‘পৃথিবীটা নাকি এখন একটা গ্রাম হয়ে গেছে। গ্লোবাল ভিলেজ কথাটা প্রায় প্রতিদিনই দেখা যায়।...তাৎপর্য ঠিক কী?...তাদের আদিম ধর্ম ও ভাষা কী হবে?...ভাষাই আমাদের প্রধান বিবেচ্য।...সেই ভাষা হবে ইংরিজি।...তা হলে অন্য ভাষাগুলির কী হবে?...’ সুনীল গঙ্গোপাধ্যায় একের পর এক স্বাদু রচনায় পাঠককে দাঁড় করিয়েছেন অমোঘ প্রশ্নচিহ্নের সামনে। আমি কি বাঙালি? আমি কি ভালোবাসি মাতৃভাষাকে? এই বিশ্বায়নের যুগে কি শেষপর্যন্ত বাঁচতে পারবে বাংলাভাষা? নতুন প্রজন্ম কি চায় মাতৃভাষাকে? ‘আমি কি বাঙালি’ আত্ম-অনুসন্ধানের গ্রন্থ। বাংলা ও বাঙালিকে চিনতে চাইলে এই বইয়ের কোনও বিকল্প নেই।
Sunil Gangopadhyay (Bengali: সুনীল গঙ্গোপাধ্যায়) was a famous Indian poet and novelist. Born in Faridpur, Bangladesh, Gangopadhyay obtained his Master's degree in Bengali from the University of Calcutta, In 1953 he started a Bengali poetry magazine Krittibas. Later he wrote for many different publications.
Ganguly created the Bengali fictional character Kakababu and wrote a series of novels on this character which became significant in Indian children's literature. He received Sahitya Academy award in 1985 for his novel Those Days (সেই সময়). Gangopadhyay used the pen names Nil Lohit, Sanatan Pathak, and Nil Upadhyay.
Works: Author of well over 200 books, Sunil was a prolific writer who has excelled in different genres but declares poetry to be his "first love". His Nikhilesh and Neera series of poems (some of which have been translated as For You, Neera and Murmur in the Woods) have been extremely popular.
As in poetry, Sunil was known for his unique style in prose. His first novel was Atmaprakash (আত্মপ্রকাশ) and it was also the first writing from a new comer in literature published in the prestigious magazine- Desh (1965).The novel had inspiration from ' On the road' by Jack Kerouac. His historical fiction Sei Somoy (translated into English by Aruna Chakravorty as Those Days) received the Indian Sahitya Academy award in 1985. Shei Somoy continues to be a best seller more than two decade after its first publication. The same is true for Prothom Alo (প্রথম আলো, also translated recently by Aruna Chakravorty as First Light), another best selling historical fiction and Purbo-Paschim (পূর্ব-পশ্চিম, translated as East-West) a raw depiction of the partition and its aftermath seen through the eyes of three generations of Bengalis in West Bengal, Bangladesh and elsewhere. He is also the winner of the Bankim Puraskar (1982), and the Ananda Puraskar (twice, in 1972 and 1989).
Sunil wrote in many other genres including travelogues, children's fiction, short stories, features, and essays. Though he wrote all types of children's fiction, one character created by him that stands out above the rest, was Kakababu, the crippled adventurer, accompanied by his Teenager nephew Santu, and his friend Jojo. Since 1974, Sunil Gangopadhyay wrote over 35 novels of this wildly popular series.
Death: Sunil Gangopadhyay died at 2:05 AM on 23 October 2012 at his South Kolkata residence, following a heart attack. He was suffering from prostate cancer for some time and went to Mumbai for treatment. Gangopadhyay's body was cremated on 25 October at Keoratola crematorium, Kolkata.
Awards & Honours: He was honored with Ananda Award (1972, 1979) and Sahitya Academy Award (1984).
Bangla bhasha .. ekta bhasha niye larayer kahini .. 1952 saale 21st February sudhu bhasha-r janya pran dilo kichu manush .. Pare Rastropunjo theke din tike kara holo 'International Mother Language Day'.. r sei bhasha niye je asha ba hatasha tari upakhyan ei chotto boiti (tukro tukro anekgulo kahini diye mora).
Sunil babu khub sundar ekta lekha udhrita karechen matribhasha-r gurotto bojhate giye - Nobel joyi Isaac Bashevis Singer-r Nobel baktrita:
"People ask me often, 'Why do you write in a dying language?' And I want to explain it in a few words.
Firstly, I like to write ghost stories and nothing fits a ghost better than a dying language. The deader the language the more alive is the ghost. Ghosts love Yiddish and as far as I know, they all speak it.
Secondly, not only do I believe in ghosts, but also in resurrection. I am sure that millions of Yiddish speaking corpses will rise from their graves one day and their first question will be: "Is there any new Yiddish book to read?" For them Yiddish will not be dead.
Thirdly, for 2000 years Hebrew was considered a dead language. Suddenly it became strangely alive. What happened to Hebrew may also happen to Yiddish one day, (although I haven't the slightest idea how this miracle can take place.)
There is still a fourth minor reason for not forsaking Yiddish and this is: Yiddish may be a dying language but it is the only language I know well. Yiddish is my mother language and a mother is never really dead."
বাংলা – অনেক সংগ্রামের সাক্ষী এই ভাষা। ইতিহাস গড়তে ও ভাঙতে দেখেছে বাংলা। স্রোতস্বিনী সময়ের মোড় ঘুরিয়ে রচনা করেছে অনেক নতুন অধ্যায়ের। সেই বাংলা ভাষার ভবিষ্যৎই আজ বিপন্ন। বাংলাভাষী মানুষ আজ কোণঠাসা। হিন্দী বলয়ের আগ্রাসনে নিজের পরিচয় সম্বন্ধে সন্দিহান বাঙালি। এমন এক সময়ে দাঁড়িয়ে যখন নিজের অস্তিত্ব প্রমাণের দোরগোড়ায় দাঁড়িয়ে সমগ্র জাতি, তখন স্বভাবতই প্রশ্ন ওঠে বাঙালি কারে কয়?
এই প্রশ্নটি আমারও মনে এসেছিলো বহু বছর আগে। লিখেওছিলাম একটি ব্লগ। তা নিয়ে তর্কালোচনাও হয়েছিল বিস্তর। প্রায় এক দশক পর আবার সেই প্রশ্নের সম্মুখীন হলাম সুনীল গঙ্গোপাধ্যায়ের বই ‘আমি কি বাঙালি’ পড়ে। যে দুঃসময়ে আমরা বাস করছি, সেই সময়ে দাঁড়িয়ে এই বইটি যে কতটা সময়োপযোগী তা সহজেই অনুমেয়।
Sunil Ganguly is one of the most popular author of our time and he is one of my most favourite authors. I want to give him 4.8. This is because there are repetitions. This book is the collection of his different writings in different times on the topic. Which created this repetition.
The point he wants to make in this book is very vital for a community. Very valid point and I agree with him in most of the cases.
I think it's a must read for all the Bengalis of West Bengal.
Collection of essays from one of our greatest authors, concerning his thoughts regarding Bengali language, Bengali culture & religion, and the present state of language-usage in Bengal. Refreshing and recommended.