Satyen Sen and Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi

Bangladesh has been host and home to some of the worlds most famous
people. Apart from a historical figure, Satyen Sen was a novelist, journalist,
historian and politician who was born on 28th March 1907 in Munshiganj.

by Anwar A. Khan writes from Dhaka-Oct 17, 2017

A people without the knowledge of their past history,
origin and culture is like a tree without roots. Marcus Garvey

( October 17, 2017, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) Bangladesh has an age-old
cultural heritage. Its culture has largely been influenced by its past. For centuries,
Bangladesh has been synonymous with music and was home to Satyen Sen like
many more cultural figures of or relating to the shared knowledge and values of a
society. This outstanding cultural heritage has been preserved right to the present
day. The country is proud of an outstanding literary tradition with a special focus
on theatre, art, novel, poem and dramatic literature. It is a country of full of life
and history, has cultivated itself through many eras and embodies the very
definition of culture; and the tending of natural growth. Satyen Sen had the
power of personal magnetism; a personal attractiveness or interestingness that
enables to influence others. He is a Bangladeshs cultural personality the
complex of all the attributesbehavioural, temperamental, emotional and
mentalthat characterise a unique individual and Sen personifies all such
attributes.
Bangladesh is also a country synonymous with culture and traditions. A rich
history comes alive in its palaces, museums, and so many other things. Who
doesnt know them, the countrys great sons and daughters? They have left their
mark all across the centuries in politics, art, culture, music, science and sport.
Music is a tradition that Bangladesh upholds and continues with great
enthusiasm. No other country can claim such an impressive history of major
composers who either come from or made their mark in Bangladesh. For
outstanding music experiences, immerse us in the magical atmosphere of
Bangladeshs great festivals featuring world class performances in spectacular
settings. An excellent characteristic Bangladeshs artist, being not only a singer
but also a talented poet, novelist, Satyen Sen was also undoubtedly a significant
figure of the Bangladeshs culture, adored by many for his virtuoso in folk-lore
songs, intelligence and musical talent.
Udichi Shilpigoshthi uses folklore music as a tool to motivate people to stand
against all kinds of inequality. It is one of the largest progressive voluntary
organisations in the country, and plays a crucial role in democratic and cultural
movements.
Bangladesh has been host and home to some of the worlds most famous people.
Apart from a historical figure, Satyen Sen was a novelist, journalist, historian and
politician who was born on 28th March 1907 in Munshiganj. Bangladesh Udichi
Shilpigoshti was founded by two of the greatest revolutionary artist-cultural-
activists, Satyen Sen and Ronesh Dashgupta on 29th October 1968, but Sen was
its first President. It is the countrys oldest and most prestigious cultural
organization in Bangladesh. Under his able leadership, Udichi started
disseminating ganosangeet in every corner of the country since its inception. He
was influenced by Marxist ideology and his ideology is reflected through his
literary work. At a time, he went to Kolkata and got involved in leftist movement.
Later on he joined Jugantor (a political party). He was arrested for his association
with Jugantor several times in 1949, 1954, 1958 and 1965. Apart from his political
activities and literary works, Sen also worked as an assistant editor of The Daily
Sangbad. He was also a historian of Bengali literature from Bangladesh. As a
novelist, he is known mostly for his historical novels. He wrote twelve novels
along with eight books on history and twenty books of other different categories.
He started to write novels at a very late age. He was decorated with the Awards
of Bangla Academy Award in 1970 and EkusheyPadak in 1986. In the cultural
field of Bangladesh, Satyen Sen was like a teacher and Simone Weils words are
appropriate to his case, Culture is an instrument wielded by teachers to
manufacture teachers, who, in their turn, will manufacture still more teachers.
Udichi Shilpigoshthi uses folklore music as a tool to motivate people to stand
against all kinds of inequality. It is one of the largest progressive voluntary
organisations in the country, and plays a crucial role in democratic and cultural
movements. It works towards the establishment of an equitable society through
folk elements such as songs, dance, recitations, drama, film, fine arts and literary
works. The organisation mixes exotic folk forms with witty lyrics, and is able to
reach lots of people and deliver its message through this unique form. Sens
created Udichi has resuscitated more than 10 folk forms and reformed them to
spread development messages to 1.5 million people annually. Talking about folk
movement from a peace building perspective, street theatre plays a crucial role.
Udichi uses the medium of street theatre to reach out to people with the message
of confronting extremism, protecting women from violence, and supporting unity
against racial aggression. It continuously performs all over Bangladesh and
spreads a message of sustainable peace. Satyen Sens philosophy was a folk-based
future for peace in Bangladesh
Folk artistry tries to bring a shift in attitude, towards people understanding their
rights and transfers a message of peace building. Keeping this in view, we need to
adopt folk driven peace building approaches as a mainstream one as Sen has
taught us. Peace building norms typically revolve around dialogue facilitation,
workshops and write-ups. A drive to use folk in peace building could help involve
more people, by using forms that people can relate to in their lives. Folk songs can
be related to inequality; dramas can be staged on societal imbalances; dance can
replicate what social stigma and violence can do to a victim. Peace building is all
about bringing people together, and folk forms arguably do this better than
others in Bangladesh. A folk-powered shift in peace building norms in Bangladesh
could do wonders, make people more aware of their respective rights, and teach
them about the strategies and advantages of sustaining peace across the
communities across all of Bangladesh. Satyen Sen brought into existence the
folk culture in Bangladesh and around the world. The motif behind was: Folk
culture can be a powerful tool to popularise social change and conflict
transformation. It reflects general feelings and can serve as a strong way to
communicate. So, folk culture is a potential resource to use against violence, and
to build an infrastructure where people can use traditional practices to support
peace.
Udichi uses the medium of street theatre to reach out to people with the
message of confronting extremism, protecting women from violence, and
supporting unity against racial aggression.
This cultural organization was born in the wake of the mass uprising against the
Pakistani rulers autocracy. It is a non-communal and progressive cultural
organisation which believes in using music for political purposes. The activities of
Udichi have spread throughout the country, turning it into a powerful cultural and
political organisation. After 1972, Udichi branched out into music, drama, dance,
fine arts and literature. At present, it has a central council comprising a large
number of members, a district council of many members and a branch council of
substantial members. There are seventy-one district councils under the Dhaka
Centre, and 212 branch councils under the district councils. The district councils
have an impressive list of different departments: twenty recitation departments,
twenty-three drama departments, sixteen dance departments, fourteen music
schools, seven fine arts departments, and one literary department. They have
seven libraries as well as a childrens school. At present, the organisation has
more than 4,000 members. It also has four foreign branches in the USA, England,
Australia and Canada and elsewhere.
Udichi has staged over twenty plays, with the majority being street plays. Its
Itihas Katha Kao has been performed more than one thousand times. Many
Bangladeshs scholars in various disciplines, those residents on the continent and
elsewhere, have continued to identify, describe and make use of what they
consider to be widespread Bangladeshs psychological characteristics and
patterns of cultural adaptation. These include core Bengali cultural values and
themes, and what the scholars believe are common people responses to the
requirements of social life and external cultural influences. It is from this
combined sense of personhood and communal membership that the family and
community expect individuals to take personally enhancing and socially
responsible decisions and actions. Although Sen accepts that the dominant entity
of Bangladeshs social order is the community, he believes, it would be more
correct to describe that order as amphibious, for it manifests features of both
communality and individuality. Bangladeshs social thought seeks to avoid the
excesses of the two exaggerated systems, while allowing for a meaningful, albeit
uneasy, interaction between the individual and the society. I am because we are.
I can only be a person through others. It is useful for Bengalis pursuing
organisational or national transformation through this way.
To the particularistic core of the social sciences should be added an inter-
disciplinary approach where the focus is on Bengalis core cultural values, cultural
themes and, most importantly, widespread patterns and processes of cultural
adaptation. The focus should not be on stereotypes, typical personalities,
modernity coefficients, etc., but rather on adaptive cultural processes and trends.
The descriptions and insights derived should be firmly grounded in the
substantive data of history, particularistic ethnographies and applied
anthropology case studies. Reinventing ethnology along these lines will not be
easy. Numerous core values, cultural themes and patterns of cultural adaptation
unique to Bangladesh have been presented through the cultural activities of
Udichi. The Bangladeshs scholars prescriptions for countrys future focus on
economic independence through educational processes that combine Western
techno-economic theory and practice with the best of Bangladeshs socio-cultural
traditions.
