Kabir Suman (Bengali: কবীর সুমন, née Suman Chatyapadhyay; born 16 March 1949) is a Kolkata-based modern Bengali singer-songwriter, musician, poet, journalist, political activist, TV presenter, and occasional actor.^[2] Since May 2009, he is a member of parliament of India in the 15th Lok Sabha, having been elected from the Jadavpur constituency in Kolkata on an All India Trinamool Congress ticket.^[2]

He changed his name from Suman Chattopadhyay to 'Kabir Suman' (Bengali: কবীর সুমন) when he converted to Islam.^[4] He shot to fame in the 1990s with albums such as Tomake Chai (Bengali: তোমাকে চাই I Want You) and Boshe Anko (Bengali: বসে আঁকো Sit-and-Draw).

Early life[link]

Suman was born on March 16, 1949 to Sudhindranath and Uma Chattopadhyay at Cuttack, Orissa.^[2] He was trained in classical music in his childhood, under the tutelage of this father. He graduated from Jadavpur University with an honours in English Literature^[2] and a diploma in French language. He then worked briefly in All India Radio and the United Bank of India. Suman left for Europe in the mid seventies, and worked as a radio journalist in the Voice of Germany (Bengali Dept.) from 1975-79.^[5] It is during this period that he heard the music of Bob Dylan in France, which became one of his most defining musical experiences.

Suman then went on to stay at the United States from 1980–1986, working for the Bengali language Department of the Voice of America at Washington D.C. Here, Suman came into contact with a number of musical and literary personalities including Pete Seeger and Maya Angelou. Suman also became highly interested in the Sandinista revolution at Nicaragua during the mid eighties. Pete Seeger introduced him to Father Ernesto Cardenal, the priest, poet, freedom fighter and Nicaragua's Minister of Culture. At Cardenal's invitation, Suman visited Nicaragua in 1985. He writes that he was largely impressed by what he saw in Nicaragua. It is here, that he also came into contact with the New Song Movement in Latin America.^[6]

Musical life[link]

His contemporary urban, socially conscious songs draw upon both Bengali adhunik (modern) and Western folk and protest music. His work has been a major influence in the development of the Bengali songs, which has influenced bands like Chandrabindoo, and has grown to become a major movement in contemporary Bengali music. Most of his songs are played solo with just a synthesiser or a guitar. Like many other Bengali singers, Suman has also recorded albums of Rabindra Sangeet (Songs of Rabindranath Tagore), starting in the late-1990s.

Suman's primary training was in Indian classical music and Rabindra Sangeet, and he picked up Western folk forms while living abroad in Germany and the United States. He finished his second contract with German International Radio in 1989, and returned to Kolkata. In Kolkata,he was first associated with a band called Nagorik, and released two albums Onyo kotha onyo gaan 1 and Onyo kotha onyo gaan 2. He released his first solo album, Tomake Chai, on April 23, 1992, which was immensely successful. Since then he has released over twenties albums, his most recent one being Lalmohaner Laash in 2010.

Discography[link]

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Solo Albums with Track-list[link]

Tomake Chai (1992) - HMV[link]

• Tomake Chai
• Petkati Chnadiyal
• Tui Heshe Uthlei
• Kakhono Somay Ashe
• Jodi Bhabo Kinchho Amay
• Haal Chherona Bondhu
• Tin Taler Gaan
• Chena Dukkho Chena Sukh
• Mon Kharap Kora Bikel
• Pagol
• Dosh Foot by Dosh Foot
• Amader Jonno

Boshe Aanko (1993) - HMV[link]

• Surjo Bollo Ish
• Ek Muhurte Phiriye Dile
• Shokal Belar Roddur
• Hothat Raste
• Rekhaber Roop
• Meghdoot
• Jomi Bechar Taka
• Ek Ekta din
• Khata Dekhe Gaan Geona
• Chalsher Gaan
• Bhorsha Thakuk
• Boshe Aanko

Ichchhe Holo (1993) - HMV[link]

• Banshuriya
• Ichchhe Holo
• Jage Jage Raat
• Boyesh Amar Mukher Rekhay
• Tini Briddha Holen
• Danpite
• Tomar Tulona
• Magoje Curfew
• Majh Rattire Chnader Kaste
• Nabab Nababi Kore
• Uttoro to Jana
• Protidin Surjyo Othe
• Arun Mitra
• Agun Dekhechhi Ami

Gaanola / Suman the One Man Band (1994) - HMV / EMI[link]

• Tomake Bhababoi
• Gaanola
• Abhibadan / Priyotama
• Abchhayatai Lagchhe Bhalo
• Prothom Shobkichhu
• Shararat Jolechhe Nibir
• Bibhuti Bhusan
• Jato Dure
• Nodir Galpo
• Tomar Sange Eka
• Robbar
• Brigade-e Meeting
• Tomar Kothar Rang
• Cactus
• Gaan Tumi Hao

Ghumou Baundule (1995) - HMV[link]

• Tomake Dekhechhi
• Parar Chhotto Park
• Themey Jete Jete
• Bedcoverer Prante
• Ghumao Baundule
• Jhograr Gaan
• Papri Dey
• Bhagoban Kato Bhalo
• Gachher Tolay
• Stabdhotar Gaan
• Ichchhe Kore
• Pakhita
• Sanjib Purohit Haatlen

Chaichhi Tomar Bondhuta (1996) - HMV[link]

• Amar Mato Kalo
• Amar Premer Gaan
• Byangoma
• Chaichhi Tomar Bondhuta
• Ekla Hote Chaichhe Akash
• Ektur Jonyo
• Ekushe February
• Hirer Angti
• How is That
• Knadte De
• Roddurer Gaan
• Sabdhan
• Sahoshilpira Esho
• Sesh Picasso
• Thomke Achhe

Jatishwar (1997) - HMV[link]

• Ami Chai
• Biday Porichita
• Buker Bhetor
• Char Line
• Helicopter
• Janalar Knache
• Jatishwar
• Nayantara
• Notay
• Sahore Brishti
• Sotyi Howk
• Tumi Ashbe Bole

Nishiddho Istehar (1998) - HMV[link]

