M.Mizanur Rahman :
Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia is memorable in the history of journalism in Bangladesh because he never fears to disseminate the facts and figures about all events, social, economic and political conditions of the people in Bangladesh in his Weekly, later Daily, Newspaper, ‘The Ittefaq’. And that has brought him immense popularity and dignity among the people of all strata.
A true journalist is s/he who cares much about the innermost truth of the problems created among the people socially, economically and politically. His/her is to unveil that truth wherever those problems cause people’s sufferings whole underscoring the probable solutions of them s/he counsels the nation and its leaders with firm confidence for the greater benefit of the people in all. That’s ‘A Journalist’s Credo’ what the poet said in his verse that, ” A Journalist has his/her commitment / to uphold the truth / and to axe all that lies / for no wrong in the social cause / could be concealed from his her/ eyes… why s/he is the most important one / in the state? / ’cause his/ her accurate and unequivocal / information can mould or change the people’s fate… And for that honesty is the conscience /of journalism / of which the people are the sources / to all places in prism.” (A Journalist’s Credo by M.Mizanur Rahman from “Under The Same Sky/ Under The Same Sun”, p.38).
Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia was that sort of an outstanding venerable journalist of versatile merits. His write-ups in Musafir (pseudonym)’s column of ‘Rajnaitic Mancha'( the political platform) of the Weekly Ittefaq, later Daily Ittefaq stirred the whole nation with awareness as an outspoken column championing the cause of the people’s freedom, overall human rights and democracy. The Ittefaq became the most popular newspaper having its highest circulation overnight as the voice of the people of the then East Pakistan, later Bangladesh. It would not be much exaggerating to say that existing freedom of all kinds that we enjoy now is the outcome of those firebrand write-ups of Manik Mia (as popularly known to us). That’s incredibly courageous enough to uphold the truth on the part of Manik Mia, come what may, irrespective of relevant or irrelevant opinions of the leaders or the different political parties either to appease government or the political party in power.
Now we, at present, must remember the past legacy that is left to us by our great mentors, giant predecessors like Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia and others and follow them for the betterment of our lot in order to brightening our future in the arena of journalism and that is in the interest of the people for generation to come. .
Manik Mia was basically a political activist led by Husseyn Shaheed Shuhrawardy who made his mind democratic. Also being the ardent follower of Maulana Hamid Khan Bhasani he had gone a long way championing democracy against the then autocratic rulers of Pakistan. But he had only the instrument Daily Newspaper, the Ittefaq , arms for fighting war against the enemy of democracy. But because he was devout and honest he could never be swayed under any favourable gains to betray the cause of the people whether he lost his bosom friend for that or not. That’s because he got his unblemished character. He knew it well that a nation cannot exist long without its national character based on an honest purpose or mission. It is well known also that the dishonest can easily be duped by the enemy as an easy prey. Hence that nation is unfortunate whose leadership is greedy and dishonest that can be lured by any means.
Manik Mia served the nation honestly through his newspaper as he vowed earlier. He opposed vehemently the domination and supremacy of the West Pakistan against the East Pakistan though earnings of golden fiber jute of East Pakistan in foreign exchange enriched the economy of Pakistan as a whole. Undue exploitation of the East by the West revolutionised Manik Mia to such an extent that he fought daringly against the West through his column. Thus his contribution towards Independence of Bangladesh as a journalist- soldier is rather immeasurable. We may recall of the Daily Ittefaq of fiftees and sixties when Manik Mia being its heart and soul criticised anti-democratic behavior of the government of Pakistan vehemently to look into the rightful demands of the deprived people of East Pakistan. As a matter of fact he guided the young politicians of those days through his newspaper. Here he played as the ambassador of Democracy. He was once the political secretary to the most famous political leader of Bengal Husseyn Shaheed Shurawardy for sometimes in Calcutta of the pre-partitioned India. Thus being the disciple of this great leader he also became the intrepid spokesman for his downtrodden countrymen without fear or favour. The architect of Bangladesh Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman appreciated the contribution of Manik Mia towards pre and post Liberation War of Bangladesh as saying, “It is unknown to many about the contribution of Manik Bhai towards the struggle for independence. On the other hand, the influence of Manik Bhai is so deep in my personal life that can hardly be expressed in language. I came in contact with him since 1943. Thereafter we two brothers struggled together for the rights of the people. On the way to our arduous endeavour towards that struggle we had had differences on some aspects of separate contradicting opinions but those were for only transient illusory times. Of course we, all of us got together unanimously on the singular opinion and that is the freedom of Bangla (Bengal). We had no doubts or contradictions among us that without the freedom there is no emancipation of the people. That is the reason why we two worked on two fronts encountering blows and counter blows of the opposition. I worked on the field and Manik Bhai did it through his razor-sharp write-ups…Manik Bhai had very crystal clear and explicit idea about politics. We discussed about human rights day after day and night after night while I am overwhelmed in observing Manik Bhai’s absolute love for the people and the country. He had unfathomable depth of love for the people and keenness of his feeling for them brought forth those write-ups in which he put the voice on the people’s demands at ease. He loved by heart this soil, its water, and air, fruits and flowers that made him compassionate with unending love for the suffering people of this land. And he struggled for them until death…bodily though he is not among us, he is rather alive in his ideals immortally.”
