Some Thoughts on Honoring Poet Shamsur Rahman Partha Banerjee Published on 19 August 2006 Poet Shamsur Rahman (1929-2006) Dear Friend: Shamsur Rahman's death creates a deep void in the progressive cultural world of Bengal. He was not a poet and cultural icon only; to me, he was a lead representative of the free-thinking, forward-looking Bengali consciousness that the do-nothing centrists and right-wing zealots alike are busy destroying rapidly. The fanatics' attacks on Shamsur Rahman's life a couple of years ago in a way re-emphasized that. I hope, in the middle of our mourning for this enormous loss, we can turn despair into constructive building, and perhaps organize a series of forums and activities, in his name, to bring together an upright, open and progressive generation living as new immigrants in U.S. and other parts of the world. That would be a worthy way to remember the poet. I also propose that at the upcoming Bengali conferences and melas, most of which are extravagant waste of money and time, we can use this occasion to talk about creating a Shamshur Rahman chair at the various academic institutions abroad where there's already a South Asian studies or language program.   Thank you for listening. Please feel free to circulate this message, if you wish to do so. Partha Banerjee http://www.geocities.com/chokmoki                                         --------------------------------- Dr. Partha Bannerjee is the executive director of New Jersey Immigration Policy Network and a fellow of Independent Press Association (IPA).  To learn more about him, visit his website at http://www.geocities.com/chokmoki/