The 'Bam' region in the southeast of the Cachar district in the Barak Valley, the heartland of Bengali culture in Assam, was once covered in dense forests. It was then known as 'Banfara'. Gradually, the forest was cleared, and human settlements began to develop. Thanks to this fertile land, people not only met their basic needs for survival but also found abundant natural resources to cultivate their emotions. Utilising the various elements scattered in nature, people invented many simple games for leisure and enjoyment – games that involved no financial investment.
In fact, no
special arrangements or means are needed to experience joy. Those who are or
were somehow connected to rural life can particularly understand how even small
or simple arrangements can bring immense joy. However, sadly, many rural games
invented for leisure and enjoyment are now almost on the verge of extinction.
Games like Phulghuti, Guli-Danda, etc., which were once widely prevalent and
popular in the Bam region, are rarely seen today. With the easy availability of
modern sports equipment and the allure of captivating advertisements, we have
pushed aside these simple means of enjoyment and are now engrossed in
artificial pleasures. Bidding farewell to the spontaneous emotions, joy, and
exuberance of the heart, we are knowingly or unknowingly comforting ourselves
by considering market-driven pleasures as true happiness.
Lying flat
on the sandy banks along the bends of the Rukni River is also one such
enjoyable game. Very few boys and girls from the Bam region can be found who have
not enjoyed this game. Sometimes, they would dig a trench in the sand, lie down
in it, and cover their entire body with sand except for their face, eyes, and
nose – what immense joy that brought! Even thinking about it today sends
shivers down the spine. Sometimes, small holes were dug in the sand, and houses
of various shapes were built on top of them using wet sand. Sometimes, just as
the construction was about to be completed, the house would collapse, instantly
ruining all the hard work, excitement, and patience. But instead of being
discouraged, they would start building again from scratch with renewed
enthusiasm. Eating guavas from the guava tree leaning towards the riverbank
next to the dunes was less exciting than the thrilling game of jumping into the
water from its branches. And there was so much joy and excitement in sliding
down the slippery path from the riverbank, sitting on the sheath of a betel nut
tree (the flat part at the bottom with the dried stem and leaves). Even
thinking about it today gives me goosebumps. Because, while sliding down at
high speed, if you could not properly control the stem of the sheath held in
both hands like the bow of a boat, there was a high chance of falling face-first
at any moment. Consequently, there was a significant risk of breaking bones in
the hands and feet while rolling down, which goes without saying. To make
things even more challenging, water would be poured on the path from above to
make it even more slippery.
Pieces of
broken earthenware or small, flat stones would be thrown into the river or pond
water in such a way that they would skip across the surface several times
before gradually disappearing. There would even be competitions among
themselves to see who could make the object skip the most times.
When the
inner part of a bamboo basket used for household chores became unusable, it was
usually thrown into the garbage pile. There was immense joy in picking up that
discarded basket, removing its outer ring, and using it to make a wheel. Then,
attaching it to a piece of bamboo or a broken umbrella's metal spoke, shaping
one end into a U-shape and holding the other end, they would spin the wheel and
run behind it, pretending it was a bicycle. And there was so much joy and
excitement in cutting both ends of a large bamboo internode to make a wheel,
attaching it to one end of a four or five-foot-long bamboo stick, and carrying
the other end on their shoulder, pretending to drive a car. A small handle was
attached to the middle of a long piece of bamboo—that is, a small tree branch
or bamboo stick—and using it like a car's steering wheel, we felt so proud
imagining ourselves as car drivers. Because, back then, in the eyes of many
children, truck drivers were no less than film heroes. Especially seeing the truck
drivers from places like Punjab and Haryana, wearing dark sunglasses, and
driving towards Mizoram, many would dream of becoming drivers like them when
they grew up. After school, playing football with pomelos or grapefruits in the
mud and water by the roadside, then coming home, dropping our books and
notebooks, and with our muddy bodies, climbing the guava trees by the
riverbank, jumping into the water, holding our breath and sitting quietly
underwater, letting the river current carry us as far as possible, and then
returning to the starting point and repeating the process—is it possible to
find the joy of these simple, unadulterated games in tennis, cricket, or
badminton?
After the
paddy harvest, the game most commonly seen in the open, spacious fields of the
region, and perhaps the most popular among boys, was 'Guli-Danda'. In this
region, the game is more widely known as 'Tangal-Bengi'. It is impossible to
play this game without an open field. Interestingly, any number of players can
participate – there is no specific number required. The game can begin with
just a 4/5-inch-long piece of a tree branch (Guli/Bengi) and a sturdy stick
about one and a half feet long made from the base of a bamboo (Danda/Tangal). It
is somewhat like cricket – with two batsmen (here, one person holding the
stick) and the rest of the players acting as fielders, trying to 'catch' the
Guli or 'run out' the batsman by 'throwing to the stumps'.
Another
rural game that has perhaps completely disappeared now is a card game. However,
these cards were made by cutting out the flattened parts of discarded cigarette
boxes. The value of these cards, made from different brands of cigarette boxes,
also varied. The value of one brand's cards might be 10, another's 20,
another's 100, and yet another's 1000.
