Remembering Kazi Nazrul Islam

Kazi Nazrul Islam  (25 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a Bengali polymath, poet, writer, musician and revolutionary. Popularly known as Nazrul, his poetry and music espoused Indo-Islamic renaissance and intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. Nazrul's impassioned activism for political and social justice earned him the title of the Rebel Poet . Accomplishing a large body of acclaimed works through his life, Nazrul is officially recognised as the national poet of Bangladesh and highly commemorated in India and the Muslim world.

Born into a Bengali Muslim Quazi (Kazi) family, Nazrul received religious education and worked as a muezzin at a local mosque. He learned of poetry, drama, and literature while working with theatrical groups. After serving in the British Indian Army, Nazrul established himself as a journalist in Calcutta. He assailed the British Raj in India and preached revolution through his poetic works, such as "Bidrohi" ("The Rebel") and "Bhangar Gaan" ("The Song of Destruction"), as well as his publication "Dhumketu" ("The Comet"). His impassioned activism in the Indian independence movement often led to his imprisonment by British authorities. Nazrul's writings explore themes such as love, freedom, and revolution; he opposed all bigotry, including religious and gender. Throughout his career, Nazrul wrote short stories, novels, and essays but is best known for his poems, in which he pioneered new forms such as Bengali ghazals. Nazrul wrote and composed music for his nearly 4,000 songs (including gramophone records), collectively known as Nazrul geeti (Nazrul songs), which are widely popular today. [2]

The horoscope of Kazi Nazrul Islam  drawn for noon on 24 May 1899 is shown here. Notice the Sun [3ge] opposite Uranus [6sa]. Sun-Uranus aspects are known to be found in the horoscopes of rebels, freedom loving individuals, reformers and creative genius[1] and Nazrul was all of this. The Sun [3ge] was in tropical Gemini – the sign of the writer – conjunct the stars of Perseus, the hero, Eridanus, the celestial river of time and some dim stars in the neck and mouth of the Bull. About this area Diana Rosenberg writes [3]:

Perseus’ theme of rescue continues here; the best and highest level of these energies proffer great vision, a universal, humane viewpoint, a love of learning and mythology and a desire to move and change the world for the better. With the overlay of tropical Gemini, many here are skilled in language and music with a sense of flair and panache. Mental visualization is strong and emotions run high – drama, playwrighting, poetry, prosody, music and culture draw them. Eridanus’ sense of the passage of time gives an interest in the past but there is an innovative, avant-garde impulse as well, and a willingness to experiment. Often there is something to do with intolerance and discrimination in their lives; many here perpetrate, experience or have to deal with racism, bigotry and persecution. A few, however, find in themselves the high-minded daring and courage of Perseus, becoming outspoken fighters for freedom, tolerance and the unity of  humankind.

In 1942 at the age of 43  Nazrul  began suffering from an unknown disease, losing his voice and memory. It is often said, the reason was slow poisoning by British Government but later a medical team in Vienna diagnosed the disease as Morbus Pick, a rare incurable neurodegenerative disease. At this time transit Uranus which was opposite his radix Sun began to conjoin it.  As mentioned above the Sun was conjunct stars in the neck and the mouth of the Bull – an area connected with the ability to speak in human beings!

[1] Wikipedia

[2] http://www.cafeastrology.com/natal/sunuranusaspects.html

[3] Secrets of the Ancient Skies, Diana K. Rosenberg (v.1, p.232-33)