Bengali literature's first light goes out

Sunil Gangopadhyay in his younger days

Legendary Bengali writer and Sahitya Akademi President Sunil Gangopadhyay died in Kolkata early on Tuesday, following a major cardiac arrest, family sources said. Equally acclaimed for his poems and novels in both West Bengal and Bangladesh, the Sahitya Akademi winner, 78, leaves behind his wife and a son who lives in Boston, USA.

Gangopadhyay had been suffering from prostrate cancer for some time. The body has been kept at a city mortuary, as the family awaits his son’s return to perform the last rites. Born in Faridpur, now in Bangladesh, Gangopadhyay’s family shifted to Kolkata before the Partition in 1947. He obtained a Master’s degree in Bengali from the University of Calcutta in 1954.

Having authored over 200 books over six decades since his first poem Ekti Chithi (A letter) was published in the 1950s, Gangopadhyay created a niche for himself in the Bengali literary scene.

Krittibas and beyond

In the 1950s, Gangopadhyay and some of his friends brought out a seminal poetry magazine Krittibas, which published poems of only young writers and became a platform for young talent experimenting with various forms. Gangopadhyay was the founder editor.

His first novel, Atmaprakash (Emergence), was published in 1965 in the magazine Desh, while his poems in the Nira series have retained their charm and appeal among the readers, particularly the youth, through the years. He used several pen-names including Nil Lohit, Sanatan Pathak and Nil Upadhyay and was known for his liberal and open-minded views.

Gangopadhyay took over as Sahitya Akademi president in 2008, and launched a large number of projects to popularise Indian literature across the world, translate works from one Indian language to another and increase interaction between writers in various Indian languages.

“Indian literature is one, written in many languages. Writers in the Naga and Manipuri languages should not feel isolated because of their location. We are thinking of ways to remove their sense of isolation,” Gangopadhyay had told IANS once. Gangopadhyay was recently in the news after Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen accused him of molesting her and of exploiting young female writers on Twitter.

â–º    Indian literature is one, written in many languages. We are thinking of ways to remove writers’ sense of isolation

-  Sunil Gangopadhyay

  Following the Beats 

•    Gangopadhyay drew heavily on the Beat Generation writers. His first novel, Atmaprakash was inspired by Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. The central character, named Sunil, is seen to lead a bohemian lifestyle, a fact that drew criticism from many after the novel’s publication

•    Gangopadhyay also struck up a friendship with Beat poet Allen Ginsberg while the latter was travelling through India in 1971. Ginsberg later mentions Gangopadhyay in his poem September on Jessore Road

  Some of his works 

•    Atmaprakash

Gangopdhyay’s first novel. Acclaimed and controversial for its aggressive and obscene style, the book revolves around a young man who leads a bohemian life.

•    Maya Kanan-er Phool

Translated as The Enchanting Garden, sentences stop halfway through and words became sparer as the narrative progresses, inviting readers to fill in the blanks with their own ideas.

•    Aranyer Din-Raatri

This book tells the story of four bachelors who go on holiday in the forest. While enjoying a break from city life, each undergoes profound character transformations. It was made into a movie by Satyajit Ray.

•    Sei Somay

A fictional account based on 19th century Bengal and the wealthy lifestyle of the zamindars, the book won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1985. It was translated by Aruna Chakravorty as Those Days.

•    Kakababu

Created by Gangopadhyay in 1979, this series follows the adventures of Kakababu, a crippled ex-Director of the Archaeological Survey of India, who is sought after by the Indian intelligence to solve crime.

•    Pratham Alo

Translated as First Light, the  book centres around Rabindranath Tagore, his leanings towards his sister-in-law and niece and also features a love story between an illegitimate royal and a devdasi.