Under the Krishnachura” is not an ordinary anthology. It is first and foremost a commemoration of the golden jubilee of Feb. 21, 1952. That day police fired on a peaceful demonstration demanding that Bangla be recognized as one of the state languages of Pakistan. The bloodied corpses lying on the ground under the Krishnachura trees were immediately compared to their bright red flowers. These flaming flowers became the living symbol of the language martyrs. Although Bangla subsequently became one of the state languages, the events of Feb. 21 spurred a nationalistic movement which eventually led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. UNESCO acknowledged the importance of that date in 1999 when it declared Feb. 21 as Mother Language Day.

This collection of poems, short stories and drama commemorating Feb. 21, 1952, also embraces other themes highlighting the existence of a variety of subjects in Bangladeshi literature. Some poems in the anthology refer directly to the Feb. 21. In his verses, Mahbub Ul Alam Chowdhury refers to the ultimate symbol of that day when he sees ‘endless patches of blood glow like so many fiery flowers’. Other poets express their emotional love for Bangla. Daud Haider can: “only know and feel and understand

this native land of mine

the deep purple utterance

of some young men of 1952,

Bangla.”

Hasan Hafizur Rahman in “A Sojourner in My Native Land” wonders:

“What was the vision that Ibn Battuta saw?

What was it that he dreamed of, that made him forget the

Nile and fall in love with the rivers of Bengal?”

The Bangladeshis fierce attachment to their language is understandable. The Bengali language existed in a distinct form in the 7th century AD and by the 11th century it had acquired its own literature. “The Bangladeshi writer has a strong social commitment and feels that writing must have a purpose. Thus political and social concerns form important themes in many writings. Apart from the events of 1952 and 1971, other subjects include the differences between social classes, the relationships between men and women, the ironies of existence, the problems of city life and social change, corruption etc. But, in addition to these social, historical or political themes, the Bangla writer, like writers all over the world is aware of language, of nature, of love,” explains the editor Niaz Zaman.

Zaman has tried to select stories which reflect the political and historical background of Bangladesh from colonial days to the present. “Cascading Rain” written by Jharna Das Purkayastha is an exquisite short story about the constant suffering caused by the lack of wealth in the mind of Joydeep a lower middle-class college student. Joydeep is not only constantly reminded by his friends of his poverty but he is also psychologically too weak to put up with it. He is told off because he does not host a party at his home to celebrate his good results. He is left with the feeling that people find ‘poverty amusing’ and acknowledges that in college his poverty is a constant humiliation.

The author describes how the world is changing into a materialistic rat race in which the middle classes and lower classes are gradually left out: “After a whole day’s struggle, the middle classes and lower classes become tired and go to sleep to recoup their energy for the next day’s battle. Only the upper classes don’t have sleep in their eyes. The enjoyment of life is scattered right in front of them. Their world sparkles, they hear the tinkling of coins in the wind. They have risen to squash this planet called earth under their feet. This is why the world has changed so much.”

Another delightful story is “A Counterfeit Coin” by Najmul Alam who was actually honored for this short story by Asia Week magazine in 1983. Craving a cigarette, the protagonist, Babuji gives a counterfeit coin to a little girl, Munia, knowing she can’t tell the difference. But he felt so guilty smoking the cigarette he did not enjoy it all. Ten days later he goes to the same shop and the little girl includes the counterfeit coin in the change. Severely reprimanded by her father, she begs Babuji to return her counterfeit coin and forgive her. Babuji ends up by seeing Munia’s father to assure him he is not angry at Munia for handing him a counterfeit coin but inside he was “torn with utter shame.” He heads for the sea and throws the coin in, remarking: “The source of evil was shrouded in a mystery as mysterious as the sea itself”.

Farida Hossain, president of Pen, Bangladesh, reminds us in “Lucky Find” that evil does not pay off. A passenger finds a wallet in a rickshaw. After much hesitation, he hands it over to the rickshaw puller who had begged him to give him the money. Instead of spending it wisely, he gets drunk and in a fit of madness kills his wife, and a neighbor, thinking he stole the money, hands him over to the police.

Munier Chowdhury in “The Wooden Sandals” highlights the hypocrisy of a man known for his piety. He is also the author of a play “Kabar” included in this anthology. The play was written at a time when East Pakistan was treated as a colony by West Pakistan. Pursued by the Pakistani government, nationalists in East Pakistan, could only survive in prison. The author wrote this play in jail and it was first performed by prisoners. He was tragically assassinated in 1971 by collaborators of the Pakistani occupation forces.

This anthology is a delightful introduction to a literature which deserves to be better known. The short stories, in particular, are well written and beautifully translated into English. In addition, as pointed out by the editor: “Short stories form a window into a culture.”