Bengali 1428 BS started. Today is the Pahela Baishakh. A day of Bengali tradition, life and passion, a day of exuberance. But again a different picture. Like last year, everything is faded, bizarre. There is no celebration of tradition, no exuberance of life. The melody of the song ‘Come, O Boishakh, come, come’ has not been touched. Artists do not scratch the paint. There is no procession wishing to all. There is no such call of appeal. The tidal wave of joy has been captured in every house.
The horrors of the omnivorous infection are worldwide. The soil of Bengal also affected. A seven-day lockdown across the country from Wednesday to prevent this horror. Although the traditional song of the first Boishakh resonates in everyone’s mind, this time too its appeal is different. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, Bengalis will once again be under house in lockdown and will observe the first Baishakh with anxiety and worry.
The reckoning /
Reckoning of the Bengali year for the benefit of agriculture and collection of rent began during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. The new Bengali year is based on the Hijri lunar year and the Bengali solar year. The Bengali year which came into force in 1556 was initially known as the crop year, later it became known as Bangabda. Although the history of Bengal is associated with the agrarian rural society, it is also connected with the political history. During the rule of Pakistan, the New Year celebrations were closely associated with Bengali nationalism. And in the late sixties it got a special dimension through the organization of Chhayanat at Ramna Batamul in Dhaka.
After the independence of the country, the Bengali New Year celebrations became a symbol of the non-communal consciousness of the Bengalis. Along with the festival, protests against dictatorship and evil forces have also come in the organization of Pahela Boishakh. In 1989, the first procession was organized by the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University. On November 30, 2016, UNESCO declared the procession a World Heritage Site. But like last year, the procession is not happening again.
Life is full of hope and expectation. Rather, let’s welcome this year with the hope of eradicating the destructive virus Corona. Get rid of all the clutter. Come, O Boishakh, come, come, let us be cleansed the society.
