In the relentless grind of the modern mechanical era, who has the time to lift their eyes and look at others? Even after devoting every moment to our own busyness, the battle of life remains unfulfilled. Forget about others; people barely have time to look at themselves. In such a confined life, Bengalis immerse themselves in universal celebrations a few times a year. Eid-ul-Fitr is one of the biggest of these celebrations. Today is the day to surrender completely to love, forgetting all grievances and conflicts. It is a day not just to share joy with family and relatives but also to extend oneself to others. It is a day to shake hands with friends and foes alike. This is the time to recognize true selflessness, to bestow the title of "magical artist" upon those who have broken hearts with a thousand wounds—by embracing them with love. Our national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam has rightly said:
Oh heart, at the end of Ramadan’s fasting, Eid has arrived with joy!
Today, give yourself away, heed the divine call.
Offer your wealth and riches for the sake of Allah,
Give charity, awaken the sleeping Muslim souls.
Eid is no longer just an occasion enclosed within divine commandments; rather, we have transformed it into a grand national festival by incorporating various cultural elements. We have enriched it with worldly, cultural dimensions. Eid attire, Eid books, Eid movies, Eid outings—all these festivities illuminate the Eid celebration. After a month of spiritual purification through fasting, Eid has become our national cultural festival. And this festival is no longer limited to one religion or community; it is now embraced with equal enthusiasm by people worldwide, making the sacred rituals even more meaningful. Regardless of nationality, religion, or caste, the holiness of the occasion is shared by all. That is why, embracing everyone with utmost affection, we can echo Nazrul’s immortal words:
Today, forget enmity and shake hands,
With your love, make the entire world a disciple of Islam.
Simply feasting, roaming, and celebrating do not define the true essence of Eid. If a festival does not blend tradition with modern sensibilities and intellectual inquiries, it remains incomplete. If the yearning for lifelong learning and knowledge does not arise, Eid will come and go meaninglessly. If we do not seek ways to break the shackles of oppression and rescue a nation-state plagued by corruption, then our celebrations will be nothing more than groping in the dark. People are now engrossed in the artificial glitter of the internet through their smartphones. Apart from self-promotion on social media, they are learning nothing. They are spreading falsehoods under the guise of virtual flowers, food, laughter, likes, or love, attempting to create illusions. How many of us today remember the Vedic-like words of Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali?
All my pride,
Drown it in tears,
Let me not seek glory for myself...
Let your will be fulfilled in my life.
Bengalis have forgotten how to read. They have abandoned art, cinema, poetry, stories, and literature. They no longer buy books. Even the pursuit of science has been set aside. To them, divine decrees hold greater truth than reason and logic. They do not know Tarashankar, Manik Bandopadhyay, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, or Shakespeare. If this continues, how will they conquer the insurmountable ocean of knowledge? This Eid, let our pledge be to restore the love for reading and intellectual pursuit.
Today, our sense of refinement and culture has deteriorated. There is barely any sensitivity left in our hearts. We can no longer say like Jibanananda Das—“Let the turtle bug, the kingfisher, the cormorant, the magpie, and the sparrow live on this beautiful earth.” Where there is no minimum compassion for humanity, we no longer cry for the feathers of a fallen bird like poets once did. We are no longer moved by the sight of a soft, delicate butterfly. Dewdrops on blades of grass no longer catch our eyes. We have forgotten how to weep for others' sorrows. Others' joys no longer bring us happiness. Our thoughts have become rigid, our intellect stunted. We have become so self-absorbed that we recognize no one but ourselves. But this is not the life of a human. We cannot sell our souls to machines, ignite world wars, and destroy this beautiful earth. We must return to life-affirming literary figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. We must learn to appreciate the depth of Jibanananda Das’s poem Hai Chil—
Oh kite, golden-winged kite, in this damp cloudy afternoon,
Do not weep as you circle above the Dhansiri River.
After crossing hundreds of deserts, shedding countless tears over endless dunes, Eid has arrived once again at the year’s end. But today is not just a day to hoard wealth for our own pleasures. Even if the glow of a lamp does not light up someone’s home, let us at least ensure that we all live for one another. Let us share joy and sorrow equally. Instead of being ostentatious religious zealots, let us continue striving to become truly enlightened human beings. If we bathe in the essence of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s poem Eid Mubarak, Eid can become as pure and majestic as the unparalleled love of a beloved—
The songbird of happiness sings "Piu Piu" in every direction,
The bride stays awake tonight, silent in her bridal chamber.
Where is the flower vase? The flowers are weeping!
In distant exile, someone cannot sleep thinking of a loved one,
Remembering the sweet scent of jasmine in her hair,
Her tangled locks flow in turmoil!
Writer: Journalist
Date of Composition: June 5, 2019
Published on NTV Online