“In Nazrul’s poem ‘Man’ man is above everything else.”- Evaluate.

Answer

“In the poem ‘Man [Manush]’, man is above everything else.” Discuss the significance of this statement.  [2018] 

Kazi Nazrul Islam’s (1899-1976) poem “Manush” (Man) from his famous collection Samyabadi is one of his most fabulous creations. It reflects his deep love for mankind and his faith in human dignity. There are eleven poems in this collection, and all express the poet’s idea of equality and brotherhood. But in “Manush,” Nazrul gives man the highest place above all powers. He glorifies man as the image of God and the maker of a just and beautiful world.

Glory of Humanity: Nazrul’s poetry celebrates man as the noblest creation of God. He believes that nothing is greater than man in this world. His lines show this clearly:

“Of equality I sing.

Man comes first, and there is nothing nobler than him.”

These lines express his strong belief in human greatness and moral power. His faith in humanity makes this poem one of the finest songs of equality in Bengali literature. Through this idea, Nazrul inspires mankind to rise above all divisions.

Poet’s Faith in Human Dignity: Nazrul’s belief in human dignity came from his own life. He had seen hunger, poverty, and cruelty from childhood. These experiences made him a poet of the people. His heart cried for the oppressed and poor. That is why he became a poet of rebellion and humanity. He wanted to free men from fear, injustice, and blind faith. His message was clear: man’s worth lies above wealth, race, or religion.

Protest against Hypocrisy: Nazrul used “Manush” to fight against false religion and hypocrisy. He says

“Where is Chengis?

Where is Mahmood of Gazni?

Where are the bold iconoclasts of yesterday?

Break open the locked doors of those holy places of worship.”

Here, the poet mocks the pride of past conquerors and exposes the corruption of priests and mollahs. He shows that no one can lock God’s house, because God