• Bidroho
• Chil
• Jake Bhalobashi
• Jomi
• Jua
• Kangalpona
• Kobi
• Kobiyal
• Meyeta
• Nishiddho Istehar
• Niyom Nei
• Prothom Ma
• Sukumar Ray
• Surhid

Pagla Shanai (1999) - HMV[link]

• Bhalobasha
• Bicholito
• Boka Meye
• Dhaka
• Etai Ekhon Kaaj
• Graham Stuart Stein
• Hands Up
• Ho Chi Minh
• Kather Pa
• Nastho Somay
• Pagla Shanai
• Prostuti
• Uthal Pathal

Jabo Ochenaye (2001) - HMV[link]

• Amar Chhuti
• Britha Chhuti
• Chilka
• Darjeelinger Gaan
• Ei Bhabe
• Ekla Hole
• Hartal
• Hothat Chhuti
• Jabo Ochenaye
• Murgir Chhuti
• Oi Pare Chhuti
• Radhanather Chhuti
• Tomakei Dorkar
• Tumi Bollei
• Tumi to Cholle

Aadab (2002) - HMV[link]

• Aadab
• Ayan Rashid
• Birodhi
• Daay
• Dilshad
• Ekta Thalay
• Kakhon Tomar
• Kar Desh
• Mithyebadi
• Shikarir Khnoje
• Sonkhaloghur Dol-e
• Tao ki Hoy

Reaching Out (2003) - Kosmic Music[link]

• Wish You Were Here
• For You Calcutta
• Prisoner
• Information Blues
• God Don't Bless
• The Wind
• Silently
• Cross the Line
• The Dusk
• A Holy Bomb

Dekhchhi Toke (2004) - Cozmik Harmony[link]

• Dekhchhi Toke
• Bhab / Karnish-e Duto Payra
• Hatchhara Hoye Jawa Train
• Kar Naam Kanchan
• Nachte Chaichho Bujhi
• Ekdhoroner Bidroho Holo Gaan
• Hujur, Banda Hajir
• Tumi Chhile Hafijer

Nandigram (2007) - Cozmik Harmony[link]

• Swarnolanka Pora
• Shabash Police
• Ekjot Hao Bondhu
• Mahashweta
• Nandigram (Vocal)
• Tata-r Gari (Recitation)
• Digbijoyer Gaan
• Nandigramer Por
• Bishuddhota
• Shishu-r Dhor (Recitation)
• Nadigram

Rizwanur Brityo (2008) - Artist himself[link]

• Aborodh (Khun Howa Gaan)
• Ami Jai
• Bhalo Meyera
• Bhulo Na Athoba Bhule Jao
• Hoye Jabe Byabostha
• Ki ar Emon
• Rizwanurer Gaan

Protirodh (2008) - Cozmik Harmony[link]

• Ajay Bagdi
• Baamjawr
• Esho Prem
• Janan Dichchhe
• Karl Marx
• Mamata Achhe
• Nishaner Naam
• Protirodh

Chhotrodhorer Gaan (2010) - Artist himself and later by Bijalpa Music[link]

• Agey Vote Din
• Amar Premer Gaan
• Bonduk Nile Hate
• Chhotrodhorer Gaan
• Dundubhi
• Gna-e Bidroho
• Jangol Tumi Kar?

Lalmohoner Lash (2010) - Questz World / Saptarshi Prakashan[link]

• Lalmohoner Lash
• Apnake Niye
• Meyer Madhyamik
• Kon Sorkar
• Bhule Achho Jara
• Bondhu
• Tirer Fola
• Kabir Suman
• Tomar Jonyo

Compilations and live recordings[link]

• Sumaner Gaan (1994) - HMV/EMI
• Shawmokhkhe/Upfront- Live(1996) - Biswas Records
• Baanshuriya (1998) - HMV
• Suman Top 10 (1999) - HMV
• Beesh Shawtoker Sheshe (2000) - HMV
• Nagorik Kobiyaal (2001)
• Hits of Suman Chattopadhyay (2001) - HMV
• Gaanola Dhakay (2008) - CHIRKUT[16]/ Saptarshi
• Gaanola (2008)- HMV (MP3 compilation)
• Bidroher Gaan (2010) - USDF (VCD) (with Bidyut Bhowmik)

Collaborative albums[link]

• Onyo Katha Onyo Gaan Volumes I & II (1986) - Sing To Live [with Nagorik]
• Nicaraguar Jonyo (1986) - Sing To Live [with Nagorik]
• E Desh Tomaar Aamar (1991) - SFI / HMV
• Konthe Nilaam Notun Gaan (1994) - Concord Music (with the Concord Trio)
• Shobujer Protishodh (1995) - HMV (with Haimanti Shukla)
• Choto Boro Mile (1996) - HMV [with Nachiketa Chakravarty, Anjan Dutt, Indrani Sen, Lopamudra Mitra, Payel Kar, Shalini Chatterjee, Sreetoma Ghosh, Shayari Das, Tanushree Haldar, Paromita Chatterjee, Reema Roy, Shubhanwita Guha and Reetomaa Gupto]
• Notun Gaaner Nouka Bawa (1997) - HMV [with Lopamudra Mitra]
• Dhonyo Hok (1997) - HMV [with Sandhya Mukherjee]
• Bhetorghore Brishti (1998) - HMV [with Lopamudra Mitra]
• Shesh Dorjata Perole (1998) - HMV [with Sandhya Mukherjee]
• Tomaye Khnujechi (1999) - Soundtech [with Sabina Yasmin]
• Ochena Chuti / Gaane Gaane Duti Mon (1999) - Raagaa/Soundtech [with Sabina Yasmin]
• Aashche Shotabdite (1999) - HMV [with Sandhya Mukherjee]
• Ekshaathe Bnachboi (1999) - HMV [with Sohini, Shinjini, Debdutta, Shidhdhaartho, Anirban, Oindrila, Shreya, Shilpi, Arindam, Chiranjeeb, Rajshekhar, Shongeeta, Gaargi, Arundhati, Indrani, Shoilangi, Gargi, Aakaash and Payel]
• Rongdhonu Taanaa Shetu (2000) - HMV [with Sandhya Mukherjee]
• Shada Paayra Giyeche Ure (2001) - HMV [with Sandhya Mukherjee]
• Tumi Gaan Gaile (2002) - Prime Music [with Indranil Sen]
• Awshshomedher Ghora Chhutchche (2003) - HMV [with Sandhya Mukherjee]
• Protichhobi (2004) - No Audio Release [with Sabina Yasmin and Bnaadhon]
• Onekdin Por (2005) - Cozmic Harmony [with Anjan Dutt]
• Tero (2006) - Cozmic Harmony [with Sabina Yasmin]

