Ganesh Gogoi was a man of versatile genius, a distinguished poet, lyricist, composer of numerous mellifluous musical renditions, and a playwright of outstanding calibre. He was the poet of love and beauty was Ganeshchandra Gogoi (1910-38). Life is rich, according to him, because of love and beauty. He was faithful throughout his life to beauty. He wanted to dedicate his life to the realisation of beauty, for which he had enough love and ardour. He wrote what was worthy of love. Like the reflections on a mossy lake, the themes came like angles tear like clear ether silently. Ganesh Gogoi`s poetry has a tuneful wailing sing song rhythm, an intense sentimental note. Gogoi`s poetry lacked intellectual animation. His poetical contributions are Papari (1935), Swapna bhanga (1934) and Rupajyoti (1945). As romantic strains touched his heart with lofty ideas, he had access to a wide dimensional space in the Assamese literary world.
Early Life of Ganesh Gogoi
Ganesh Gogoi was born in Jorhat on December 28, 1907. He dedicated himself to the awakening and progress of Assamese culture and literature. The cultural renaissance of the 20th century that swept West Bengal inspired Gogoi to start a theatrical movement in Assam. Ganesh Gogoi wrote a number of dramas including an epic drama called Sakunir Pratisodh. He had a unique style of narration and presentation. Dialogues were written in blank verse. His other dramas are Kashmir Kumari, Sita and Kuri Satika. The cultural renaissance that swept Bengal in the early part of the 20th century acted like a pole star amidst the tempest tossed sea of Bengal. Gogoi was ignited by that tempest only and he fashioned a radical havoc by initializing a theatrical movement in Assam. While he was studying at Kolkata, he came in contact with many stalwarts of Bengali theatre and closely observed their performance on stage. Returning home, he founded a socio-cultural organisation at Jorhat called Bani Sanmilan with the help of Ananda Chandra Barua. In 1929, he joined `Jorhat Theatre` and acted in a number of plays. His superb acting in different roles mesmerised people irrespective of age and sex.
Poetry in the hands of Ganesh Gogoi
`The world around love is the lasting world of beatitude`, he says in his poem, Svapnabhanga(Shattered Dream). The Papdi (Petals) is an autobiographical love-poem of Ganesh Gogoi. The girl who inspired the poet in his youth and in whose beauty `he bathed and learnt to find new beauty in this world`, forsook him heartlessly. Life often involves an entanglement with some `belle dame sans merci` who looms larger than life; her unkindness makes the loving poet write in agony.
Theatrical Contribution of Ganesh Gogoi
The cultural renaissance that swept Bengal in the early part of the 20th century acted like a pole star amidst the tempest tossed sea of Bengal. Gogoi was ignited by that tempest only and he fashioned a radical havoc by initializing a theatrical movement in Assam. While he was studying at Kolkata, he came in contact with many stalwarts of Bengali Theatre and closely observed their performance on stage. Returning home, he founded a socio-cultural organisation at Jorhat called Bani Sanmilan with the help of Ananda Chandra Barua. In 1929, he joined `Jorhat Theatre` and acted in a number of plays. His superb acting in different roles mesmerised people irrespective of age and sex.
To meet the necessity of Assamese theatre, Ganesh Gogoi had his hands set in different plots and left an indelible imprint in the Assamese dramatic world. Taking a glorious chapter from the Mahabharata, Gogoi wrote an epic drama called Sakunir Pratisodh. With his unique style of narration and presentation, the drama created quite a sensation in the Assamese theatrical world. Its lucid dialogues in blank verse became very popular among the readers and audience. It is still regarded as the most successful drama performed for several nights in every nook and corner of the State. His other full-fledged dramas like Kashmir Kumari, Sita and Kuri Satika were also widely acclaimed by the critics as popular Assamese drama.
Gogoi also wrote a number of short plays on different themes and recorded them in gramophone disks. With songs, music and dialogue, the dramas became very popular among all sections of people. The heartrending story of Kamala Kunwari and its melodious songs enthralled the listeners inspiring them to repeatedly listen to the gramophone record. When Jyotiprasad Agarwalla made the first Assamese film Joymoti, Gogoi at the same time composed a drama on similar theme. Following the advice of Jyotiprasad, he changed the title of his drama and named it as Jerengar Sati. The heartrending story of Kamala Kuwari and enthralled the viewers. Gogoi wrote his first book of poetry called Papori in 1934. Papori heralded the beginning of romanticism in Assamese poetry.
Ganesh Gogoi died young a little beyond his teens. Hence his output was rather small in quantity, but the greatness of the little that he wrote demonstrates the immensity of loss his death occasioned. By their sincerity, emotional depth and effective diction his poems of love and separation have endeared him to a widening coterie of young admirers.
Striking and malleable spoken as he was, Gogoi left an indelible imprint on the domain of Assam literature. This Assam Prometheus breathed his last on August 21, 1938 at the tender age of 30, creating an everlasting void in the minds of populace, their hero had vanished forever.