When Manik Mia accompanying Husseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy came to the then East Pakistan in 1948 from Calcutta the central government of Pakistan offered him the post of the Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Information. It was simply an allurement to dissuade him from the active politics in Pakistan. But the towering personality of Manik Mia could not be allured by any means. While Suhrawardy came later in Pakistan from Calcutta for humanitarian cause as he had a ray of hope to achieve freedom of Bengal en toto and to save the lives and properties of the Muslims living there being affected by communal riots created by the Hindu zealots or communal miscreants. Meanwhile M.K. Gandhi also requested Suhrawardy to stay in Calcutta. Failing to his mission of creating the Independent Bengal he had to migrate to serve Pakistan. Suhrawardy had no other alternative but to resort to opposition political party in Pakistan. Manik Mia followed his leader faithfully. He made up his mind to publish a newspaper as the organ of the opposition political party.
Manik Mia never appeared as a political leader but his firebrand column ‘Rajnaitik Mancha ‘(Political Platform) gave the people political conscientious in all respect that had brought a tremendous political awareness among the Bengali mindsets. It was the most dignified and revolutionary firebrand Musafir’s column against the misrule that interned Musafir invariably. But Musafir
was undaunted and fearless and uncompromising until and unless forceful and rightful demands of the people were met. The writer’s democratic mien was always critically embellished with aphorism of appropriate satires against the dictatorial regime of the militant misrule of the tremor-stricken land of his time. He maintained social, political, economic and cultural ethos of the common people that made his column effectively popular.
Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman rightly wrote in this context :…”when there was no right to speak, when there was none to speak for the people and to express political thoughts, then Manik Bhai took up that responsibility through his writings. He had to suffer for that several times. There’s no precedence all over the world that any journalist was confined in prison so long only for writing on political cause of the people like that of Manik Bhai. He was also given tough time in the prison cell for supporting Awami League’s Six-Point programme as people’s mandate..,.”
Let us pay homage to this great soul whose untiring efforts and relentless struggle paved the way to our destined Independence. We achieved it politically; we are yet to go a long way to fulfill the desires of the people of Bangladesh economically at heart and soul. Let’s remember Manik Mia, the path finder and the spirit of our life. We pray his eternal peace by the Almighty Merciful Allah
(The author of this article is a poet, essayist, translator, reviewer and columnist)
Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia is memorable in the history of journalism in Bangladesh because he never fears to disseminate the facts and figures about all events, social, economic and political conditions of the people in Bangladesh in his Weekly, later Daily, Newspaper, ‘The Ittefaq’. And that has brought him immense popularity and dignity among the people of all strata.
A true journalist is s/he who cares much about the innermost truth of the problems created among the people socially, economically and politically. His/her is to unveil that truth wherever those problems cause people’s sufferings whole underscoring the probable solutions of them s/he counsels the nation and its leaders with firm confidence for the greater benefit of the people in all. That’s ‘A Journalist’s Credo’ what the poet said in his verse that, ” A Journalist has his/her commitment / to uphold the truth / and to axe all that lies / for no wrong in the social cause / could be concealed from his her/ eyes… why s/he is the most important one / in the state? / ’cause his/ her accurate and unequivocal / information can mould or change the people’s fate… And for that honesty is the conscience /of journalism / of which the people are the sources / to all places in prism.” (A Journalist’s Credo by M.Mizanur Rahman from “Under The Same Sky/ Under The Same Sun”, p.38).
Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia was that sort of an outstanding venerable journalist of versatile merits. His write-ups in Musafir (pseudonym)’s column of ‘Rajnaitic Mancha'( the political platform) of the Weekly Ittefaq, later Daily Ittefaq stirred the whole nation with awareness as an outspoken column championing the cause of the people’s freedom, overall human rights and democracy. The Ittefaq became the most popular newspaper having its highest circulation overnight as the voice of the people of the then East Pakistan, later Bangladesh. It would not be much exaggerating to say that existing freedom of all kinds that we enjoy now is the outcome of those firebrand write-ups of Manik Mia (as popularly known to us). That’s incredibly courageous enough to uphold the truth on the part of Manik Mia, come what may, irrespective of relevant or irrelevant opinions of the leaders or the different political parties either to appease government or the political party in power.
Now we, at present, must remember the past legacy that is left to us by our great mentors, giant predecessors like Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia and others and follow them for the betterment of our lot in order to brightening our future in the arena of journalism and that is in the interest of the people for generation to come. .
Manik Mia was basically a political activist led by Husseyn Shaheed Shuhrawardy who made his mind democratic. Also being the ardent follower of Maulana Hamid Khan Bhasani he had gone a long way championing democracy against the then autocratic rulers of Pakistan. But he had only the instrument Daily Newspaper, the Ittefaq , arms for fighting war against the enemy of democracy. But because he was devout and honest he could never be swayed under any favourable gains to betray the cause of the people whether he lost his bosom friend for that or not. That’s because he got his unblemished character. He knew it well that a nation cannot exist long without its national character based on an honest purpose or mission. It is well known also that the dishonest can easily be duped by the enemy as an easy prey. Hence that nation is unfortunate whose leadership is greedy and dishonest that can be lured by any means.