Live albums and collaborations[link]

• Onurodher Aashor (1994) - T-Series
• Ei Shomoye Ei Dujon- Live At GD Birla Sabhaghar (1997) - HMV (with Nachiketa)
• Tribeni (1997) - HMV [with Nachiketa Chakravarty and Anjan Dutt]
• Notun Shurer Chnoa (1999) - HMV (with Sandhya Mukhopadhyay, Lopamudra Mitra, Haimanti Shukla and Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta)
• Praan Khola Gaan (2003) - HMV (with Lopamudra Mitra, Nachiketa and Bhoomi)
• Onyo Hawaye Onyo Gaan (2004) - HMV [with Lopamudra Mitra]
• Pujor Shera Gaan (2004) - HMV [with Sandhya Mukhopadhyay]
• Graphiti (2006) - HMV [with Nachiketa Chakravarty, Anjan Dutta, Lopamudra Mitra, Protul Mukherjee and Moushumi Bhowmick]
• Onno gaaner bhorey (2009) - HMV (with Nachiketa)

Film albums[link]

• Obhimaane Onuraage (1992) [Unreleased] - [Playback Singers: Kabir Suman]
• Attojaa (1993) - [No Audio Release][Playback Singers: Kabir Suman, Haimanti Shukla]
• Mahasangram (1993) - HMV [Playback Singers: Kabir Suman, Indrani Sen]
• Bhoye (1995) - [No Audio Release] [Playback Singer: Kabir Suman]
• Krishnachura [Bilingual in Assamese (released) and Bengali (unreleased)] (1995) - HMV [Playback Singers: Kabir Suman, Haimanti Shukla]
• Jodhdha (1996) - HMV [Playback Singer: Kabir Suman]
• Shedin Choitromash (1997) - HMV [Playback Singers: Kabir Suman, Nachiketa Chakravarty, Swagatatalakhi Dasgupta and Lopamudra Mitra]Best song-AMI JE CHILAM BESH...
• Shurjokanya (1997) - HMV [Playback Singers: Kabir Suman, Sriradha Banerjee, Swagatatalakhi Dasgupta and Srikanto Acharya]
• Katha (2007) [No Audio Release]

Influences and legacy[link]

Suman has often been credited with creating a new genre of music in Bengal,which is very simple, with lyrics that reflect common life experiences. He is sometimes referred to as the Nagarik Kabiyal (city troubadour).^[4] Some people consider his song as Jibonmukhi (songs facing life), though he doesn't like this title and consider his song as simply adhunik bangla gaan (modern Bengali song).^[7] His music also reflects on social mores, and is often directly political, and much of his oeuvre bears the influence of Bob Dylan. He also transcrated Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" as Uttoro to Jana in his album Ichche Holo in 1993 and "Farewell, Angelina" (initially recorded by Joan Baez in 1965 and recorded by Bob Dylan himself and released in his 1991 compilation album "The Bootleg Series") as Biday Porichita in his 1997 album Jatiswar.^[8] Dylan's influence is also obvious in the musical arrangements of his early albums, often consisting of only guitar and mouth-organ, both of which he played himself. Later on his musical arrangements became more elaborate.

Suman influenced a generation of singer-songwriters in Bengal after 90s', including Nachiketa Chakraborty, Anjan Dutta, Lopamudra Mitra, Srikanto Acharya and bands like Chandrabindoo etc.

Political activities[link]

Along with his musical contributions, Suman has always held strong political views. He was a journalist in Nicaragua during the Sandinista revolution and wrote Mukto Nicaragua (Liberated Nicaragua) on his experiences. During the 2002 Gujarat riots, he composed songs in protest against fundamentalism. He is also noted for his strong declamations against political opponents in public.

Since 2006, when Suman was involved in the land struggle in Nandigram, he started aliging himself to All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee. His songs on the Nandigram land issues have been released on two albums, Nandigram and Pratirodh. Suman also participated in the Singur agitation & other TMC party programmes on a regular basis.^[9][10] He was present during the inauguration of TMC's stall in Kolkata Book Fair.2009.^[11]

The Trinamoool Congress nominated him for the 2009 general election from Jadavpur constituency in Kolkata, West Bengal, and won the election, defeating his nearest rival, Sujan Chakraborty of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) by 54,000 votes (by a 10% margin).^[12]

In November 2009, Suman had a spat with the Trinamool Congress. He complained that the local leaders of the party were not allowing him to work, and his views were not taken seriously in the party.^[13] However, the issue was resolved amicably in a series of closed door meetings.^[14]

Suman has also been vocal in his support for the movement of tribals in Lalgarh, and has composed an album called Chatradharer Gaan in support of the mass movement, going against the wishes of the party.^[15] Going against the party position, he has also expressed his protests against "Operation Green Hunt", the Indian Government's military operation where the Naxalites have some influence.^[16]

Suman,in the end of march 2010,claimed that he is going to leave Trinamool Congress and also his membership of the Parliament. Though on the request of Mahasweta Devi he postponed his resignation for seven days.^[17] Within a few days, however, he makes a u-turn and declares on the 7th of April that he does not want to resign ^[18] by further embarrassing the party.^[19]

Personal life and political views[link]

Suman is married five times.^[20] He calls himself agnostic, nihilist-anarchist and a "polygamous" person.^[21] He is married to Sabina Yasmin, a popular Bangladeshi singer.^[2][4]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site
• Short Bio
• Kabir Suman -Profile
• Translations of his songs
• Indian Foundation for Arts page on Suman

Al-Kabir ("the Great") is also one of the 99 names of God in Islam. For a complete disambiguation page, see Kabir (disambiguation)

Kabir
Kabir with a disciple.
Born	1440
Died	1518
Occupation	Weaver, poet
Known for	influenced the Bhakti movement

Kabīr (also Kabīra) (Hindi: कबीर, Punjabi: ਕਬੀਰ, Urdu: کبير‎) (1440–1518)^[1] was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement. The name Kabir comes from Arabic al-Kabīr which means 'The Great' - the 37th name of God in Islam.

