PROBASHI- A Cultural News Magazine Volume 2 Issue 2 | Page 22

Probashi-Cover Theme
learn Hindi along with Bangla and
English. Suddenly there was a
demand for Hindi books in West
Bangla, and not many publishers
were forthcoming to take up the
mantle. It was during that time that
Shri Chowdhury along with a friend
Shri Anango Mohan Ghosh
established the Yuva Prakashani at
Srimani Market, Bidhan Sarani,
Kolkata. Shri Chowdhury had often
told his wife about his dream of
translating the works of Munshi
Premchand into Bangla, and
suggested if she would like to take
it up. He would discuss Munshi
Premchand’s literary works in detail
with his wife and give elaborate
comparisons between Premchand
and Saratchandra. Smt Shila
Chowdhury, who at that time had
no knowledge of Hindi alphabet,
decided to take up that challenge,
which to most would have seemed
impossible.
Starting with the Hindi Primer, Smt
Chowdhury
with
dogged
determination and perseverance
began her journey in mastering
Hindi, with the aid of her husband.
After household work for the day
over, Smt Chowdhury would study
her Hindi lessons in the afternoon
and do all the assignments for the
day prescribed by her husband. And
in the evening twice a week, Smt
Chowdhury had to sit for a test
administered by Shri Chowdhury to
check on her progress with the
lessons. In due course she passed
the Pravin and Ratna examination
conducted by the Kendriya Hindi
Sangsthan.
Her first translation of Munshi
Premchand’s works were the two
short stories “Kafan” and “Shatranj
Ke Khilari” and was published by
Diamond Printing Press with the

Munshi Premchand : Battles in Howrah

Cover page of the collection of 125 short stories by Premchand translated by Mrs Shila
Chowdhury brought out during the author’s 125 Birth Anniversary by Yuva Prokashini

assistance from Shri Gobindo Kumar
Ghosh. Yuva Prakashani which was a
fledgling publishing house did not
have the wherewithal to afford
publishing of Premchand translation
in its initial years. With initial success
Smt Chowdhury ably assisted by her
husband
embarked
upon
an
ambitious project of bringing out
Munshi Premchand Rachonaboli
(collected works) in Bangla. It is
remarkable
that
Smt
Shila
Chowdhury, a housewife and a Hindi
neo-literate could think of taking up