Nazrul’s feeling of patriotism in his poem Beware, My Captain

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Comment on Nazrul’s feeling of patriotism in his poem “Beware, My Captain.”

“Kandari Hushiar” (Beware My Captain), one of the most inspiring patriotic songs, was composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976), the rebel poet of Bengal and the national poet of Bangladesh. In the poem “Kandari Hushiar” (Beware My Captain), the poet urges the Indians to rise above the question of race, creed, or color by understanding the high values of humanism. In this poem, he passionately appeals to the National Congress leaders to work more with determination for the cause of Hindu-Muslim unity.

Love for humanity: Nazrul had a deep love for humanity from an early age because he was born into a society that was full of class division, religious separatism, exploitation, oppression, torture, and superstitious beliefs. Hindu-Muslim communal hostility was the main problem during British rule in India. Nazrul says:

Are they Hindus or Muslims?

Who ask this question, I say.

Tell him, my Captain, 

The Children of the motherland are drowning today.

Hindu-Muslim communal hostility pained Nazrul very much. He felt that it was impossible to be free from British rule without solving Hindu-Muslim communal hostility. So, he called all the people and native leaders of India to work together to regain their previous prestige and freedom. As a patriotic poet, he inspires people to work together in the freedom struggle against British rule, forgetting their other identity.

The occasion of the song: Seeing the oppression, suppression, and cruelty of man due to social injustice, Nazrul hurt deeply. He thinks he has to do something for his countrymen. From this thinking, he composed the poem “Kandari Hushiar” (Beware My Captain), which is known as a patriotic song. In the poem, he calls upon the young generation to save the nation from danger, forgetting the Hindu-Muslim question and understanding the high values of humanism. The poet says:

Those who sang the victory of life

With the noose of the gallows round their neck

Come and gather round quietly today

What price do you pay for that, friends,

What sacrifice do you make?

Natural and his literary works, especially “Kandari Hushiar” (Beware My Captain), are both storehouses of Inspiration. In continuation of this, the song inspired our freedom fighters during the liberation war against the hostile forces of Pakistan in 1971. So, Nazrul Islam is none other than a patriotic poet.