district on Wednesday. Soon after, noted poet Mandakranta Sen wrote a piece in solidarity.
One of the couplets of ‘Mukto Ganatantra’ says: “Dekho khule tin nayan, rasta jure kharag haat e dariye ache unnayan (open your three eyes and look, development is blocking the road with a weapon). The line refers to one of Mondal’s controversial speeches during the nomination phase when he had remarked that the Opposition had failed to submit their nomination forms because ‘unnayan’ (development) stood on the streets.
At rallies held in Purulia on Wednesday, Mondal had said, “This poet is giving big talks. Who is he? We knew Rabindranath (Tagore) and Nazrul (Islam) as poets. Who is this new poet who has sprung up, speaking about my development…He is insulting the name Sankha,” said Mondal.
Following Mondal’s remarks, Sen wrote a poem expressing her grief and support for Ghosh. Her unnamed piece, which she posted on Facebook on Thursday, stated that “our country is such a hopeless one, and that Bengal is seeing a downfall where the voices of the uneducated are heard, but poets are paid no heed”.
“I have nothing to say. He (Anubrata Mondal) said what he wanted to,” Sankha Ghosh told The Indian Express.
Mandakranta told this newspaper she was “disheartened and disillusioned” by Mondol’s remarks. “Such people are expected to be rulers of the state, leaders of the state. What he said is a shame on our culture and literature. He said he never heard the name Sankha Ghosh…There are a few in Bengal who react to things happening in the country, the ills that plague us now. We all have a social responsibility. However, most intellectuals seem to look the other way,” she added.
Other members of the literary community also spoke out in Ghosh’s defence. “Sankha Ghosh has been writing since the 50’s. He received an Akademi award. The person who is making such comments against him understands neither literature not poetry,” said poet Joy Goswami.
Noted writer Nabanita Deb Sen said, “What more can be expected from people like him.”
The ruling party has already won 34.2 % of the total three-tier panchayat seats uncontested, which Opposition alleged is due to violence and terror. The highest number of uncontested wins for TMC is in Mondal’s Birbhum district. Of the total 2,427 seats in gram panchayat, 1,967 (87.5%) were won uncontested by Trinamool. The party also got a walkover in 405 of 465 panchayat samity seats in the district. In zilla parishads, all 42 seats were won uncontested by Trinamool.