Anthropology should not allow itself to be influenced by or become the exclusive
domain of contemporary Western culture, political correctness, or social and
political activism. Anthropology, and ethnology in particular, should freely pursue
a full range of understandings of culture, specific cultures and their similarities
and differences, the processes of regional and global cultural adaptation, and how
such knowledge can improve human living conditions. Particularistic studies of
cultures, groups and socio-cultural topics, alone, are not enough. To this must be
added the study of core cultural values and themes, patterns of regional cultural
adaptation and global acculturation. The imprecise usage of cultural and
psychological terminology and concepts by scholars outside the social sciences
and the social science communitys refusal to attend to large group psychological
processes and the broader patterns of human cultural adaptation are significant
matters. They tend to draw attention away from our common humanity and
destiny, and impede understanding of on-going global cultural processes of
utmost importance. However, all of us have a personal responsibility to ensure,
by all means possible, that such broad cultural and psychological understandings
are not used to legitimise injustices or promote malevolent struggles for political
power and dominance.
The concept of Bengali personality generally refers to manifestations of cultural
uniqueness among Bengalis as reflected in their behaviour, social norms, customs,
values, beliefs, religious zeal, attitudes, explanations of the cosmos and the
supernatural, social and political systems historically or in contemporary times.
Every major social theorist like Satyen Sen slowly built on certain information
developed before that social theorist. This is true of most of the history of social
theories today; for example Marxism, Capitalism and Communism. So, do not
expect a complete and articulated theory of Bengali Personality now before you
can contribute anything whether negative or positive. Personality and culture are
related. Language is of central importance to the study of personality and culture.
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the entire planet earth looked very different
to what modern people experiences today. Continents were not yet divided, and
the vegetation and animals were different. Significantly, the climate was also
vastly different to what it is today. Climate plays an integral role in determining
the plants and animal that live in a certain areas, as well as how habitable a place
is for human beings.
Humankind as we know it is widely believed to have come from these few
remaining on the continent which evolved significantly and in response to the
climatic changes. Bangladesh has, since prehistoric times, proven to be a place of
fascination, life and evolution.
In fact, even the theory of the evolution of man was dependent largely on the
climatic influences on our ancient ancestors. It is hypothesised that the ancient
versions of people were forced to walk upright, lose body hair and develop their
coordination for survival in a changing environment. New skills also needed to be
learned as farming techniques and living habits have to be adapted. Ancient
Bangladesh experienced major vacillations between, although these fluctuations
occurred over thousands and thousands of years. As humans continued to
develop and evolve through these phases, they needed to make major
adaptations, not only to their ways of life, but also to their personal body
structure. Many years ago, the whole of Bangladesh was lush and fertile, with a
tropical climate. Then, the most intense mega-drought ever to occur hit the
country. This is believed to have led to the migration of most of our human
ancestors into other areas that were more habitable and fertile.
Humankind as we know it is widely believed to have come from these few
remaining on the continent which evolved significantly and in response to the
climatic changes. Bangladesh has, since prehistoric times, proven to be a place of
fascination, life and evolution. Changes in the climate were often dramatic, and
these were, to a great extent, responsible for determining the ancient civilisations
that inhabited the vast sub-continent in which we are living in. It is no wonder
that many researchers and scientists maintain that Bangladesh is the Cradle of
Mankind, and research continues to yield fascinating evidence of this theory. Sen
was a prominent figurehead in the campaign against inequality and injustices in
any forms of human living. He had become a leading global humanitarian and
ambassador of goodwill. Resilient, gritty, and hardworking are some of the words
that describe the people of Bangladesh. For a country that has been plagued by
political turmoil and unrest for the major part of the 20th century, her inhabitants
have always managed to bounce back with even higher determination than
before. Centuries ago the countrys vast resources attracted the Europeans to
settle and do business here thereby influencing not just the cultural heritage, but
also the social make up.