Apart from having an important influence on Sikhism, Kabir's legacy is today carried forward by the Kabir Panth ("Path of Kabir"), a religious community that recognizes him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members, known as Kabir panthis, are estimated to be around 9,600,000. They are spread over north and central India, as well as dispersed with the Indian diaspora across the world, up from 843,171 in the 1901 census.^[2] His writings include Bijak, Sakhi Granth, Kabir Granthawali and Anurag Sagar.^[3]

Early life and background[link]

Not much is known of Kabir's birth parents, but it is known that he was brought up in a family of Muslim weavers. He was found by a Muslim weaver named Niru and his wife, Nima, in Lehartara, situated in Varanasi. They adopted the boy and taught him the weaver's trade.

The story is told that on one particular day of the year, anyone can become a disciple by having a master speak the name of God over him. It is common for those who live near the Ganges to take their morning bath there in the sacred waters. The bhakti saint Ramananda was in the habit of arising before dawn to take his bath. On this special day too, he awoke before dawn and found his way down to the steps of the Ganges. As he was walking down the steps to the waters, a little hand reached out and grabbed the saint's big toe. Ramananda was taken by surprise, and he involuntarily called out the name of God. Looking down, he saw in the early morning light the hand of the young Kabir. After his bath, he noticed that on the back of the little one's hand was written in Arabic the name Kabīr. He adopted him as son and disciple and brought him back to his ashram, much to the consternation of his Hindu students, some of whom left in protest.^{[citation needed]}

Not much is known about what sort of spiritual training Kabir may have received. He did not become a sadhu, nor did he ever abandon worldly life. Kabir chose instead to live the balanced life of a householder and mystic, a tradesman and contemplative.

Kabir's family is believed to have lived in the locality of Kabir Chaura in Varanasi. Kabīr maṭha (कबीरमठ), a maṭha located in the back alleys of Kabir Chaura, celebrates his life and times. Accompanying the property is a house named Nīrūṭīlā (नीरू टीला) which houses Niru and Nima's graves.^[4] The house also accommodates students and scholars who live there and study Kabir's work.

Philosophies[link]

Kabir was influenced by the prevailing religious mood of his times, such as old Brahmanic Hinduism, Tantrism, the teachings of Nath yogis and the personal devotionalism of South India mixed with the imageless God of Islam.^[5] The influence of these various doctrines is clearly evident in Kabir's verses. Eminent historians like R.C. Majumdar, P.N. Chopra, B.N. Puri and M.N. Das have held that Kabir is the first Indian saint to have harmonised Hinduism and Islam by preaching a universal path which both Hindus and Muslims could tread together.^[6] But there are a few critics who contest such claims.^[5]

The basic religious principles he espoused are simple. According to Kabir, all life is an interplay of two spiritual principles. One is the personal soul (Jivatma) and the other is God (Paramatma). It is Kabir's view that salvation is the process of bringing these two divine principles into union. The incorporation of much of his verse in Sikh scripture, and the fact that Kabir was a predecessor of Guru Nanak, have led some western scholars to mistakenly describe him as a forerunner of Sikhism.^[7]

His greatest work is the Bijak (the "Seedling"), an idea of the fundamental one. This collection of poems elucidates Kabir's universal view of spirituality. Though his vocabulary is replete with Hindu spiritual concepts, such as Brahman, karma and reincarnation, he vehemently opposed dogmas, both in Hinduism and in Islam. His Hindi was a vernacular, straightforward kind, much like his philosophies. He often advocated leaving aside the Qur'an and Vedas and simply following Sahaja path, or the Simple/Natural Way to oneness in God. He believed in the Vedantic concept of atman, but unlike earlier orthodox Vedantins, he spurned the Hindu societal caste system and murti-pujan (idol worship), showing clear belief in both bhakti and Sufi ideas. The major part of Kabir's work as a bhagat was collected by the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev, and incorporated into the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib.

Poetry[link]

Kabir composed in a pithy and earthy style, replete with surprise and inventive imagery. His poems resonate with praise for the true guru who reveals the divine through direct experience, and denounce more usual ways of attempting god-union such as chanting, austerities, etc. Kabir, being illiterate, expressed his poems orally in vernacular Hindi, borrowing from various dialects including Avadhi, Braj, and Bhojpuri.^[8] His verses often began with some strongly worded insult to get the attention of passers-by. Kabir has enjoyed a revival of popularity over the past half century as arguably the most accessible and understandable of the Indian saints, with a special influence over spiritual traditions such as those of Sant Mat, Garib Das and Radha Soami.^{[citation needed]}

Legacy[link]

A considerable body of poetical work has been attributed to Kabir. And while two of his disciples, Bhāgodās and Dharmadās, did write much of it down, "...there is also much that must have passed, with expected changes and distortions, from mouth to mouth, as part of a well-established oral tradition."^[9]

Poems and songs ascribed to Kabir are available today in several dialects, with varying wordings and spellings as befits an oral tradition. Opinions vary on establishing any given poem's authenticity.^[10] Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the spirit of this mystic comes alive through a "unique forcefulness... vigor of thought and rugged terseness of style."^[11]

Kabir and his followers named his poetic output as ‘bāņīs,’ utterances. These include songs, as above, and couplets, called variously dohe, śalokā (Sanskrit ślokā), or sākhī (Sanskrit sākşī). The latter term, meaning ‘witness,’ best indicates the use that Kabir and his followers envisioned for these poems: “As direct evidence of the Truth, a sākhī is… meant to be memorized… A sākhī is… meant to evoke the highest Truth.” As such, memorizing, reciting, and thus pondering over these utterances constitutes, for Kabir and his followers, a path to spiritual awakening.^[12]

Kabir's poetry today[link]

There are several allusions to Kabir's poetry in mainstream Indian film music. The title song of the Sufi fusion band Indian Ocean's album Jhini is an energetic rendering of Kabir's famous poem "The intricately woven blanket", with influences from Indian folk, Sufi traditions and progressive rock.

