Sukanta Bhattacharya

Sukanta Bhattacharya was one of the most honored poets of Bangla literature. He was called 'Young Nazrul' and 'Kishore Bidrohi Kobi', a reference to the great rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam for Sukanto's similar rebellious stance against the tyranny of the British Raj and the oppression by the social elites through the work of his poetry.

During his life, his poems were not widely circulated, but after his death his reputation grew to the extent that he became one of the most popular Bengali poets of the 20th century. He has had a significant influence on poet Subhas Mukhopadhyay and composer Salil Chowdhury who set some of his popular poems to music. The poetry of Sukanta Bhattacharya is characterised by rebel socialist thoughts, patriotism and humanism. Yet, it is characterized by romanticism as well.

Sukanta Bhattacharya was born on 15 August 1926 to Nibaran Chandra Bhattacharya, owner of Saraswat Library, a publishing and book selling enterprise, and Suniti Devi. He was the second of their seven sons, Manomohan, Sushil, Prashanta, Bibhash, Ashoke and Amiya being the other six sons. Manomohan was Nibaran Bhattacharya's eldest son from his first marriage.

Sukanta was closely associated with Manomohan and his wife Saraju Debi. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal is his nephew-the son of his cousin. Sukanta was born at his maternal grandfather's house at Kalighat, Calcutta (now Kolkata, West Bengal), although his family hailed from the village of Kotalipara in Faridpur of modern-day Bangladesh.

Sukanta spent his childhood at their house at Nibedita Lane, Bagbazar. He was sent to Kamala Vidyamandir, a local primary school where his literary career began. His first short story was published in Sanchay, the school's student magazine. Later, another one of his prose writings, "Vivekanander Jibani", was published in Sikha, edited by Bijon Bhattacharya. He got admitted to Beleghata Deshbandhu High School after having studied at Kamala Vidyamandir. He joined the Communist Party of India in 1944.

He edited an anthology named Akal (Famine), which was published by the Anti-Fascist Writers' and Artists' Association, in the same year. He was a close friend of the poet Shubhas Mukhopadhyay. He appeared for the entrance examination from Beleghata Deshbandhu High School in 1945, but failed. He was the editor of the Kishore Sabha (youth section) of the Bengali daily organ of the party, Dainik Swadhinata, since its inception in 1946.

He died of tuberculosis at the Jadavpur T. B. Hospital (later, K. S. Roy T. B. Hospital) in Calcutta at a very young age of 21. A comprehensive account of the poet's life can be found in Kabi Sukanta Bhattacharya O Sei Samay written by the poet's youngest brother, Amiya Bhattacharya.

Chharpatra (1948) is a Bengali book of poems written by Sukanta Bhattacharya. Sukanta wrote the poems of this book from 1943-1947. This book was published few days before his death.

Literary features
Chharpatra created a sensation when it first appeared.  Sukanta picked up particular types of labour class people as the subject of his poetry. Some of his poetries in the book Chharpatra presented some magnificent hitherto which was unknown to the Bengali poetry readers. The book starts with the poetry Chharpatra- the theme of the poetry was- "A new child is born; we will have to make room for him."

"I shall make this world a fit place for him to live in." One of his shorter poems name "Hey Mahajibon" from the book Chharpatra compares the moon with a burnt roti, a prosaicness born of hunger: "Poetry, we do not need you anymore. A world devastated by hunger is too prosaic, The full moon now reminds us of toasted bread"

Source :  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia