Introduction:
“Kandari Hushiar” (Beware My Captain), one of the most inspiring patriotic songs was composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976), the rebel poet of Bengal and the national poet of Bangladesh. In the poem, “Kandari Hushiar” (Beware My Captain) the poet urges the Indians to rise above the question of race, creed, or color by understanding the high values of humanism. In this poem, he appeals passionately to the National Congress leaders to work more with determination for the cause of Hindu-Muslim unity.
For more notes of poetry: click here
Love for humanity
Nazrul had a deep love for humanity from an early age because he was born into a society, which was full of class division, religious separatism, exploitation, oppression, torture, and superstitious beliefs. Hindu-Muslim communal hostility was the main problem during British rule in India. Hindu-Muslim communal hostility pained Nazrul very much. He felt that it is impossible to be free from British rule without solving Hindu-Muslim communal hostility. So he called all the people and native leaders of India to work together to regain their previous prestige and freedom. As a patriotic poet, he inspires people to work together in the freedom struggle against British rule forgetting their other identity.
The occasion of the song:
Seeing the oppression, suppression, and cruelty of man due to social injustice Nazrul hurt deeply. He thinks he has to do something for his countrymen. from this thinking he composed the poem “Kandari Hushiar” (Beware My Captain) known as a patriotic song. In the poem, he calls upon the young generation to save the nation from danger forgetting the Hindu-Muslim question and understanding the high values of humanism.
Declaration of a single nationality.
Nazrul composed this song against the background of Hindu-Muslim disorder in different places of India around 1926. He sang it on the occasion of the annual session of the Indian National Congress, the common platform of anti-colonial struggle, held in Krishnanagar. He tells through the language of the song; “The night is dark, Be on your guard/ You, soldiers of the country” and again he says, “The helpless nation is going underwater/ It does not know how to swim”. Here Nazrul recalls his patriotism and love for the people of the country and tells the captain with great emotion, who are drowning or dying day by day They are neither Hindu nor Muslim. They are the children of Mother India. Through his song, expressed his patriotism and wanted to tell everyone to work together to save the children of India.
Call for a united struggle:
Nazrul through the song the captain be aware calls for a united struggle including all classes of people, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians for national independence. He reminds the political leaders of the Congress that if they failed to prevent the communal disorders, the struggle for independence from British colonial rule is impossible. He remembers the field of Plassey where India lost her independence to Clive. The poet remembers the brave sons of India who laid down their lives for the motherland in the past and he expresses his hope that the nation would victory in this great ordeal.
Inspiration supplier
Natural and his literary works especially “Kandari Hushiar” (Beware My Captain) both are storehouses of Inspiration. In continuation of this, the song inspired our freedom fighters during the liberation war against the hostile forces of Pakistan in 1971. So, Nazrul Islam is none other than a patriotic poet.
Conclusion:
To sum up we can say, Nazrul is a poet of humanity. He is a poet of all countries of the world not a single country. His message to countrymen, love for humanity, and prophetic poetry are universal signs of his patriotism. So Nazrul Islam is certainly a patriotic poet and “Kandari Hushiar” is a patriotic and inspiring song for those who fight for the freedom of their motherland.
For more notes of poetry: click here