Documentary filmmaker Shabnam Virmani, from the Kabir Project, has produced a series of documentaries and books tracing Kabir's philosophy, music and poetry in present day India and Pakistan. The documentaries feature Indian folk singers such as Prahlad Tipanya, Mukhtiyar Ali and the Pakistani Qawwal Fareed Ayaz.

Kabir's poetry has appeared prominently in filmmaker Anand Gandhi's films Right Here Right Now and Continuum.

See also[link]

Poetry portal

• Hindi Literature
• Sahaja
• Vedanta
• Sant Mat

References[link]

Further reading[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Kabir

• Bly, Robert, tr. Kabir: Ecstatic Poems. Beacon Press, 2004. (ISBN 0-8070-6384-3)
• Dass, Nirmal, tr. Songs of Kabir from the Adi Granth. SUNY Press, 1991. (ISBN 0-7914-0560-5)
• Kabir. Compilation of Kabir's dohas in Devanagiri. Kabir ke dohey
• Masterman, David, ed/rev. Kabir says... Los Angeles: Three Pigeons Publishing, 2011.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, tr. Songs of Kabir. Forgotten Books, 1985. (ISBN 1-60506-643-5) Songs of Kabir
• Vaudeville, Charlotte. A Weaver Named Kabir: Selected Verses with a Detailed Biographical and Historical Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. (ISBN 0-19-563933-2)
• KavitaKosh.org Compilation of Kabir's dohas in Devanagiri Kabir Page on Kavitakosh

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kabir

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Kabir

• Gutenberg: Songs of Kabir by Rabindranath Tagore
• Poems of Kabir
• Songs of Kabir (tr. Rabindranath Tagore) at sacred-texts.org
• Kabir Association of Canada
• Kabir poems and dohe in Hindi complete list

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. Tagged since December 2011. It contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Tagged since December 2011.

হুমায়ূন আহমেদ Humayun Ahmed
Born	(1948-11-13) 13 November 1948 (age 63) Kutubpur, Mymensingh, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Occupation	Writer, filmaker
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Ethnicity	Bengali
Education	Ph. D. in polymer chemistry
Alma mater	University of Dhaka North Dakota State University
Genres	Novel, short story, drama, screenplay, autobiography, column
Subjects	Magic realism, social life, nature's mystery, wish-fulfillment
Notable work(s)	Jostnya O Jononeer Golpo (The Story of a Mother and a Moonlit Night)
Notable award(s)	Bangla Academy Award Ekushey Padak
Spouse(s)	Gultekin (1973–2003; divorced) Shaon Ahmed (2003–present)
Children	Nova, Sheela, Bipasha, Nuhash, Nishad, Ninit,fahad
Relative(s)	Muhammad Zafar Iqbal (brother) Ahsan Habib (brother)
Influenced Imdadul Haq Milon, Anisul Hoque

Humayun Ahmed (Bengali: হুমায়ূন আহমেদ) (born November 13, 1948) is a Bangladeshi author, dramatist and film director^[1]. Ahmed emerged in the Bengali literary world in the early 1970s and over the subsequent decade became the most popular fiction writer of the country. His breakthrough occurred with the help of Ahmed Sofa^[2] and the publication of his first novel, Nondito Noroké in 1972^[3]. He is also a former associate professor of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Notably, as of February 2004, Ahmed continued to top the best seller list of a Bangla Academy (Bangladesh) book fair, a feat that had been maintained over the previous two decades.^[4]

In 2012 Humayun Ahmed was appointed as a special advisor to the Bangladesh Mission in the United Nations.^[5]

As a writer, Ahmed often displays a fascination for creating stories around supernatural events; his style is characterized as magic realism.^[6]

Early life[link]

Humayun Ahmed was born in Kutubpur, in Netrokona,^[7] East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh). His father, Foyzur Rahman Ahmed, a police officer and writer, was killed by Pakistani military force during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. His mother is Ayesha Foyez. Humayun's younger brother, Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, a university professor, is also a writer of mostly science fiction genre and a newspaper columnist.^[8] Another brother, Ahsan Habib, is a painter and the editor of Unmad, a cartoon magazine. Ahmed was married to Gultekin, granddaughter of Principal Ibrahim Khan, in 1973. The couple got divorced in 2003. Ahmed later married his long time affair, a TV actress, Meher Afroz Shaon; who was friend of his 2nd daughter, Shila.

Education and early career[link]

Humayun Ahmed went to many schools in Sylhet, Comilla, Chittagong, Dinajpur and Bogra as his father lived in many place upon official assignment. He passed the School Certificate examination as a student of Bogra Zilla School. He stood second in the merit list in the Rajshahi Education Board. Later he was admitted to the Dhaka College from where he passed the Intermediate examination. He planned to study economics but suddenly changed his mind and got admitted into the Dhaka University to study Chemistry. He passed both BSc (Honours) and MSC with First Class. He joined the Dhaka University as a Lecturer in Chemistry. Later he went to the North Dakota State University in the United States to study for PhD. After having studied physical chemistry for two years he was impressed by the lecture of a professor of polymer chemistry; and eventually secured a PhD degree in polymer chemistry. He returned to Bangladesh and resumed teaching at the Dhaka University. He retired as a teacher around mid 1990s to devote all his time to writing and production of film.

Television and film[link]

His first television drama was Ei Shob Din Ratri (Tale of our daily lives), and was followed by the comedy series Bohubrihi, the historical drama series Ayomoy, and the urban drama series Kothao Keu Nei (Nobody Anywhere). The last one featured an idealistic gang leader named Baker Bhai, who was wrongly convicted and executed. Baker Bhai became such a popular character that before the last episode was aired, people across the country brought out processions protesting his death sentence; public prayers and death anniversaries have been observed for this fictional character by Ahmed's fans. Nakshatrer Raat (The Night of the Stars) was a long serialized televised drama that explored many facets of modern human life and relationship.

