Srijon marks its first event with celebration of Sukanta Bhattacharya’s Birth Centenary

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:

 

Srijon held its first-ever event at East London’s Brady Arts Centre on 27 September, commemorating the birth centenary of celebrated Bengali poet Sukanta Bhattacharya through an evening of poetry, music, dance, theatre and discussion.

The evening opened with a warm welcome from Shahab Ahmed, followed by Lenin Hoque, who introduced Srijon’s vision and described the gathering as the organisation’s “very first step”.

Dhananjoy Paul and Dr Hasneen Choudhury then offered a vivid portrait of Sukanta Bhattacharya, reflecting on his short life, his convictions and his enduring contribution to Bengali literature. Rammya Rahim Choudhury brought the formal proceedings to a close with a heartfelt vote of thanks.

The artistic programme began with Munira Parvin and Aditya H Syed, who opened the evening with a graceful reading of Sukanta’s own words.

Music and dance featured prominently throughout the programme. Sanjoy Dey, Gouri Choudhury and Laboni Barua delivered a soulful rendition of ‘Runner’, Sukanta’s evocative portrayal of postal carriers travelling through the night with other people’s news, accompanied by a dance interpretation from Monirul Islam Mukul and Niharika Bhoumik.

A discussion on Sukanta’s life and work followed, led by T M Ahmed Kaysher, Dr Palto Datta and Ropita Rammya-Graham, offering the audience an opportunity to engage with the poet’s ideas and literary legacy.

The evening continued with a series of multilingual and multidisciplinary performances. Cleopatra Paul and Raha Dewan-Syed gave a tender recitation of ‘The Supplicant’, portraying two young voices asking the sun for warmth on behalf of those left cold and forgotten. Laboni Barua performed ‘O Great Life’, capturing Sukanta’s stark imagery of hunger, where even the full moon becomes a scorched roti in the eyes of a hungry person. Dr Bonya Chakraborty delivered a moving Bengali recitation of ‘Matchstick’, followed by Agnese Graudiņa’s evocative Latvian rendition. Gouri Choudhury’s powerful vocals brought ‘The Astonished World’ from quiet wonder to an expression of anger at injustice. Dr David Lee Morgan presented a stirring reading of ‘Diehard’, reflecting a Bengal attempting to find its feet again after famine and loss. Giuseppe Mastroianni brought an Italian-language performance of ‘The Volcano’, capturing the tension and energy beneath its seemingly calm surface. Sanjoy Dey returned to the stage with ‘Death of Despair’, set to his own composition, offering a deeply felt interpretation of hope fading in a moment of desperation.

Urmee Mazhar recited ‘Priyotameshu’, portraying a soldier weary of war and longing simply to return home.

The programme also featured a group recitation composed and scripted by Munira Parvin, performed alongside Shatarupa Chowdhury, Dr Bonya Chakraborty, Dhananjoy Paul, Shah Shorif Uddin and Nazrul Islam Okib. The performance delivered a powerful call to resist injustice and preserve human dignity.

The evening culminated in a poetry theatre production directed by T M Ahmed Kaysher, ‘A New World’s Passport’. Performed by Tanusree Guha, Sarwar E Alam, Nazia Amin and Asmitha Keer, with Harvey Gibbons on cello, the piece used the image of a newborn child as a symbol of everything that is still possible and yet to come.

The musical ensemble included Amith Dey on keyboard, Piyas Barua on tabla and Harvey Gibbons on cello.