Kazi Nazrul Islam's 'Padma Bhusan', 'Jagattarini' medals 'untraceable', replicas in museum

The family members of Kazi Nazrul Islam have accused the poet's grandson of replacing the two medals while the latter refuted it. Nobody knows as to where the original medals are.

West Burdwan:After controversy erupted over AR Rahman's rendition of legendary Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's 'Karar Oi Louha Kapat', a fresh round of commotion has ensued over speculations that the poet's medals have got lost. Nazrul's coveted 'Padma Bhushan' and 'Jagattarini' medals that were showcased at the museum of Nazrul Academy at Churulia in West Burdwan's Jamuria, have reportedly been replaced by their replicas.

In 1960, Nazrul was awarded the 'Padma Bhushan' by the Government of India and in 1945, the poet received the 'Jagattarini' Award, the highest recognition accorded by the Calcutta University. Recently, it has surfaced on social media that the two medals that were kept in the museum in Churulia, the poet's birthplace, are not genuine but replicas. This has raised questions as to where the two original medals were.

Prominent musician and actor Sanjeevan Banerjee of Asansol said, "I am the first to post this on social media. Recently I came to know from a Nazrul researcher that these two medals are actually replicas and I am absolutely sure about it. We are afraid whether the medals were stolen or smuggled."

While all are clueless about the original medals, a conflict has risen in the poet's family with some members blaming his grandson for the incident. The artefacts at Nazrul Academy belongs to Kazi Nazrul University and the museum is maintained by the poet's family members in Churulia.

Rezaul Karim, former editor of Nazrul Academy and the poet's nephew, said, "The matter is true. When I was the secretary of Nazrul Academy, the two medals were intact. Later, my brother Kazi Mozahar Hossain became the secretary of Nazrul Academy. After which, the poet's daughter-in-law Kalyani Kazi and her son Anirban were in charge and it was the mother-son who replaced the medals."

Echoing the same, Rezaul Karim's daughter Sonali Kazi said, "I myself saw Kalyani Kazi and her son Anirban take away the medals from here. We are ashamed to say that these are fake medals."

Refuting the allegation, Kazi Anirban, Nazrul's grandson said, "Why is there all this controversy after my mother passed away? I don't have any medals and I don't know where the medals are."

The poet's family in Churulia claims that the medal is with Kazi Anirban, who denied it. But, the question that remains unanswered is where did the medals go and whether these disappeared like Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel Prize medallion.

Read on: