A man ahead of his time
Abul Mansur Ahmad is one of those few thinkers who spoke about Bangla as the state language of the future East Bengal in as early as 1943 when creation of Pakistan was still very uncertain, years before the birth of the country and much before the Language Movement began, said eminent scholars at a discussion yesterday.
They said the litterateur-turned-politician paved the way for the Language Movement through his writings and fought for the recognition of Bangla as the state language of the future East Pakistan.
What made him unique was he not only demanded the recognition but also wrote about the form of Bangla that should be adopted in the future Eastern wing of Pakistan, they added.
Abul Mansur Ahmad Smriti Parishad organised the discussion titled, “Language Movement and Thoughts of Abul Mansur Ahmad,” at Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium of Bangla Academy in the capital.
Also an eminent journalist, Abul Mansur Ahmad was born on September 3, 1898 and died on March 18, 1979. He is strikingly popular as a political satirist in Bangla literature and possibly outshines all his other identities in undivided India and Bangladesh.
During 1929-1938, he practised law in Mymensingh, and later worked in Kolkata as a journalist and a political activist until the partition in 1947.
At the discussion, Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman said to learn about Abul Mansur Ahmad comprehensively one must read about his thoughts on the state language, nationalism and the nature of Bangla language.
“He spoke for and demanded Bangla as the state language in 1943 which was astonishing,” said Prof Anisuzzaman.
The veteran scholar added that education during his early life and his family surroundings might have contributed significantly to sharpening his thoughts in the later years.
Chairing the discussion, Prof Emeritus Rafiqul Islam said Abul Mansur Ahmad's clear thoughts on the state language and mother language helped him surpass his contemporaries.
His mastery lies in the fact that he used regional language to write novels which was not thought by his contemporaries, said Prof Islam. “He taught us to think about language.”
Presenting a keynote paper on the topic, Prof Habib R Rahman said Abul Mansur Ahmad was a man ahead of his time who thought about Bangla as state language before his contemporaries in the early 1940s, much before the partition, and wrote several articles in support of his thinking.
While remaining a secular individual all his life, he was a great Bangalee writer who was very conscious of the backwardness and challenges faced by the Muslims of Bengal and devoted his writings in demanding equality and justice for them, said Prof Habib.
Prof Mansur Musa said Abul Mansur Ahmad will be placed at the top among those who thought deeply about language and colonialism in this region.
Abul Mansur Ahmad highlighted the identity crisis of Bangalee Muslims through his writings, Dr Ahmed Mawla said.
Dr Md Chenggis Khan said, “While Language Movement is political and thinking of language is the subject matter of literature, he [Abul Mansur Ahmad] enriched both areas through his contributions.”
For his immense contribution Abul Mansur Ahmad could be recognised as a key person behind the Language Movement, said Dr Mohammad Azam.
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