Kazi Nazrul & Kamal Pasha

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[The Daily Star, May 25, 1999]

Nazrul and Kamal Pasha

by Shahabuddin Ahmad

Kamal Ataturk is one of the greatest figures and personalities of the
modern Muslim history who deeply attracted Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's
attention. Among others were Anwar Pasha of Turkey, Jaglul Pasha of
Egypt, Amanullah and leader Abdul Karim of Afghanistan. Nazrul Islam
composed poems based on the life and heroism of these world famous
personalities. But in his youth, Nazrul was greatly influenced and
pulsated by Kamal Pasha and that was for the heroic role played by
Kamal Ataturk in the Liberation War of Turkey and for his modern
outlook, spirit of nationalism, social and state policy and endeavours
for the emancipation of the intellect. It may be mentioned here that
like Mustafa Kamal Pasha, poet Kazi Nazrul Islam himself was a soldier
who had joined the First World War as a soldier of the 49 Bengalee
Regiment and he found close affinity with the spirit and
characteristics of Kamal Pasha who had fought against the foreign
power, exploitation, oppression and superstition of various kinds being
imbued with the spirit of nationalism, humanism and patriotism.
In joining the army there was a sharp and basic difference between
Mustafa Kamal Pasha and Kazi Nazrul Islam and that was in the
perspective of their respective countries. Nazrul joined the British
Army for his livelihood and Mustafa Kamal joined the National Army for
the liberation of his country. Though Nazrul took his profession in the
British Army he did not have to take part in the actual warfare, rather
he had been posted in Karachi far away from the war-field. Though
Nazrul was in the foreign colonial army, he kept in his mind the
freedom-loving spirit and love for the independence of his motherland
i.e. the undivided Indian sub-continent. Poet Kazi Nazrul, an ex-
Havilder of the Bengalee Regiment formed during the First World War,
struggled against the British colonialism and foreign domination and
for the independence of his motherland. As a poet and personality,
Nazrul fought throughout his active life against oppression, injustice,
social inequality, superstitions and other vices.

As regards the background, when and in which level poet Kazi Nazrul
Islam was influenced by the characteristics and heroic deeds of Kamal
Pasha, it needs to be mentioned here that, in 1914 Nazrul joined the
Bengalee Regiment created during the First World War and at that time
Mustafa Kamal Pasha was the Commander of the Ottoman 7th Regiment and
had been fighting for Turkey's independence, against the allied power.

In 1920 the 49th Bengalee Regiment had been disbanded and the ex-
Havilder Kazi Nazrul Islam returned to Calcutta from Karachi. By then
Mustafa Kamal Pasha, a great soldier of Turkey, had organised the
liberation forces, imbued the Turkish people with the spirit of
nationalism and heroism and as a Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish
Armed Forces, he fought against the Greek forces and the occupation
army and ultimately became victorious. The victory of the Turkish
nation under the heroic leadership of Mustafa Kamal Pasha greatly
inspired the Indians specially the Muslim community who had been
struggling for the freedom of their motherland from the clutches of the
Britishers. Kazi Nazrul Islam a freedom loving poet and ex-soldier who
had dreamt of the independence of his own country and the revival of
the glorious past and heroism of the Muslim nation, was immensely
inspired by the victory of Kamal Pasha. In the backdrop of the
emancipation of the Turkish people, he wrote his famous poem Kamal
Pasha in the month of October, 1921. It may be mentioned here that the
complete victory in the war against the Greeks by the Turkish was
attained in 1922.

Mustafa Kamal's heroism, freedom-loving spirit, his patriotism and love
for modernism and advancement, and also his fight against social and
religious superstitions highly inspired Nazrul Islam. Both Kamal Pasha
and Kazi Nazrul Islam had a common rebellious spirit and both of them
believed that to create a new social order and to make advancement
bringing about changes in the age-old and prevalent systems was a must.
Both of them were in favour of progress and advancement and believed in
the spirit of freedom and humanism. It is a truism that Poet Kazi
Nazrul Islam was not only influence by the characteristics of Kamal
Pasha and his progressive outlook, but also influenced with the spirit
of the progressive social pattern of Islam and imbued with the spirit
and philosophy of love expounded by Rumi, Hafiz, Omar Khayam and other
Persian poets, and the spirit of humanism of Shelley, Whitman and
Rabindranath.

Keeping in view the above historical background and facts it needs to
be admitted that poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was greatly inspired by Mustafa
Kamal Pasha owing to the affinity they had in their minds. Love for
freedom and Muslim brotherhood and the spirit of Pan-Islamism inspired
Nazrul to compose many songs and poems for the rejuvenation of the
world Muslims. It is a historical fact that the Muslims of the world
used to regard the caliphate of Baghdad and later on the caliph of
Turkey as their own caliph. During the First World War the ruling
British power had given the Indian Muslims the word that they would not
attack Turkey. But after the end of the First World War British
imperialist power swallowed their promises. They helped the allied
powers and forces in attacking Turkey. At this the Indian Muslims
realised that the British could not and should not be trusted. Against
this backdrop the Indian Muslims joined the Khelafat Movement with the
sole aim to give support to the struggle of the Turkish people against
the alien aggressors and allied powers. The Khelafat Movement and the
Non-cooperation Movement in India were launched against the British
imperialism and continued side by side. At this juncture and
significant phase of the freedom movement of India, during the twenties
of the present century, the victory attained by Mustafa Kamal Pasha was
regarded as the victory of the freedom loving people, and specially the
struggling Muslims. The victory of the Turkish people under the able
leadership of Kamal Pasha, raised confidence in the minds of the
oppressed people of the world at large. They thought that even the
British lion could be defeated by united efforts and fierce-fighting.

In the earlier phase, poet Nazrul keenly observed the historic event of
the defeat and fall of the Tsars of Russia as a result of the Bolshevik
revolution. In the victory of the Turkish people under the guidance of
the valiant fighter Kamal Pasha, Nazrul observed the defeat of the big
powers in the hands of the united people of a small country. It was
possible largely for the unique leadership of Mustafa Kamal Pasha.
Hence, in his famous poem Kamal Pasha poet Nazrul not only saluted
Mustafa Kamal Ataturk but also the freedom-loving and heroic people of
the world in general. He knew that in his fitting tribute lied the
seeds of the destruction of colonialism. Thus, the poem Kamal Pasha
attained a great significance and a symbolic meaning.

Translated by Poet Mohammad Mahfuzullah, a former Executive Director,
Nazrul Institute, from original Bangla.

[Reprinted from the Daily Star, May 25, 1999].

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