Manik Mia served the nation honestly through his newspaper as he vowed earlier. He opposed vehemently the domination and supremacy of the West Pakistan against the East Pakistan though earnings of golden fiber jute of East Pakistan in foreign exchange enriched the economy of Pakistan as a whole. Undue exploitation of the East by the West revolutionised Manik Mia to such an extent that he fought daringly against the West through his column. Thus his contribution towards Independence of Bangladesh as a journalist- soldier is rather immeasurable. We may recall of the Daily Ittefaq of fiftees and sixties when Manik Mia being its heart and soul criticised anti-democratic behavior of the government of Pakistan vehemently to look into the rightful demands of the deprived people of East Pakistan. As a matter of fact he guided the young politicians of those days through his newspaper. Here he played as the ambassador of Democracy. He was once the political secretary to the most famous political leader of Bengal Husseyn Shaheed Shurawardy for sometimes in Calcutta of the pre-partitioned India. Thus being the disciple of this great leader he also became the intrepid spokesman for his downtrodden countrymen without fear or favour. The architect of Bangladesh Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman appreciated the contribution of Manik Mia towards pre and post Liberation War of Bangladesh as saying, “It is unknown to many about the contribution of Manik Bhai towards the struggle for independence. On the other hand, the influence of Manik Bhai is so deep in my personal life that can hardly be expressed in language. I came in contact with him since 1943. Thereafter we two brothers struggled together for the rights of the people. On the way to our arduous endeavour towards that struggle we had had differences on some aspects of separate contradicting opinions but those were for only transient illusory times. Of course we, all of us got together unanimously on the singular opinion and that is the freedom of Bangla (Bengal). We had no doubts or contradictions among us that without the freedom there is no emancipation of the people. That is the reason why we two worked on two fronts encountering blows and counter blows of the opposition. I worked on the field and Manik Bhai did it through his razor-sharp write-ups…Manik Bhai had very crystal clear and explicit idea about politics. We discussed about human rights day after day and night after night while I am overwhelmed in observing Manik Bhai’s absolute love for the people and the country. He had unfathomable depth of love for the people and keenness of his feeling for them brought forth those write-ups in which he put the voice on the people’s demands at ease. He loved by heart this soil, its water, and air, fruits and flowers that made him compassionate with unending love for the suffering people of this land. And he struggled for them until death…bodily though he is not among us, he is rather alive in his ideals immortally.”
When Manik Mia accompanying Husseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy came to the then East Pakistan in 1948 from Calcutta the central government of Pakistan offered him the post of the Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Information. It was simply an allurement to dissuade him from the active politics in Pakistan. But the towering personality of Manik Mia could not be allured by any means. While Suhrawardy came later in Pakistan from Calcutta for humanitarian cause as he had a ray of hope to achieve freedom of Bengal en toto and to save the lives and properties of the Muslims living there being affected by communal riots created by the Hindu zealots or communal miscreants. Meanwhile M.K. Gandhi also requested Suhrawardy to stay in Calcutta. Failing to his mission of creating the Independent Bengal he had to migrate to serve Pakistan. Suhrawardy had no other alternative but to resort to opposition political party in Pakistan. Manik Mia followed his leader faithfully. He made up his mind to publish a newspaper as the organ of the opposition political party.
Manik Mia never appeared as a political leader but his firebrand column ‘Rajnaitik Mancha ‘(Political Platform) gave the people political conscientious in all respect that had brought a tremendous political awareness among the Bengali mindsets. It was the most dignified and revolutionary firebrand Musafir’s column against the misrule that interned Musafir invariably. But Musafir
was undaunted and fearless and uncompromising until and unless forceful and rightful demands of the people were met. The writer’s democratic mien was always critically embellished with aphorism of appropriate satires against the dictatorial regime of the militant misrule of the tremor-stricken land of his time. He maintained social, political, economic and cultural ethos of the common people that made his column effectively popular.
Bongobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman rightly wrote in this context :…”when there was no right to speak, when there was none to speak for the people and to express political thoughts, then Manik Bhai took up that responsibility through his writings. He had to suffer for that several times. There’s no precedence all over the world that any journalist was confined in prison so long only for writing on political cause of the people like that of Manik Bhai. He was also given tough time in the prison cell for supporting Awami League’s Six-Point programme as people’s mandate..,.”
Let us pay homage to this great soul whose untiring efforts and relentless struggle paved the way to our destined Independence. We achieved it politically; we are yet to go a long way to fulfill the desires of the people of Bangladesh economically at heart and soul. Let’s remember Manik Mia, the path finder and the spirit of our life. We pray his eternal peace by the Almighty Merciful Allah
(The author of this article is a poet, essayist, translator, reviewer and columnist)