Ahmed explored the film industry both as an author and director. He directs films based on his own stories. His first film, "Aguner Parashmoni", based on the liberation war, won the National Film Award in total eight categories, including Best Picture and Best Director. The theme of the Liberation War often comes across in his stories, often drawing upon Ahmed's in-depth memories of that war.

Ahmed's film Shyamal Chhaya was submitted by Bangladesh for Oscar nomination for best foreign language film. This film was also based on the liberation war of 1971. It portrayed a realistic picture of the liberation war without malice and prejudice.^[9]

Ahmed also wrote songs for few of his own films and plays. Some of the notables are titled as Ami Aaj Bhejabo Chokh Somudrer Joley, Chadni Poshor Ratey and Amaaar Achey Jol.

Literary style[link]

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (December 2011)

Until recently Bengali fiction has largely been dominated by the work and style of Bengali writers from the West Bengal. Humayun Ahmed distinguished himself with a unique simple literary diction that quickly became popular. His prose style is lucid and he resorts to dialogues rather than narration by an all-knowing story-teller. As a result his writing is compact and can be easily understood by a large audience. However, he depends heavily on a few stereotypical characters which behave in a predictable way, but are, nevertheless, very popular, because of the romanticism they carry (for example, Himu and some other madlike characters are available in many of his works). He has dealt with rural as well as urban life with equal intensity of observation. Frequently, he captures contemporary issues in his writings from a different angle. He is an optimist who is prone to focus on the positive aspects of human beings. His portrayal of a hooligan or a prostitute is usually non-judgmental. His human touch to stories hugely appeals to emotional Bengali psychology. Also, his storylines often blend reality with supernatural episodes. This blend is in some ways similar to magic realism. He avoids obscenity and revolt against religion in clever ways. In the contemporary literary world, perhaps none exists today who writes as spontaneously as Humayun Ahmed.^[10]

Awards[link]

• Lekhak Shibir Prize (1973)
• Bangla Academy Award (1981)
• Shishu Academy Award
• Jainul Abedin Gold Medal
• Michael Madhusudan Medal (1987)
• Bacsas Prize (1988)
• Humayun Qadir Memorial Prize (1990)
• National Film Award (Best Story 1993, Best Film 1994, Best Dialogue 1994)
• Ekushe Podok (1994)
• ShellTec Award (2007)^[11]

Works[link]

Films[link]

Notable television dramas[link]

• Himu
• Ayomay

Books[link]

In English

• 1971: A Novel. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Mowla Bros.. 1993. ISBN 9789844100138. 
• In Blissfull Hell. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Somoi Prokashan. 1993. ISBN 9789844580459. 
• Gouripur Junction. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Anyaprokash. 2007. ISBN 9789848684382. 

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• "Humayun Ahmed, 1948-". The South Asian Literary Recordings Project. The Library of Congress. October 6, 2010. http://www.loc.gov/acq/ovop/delhi/salrp/humayunahmed.html. Retrieved March 12, 2012. 

External links[link]

• Humayun Ahmed Books
• Humayun Ahmed at Bangla Books
• Humayun Ahmed Book at Plabon.com
• Humayun Ahmed Bangladeshi Bangla Natok (list of television productions)

Pranab Mukherjee
Minister of Finance
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 January 2009
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Manmohan Singh
In office 15 January 1982 – 31 December 1984
Prime Minister	Indira Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi
Preceded by	Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Succeeded by	Vishwanath Pratap Singh
Minister of External Affairs
In office 24 October 2006 – 23 May 2009
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Manmohan Singh
Succeeded by	Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna
In office 10 February 1995 – 16 May 1996
Prime Minister	Narasimha Rao
Preceded by	Dinesh Singh
Succeeded by	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Minister of Defence
In office 22 May 2004 – 26 October 2006
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	George Fernandes
Succeeded by	Arackaparambil Kurien Antony
Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission
In office 24 June 1991 – 15 May 1996
Prime Minister	Narasimha Rao
Preceded by	Mohan Dharia
Succeeded by	Madhu Dandavate
Lok Sabha representative from Jangipur, West Bengal
In office 10 May 2004 – incumbant
Personal details
Born	(1935-12-11) 11 December 1935 (age 76) Mirati, British Raj (now India)
Political party	Indian National Congress (Before 1986; 1989–present)
Other political affiliations	Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress (1986–1989)
Spouse(s)	Suvra Mukherjee
Alma mater	University of Calcutta
Profession	Social worker Teacher Writer
Religion	Hinduism
Website	Pranab Mukherjee

Pranab Kumar Mukherjee (born 11 December 1935, Mirati; West Bengal, India) is the current Finance Minister of India^[1][2] and leader of the current 15th Lok Sabha.^[3]

Mukherjee is a senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, Prices, Security, Unique Identification Authority of India, World Trade Organization, and heads the Group of Ministers Committee on the Dabhol dispute.^[4] He is a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC).^[5]

Early life[link]

His father Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee was a member of AICC, and West Bengal Legislative Council (1952–64), and President, District Congress Committee, Birbhum (WB).^[6] He attended the Suri Vidyasagar College, Suri (Birbhum), then affiliated with the University of Calcutta.

He holds a Master of Arts degrees in History and Political Science & has a degree in law from the University of Calcutta. He has been an advocate and a college teacher in his long public career.^{[citation needed]} In 2011 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by University of Wolverhampton.^[7]

Professional career[link]

Mukherjee began his career as a college-teacher and later as a journalist. He worked for noted Bengali publication Desher Dak (Call of Motherland). He also became trustee of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad and later President of Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan.^[8]

Political career[link]

He has a parliamentary career of over four decades, which began as a member of Rajya Sabha (upper house) from the Congress Party in 1969; he was re-elected in 1975, 1981, 1993 and 1999. In 1973, he joined the cabinet as Union Deputy Minister, Industrial Development. He rose through a series of cabinet posts to become the Finance Minister of India from 1982 to 1984.^[9] His term was noted for India not withdrawing the last billion instalment of an IMF loan. Dr. Manmohan Singh was serving Reserve Bank of India as Governor during Pranab's term as Finance Minister. He was not included in Rajiv Gandhi's cabinet after Lok Sabha election held subsequent to Indira Gandhi's assassination. He was pushed out of the Congress party for a brief period, and during this period he formed his own political party Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress, but later merged it with Congress party in 1989 after settlement with Rajiv Gandhi.^[10] His political career revived when P.V. Narasimha Rao chose to appoint him as deputy chairman of the planning commission and subsequently as a union cabinet minister. He served as External Affairs Minister for the first time from 1995 to 1996 in Rao's cabinet. In 1997 he was voted Outstanding Parliamentarian.

