Sailajaranjan Academy to be established in Mohonganj

'Sailajaranjan Academy' will be set up at the birthplace of Sailajaranjan Majumdar in Mohonganj of Netrokona. Sajjadul Hassan the secretary of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) recently visited the spot.

Sailajaranjan Majumdar was born at Baham village on 19 July in 1900. Son of Jaminder Ramani Kishore Datta Majumder and Saral Sundari admired by the exquisite music at Thakurbari in Jorasanko of Kolkata while, he was 18-year old. Sailajaranjan Majumdar was a distinguished exponent and teacher of the songs of Rabindranath.

Although he had an aptitude for both vocal and instrumental music from his childhood, he followed his father's wishes and took in 1924 a master's degree in Chemistry from the University of Calcutta and then acquired a degree in law. In 1932, he accepted an offer from Visva-Bharati to be a lecturer in Chemistry.

                                                  Sailajaranjan Majumder playing Sitar.
                                                                 -Collected

Rabindranath asked Sailajaranjan to take charge of it as the first Principal and abandon science. He directed plays and dance-dramas of Rabindranath Tagore and travelled through India, Burma and Ceylon with his well-trained troupe.

He graciously accepted a visiting Professorship of this institution and conducted music lessons and lecture-demonstrations for the benefit of music teachers and students. He published the notation 'Chitrangada' in 1936 and Chandalika in 1938. Rabindranath Tagor appointed him as provost of Visva-Bharati's music building in 1939. Visva-Bharati honored him Doctorate degree in 1974. In 1984  Sailajaranjan Majumder came home at Mohonganj.

He was companied by Justice Obaidul Hassan and the PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hasan's father former Gana Parishad's member Dr Akhlakul Hossain Ahmed. Sailajaranjan Majumder breathed his last on 24th May 1992. Justice Obaidul Hassan took the initiative first for establishing an Academy in Mohonganj. 

Road constriction has began already. Dr Sumit Basu said while visiting the home of Sailajaranjan Majumder 'If the academy can be established, folk music teachers will come here.' Sailajaranjan Academy convener and UNO Md Mehedi Mahmud Akondo said that to The Asian Age, 'the academy will be established at the birthplace of Sailajaranjan Majumder. 11-members convener committee has been formed.'

-Indrojit Sarker, Mohanganj, Netrakona