Sukumar Ray Page #2

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Such convoluted verse and such pictures

could only have come from Sukumar Ray..

Was a duck, porcupine (to grammar I bow

not) Became Duckupine, but how I know not.

Stork tells turtle, it's a delight...

Our Stortle shape is exactly right!

The Parrot-Head Lizard feels very silly: Must

he spurn insects, for a raw green chili?

The goat now hatches a plan to wed... Mounts

scorpion's neck... body unites with head!

The giraffe's reluctant to wander nearby

With his grasshopper wings, he longs to fly.

Says the cow, What ails the pen

That my rear belongs to a rascally hen?

See the Whalephant: The Whale wants the sea;

The Elephant says, It's the jungle for me.

The lion has no horns, that's his woe...

He pairs with a deer; And antlers grow!

Covers from early issues of

SANDESH.

The standards Upendra Kishore set for Sandesh

were never lowered in Sukumar's time.

The whole family contributed (and

some contributions have become classics)

Family apart, almost every well known writer

(Including Tagore) wrote for SANDESH.

But the bulk of pictures,

sketches and stories

were penned by Sukumar himself.

(They are still read 100 years later)

The versatility of Sukumar

and his thirst for new things was unending

he had given 7 names

to just one handwritten Notebook ..

The Unnecessary Notebook.

The Nonsense Notebook.

The Fanciful Notebook.

The Notebook for Drafts.

The Just-Like-That Notebook.

The Wasted Notebook.

The Collections Notebook.

This Wonderful Notebook with its

many scribbles, riddles and notes.

Gives us an insight

into the mind of Sukumar Ray.

Sukumar had a life outside Sandesh too..

He was the central figure among

the youth of the Brahmo Samaj.

When there was a dispute about

admitting Tagore to the Brahmo Samaj.

The youth, led by

Sukumar and Prashanto Maholanobis

stood up against the establishment.

Ultimately Tagore was admitted

by a popular vote.

In 1915 he founded the 'Monday Club'

It attracted the cream of

young intellectuals of Bengal.

Some members were.

Satyendra Nath Dutta (Poet)

Ajit Kumar Chakrabarty.

Atul Prasad Sen.

Suniti Kumar Chattopadhyay.

Kalidas Nag.

Prashanto Chandra Maholanobis.

Hiran Sanyal etc.

The invitations to the Club Meetings were

unique in their contents and composition.

Sukumar personally composed them

and they were printed at U Ray and Sons.

Most were in verse

some have passed into folklore

(recitation in Bengali)

The discussions in this

club were on serious issues.

Poetry, literature, Art, philosophy,

politics Nothing was left out.

The poet Satyendranath wrote a poem

(Recitation in Bengali)

Sukumar wrote two plays for older audiences

One was 'Chalachitta Chanchari'

And the other 'Shabda Kalpa Droom'

In 1921, aged 33 Sukumar fell ill with a

tropical disease that knew no cure then.

His son Satyajit was born the same year.

Despite his illness

Sukumar kept writing for Sandesh.

'Haw Jaw Baw Raw Law'

(Absurdity) was written at this time.

This, his greatest creation, was inspired

by Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland.

The world of Haw Jaw Baw Raw Law

is a world of fantasy and dreams.

Whats your weight? I don't know

2.5 kilogram How can that be?

Patal is younger than me

and even he weighs 21 Kilograms.

Your measures are different.

Write down Weight 2.5 Kg, age 37.

That's nonsense.

My age is 8 years 3 months.

Is it increasing or decreasing?

What do you mean?

Is your age increasin or decreasing?

How can age ever decrease?

Are you saying

age can only increase?

40-50-60-70-80...

I'd grow old and die!

A person won't grow old at 80?

How idiotic!

Why should I let my age grow?

As soon as I age to 40, a

reverse countdown starts

40-39-38-37...

When it comes back to 10

it starts increasing again.

My age has increased and

decreased so may times.

Its now 13.

In 1922, Sukumar was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

In 1923 he published "Ateeter Chhobi"

A history of the Brahmo Samaj.

His health was deteriorating

but his creativity was unabated.

He published printer's manuals.

A new book of verse was

taking shape in little pieces.

He was writing the Mahabharata in verse.

A recuperation visit to Sodhpur led to

this painting of a sunset on the Ganges.

A dummy copy of 'Abol Tabol'(Ridiculous)

was prepared with his own sketches.

Even the cover of the book

was painted by him - in color.

Sukumar did not live to see it in print.

In the last poem of Abol Tabol

He clearly foretells his death.

Today before I leave/I will speak out my heart Even

if it is meaningless/ Let people not understand

I have let my imagination flow today

Thee is no one who can stop it any more

and the last two lines...

Its now time to sleep,

my song is over today.

Tagore visited him at this time

10th September 1923 -

there was an eartquake in Calcutta.

That morning Sukumar Ray passed away

He was only 36.

Heraing of Sukumar's death, Tagore said.

I have seen many deaths. But I have never

seen anyone like this young man

who facing death,

nevertheless sang songs to life.

Sitting beside his death bed I have heard that

song and my heart is overflowing with it,

Early pictures of

Satyajit Ray, Sukumar Ray's son

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