Sen was a prominent figurehead in the campaign against inequality and
injustices in any forms of human living. He had become a leading global
humanitarian and ambassador of goodwill.
Satyen Sen is the person who took Bangladeshs traditional music sounds to the
world stage and performed in many countries around the globe, achieving
magnum success. He was strongly against the foreign supremacy which was very
much apparent in this country during 50s, 60s and 70s and spoke in favour of the
peoples movements all through his life, until things got a lot better in the 90s.
Finding her musical voice while going through a very rough time wasnt easy but
he showed traits of a true artist. He grew out of his very difficult times and his no
excuses attitude placed him among the best cultural figure to come out of
Bangladesh.
For many centuries now, the world has seen the rise and fall of some great
musicians. The songs of a few such talented ones, especially from the 20th
century, have been unforgettable. Satyen Sen is one of the few folk-lore
musicians who have made a lasting impression on the minds of music lovers and
critics alike. Through his musical gigs, he encouraged the youth of his country to
vote and often showed his liking towards the leftist politicians. He has successfully
managed to win the hearts of the people, who have accepted him to be a hero.
He grew up with thoughts of becoming a musician and the country music was just
one of the many genres he was interested in radical movements slowly
transformed him into a social rebel. He has just embarked on his road to success
as an artist and surely has a promising career ahead of him.
Alexander the great is commonly remembered as a conqueror but his real
motives of war were to liberate the countries and exchange cultural experience
with them. Loosely defined, culture refers to the shared values, beliefs and norms
of a specific group of people. Culture, therefore, influences the manner we learn,
live and behave. Because of this, many theorists believe that culture is an
important shaper of our personality. One of the general assumptions asserting
the effect of culture to personality is that people who are born and bred in the
same culture and shared common personality traits. The Bengali nation has
produced its fine share of well-known and talented people. They are leaders in
their own fields, ranging from the arts to entertainment to sports. They have
inspired many young Bengalis to achieve the status and success they have already
gained. The name and face of Satyen Sen may not be familiar to the new
generation, but he has indeed made it big in the world of international folk-lore
songs.
Take up any country in the world and you would find that their politicians and
leaders are, in every sense of the word, the beacon for the populace. And why
not, for they are elected individuals who are best deemed responsible for the
office that they are holding. Spearheading the country-Bangladesh from the front,
leaders define the countrys cultural, economic and social progress through their
policies, strategies and plans. They take up a challenging role and vow to
streamline the countrys advancement in every sector, be it art, culture, science,
military, social or health. Each of them have been important national figures and
helped carry forward Bangladeshs advancement. With luck, you will find out
more about this fascinating countrys culture by reading about its people like
Satyen Sen and Ronesh Dasgupta!
Of all the types of oral transmission, those in the form of music appear to be most
pervasive in Bangladeshs society. Songs and melodies from times of old are sung
and re-sung on a regular basis during festivities such as weddings, celebrations of
motherhood and childbirth, rites of passage and at cultural or religious
celebrations. They are also utilised in the occasional ceremonial functions. The
Bangladeshs oral tradition includes a large collection of folksongs. Many of these
songs are in the form of stories weaved into poetry or simple rhyme. These
folksongs continue to be sung and a sizable number of them are included in the
albums of modern-day singers, often with improvisations in terms of melody and
more complex musical arrangements to suit a larger accompaniment of musicians
as well as singers. Udichi is unmatched to any account in this respect.
Apart from the stories and songs, Bengali folklore also includes traditions, rituals
and taboos related to the physical as well as the more metaphysical realms of the
Bengali worldview. Such knowledge are usually presented in the forms of symbols
and signs inscribed or built into temple walls, palaces, houses and often appear
on stone inscriptions as well as grave markers. Natural symbolism is also
important such as flowers, trees, animals, the sea as well as celestial objects such
as the moon and stars. Bengalis also have knowledge of a series of constellations
that are markedly different from other systems upon which it is based. Object
symbolism such as wood carvings of animals, ancestral images, mythical beings
and masks are also common in Bangladeshs society. Symbolic forms of folklore
are usually the domains of the spirits.
The Bangladeshs oral tradition includes a large collection of folksongs. Many of
these songs are in the form of stories weaved into poetry or simple rhyme.