He was the President of the West Bengal state unit of Congress since 1985, but resigned in July 2010 due to work-load and was succeeded by Manas Bhunia. In 2004, when the Congress formed a government at the head of a coalition the new Congress Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was only a Rajya Sabha MP. So Pranab Mukherjee was made Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha when he won the Lok Sabha elections for the first time from Jangipur (Lok Sabha constituency). He also has the distinction of being a Minister for various high profile Ministries including Defence, Finance, External Affairs, Revenue, Shipping, Transport, Communication, Economic Affairs, Commerce and Industry. He also heads the Congress Parliamentary Party and the Congress Legislative Party which consists of all the Congress MPs and MLAs in the country apart from being Leader of the House in Lok Sabha, Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee President and the Union Cabinet Minister of Finance in the Council of Ministers under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Congress-led Government. Pranab played crucial role in steering the Cabinet pre Lok Sabha elections when the Prime Minister underwent by-pass surgery by taking additional charges as chairman of the Cabinet Committee Of Political Affairs and Union Minister in Finance Ministry despite already being Union Minister of External Affairs.

International role[link]

Mukherjee and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed the Section 123 Agreement on October 10, 2008. He has been a member of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund, of the World Bank, of the Asian Development Bank, and of the African Development Bank.

In 1984, he chaired the Group of 24 attached to the IMF and World Bank. Between May and November 1995, he presided over the SAARC Council of Ministers Conference.^[11]

He was the first appointed by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to ease issues over the campaign initiated by Anna Hazare on day 8 of his fast, that is 23 August 2011.

Political party role[link]

Mukherjee is very well respected within the party social circles."^[12] Other media accounts describe him as having "a reputation as a number-crunching politician with a phenomenal memory and an unerring survival instinct."^[13]

After Sonia Gandhi reluctantly agreed to join politics, Mukherjee was one of her key mentors, guiding her through difficult situations with examples of how her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi would have done things.^[14] Mukherjee's unfailing loyalty and competence have led to his closeness to Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, and helped him gain the position of Minister of Defence when the party came to power in 2004.

He has also held the position of Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission from 1991 to 1996.

His talents were on display during the negotiations for the Patent's Amendment Bill in early 2005. The Congress was committed to passing an IP bill, but their allies in the United Progressive Alliance from the Left front had a long tradition of opposing some of the monopoly aspects of intellectual property. Pranab Mukherjee, as Defence Minister, was not formally involved but was roped in for his negotiation skills. He drew on many old alliances including the CPI-M leader Jyoti Basu, and formed new intermediary positions, which included product patent and little else. Then he had to convince his own colleagues including commerce minister Kamal Nath, at one point saying: "An imperfect legislation is better than no legislation."^[15] Finally the bill was approved on March 23, 2005.

Foreign Minister: October 2006[link]

Pranab Mukherjee with US President George W. Bush in 2008.

On 24 October 2006, he was appointed as the External Affairs Minister of India. His replacement in the Defence Ministry is A. K. Antony, a senior Congress Party politician and former Chief Minister of the southern state of Kerala.

Mukherjee was briefly considered for the post of the largely ceremonial Indian presidency. But his name was subsequently dropped after his contribution in the Union Cabinet was considered practically indispensable. Among Mukherjee's current legacy was the successful signing of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement with the US government and then with the Nuclear Suppliers Group, allowing India to participate in civilian nuclear trade in spite of not having signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He is also awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honor in 2007.

Finance Minister[link]

Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister of India addressing the delagates at Regional Conference of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

Pranab Mukherjee's first stint as the Finance minister of India was during the Indira Gandhi government in 1982. He presented his first annual budget in 1982-83. In the second government of Manmohan Singh, he again became the Finance Minister of India, a job he had held earlier, in the 1980s. On July 6, 2009, he presented the government's annual budget. In it, he announced many tax reforms, such as the scrapping of the 'irritant' Fringe Benefits Tax and the Commodities Transaction Tax. He announced, that the Finance Ministry, was well on track, to implement the Goods and Services Tax, a tax, that has been praised by major corporate executives, and economists. He also expanded funding for social sector schemes, like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, girl's literacy, and health care. Also, he expanded infrastructure programmes, like the National Highway Development Programme, expansion of electricity coverage, and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. However, many people, expressed concern, about the rising fiscal deficit, the highest since 1991. Mukherjee said, that the expansion in government spending was only temporary, and he said that the government, was committed to the principle of fiscal prudence. He presented the 2009 Union budget of India as well as 2010 Union budget of India and the 2011 budget.

The 2010-11 budget includes the country's first explicit target to cut public debt as a proportion of GDP and he is targeting a budget deficit reduction to 4.1% of GDP in fiscal year 2012-13, from 6.5% in 2008-09.^[16]

Contender for President[link]

After his unsatisfied wish to become the Prime Minister of India,^[17] Pranab Mukherjee is considered as an eligible candidate for the President of India.^[18] The elections are happening in July 2012 after the five-states scheduled elections. The current Vice-President of India Hamid Ansari along with Pranab Mukherjee are the top 2 contenders of Presidential candidate.^[19]

Views and opinions[link]

On corruption[link]

In an interview to rediff.com in 1998, he was asked about the sleaze in the Congress government, in which he was the Minister for External Affairs. He replied:

Corruption is an issue. We have dealt with it in the manifesto. But I am sorry to say that these scams are not confined to the Congress or the Congress government alone. There are so many scams. So many leaders of various political parties are involved in them. So it would be too simplistic to say that the Congress government was involved in scams.^[20]

Controversies, allegations and accusations[link]

Mukherjee was a Minister in Indira Gandhi's Cabinet during the infamous Emergency and was held by many to be personally responsible for some of the excesses.^[21] He was summoned before the Shah Commission but followed Mrs. Gandhi's lead in refusing to resign before it. A police case was registered against him which was withdrawn when Mrs. Gandhi returned to power.

