Sukanta Bhattacharya

Sukanta Bhattacharya (Bengali: [ʃukant̪o bʱɔʈːat͡ʃaɾd͡ʒo] ; 15 August 1926 – 13 May 1947) was a Bengali poet and revolutionary. He was known as "Young Nazrul" and "Kishore Bidrohi Kobi" (lit. 'Teenage Rebel Poet'), for his rebellious stance and opposition against the British Raj, Empire of Japan, other Axis powers, Second World War, and the social elites through the work of poetry. While his poetry was not much studied during his career, he became one of the most popular poets of the 20th century and Bengali literature after his death, primarily because all of his poetry collection books were published after his death. These published books founded way for inspiration of social change in the community with their liberation themes. He became an official member of the Communist Party of India, as a Marxist poet, in 1944. He was known as a "Teen poet" for his works as a teen. His writing career spanned about 6 years. His main work was poetry, but he also wrote songs, stories, essays and plays.

Bhattacharya was born to a joint family in Kalighat, Calcutta. Deriving poetic interest from his sister Ranidi, writer Rabindranath Tagore and epic poems, he showed his first written poem in 1935 while on a tour in Jasidih, Santhal Parganas. With the deaths of his sister Ranidi and his mother Suniti Devi, he became highly despaired and reflected his feelings by writing in his notebook. Bhattacharya was enrolled in the Kamala Vidya Mandir, where his first literary works, including short stories, biographies and plays were written. Also in the school, his short biography of Vivekananda was published for his first time in the magazine Sikha. Throughout his life, starting from his admission to school, Bhattacharya showed a lack of interest in school, and instead focused more on writing, listening to the radio and playing, his early writings were contained in his own notebook.

His collaboration with Arunachal Basu in class seven marked a major impact on his poetry career. In the same Deshbandhu Beliaghata high school, he worked with several of his teachers and friends who helped him organize his poetry and bring out his works. Through Arunachal Basu, Bhattacharya came to know of his mother Sarala Devi having a girls' school in Beliaghata. Sarala Devi was a significant person in his life, helping him work on composing new poems and loving him. At this time, before he actively engaged with politics, he made appearances on radio by reciting live poems and making songs.

From 1939, World War II started; making a lasting mark and on his poetry. Events of the World War II, such as Hitler's invasion of Poland and casualties of the War set him back in his writing career. Starting from 1941, his works of his career are considered to be the most significant, describing events and liberative themes. During the War, he associated with literary and political movements. Becoming a Marxist poet and joining the Communist Party of India, he was a founder of the Kishore Bahini, partaking in writing and reporting for the Party and political newspapers. He also took matriculation exams from his school. Irregular eating worsened his health. He stayed in Narkeldanga and then at his aunt's house in Shyambazar. His visit to Benaras in late 1944 contracted him with malaria. He was bedridden several times and sent to different hospitals. With his last poems dating to his final years in the Jadavpur T. B. Hospital, he died in 1947; his body being taken by a truck and cremated. Bhattacharya's first poetry book Chharpatra was taken to printers after he died, and he only saw the file copy of one of those books.

Notable works: Chharpatra Education: Beliaghata High School

Source: Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukanta_Bhattacharya