Sen was an amazing folk-lore singer and a social welfare oriented novelist. He has
had a huge influence in them. He put his power in Bangladesh. Bob Anderson
reminds us, Great leaders create great cultures regardless of the dominant
culture in the organization and Satyen Sen has created great Bengali culture. He
wrote about 40 books. His writings reflect his leftist politics for the welfare of the
mass people of Bangladesh. Udichi Shilpigosthi, a social association was roused
and driven by dynamic considerations under his leadership. The significance of
Udichi is the North Star, which proclaims the first light. It was shaped about 50
years ago with a perspective to directing the social and social life like the North
Star by chiefly Satyen Sen. Udichi Shilpigosthi assumed an amazing part in
cultivating the development for war of freedom of Bangladesh. A few plays like
Alo Aschhey, Shapath Nilam staged by Udichi have made an exceptionally
powerful effect to advance the soul of freedom the vast majority of the dynamic
scholarly of the nation partook in people in general mindfulness crusade of
Udichi.
This organisation uses folklore music as a tool to motivate people to stand against
all kinds of inequality. It is one of the largest progressive voluntary organisations
in the country, and plays a crucial role in democratic and cultural movements.
Every year the programme is held marking the birth anniversary of Satyen Sen, a
litterateur, journalist and socio-cultural activist, and the founder of Udichi in
Bangladesh. Throughout the history of mankind, music has played a vital role in
promoting peace, love, courage and unity. Artists have shown courage to come
forward and combat barbarianism and cruelty by spreading peace and harmony.
In the history of Bengal, great poets and composers like Rabindranath Tagore,
Kazi Nazrul Islam, Atulprasad Sen, DL Roy, Rajanikanta Sen, and also
contemporary composers like Salil Chowdhury, played an important role in the
fight for humanity and peace. The Udichi programme start with the childrens art
competition entitled Peace followed by a colourful presentation by the children
called Amra Sobai Raja We all are the King. It is composed of music, poetry and
dance, expressing the joy of freedom of mind and soul. It would be a sublime
expression of love through the eyes of children. Hridoyer Gaan Songs from the
Heart is the final attraction of the event performed by the adults of Udichi. It
combines music, poetry and dance, using the compositions of great Bengali poets
and composers to create a festive of harmony celebrating humanity.
Throughout the history of mankind, music has played a vital role in promoting
peace, love, courage and unity. Artists have shown courage to come forward and
combat barbarianism and cruelty by spreading peace and harmony.

Perhaps there would be sunshine tomorrow. No day like any other day. The
cultural richness of Bangladesh will certainly fill our time and make us stay truly
unforgettable. Most of Satyen Sens books deal with historical characters and
events in which he had much eagerness and study. His historical novels have
placed him in the row of significant writers of the country. It is worthy to mention
that Satyen Sen is the first novelist who dared to recapitulate Biblical stories in
Bangla language and has been able to do it successfully. He has not merely
sketched the historical events in his novel; rather he has given an especial essence
to his story. The people of the novel appear before us as living human beings.
Moreover, it tells about the oppressions by the colonial rulers across the world.
His Vidrohi Kaivarto is an embodiment of the rebellious people under the rule
of Pakistan.
If we look deep into the novels of Satyen Sen, we will meet a rebellious and
struggling humanitarian in them. He could write novels based on little information
and wide imagination and through all these novels he has demonstrated the
eternal human spirit which always hangers after liberation. In this way, he has
presented the modern mind of his own time. His historical novels prove his deep
learning regarding the histories of man as well as Indian civilisation. In the
perspective of the whole Bangla literature the historical novels of Satyen Sen
deserve to be evaluated time and again. In respect of this genre in Bangladesh
novels, Satyen Sen is a pioneer whose profound knowledge and lofty imagination
helped to establish him as a successful historical novelist in the history of Bangla
literature. The name of Satyen Sen and Udich Shilpigoshti are synonymous in the
cultural history of Bangladesh.
Henry Ward Beechers words are relevant here, That is true culture which helps
us to work for the social betterment of all. Sens life came to an end on 5th
December 1981 at the age of 74.
-The End
Posted by Thavam