S. Gurumurthy and Arun Shourie exposed how Pranab Mukerjee, the then Finance Minister of India helped Reliance Industries against Bombay Dyeing through differential taxation by influencing the Income Tax Department in textile industry.^[22] As a result Bombay Dyeing was almost decimated.^[22]

Mukherjee was involved in handling Taslima Nasreen's house arrest in Delhi, as the Foreign Minister. Dealing with a situation involving her expulsion for Kolkata, anger from Islamic radicals, and her protection in a safehouse, Mukherjee received criticism for actions leading to Nasreen's eventual departure from India in March 2008.^[23]

He has also been accused of threatening banks if they invest in Gujarat by sending the Income Tax Department sleuths after them, a state governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party^[24]

Personal life[link]

Pranab Mukherjee married Suvra Mukherjee on July 13, 1957 and has two sons, Abhijit and Indrajit and a daughter. He is inspired by Deng Xiaoping & has quoted him quite frequently.^[25] His hobbies are reading, gardening and music.^[26]

Honours, awards and international recognition[link]

In 1984, he was rated as the best Finance Minister of the World according to a survey of Euromoney magazine.^[27][28] In 2010 he was awarded "Finance Minister of the Year for Asia" by Emerging Markets, the daily newspaper of record for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).^[29] In December 2010 The Banker recognised him as "Finance Minister of the Year" after making significant inroads into budget deficit reduction, throughout a turbulent year.^[16]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pranab Mukherjee

Wikinews has related news: Mukherjee injured in accident

• Pranab Mukherjee – Official website
• Parliamentary profile at India.gov.in
• Pranab Mukherjee collected news and commentary at The Times of India
• Pranab denies UPA penalising non-Congress Governments

Medal record
Women's athletics
Competitor for  India
Commonwealth Games
Silver	2006 Melbourne	4×400 m relay
Asian Games
Gold	2006 Doha	4×400 m relay
Asian Indoor Games
Gold	2005 Pattaya	4×400 m relay
South Asian Games
Gold	2006 Colombo	400 metres
Gold	2006 Colombo	800 metres
Gold	2006 Colombo	4×400 m relay

Pinki Pramanik (born 10 April 1986 in Purulia) is an Indian track athlete who specialises in the 400 metres and 800 metres. She has had much success with the national 4×400 metres relay team, winning silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, gold at the 2006 Asian Games, and gold at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games. She completed at triple of gold medals at the 2006 South Asian Games, winning the 400 and 800 m events, as well as the relay.

Her first success was winning two bronzes at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships when she was 17 years old. She was chosen to represent Asia at the IAAF World Cup. Domestically, she has won three times at the All-India Open National Championships. A series of injuries and a car crash has meant that she has seldom competed since 2007.

Career[link]

Pramanik made her mark at junior level when she set four junior state records in 2002.^[1] She made her world debut at the 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics where she reached the 800 m semifinals.^[2] She won the 400 m race at the All-India Open National Championships soon after.^[3] She set a record at the National Junior Athletics meeting by running 54.92 seconds in the 400 m, although some confusion over whether she was born in 1986 or 1987 dampened proceedings.^[4]

International medals[link]

She stepped up to the senior level the following year and won two bronzes in the 400 m and 800 m races at the 2004 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.^[2] In late 2004, an incident in which a group of youths planted a gun on her and called police put her career at risk. However, eye witnesses testified that the youths had harassed her and had placed the gun in her bag; she was released without charge. She took three months off from competition to recover from the stress of the incident.^[5]

Another medal came indoors when she took gold as part of the 4×400 metres relay team at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games with Iyleen Samantha, Santhi Soundarajan, and Mandeep Kaur. She returned to compete at the All-India Open National Championships, and came away with 400 and 800 m golds.^[3] The 2006 Commonwealth Games was her first appearance at the world senior level and she performed well, reaching the 800 m semi-finals and recording a personal best of 2:03.83,^[6] and winning a silver medal for India with Rajwinder Kaur, Chitra Soman, and Manjeet Kaur in the 4×400 m relay.^[7]

At Bangalore's Asian Grand Prix meeting in May that year she won the 800 m and improved her 400 m personal best, winning in 52.46 seconds.^[8] A few months later she marked herself out as one of her region's best runners at the 2006 South Asian Games: she won the 400 and 800 m gold medals and headed the relay team for a third gold.^[9][10] However, she was disappointed that she had not improved her time and said that she expected greater competition from the Sri Lankan athletes.^[5]

She was selected to represent her continent at the 2006 IAAF World Cup and finished in seventh place for Asia in the 800 m race. She attended her first Asian Games later that year, competing the 400 m and the relay. She reached the individual final, but just missed out on medal, finishing two hundredths of a second behind Japan's Asami Tanno. Greater success came in the relay: running with Sathi Geetha, Chitra Soman and Manjeet Kaur, the women's team took India's only athletics gold of Games.^[11]

Injuries[link]

A severe foot injury caused Pramanik to miss much of the 2007 season. She had returned to fitness by August and began competing at regional meeting and recorded 11.07 seconds in the 100 metres in Kolkata. She set her sights on winning at the 2008 Indian Inter-State championships in order to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics. However, she was struck by injury again and missed the championships due to a hamstring problem.^[12]

In early 2010 Pramanik inaugurated a local competition, the Purulia Athletic Championship. On the way home, she collided with another vehicle and suffered deep cuts to her face and knees. Although her condition was not serious, she suffered from much back pain and remained in hospital for further treatment.^[13]

Personal bests[link]

• All information taken from IAAF profile.

References[link]