Che remembered

Artistes of Kranti Shilpi Goshthi perform at the event.Photo: Mumit M.

Marking the 44th death anniversary of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, Wrishiz Shilpi Gosthi arranged a discussion and cultural programme at TSC (Teachers' and Students' Centre) Auditorium, Dhaka University on October 9.
Lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon, MP was the key speaker at the event. Writer, essayist and one of the trustees of Liberation War Museum, Mafidul Haque; noted theatre personality Mamunur Rashid; president of Wrishiz Shilpi Goshthi Fakir Alamgir and others elaborated on the life and ideals of Che Guevara.
“Che was not only the most popular name of the 20th century but has also become an icon as he made the ultimate sacrifice for the revolution and his ideals. Though Che was born in Argentina, he never claimed to be a citizen of any single country of Latin America or of the world. The religion that he possibly believed in is 'Revolution' for which he will be regarded as a prophet to the exploited or downtrodden population,” said Mafidul Haque.
Ahkamullah, Rafiqul Islam and others recited poems at the programme. Artistes of several musical troupes -- Bonhishikha, Udichi Shilpi Goshthi, Kranti Shilpi Goshthi, Satyen Sen Shilpi Goshthi, Shobhumi Lekhok Shilpi Goshthi and Wrishiz Shilpi Goshthi -- performed Gano Sangeet at the programme.
Bonhishikha's repertoire included “Haye Rey Krishan” and “Janotar Shangrami Oikkey”, while artistes of Udichi performed “Hey Mohamanob Ekbar Esho Phirey” and “Hushiar O Shathi Krishan”. Noted Gano Sangeet artiste Fakir Alamgir also performed solo at the event.
Ernesto Che Guevara (June 14, 1928-October 9, 1967), commonly known as “El Che” or simply “Che”, was a Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylised visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol of rebellion. As a young medical student, Guevara travelled throughout Latin America and was radically transformed by the endemic poverty and alienation he witnessed.
On October 18, 1967 Fidel Castro addressed a crowd of one million mourners at Havana's Plaza de la Revolución and spoke about Guevara's character as a revolutionary. Castro closed his impassioned eulogy thus:
“If we wish to express what we want the men of future generations to be, we must say: Let them be like Che! If we wish to say how we want our children to be educated, we must say without hesitation: We want them to be educated in Che's spirit! If we want the model of a man, who does not belong to our times but to the future, I say from the depths of my heart that such a model, without a single stain on his conduct, without a single stain on his action, is Che!”