Death Anniversary of Gana Sangeet Pioneer Srikanta Das Marked Today

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:

Today marks the death anniversary of Comrade Srikanta Das, the celebrated exponent of gana sangeet whose voice became synonymous with political struggle in Sylhet and beyond. Das, who died on 19 November 2009, remains revered for using music as a tool for resistance from the anti-British movement to the 1971 Liberation War.

Born in 1924 in rural Shalla, he grew up in a communist household where music and politics intertwined. His deep, commanding voice brought him early recognition, notably at the All-India Peasants’ Conference in 1944. Songs such as “Kawaye dhan khailore” became staples of left-wing cultural activism, rallying peasants and workers across the Surma Valley.

Das refused to leave his homeland during Partition and continued underground political work under Pakistan. After the 1970 cyclone, he travelled from door to door singing to raise relief funds, and during the Liberation War he served as an organiser, trainer and cultural mobiliser, later taking part in operations in Shalla and Sunamganj.

After independence, he remained embedded in grassroots activism, founding cultural initiatives including Shuddho Sangeet Bidyalaya and helping lead Udichi’s activities in the region. Known for his unwavering commitment to socialist ideals, he spent his life walking from village to village distributing the party paper and promoting progressive culture.

His final act—donating his body for medical science—was the first recorded in Sylhet and is widely remembered as a testament to his principles. Fifteen years after his passing, admirers say Srikanta Das’s legacy lives on in the movements, melodies and ideals he carried throughout his life.