Sundarbans and seven natural wonders of the world
Nehal Adil | Saturday, 26 February 2011
Nehal Adil
To a full-packed audience at Shilpakala Academy singer Ruxy rendered a wonderful song in support of declaring the Sundarbans as one of the seven wonders of the world. I was told, actress Runa Afroze, dancer Mun Mun Ahmed, singers Alif Laila Maushumi, Indramohan Rajbangsi, Kiran Chandra Roy all have mastered their support for the demand. But I would say the star performer has been our Prime Minister herself. She is credited to making our national mourning day Shahid Dibash as Antarjantik Matribhasha Dibash - International Mother Language Day - a day of joy and celebration. If you visit the Boi Mela with its gaiety of fair, possibly you would get that feeling. The sorrow and seriousness of 21st February has been lost in the commercial book fair. No, I do not think the same about the campaign to make the Sundrabans as one of the seven wonders. I was told by Suriya, a theatre activist, that the campaign itself is a wonder. It is part of the Prime Minister's efforts of digitalisation of Bangladesh and in the process of revitalisation of English. A colleague showed me an article in Naya Diganta of February 4, by Fazal Shahabuddin that Rabindranath got his Nobel Prize for English Gitanjali. I do not know the authenticity of this claim. But I saw the other day Rabindranath's Chandalini in Urdu (when you do not write Urdu and Hindi, they are nearly the same.) When Rabindra centenary was being observed Ayub Khan was the President. He was opposed to celebrating a Hindu poet. But when he was told that Rabindranath wrote the same thing that is written in the Holy Quran, amused Ayub Khan reportedly said why do not you translate it in Urdu? Reita Ganguly, an Indian Bengali singer, started her performance addressing the audience as Khwateen o Hazrat. Ignoring our language movement and Liberation War, many in West Bengal feel Muslims of Bangladesh are Urdu speaking. An angry young man - Shahid Santanu - told me why should we blame the Indians. Did Hazrat Shahjalal, in whose name our national airport is named, speak Bangla? I am against involving the name of a holy saint in the dirty politics of vendetta. So, I refrained from answering. But I could definitely say Hazrat Shahjalal did not speak English. Ibne Batuta, the world famous traveller, who met him in Sylhet on his way to China would have mentioned it. That could be one of the world's seven wonders. The Prime Minister has really done a commendable job during last two years in her campaign to save the Sundarbans and make it one of the seven wonders of the world. And so she did to make Bangla the official language of the United Nations. For that she had been awarded the title Vishya Netri, the World Leader. I think that is her rightful place in history with so many doctorates from the world. Somebody in the crowd for the celebration of the World Cup raised the slogan Vishya Kap Vishya Netrir (World Cup for the World Leader). As I passed the street, a woman with five children begged money for food. BNP leader Delwar said, a silent famine is prevailing in the country. I am thankful to him that his party has refrained from any protests during the World Cup despite the stock market crash. I remembered singer Ruxy again. I was told that she was a teacher of English in one of the commercial private universities. Did she render her song in English? No, I cannot assure you I properly heard it. Possibly everybody was there to see her movements. It would be good if she did open our window by singing in English to declare the Sundarbans one of the seven natural wonders. I think she could also accompany the Prime Minister in her world tours to promote the Sundarbans. Somebody protested that half of the Sundarbans is in India. Would India give that to us if we succeed to make the Sundarbans declared one of the world's seven wonders? That was a hard question for me. But I think the Sundarbsns should be declared as one of the world's seven wonders.
To a full-packed audience at Shilpakala Academy singer Ruxy rendered a wonderful song in support of declaring the Sundarbans as one of the seven wonders of the world. I was told, actress Runa Afroze, dancer Mun Mun Ahmed, singers Alif Laila Maushumi, Indramohan Rajbangsi, Kiran Chandra Roy all have mastered their support for the demand. But I would say the star performer has been our Prime Minister herself. She is credited to making our national mourning day Shahid Dibash as Antarjantik Matribhasha Dibash - International Mother Language Day - a day of joy and celebration. If you visit the Boi Mela with its gaiety of fair, possibly you would get that feeling. The sorrow and seriousness of 21st February has been lost in the commercial book fair. No, I do not think the same about the campaign to make the Sundrabans as one of the seven wonders. I was told by Suriya, a theatre activist, that the campaign itself is a wonder. It is part of the Prime Minister's efforts of digitalisation of Bangladesh and in the process of revitalisation of English. A colleague showed me an article in Naya Diganta of February 4, by Fazal Shahabuddin that Rabindranath got his Nobel Prize for English Gitanjali. I do not know the authenticity of this claim. But I saw the other day Rabindranath's Chandalini in Urdu (when you do not write Urdu and Hindi, they are nearly the same.) When Rabindra centenary was being observed Ayub Khan was the President. He was opposed to celebrating a Hindu poet. But when he was told that Rabindranath wrote the same thing that is written in the Holy Quran, amused Ayub Khan reportedly said why do not you translate it in Urdu? Reita Ganguly, an Indian Bengali singer, started her performance addressing the audience as Khwateen o Hazrat. Ignoring our language movement and Liberation War, many in West Bengal feel Muslims of Bangladesh are Urdu speaking. An angry young man - Shahid Santanu - told me why should we blame the Indians. Did Hazrat Shahjalal, in whose name our national airport is named, speak Bangla? I am against involving the name of a holy saint in the dirty politics of vendetta. So, I refrained from answering. But I could definitely say Hazrat Shahjalal did not speak English. Ibne Batuta, the world famous traveller, who met him in Sylhet on his way to China would have mentioned it. That could be one of the world's seven wonders. The Prime Minister has really done a commendable job during last two years in her campaign to save the Sundarbans and make it one of the seven wonders of the world. And so she did to make Bangla the official language of the United Nations. For that she had been awarded the title Vishya Netri, the World Leader. I think that is her rightful place in history with so many doctorates from the world. Somebody in the crowd for the celebration of the World Cup raised the slogan Vishya Kap Vishya Netrir (World Cup for the World Leader). As I passed the street, a woman with five children begged money for food. BNP leader Delwar said, a silent famine is prevailing in the country. I am thankful to him that his party has refrained from any protests during the World Cup despite the stock market crash. I remembered singer Ruxy again. I was told that she was a teacher of English in one of the commercial private universities. Did she render her song in English? No, I cannot assure you I properly heard it. Possibly everybody was there to see her movements. It would be good if she did open our window by singing in English to declare the Sundarbans one of the seven natural wonders. I think she could also accompany the Prime Minister in her world tours to promote the Sundarbans. Somebody protested that half of the Sundarbans is in India. Would India give that to us if we succeed to make the Sundarbans declared one of the world's seven wonders? That was a hard question for me. But I think the Sundarbsns should be declared as one of the world's seven wonders.