Subhash Mukhopadhyay (poet)

Mukhopadhyay was born in 1919 in Krishnanagar, a town in Nadia district in the province of West Bengal. An excellent student, he studied philosophy at the Scottish Church College in Calcutta, graduating with honours in 1941. ==Career==

Like his contemporary Sukanta Bhattacharya, Mukhopadhyay developed strong political beliefs at an early age. He was deeply committed to the cause of social justice, and was active in left-wing student politics through his college years. Following graduation, he formally joined the Communist Party of India. He thus became one of a handful of literary practitioners with first-hand experience as a party worker and activist. In 1940, while still a student, he published his first volume of poetry Padatik (Pedestrian). Besides the above, Subhash's work as a translator is notable. He is credited with having translated many of Nazim Hizmet's works into Bengali (from Turkish). ==Personal life==

Mukhopadhyay married Gita Bandyopadhyay, also a well-known writer, in 1951. They adopted three daughters, and later two more daughters and a son. He had an older brother named Narayan Mukhopadhyay, who died many years ago in his youth. Narayan had a daughter named Taniya Mukherjee and a son called Ashish Mukherjee, from his wife Mira Mukherjee, who was a teacher by profession. Subhash suffered from severe heart and kidney ailments, and died in Kolkata in July 2003, at the age of 84. He was survived by his wife Geeta Bandopadhyay. ==Awards==

Mukhopadhyay received numerous awards and honours in his lifetime, including the two highest literary prizes in India: the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1964 (for Joto Dureii Jai), and the Jnanpith Award in 1991. The Government of India awarded the civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan in 2003. ==Bibliography==

• Padatik (The Foot Soldier) • Chirkut (The Parchment) • Agnikone • Phul Phutuk (Let the Flowers Bloom) • Joto Dureii Jai (How Distant I may be) • E Bhai (Hey, Brother) • Kaal Modhumash (Tomorrow is Spring) • Cheley Gechhey Boney (The Son has gone to Exile) • Bangalir Itihaash (History of Bengalis) • Desh Bidesher Rupkotha (Fairy Tales from Home and Abroad) ==Recognition==

• Sahitya Akademi Award, 1964 • Deshikottam Award, 1970 • Afro-Asian Lotus Prize, 1977 • Kumaran Asan Award, 1982 • Mirzo Tursunzoda Prize (USSR), 1982 • Ananda Puraskar, 1991 • Soviet Land Nehru Award • Jnanpith Award, 1991. He was a fellow of the Sahitya Akademi, and was the Deputy Secretary of the Progressive Writers' Union. He was conferred Deshikottama (Honorary D.Litt.) by the Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan. He was the Organizer-General of the Afro-Asian Writers' Association in 1983. He was also a member of the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi since 1987. The U.S. Library of Congress has a collection of forty titles by him including translations. ==Legacy==

• In 2010 a metro railways station in Kolkata Kavi Subhash Metro Station has been named after poet. • In 2009 Sealdah-NJP Express was named "Padatik Express" after this book in memory of the poet. ==References==