Intellectuals from the masses

The winners (standing) with the organisers and members of the jury board

Organised by the People's Empowerment Trust (PET), the event took place at the Shawkat Osman Auditorium of the Public Library on December 23. Chief Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman was the chief guest at the prize-giving ceremony.

A total of 95 working people from 59 districts participated in this exceptional competition. Headed by eminent educationist Sardar Fazlul Karim, a jury board comprising Professor Ahmed Kamal, Biswajit Ghosh, Syed Azizul Haque, MM Akash and rickshaw-puller Abdul Motaleb Akand selected 51 pieces of original literary works--stories, plays, poems, biographies and essays--by people living mainly by physical labour. 'The last person was the first place winner of our last year's competition,' says Shishir Shil, covenor of this year's conference.

'Anyone from travelling Baul singers to landless peasants, rural homeopath doctors to rickshaw-van pullers, chatpati vendors to the fourth class employees at government offices, whoever has a monthly earning less than Tk. 3000, can participate in this project,' maintains MM Akash, founder chairperson of PET, explaining the term 'working writers'. But how were the organisers sure of a participator's identity as a working writer? 'For further scrutiny, this year we requested the participants to submit, if possible, a copy of their biodata and a photograph. Moreover, the language and spelling in their writings, their subjects and technology used for submission of the write-ups also helped us understand the social status of the writers,' says Akash.

A collection, titled Srishti, containing the 51 selected write-ups was brought out on the occasion. Apart from the prize-winners, the writers include people literally from all walks of life: a retired sugar-mill worker Azizur Rahman Badal from Joypurhat, a store-manger MA Salam from Chittagong, a seamstress Rubina Mamtaz from Gazipur, a private tutor Nurul Haque Dhali from Shariatpur, a driver Anowar Hossain and many more. The titles as well as the literary works reflect deep insight and intellect of these under-privileged writers. The first prize winner story is named Nikhojer Khojey (In Search of the Lost) while the two winner poems are titled Potakay Mishey Jaay (Merging into the Flag) and Shoubhaggyo (Good Fortune).

'We may not have been ale to reach innumerable working people with literary talents; for, there might have been some who could not afford to buy the paper and ink for writing or the cost of sending their writing to us by mail. But we are working on how to overcome these obstacles and extend the reach of our project,' concludes an optimistic Akash.