Utpal Kumar Basu (উৎপল কুমার বসু) (3 August 1939 – 3 October 2015) was a Bengali poet and story teller.
Life
Born in
Bhowanipore
Bhowanipore (also Bhowanipur; bn, ভবানীপুর) is a neighbourhood of South Kolkata in Kolkata district of West Bengal, India.
History
In 1717, the East India Company obtained the right to rent from 38 villages surrounding their s ...
area of pre-independence
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
(1937), Utpal Kumar Basu spent his school days in
Baharampur
Berhampore (, ) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. As of 2011 census, Berhampore urban agglomeration had a population of 305,609 and is the seventh largest city in West Bengal (after Kolkata, Asansol, Siliguri, D ...
(
Murshidabad
Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district.
During ...
, West Bengal) and
Dinhata
Dinhata is a city and a municipality in Cooch Behar district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Dinhata subdivision. Dinhata is known for arranging best Durga Puja in North Bengal.
Dinhata is famous for Sastho Mel ...
(
Coochbehar
Cooch Behar (), or Koch Bihar, is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. It is in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas at . Cooch Behar is the only planned city in the ...
, North Bengal). A geologist by education, Basu has traveled far and wide over the seas and years. An educationist by profession, Basu is recognized as a trend setter in modern Bengali Poetry. Utpal Kumar Basu was an eminent vernacular poet, educationist and translator. He began writing while studying at
Scottish Church College
Scottish Church College is a college affiliated by Calcutta University, India. It offers selective co-educational undergraduate and postgraduate studies and is the oldest continuously running Christian liberal arts and sciences college in A ...
and became a part of the Krittibash group of young Bengali poets. From the very first collection of poems entitled Chaitre Rochito Kobita -1956, he found a unique diction of language, expression and form for his poetry. He had chosen mysticism over sentimentalism, vivid objective observation over lyricism.
After receiving his master's degree in geology from Presidency College he joined Ashutosh College as a lecturer where he met his future wife Santana, a lecturer in the English Department.(Santana was previously awarded the Indira Sinha Gold Medal for securing the highest aggregate of marks at the B.A, examination from Bihar University in 1955 among girl students.)
Utpal left for England in the mid -sixties where he spent a decade as an educationist and associated himself with various socialist organisations. Returning to India in the late seventies he worked as a project officer for the University Grants Commission, an advisor and teacher at St Xavier's College in the field of Mass Communication.
He died on 3 October 2015 in Kolkata.
Critic
Utpal Kumar Basu was a Bengali poet and story teller who started his literary journey in the city of Kolkata in 1950s. From the very first collection published (Chaitrye Rochito Kobita, 1956), he found a unique diction of language, expression and form for his poetry. He had chosen
mysticism
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
over
sentimentalism, vivid objective observation over
lyricism
Lyricism is a quality that expresses deep feelings or emotions in an inspired work of art.
Often used to describe the capability of a Lyricist.
Description
Lyricism is when art is expressed in a beautiful or imaginative way, or when it has an ...
. Being a
geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...
by education he is known for his witty but meticulous approach towards the nature, objects and life, which may seem to be similar to that of a scientist.
Second and third collection of poems by Utpal Kumar Basu, namely Puri Series (1964) and Abar Puri Series (1978) presented an astonishing new diction to Bengali literature, which are popularly referred to as Famous Travel Poetry Of Utpal. Be its form or content, uniqueness in those poems has created perhaps the most valuable impact on modern Bengali poetry over the years. In the decades to follow those two brief collections of poems by Basu have resulted in a turning point in contemporary Bengali poetry and it has been recognized as a benchmark by the younger generation of poets to follow. But Utpal Kumar Basu kept on experimenting with his form and language. According to him -"The evolution of form has to be rapid and continuous, whereas the concept evolves slowly, maybe once in a century.(ধূসর আতাগাছ )"
Utpal Kumar Basu eventually met American poet Allen
Ginsberg in Kolkata in the early sixties and both shared a great friendship. Basu connected himself with
Hungry generation
The Hungry Generation ( bn, হাংরি জেনারেশান) was a literary movement in the Bengali language launched by what is known today as the Hungryalist quartet, ''i.e.'' Shakti Chattopadhyay, Malay Roy Choudhury, Samir Royc ...
literary movement in 60s and was compelled to resign from his job as a lecturer in a Kolkata college. He traveled far and wide, over the seas and years in Europe doing some part-time jobs to survive. In England he associated himself with various socialist organizations. His poetry had to pause temporarily but only to find a new path to flow in the form of his famous "travel poems" and published a number of small, unassuming collections of poems with the lesser known Little Magazine publishing houses. At this time, he was also writing regularly on a variety of subjects for popular Bengali dailies including Aajkaal and AnandaBazar Patrika. Utpal spent nearly fourteen years in London 1964-77 and returned to Kolkata and joined Chitrabani-an organization closely linked to University Grants Commission and St. Xavier's College Kolkata. He was engaged in planning programmes and also conducting Mass Communication classes.
He also translated works of such eminent writers as Ayappa Pannikar, Kamala Das and edited a translation of a collection of Mizo Poems and Songs for Sahitya Akademi.
Translations of his poems have been published regularly in the London Magazine. Utpal Kumar Basu died on 3 October 2015 in Kolkata after a prolonged illness.
