Pandit Barin Majumder is one of the best music teachers, raga music experts and classical musicians of the subcontinent. From an early age, he made himself a worthy successor to the Agra and Rangeela genre with his love for music. Besides, he struggled throughout his life to institutionalize music education. During the emergence of independent sovereign Bangladesh, Barin Majumdar involved himself in various cultural activities. His family has been a victim of many adverse circumstances. He lost his daughter during the War of Independence.
Ustad Barin Majumder was born on February 15, 1919 in Radhanagar Majumdarpara of Pabna district. Father Zamindar Nishendranath Majumdar was a devotee of classical music, mother Manimala Majumdar used to play sitar well.He started taking formal music training from Bhishmadev Chattopadhyay in Kolkata in 1938. In 1939, he joined the Morris College of Music, Lucknow for the third year. In 1943, he obtained the degree of ‘Music expert’ from the college. After the partition of India in 1947, he came to Pabna. But in 1952, the ancestral property including homestead went into government possession. Being helpless, he came to Dhaka with his family in 1957. He used to sing raga songs regularly on Dhaka Radio and Television. With his efforts, the country’s first music college was established in 1963 at Segunbagicha in Dhaka. In 1968, he turned the Music College into an affiliated college of Dhaka University.
The establishment of his music college in 1963 was a shining example of the cultural struggle of the liberation war as he felt the need for musical pursuit in hostile circumstances and environment and structural education of music in the country. To establish the music college, the then ruling class had to be eyeballed. The Pakistan government itself did not have a verdict and the then ruler Monem Khan’s comments were negative.
Before the Liberation War, about one million people were killed in a devastating cyclone in the coastal areas of East Pakistan in November 1970. At that time he went around West Pakistan to collect donations. He made a dance drama with his students and went out to collect funds. He came to the country and helped many people with that money. As a result of this activity, he also fell in the eyes of the West Pakistanis.
It was all over in 1971. After the end of the war, he concentrated on strengthening the music college financially. He sold his land bit by bit and worked as a director of the music college. But a new conspiracy started to stop him. His family was hit again. In 1978, a false case was filed against him for embezzling the grant of the music college he founded. He had to spend 18 days in jail in this case. But at the end of the day, Barin Majumdar has won against all odds. Today, the Music College stands tall at its own place in Agargaon in the capital.
For his contribution to music, the Government of Bangladesh awarded him the Ekushey Padak in 1983 and the highest civilian award is the Independence Award (posthumously) in 2001. Besides, he received many honors in his lifetime, including the reception of Varendra Academy, Gunijon Award from Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Rabindra Padak from Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan Parishad, Shilpi Shrestha title from Betar Television Shilpi Sangsad.
Source: Dainik Banik Barta
Translated by: Ananyo Haider, European University of Bangladesh.
