Michael Madhusudan Dutta

Bright star of Bengali literature

- M N Kundu

On the occasion of his 194th birth anniversary today (1824-1873) let us remember the outstanding contribution of Michael Madhusudan Dutt, a pioneer writer in Bengali literature. He continued to remain a great inspiration for the posterity because of his wonderful experiments with both form and content, the two aspects of literature or any other art. With his amazing talent he enriched Bengali language and literature with selective acceptance from our ancient as well as the Western literature, with which he was extremely well versed. He was not happy with the state of affairs in our literature at that time, and took every step to enhance its storehouse and thereby made a permanent place for him in the history of Bengali literature to be remembered forever as long as Bengali literature exists. His awesome dramatic life is a popular theme in stage and films as well as his exceptional literary contribution in our tradition.

Yet, it was not at all a smooth journey. Being born in an affluent family in Jessore district of undivided Bengal on 25th January 1824 and finishing his early education there he attended Hindu College, now Presidency University of Kolkata. He got legendary professor Richardson as mentor who was instrumental in developing his intense love for European literature. Being highly emotional, imaginative and under the irresistible influence of rebellious Young Bengal he developed a dream to be an English poet like Milton or Byron and started his literary attempts to that end. Tragedy had fallen in his life when he became a Christian to avoid arranged marriage and also to get opportunity to go to England to pursue his poetic dream.