He was survived by son Firoze, assistant professor (English) in the Department of Humanities, MCKV Institute of Engineering, Howrah, Kolkata. Santana, after long teaching stints in Spastic Society of Eastern India and St. Augustine Day School Kolkata, died in November 2018 after a brief illness.
Utpal continues to be an inspiration for little magazine publishers and young poets of Bengal.
Utpalkumar Basu has been awarded the Ananda Puraskar by the ABP group of publications in 2006 and the Rabindra Puraskar by the Paschim Banga Bangla Academy 2011 both for his collection of poems Sukh Dukhser Sathi. In 2014 he received the Sahitya Academy Award for his collection of poems entitled Piya Mana Bhabe. He was awarded the
Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize
Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize or Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation is a literary honour in India, presented by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, given to "outstanding translations of creative and critical works" in 24 m ...
2018 for his translation into Bengali of Srimati Kamala Das's collection of poems entitled Only The Soul Knows How To Sing.(posthumous)
Utpal Kumar Basu works
* Chaitrye Rochito Kobita (চৈত্রে রচিত কবিতা)
956
Year 956 ( CMLVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* Summer – Emperor Constantine VII appoints Nikephoros Phokas to commander of the ...
* Puri Series (পুরী সিরিজ)
964
Year 964 ( CMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
Byzantine Empire
* Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Nikephoros II continues the reconquest of south-eastern Anatoli ...
* Narokhadok, collection of short stories (নরখাদক)
970
Year 970 (Roman numerals, CMLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 970th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' designations, the 970th year of the 1st millennium, ...
* Abar Puri Series (আবার পুরী সিরিজ)
978
Year 978 ( CMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Battle of Pankaleia: Rebel forces under General Bardas Skleros are defeated ...
* Lochondas Karigar(লোচনদাস কারিগর)
982
Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tara ...
* Khandobaichitrer Din (খন্ডবৈচিত্র্যের দিন)
986
Year 986 (Roman numerals, CMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* August 17 – Battle of the Gates of Trajan: Emperor Basil ...
* Srestho kobita (শ্রেষ্ট কবিতা)
991
Year 991 (Roman numerals, CMXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
* March 1: In Rouen, Pope John XV ratifies the first Peace and Truce of God, Truce of God, between ...
* Dhusar Atagach, collection of free prose (ধূসর আতাগাছ)
994
Year 994 ( CMXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* September 15 – Battle of the Orontes: Fatimid forces, under Turkish genera ...
* Salma Jorir Kaaj (সলমা জরির কাজ)
995
Year 995 (Roman numerals, CMXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Japan
* 17 May - Fujiwara no Michitaka (imperial regent) dies.
* 3 June: Fujiwara no ...
* Kahabotir Nach (কহবতীর নাচ)
996
Year 996 ( CMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Japan
* February - Chotoku Incident: Fujiwara no Korechika and Takaie shoot an arrow at Retired Em ...
* Night School (নাইটস্কুল)
998
Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescenti ...
* Tusu Amar Chintamoni (তুসু আমার চিন্তামনি)
* Meenyuddha (মীনযুদ্ধ)
* Bokshigunje Padmapare (বক্সিগঞ্জে পদ্মাপাড়ে)
* Annadata Joseph (অন্নদাতা জোসেফ)
* Sukh Duhkher sathi (সুখদুঃখের সাথী)
* Translation from Safo
াফোর কবিতা (অনুবাদ)* Collected poems (কবিতা সংগ্রহ)
* Collected prose (গদ্যসংগ্রহ)
* Bela Egarotar Rod
* Baba Bhoy Korche (বাবা ভয় করছে)
* Piya Mana Bhabe (poetry)
'Won Sahitya Akademi Award, 2014''">Sahitya_Akademi_Award.html" ;"title="'Won Sahitya Akademi Award">'Won Sahitya Akademi Award, 2014''ref>
* Hanscholar Path-Poetry, Long interview, Sketches (January-2015)
* Sadabrahmoman-collection of short stories, sketches and criticism-2015
*Tokyo Laundry-collection of short stories, sketches and criticism-2016
*Dear Sm-collection of personal letters written to wife Santana Basu-2016
*Collected poems -2 (কবিতা সংগ্রহ)-2017
*Saratsar-1-Poems and Prose -2017
Dhritiman Sen er Diary Prose Saptarshi Prakashan 2021
Lokomata Debi'r Kowotola-Humorous critical sketches of programs aired on Kolkata Doordarshan in the 1990s under a pen -name-Deys Publishing 2022
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basu, Utpal Kumar
1939 births
2015 deaths
Bengali Hindus
Bengali poets
Bengali male poets
20th-century Bengalis
21st-century Bengalis
20th-century Bengali poets
21st-century Bengali poets
Indian poets
Indian critics
Indian literary critics
Indian male writers
Indian male poets
Indian translators
20th-century Indian writers
21st-century Indian male writers
20th-century Indian poets
21st-century Indian poets
21st-century Indian writers
20th-century Indian male writers
20th-century Indian translators
21st-century Indian translators
Scottish Church College alumni
University of Calcutta alumni
University of Calcutta faculty
Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation
Poets from West Bengal
Writers from Kolkata
People from Kolkata district