Shankar, Ravi
Shankar, Ravi (1920-2012) Indian classical musician, composer, great sitar player, best known for his role in popularizing and patronizing the classical Indian music in the West. He was one of the organizers of the ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ in New York in support of the Bangladesh War of Liberation and the Bengali refugees in India. He was awarded with ‘Friends of Liberation War Honour’ by the Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh in recognition of his invaluable role during the war of liberation.
Ravi Shankar was born on 7 April 1920 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. However, their ancestral home was in Kalia Upazila of Narail district of Bangladesh. His father's name is Shyam Shankar Chowdhury and mother's name is Hemangini. Youngest of four sons of his parents, the full name of Ravi Shankar is Ravindra Shankar Chowdhury. But all over the world he is known as Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Ravi Shankar was a great friend of Bangladesh. During the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971, the images of the inhuman condition of the life of people of all walks of life - women, children, old aged- in the refugee camps in India left a deep mark in his mind. Feeling an urge to do something for the starving refugees, he approached his friend and disciple George Harrison to stand by the endangered people.
Thus, the two together had organized a benefit concert titled ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ at Madison Square Garden of New York City on 1st of August 1971. The total sum of money raised out of the concert was donated to UNICEF Fund for the welfare of Bangladesh Liberation War and the refugees.
Ravi Shankar was awarded the ‘Friends of Liberation War Honour’ by the government of Bangladesh on 27 March 2012 in recognition of this invaluable services to the call of humanity and the creation of world public opinion in favour of Bangladesh during 1971. For his outstanding contributions to the field of Indian classical music, Pandit Ravi Shankar received numerous awards and honours. He breathed his last on 11 December 2012 at the age of 92 in a hospital in San Diego, USA. [Sajahan Miah]
Note For details, see Harun-or-Rashid (ed.), Bangladesh Muktijuddha Gyankosh, Vol.9, (in Bengali), Asiatic Society of Bangladesh 2020, pp. 45-48.
