I was almost sure in my mind that I would get my air ticket and travel
to Belgrade like a free bird. But no. When I learned that I would need a visa
for my trip to Serbia, I was unprepared. As if I had got a rare question in an
exam. I thought that when travelling from one country to the other in Europe, I
would no longer require a visa. I was
wrong.
I originally arrived from a newly liberated country which had achieved its
independence less than a half century ago. Where is Bangladesh, many of you
will ask me, I imagine?’ If I mention a name, many of you will say, ‘Rabindranath
Tagore is a great poet and philosopher’. Now let me tell you: I am a Bangladeshi
citizen, Rabindranath is my second passport. He is our identity. He is pioneer to introduce us along with our
longstanding tradition, culture and literature to you all in the world.
I have learnt that Serbian literature and Bengali literature began at the
same time. The history of Serbian literature begins with theological works from
the 10th- and 11th centuries. The first collection of literary works in the Bengali language, generally known as the Charyapada, appeared
between the 10th and 12th centuries.
I now want to remind my Serbian friends of Rabindranath Tagore’s visit
to Belgrade in November 1926. Your city was amazed by the Bengali poet, and he
was amazed by your city. He delivered lectures at Belgrade University, had
lunch with the Serbian King, Boris, gave an interview to Stanislav Vinaver, and
talked to Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović. As you all know, during his visit he warned
the Serbs that they should not lose the support of their tradition, spiritual
life, and myth. He said that the cure for the soulless Western world can be
found in Eastern treasures. That is the truth that Rabindranath expressed
nearly a century ago. I just want to put a question: is it not relevant, even
today?
Anyway, I thought that before I pay my visit to Belgrade I should have
some ideas about modern Serbian poetry. I went to the English Bookshop in
Uppsala, the ancient university town in Sweden. I obtained the following titles
from their catalogue: The horse has six
legs—Contemporary Serb Poetry plus Anthology
of Serbian Poetry: the Golden Age. But the books were not in stock. Then I
went to the Public Library, no such book was available there either. Let me now
reverse the tale: imagine that I am a Serbian individual, prior to my visit to
the Bangladesh capital Dhaka to take part in a poetry festival, and I am
searching for books about Bengali poetry or translations of Bengali poems. I am
sure the results of the search would prove no better. This is our common
ground, I can identify with it.
I then became curious to know how the international media presents
modern Serbia. They have profiled your country by featuring the conflicts,
chaos and separation of former provinces of Yugoslavia in
recent decades. That overlooks the very many cultural glories of Serbia. In the same way, you will find very
many saddening words like floods, cyclone, calamities and political chaos when
it comes to texts about Bangladesh in the international media.
Prior to the end of the British colonial era on the Indian subcontinent,
Rabindranath was disturbed by the growing communal discord between Hindus and
Muslims in (his) Bengal (Bangladesh plus West Bengal). His secretary was a
Muslim. Rabindranath feared for the safety of this secretary. Once Rabindranath
told him, if anyone asks you, ‘what is your religion?’ tell them Rabindranath’s
religion is my religion. Rabindranath continued by saying, I have read
religious books such the Quran, the Gita, the Bible and others. None of them
are against peace.
 |
| My daughter Atoshi Rahman with my father Hossain Ali Photo: Takir Hossain |
I was once invited to the Swedish city of Malmö to talk about ‘exile’. I
then discovered the question: who is not in exile? A sensible person having a
disagreement about many things taking place all around him discovers a feeling
of exile in his mind despite living in his own country. This is how we can
recognize the condition of being in exile. To be a writer it is necessary to be
exiled in your mind. It may be one condition to be a writer. Above this
condition, we the readers and writers belong to the same republic. Let us call
it the Reading Republic. Thanks to the Zimbabwean writer Mia Couto for this
observation. A writer is an ambassador to this republic from his own world of
truth, beauty, feeling, pain and pleasure in life. Altogether it is a writer’s lifelong
journey. I am not sure about my being of writer. I have now learnt that to be a
writer is to expose the truth. I am very attached to my father mentally; he is
a farmer. Many things can be told about him. One thing he has taught me is: never
hide the truth, it safeguards your simple life.
Sweden is a fine country, and I have lived there for more than a half
decade. The Swedish Writers’ Union offered me full membership long before I got
official residency status in that country. It is a breakthrough in the history
of the union. The purpose was to extend their solidarity to a humble colleague
like me. Swedish PEN offered me honorary membership in the same spirit. I am
grateful to them. .
 |
| My daughter Atoshi Rahman with my father Hossain Ali Photo: Takir Hossain |
No, the question continues to occupy me: who am I? My answer is: I am
trying to find out the answer; the search never ends.
The International Library and the Botkyrka International Book Fair 2015
in Stockholm presented me in its catalogue by saying: Anisur Rahman is . . .
His one leg is in Sweden, the other is in Bangladesh. I liked that.
I want to take a brief look at the contemporary Swedish literary scene
in the post-August Strindberg era. Sweden has not only witnessed the bestselling
writers of Swedish crime fiction on the international market, but also very
many of the finest authors. I would not like to miss the opportunity to mention
the one whom I found to be a master of metaphor in the post-Eliot tradition of
international poetry. I can imagine that you have by this time started to guess
who this is. Please try! I want to repeat the story, I do so whenever I get a
chance.
A friend of mine from Bangladesh asked me: Have you ever met the King of
Sweden? Have you ever visited his palace? I replied, ‘No, but I have met Tomas
Tranströmer’ the Nobel Prizewinner poet who passed away this year. It was a privilege for me to be one of his young friends from other
country.
That’s me, and how I feel before my visit to Belgrade.#
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