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Basu, Bidhubhushan (1875-1972) journalist, writer and social worker, was born on 27 May 1875 in the village of Kanthal in bagerhat. He lost his parents at an early age and was brought up by relatives. He taught at a number of schools, including Shivpur School,
Kolkata, where the famous linguist, suniti kumar chatterji, and the Indologist, sushil kumar de, were his students.
Bidhubhushan started his literary career writing for
a magazine, Sakha O Sathi. His first novel, Laksmi
Meye (1897), was written on family and social problems. Among his
other novels written on similar themes are Laksmi Ma (1898), Laksmi
Bau (1898) and Sati Laksmi (1899), which were translated into
Hindi and Gujrati. His other novels are Charuchandra (1900), Amrte
Garal, Subhadra (1912), Papistha (1914), Kamini-Kanchan
(1925), Dipalir Baji (1926), Godhan, Prakhara (1928), Kuler
Kali (1928), Nastoddhar, Biser Batas (1928), Jyathai
Ma (1928), Pautranta (1958), Parinam (1961), etc. He
also wrote a collection of stories, Banomala (1914), which he dedicated
to rabindranath
tagore. He edited the monthly magazines Sanjibani and
Pallichitra.Bidhubhushan was associated with the swadeshi
movement and wrote a number of plays on nationalist themes.
Dada (1922) was one such play, as were the plays Mirkashim
and Raktayajna, which were banned by the British Government. His
other plays on nationalist themes are Brahmacharini (1925), Bhagini
Bidroha, Bimata, Baper Bhita, Sudarshan, Duibigha
Jami and Kalapahad. His story 'Shikar' invited the wrath of
the government, which resulted in his being imprisoned for four years.
Bidhubhushan was again imprisoned in 1930 for taking part in the Anti-Law
Movement. He was also accused of libel by a zamindar, whom he had satirised
in the poem Vote Ranga.
Bidhubhushan was also a philanthropist and founded schools, started a post office, and had ponds excavated in his native village. He became completely blind in later life. He died on 31 January 1972. [Sushanta
Sarker]
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