Gour Kishore Ghosh
Encyclopedia
Gour Kishore Ghosh (June 22, 1923 – December 15, 2000) was a celebrated Bengali
writer and journalist.
, (presently Bangladesh
), on the 22nd of June 1923. He completed his schooling in Nabadwip
, and completed his intermediate science (I.Sc.) examinations in 1945.
Due to extreme poverty, Ghosh could not continue his education further and had to become a professional soon after.
He continually changed his professions between 1941 and 1953. Amongst others, he worked as private tutor, electrician
and fitter
, sailor
, waiter
at restaurants, trade union
organizer, school teacher, manager
of a touring dance
troupe, land customs clearing clerk, proof reader and others, until from an interim job as a border customs clerk he joined a new daily newspaper, Satyayuga where his distinctive writing style earned him promotion to editor of two feature sections. Thus, he settled at his chosen profession, that of a reporter / journalist
.
and in Calcutta's largest vernacular daily, Ananda Bazar Patrika, of which he also became senior editor. He portrayed the agony of West Bengal
during the Naxalite
movement from 1969 to 1971, in sharp satire, in his "News Commentary by Rupadarshi". He often wrote under his pen-name, Rupadarshi.
After the emergency was imposed upon India in 1975, Ghosh shaved his head and wrote a symbolic letter to his 13 year old son explaining his act of "bereavement" over the loss of his freedom to write. Published in Kolkata, a Bengali
monthly, this letter caused his arrest, was widely circulated through the underground and became a classic of protest. Ghosh smuggled from prison two other letters on abuses of authoritarian rule before, in his cell, he suffered a third heart attack.
He did not write much fiction, but what he wrote was highly appreciated and successful. In his fiction, he has illuminated the underlying human dilemma of West Bengal—of a talented, emotional people sorely affected by deep-seated religious and political differences.
Although reinstated as a senior editor of Ananda Bazar Patrika after the emergency ended and he had recovered from his illness, Ghosh started Aajkaal
(This Time), in collaboration with a few associates.
After a short stint with Aajkal, he wrote for Ananda Bazar Patrika till the end.
His weekly satirical column was famous, as also a series of humorous stories. His mature work chose the rather neglected field of interaction between Hindu and Muslim societies.
Among his lighter works, Brojoda, although not as popular as Ghanada
and Tenida
, has left his distinct mark in the so called dada-literature of Bengal.
His early political inspiration came from MN Roy's Radical Humanism, but in his later years he veered towards the ideals of Gandhi.
Act.
A vocal supporter and advocate of journalistic rights and right to expression, he had been in many instances in opposition to the prevailing conditions, and had to bear censure of the prevailing authorities for his struggles.
Sagina Mahato, a story written by him in remembrance of a colleague of his in his political activist past, was successfully adopted into movies in Hindi (Sagina
) and Bengali (Sagina Mahato
) by Tapan Sinha
, with the famous thespian Dilip Kumar
playing the part of the protagonist Sagina Mahato in both instances.
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
writer and journalist.
Early life
Gour Kishore Ghosh was born in Hat Gopalpur village in the Jessore district in undivided bengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, (presently Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
), on the 22nd of June 1923. He completed his schooling in Nabadwip
Nabadwip
Nabadwip is a city and a municipality in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Its name means "9 islands" in the Bengali language. The islands are named Antardwip , Simantadwip, Rudradwip, Madhyadwip, Godrumdwip, Ritudwip, Jahnudwip, Modadrumdwip, and Koladwip...
, and completed his intermediate science (I.Sc.) examinations in 1945.
Due to extreme poverty, Ghosh could not continue his education further and had to become a professional soon after.
He continually changed his professions between 1941 and 1953. Amongst others, he worked as private tutor, electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
and fitter
Fitter
Fitter may refer to:* Fitter , a Soviet attack aircraft* Fitter , a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts* Comparative of the adjective "fit"-People named Fitter:* Alastair Fitter, British ecologist...
, sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
, waiter
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
at restaurants, trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organizer, school teacher, manager
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
of a touring dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
troupe, land customs clearing clerk, proof reader and others, until from an interim job as a border customs clerk he joined a new daily newspaper, Satyayuga where his distinctive writing style earned him promotion to editor of two feature sections. Thus, he settled at his chosen profession, that of a reporter / journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Journalistic and Literary Career
Ghosh went on to author popular columns in the literary weekly DeshDesh
Desh meaning "country"), is a region of Maharashtra state in central India.Desh is bounded on the west by the Western Ghats or Sahyadri range, on the north by the Kandesh and on the east by the Marathwada regions of Maharashtra, and on the south by the state of Karnataka...
and in Calcutta's largest vernacular daily, Ananda Bazar Patrika, of which he also became senior editor. He portrayed the agony of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
during the Naxalite
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
movement from 1969 to 1971, in sharp satire, in his "News Commentary by Rupadarshi". He often wrote under his pen-name, Rupadarshi.
After the emergency was imposed upon India in 1975, Ghosh shaved his head and wrote a symbolic letter to his 13 year old son explaining his act of "bereavement" over the loss of his freedom to write. Published in Kolkata, a Bengali
Bengali literature
Bengali literature is literary works written in Bengali language particularly from Bangladesh and the Indian provinces of West Bengal and Tripura. The history of Bengali literature traces back hundreds of years while it is impossible to separate the literary trends of the two Bengals during the...
monthly, this letter caused his arrest, was widely circulated through the underground and became a classic of protest. Ghosh smuggled from prison two other letters on abuses of authoritarian rule before, in his cell, he suffered a third heart attack.
He did not write much fiction, but what he wrote was highly appreciated and successful. In his fiction, he has illuminated the underlying human dilemma of West Bengal—of a talented, emotional people sorely affected by deep-seated religious and political differences.
Although reinstated as a senior editor of Ananda Bazar Patrika after the emergency ended and he had recovered from his illness, Ghosh started Aajkaal
Aajkaal
Aajkaal is a Bengali newspapers in Kolkata, India. The newspaper was started in 1981 by Abhik Kumar Ghosh, and was part of the transformation of the Indian newspaper industry in the 1980s...
(This Time), in collaboration with a few associates.
After a short stint with Aajkal, he wrote for Ananda Bazar Patrika till the end.
His weekly satirical column was famous, as also a series of humorous stories. His mature work chose the rather neglected field of interaction between Hindu and Muslim societies.
Among his lighter works, Brojoda, although not as popular as Ghanada
Ghanada
Ghanada is a fictional character in Bengali literature created by Premendra Mitra primarily for children and teenagers, though readers of all ages enjoys him...
and Tenida
Tenida
Tenida or Teni is a fictional native of Potoldanga in Calcutta, who appears in a number of short stories and larger works of the Bengali author Narayan Gangopadhyay...
, has left his distinct mark in the so called dada-literature of Bengal.
Awards
This humanitarian wroter-journalist was presented with many awards during his lifetime. Notable among them were:- Ananda PurashkarAnanda PurashkarThe Ananda Purashkar is an award for Bengali literature awarded annually by Ananda Publishers to writers using Bengali, usually from West Bengal, India. Some of the recipients are mentioned below...
for Literature (1970) - Ko Joy Uk Memorial award (1976), from the South Korean Government.
- Ramon Magsaysay Award (1981) for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.
- MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
Government Award (1981). - Bankim Puraskar (1982).
- Hardayal Harmony Award (1993).
- Maulana Abul Kalam AzadMaulana Abul Kalam AzadMaulana Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed was an Indian Muslim scholar and a senior political leader of the Indian independence movement, who lived from 11 November 1888 – 22 February 1958. He was one of the most prominent Muslim leaders to support Hindu-Muslim unity, opposing the partition of India on...
Award (1993).
List of Major Works
Short Story Collections:- Ei Kolkatay (1952)
- Mon Maney Na (1955)
- Sagina Mahato (1969)
- Poschimbongo Ek Promod Toroni, Ha ha! (1969)
- Aamra Jekhaney (June, 1970)
Personal life
He had two daughters and a son. He was known for his spartan living.His early political inspiration came from MN Roy's Radical Humanism, but in his later years he veered towards the ideals of Gandhi.
Trivia
He was arrested in 1975, as per the controversial MISAMaintenance of Internal Security Act
The misa was a controversial law passed by the Indian parliament in 1971 giving the administration of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Indian law enforcement agencies super powers - indefinite "preventive" detention of individuals, search and seizure of property without warrants, and wiretapping -...
Act.
A vocal supporter and advocate of journalistic rights and right to expression, he had been in many instances in opposition to the prevailing conditions, and had to bear censure of the prevailing authorities for his struggles.
Sagina Mahato, a story written by him in remembrance of a colleague of his in his political activist past, was successfully adopted into movies in Hindi (Sagina
Sagina (film)
Sagina is a 1974 Hindi movie. Produced by the Late Shri J.K. Kapur and directed by Tapan Sinha, the film stars Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, Aparna Sen and Om Prakash. It was a remake of a Bengali version called Sagina Mahato which was released in 1970 with the same lead pair in the cast...
) and Bengali (Sagina Mahato
Sagina Mahato
Sagina Mahato is a 1970 Bengali movie. Produced by the late Shri J.K. Kapur and directed by Tapan Sinha, the film stars Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu. The movie was remade as a Hindi movie titled Sagina in 1974.-Plot:...
) by Tapan Sinha
Tapan Sinha
Tapan Sinha , was a Indian film director. He was arguably the most uncompromising filmmaker outside the orbit of Parallel Cinema.-Personal life and background:...
, with the famous thespian Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
playing the part of the protagonist Sagina Mahato in both instances.