So, ten cards of value 10 were equivalent to one card of value 100, and
five cards of value 20 were also equivalent to one card of value 100. In this way, the value of each brand of card
was determined differently. In this game, players would try to hit a similar
disc-shaped object belonging to their opponent by throwing a piece of broken
pottery at it.
Games like
Kanamaachi (blind man's bluff), Kho-Kho, Kut Kut (a kind of hopscotch), and
Dair (a game played by making four square compartments with earthen ridges or
sometimes lines, and moving from one to another) were primarily girls' games,
but there was no objection to young boys participating. In the Kochu game, only
two competitors could participate. Girls played this game by drawing a grid on
the ground and placing small pieces of taro plant stems in the squares. The
popular game 'Chinese Checkers' among many children today seems to be a modern
version of that game. Boys usually enjoyed playing games like tops, kabaddi,
gilli-danda, marbles, and cards. The most popular game among girls, from young
children to adult women, was 'Tota' or Phulghuti. Many also call this game
'Panchghuti' (five pebbles). The act of making points by reciting rhymes like
'one times one is one', 'two times one is two', etc., with five pebbles, was
not limited to just the joy of playing.
The skill and sense of aesthetics displayed in throwing the pebbles
upwards, maintaining balance and timing, and simultaneously picking up pebbles
from the ground while catching the ones thrown upwards, revealed an uneducated
yet remarkable dexterity. Moreover, illiterate village women or young
schoolgirls effortlessly learned to count from one to twenty through this game.
The rhyme has many variations depending on the region. For example, -
ফুল ফুল ফুলটি/ দুইয়ে দুলটি / তিনে তেলটি /
Ful ful fulti/duiye dulti/tine telti
চাইরে চৌচিকাটা / পাচে পানর বাটা /
Chaire choukikata/pache panbata
ছয়ে ষষ্ঠি / সাতে সালু / আটে আলু /
Choyeshosti/sate salu/ate alu
নয়ে নবঘণ্ট / দশে কড়কড়ি ঘণ্ট /
Noye noboghonto/sate salu/doshe korkori ghonto
এগারোয় একটি / বারোয় ঝাপটি /
Agaroi ekti/baroi japti
তেরোয় তেরচি কাটা / চৌদ্দয় রুপি আটা /
Teroi terchi kata/chouddhoi rupi ata
পনেরোয় পানর খিল্লি / ষোল্লয় ষষ্ঠী তুলি /
Panoroi panor khilli/shulloi shosti tuli
সতেরোয় সাজের মাটি / আঠারোয় আমের আটি /
Satoroi sajermati/ataroy amer ati
উন্নিশে মেষ / কুড়কুড়ি আতে শেষ।
Unnishe mesh/kurkuri ate shesh
কোন কোন স্থানে ছড়াটি আবার ভিন্ন রূপেও বলা হয়। যেমন, -
In some places, the rhyme is recited in a different form. For example,
ফুল ফুল ফুলটি / একে দুলটি / তেলটি /
Fulful fulti/eke dulti/telti/
জামন জামন জামনটি / একে দুর্জামনটি /
Jamon jamon jamti/ eke durjamonti
সুসম সুসম সুসমটি / একে দুর্সুসমটি /
Shushom shushom shushomti/ eke dursusmti
বকুল বকুল বকুলটি / একে দুর্বকুলটি /
Bakul babakulti/ eke durbokulti
তার্জম তার্জম তার্জমটি / একে দুতার্জমটি /
Tarjom tarjom tarjomti/ eke dutarjomti
মন্তন মন্তন মন্তনটি / একে দুর্মন্তনটি /
Monthon monthon monthonti / eke durmonthonti
সাচ্চা বাঘের বাচ্চা সাচ্চাটি /
Sachha bager bacha sachhati
নন্ট কাটাঘন্ট (স্থানভেদে- কড়িঘণ্ট) নন্টটি /
Nontokata ghonto (or Korighonto) nontoti
সাড়ের গুটি বদলে / গুটি কাটা কে বলে /
Sader guti bodle / guti kata ke bole /
পঞ্চে পাখা / মুখে ঢাকা / ছয়ে রিকা /
Ponche pakha/mukhe dacca/choye rika
সাতে সালু / আটে আলু / নয়ে নুরা /
Sate alu/ ate alu/ noye nura
দশে ঝুরা / এগারোয় একটি /বারোয় ঝাপটি /
Doshe jhura/agaroy ekti/baroy jhapti
তেরোয় তেরচি কাটা / চৌদ্দয় রূপার বাটা /
Teroy terchi kata/choddhoy rupar
bata
পনোরোয় পানর খিল্লি / ষোল্লয় ঝাপটি তুলি /
Panoroy panor khilli/ Shulloy jhapti tuli/
সতরোয় সতরো ইঞ্চি / আঠারয় বাশর কঞ্চি /
Sotoroy sotoro inchee/ataroy bashor konchee
উন্নিশে মেষ / বিশে অইলো শেষ।
Unishe mesh/bishe oilo shesh
The
'Ikri-Mikri' game was also liked for its funny rhyme. Variations are also
observed in the rhyme of this finger-hiding game depending on the region. For
example,
ইকড়ি মিকড়ি চাম চিকি /
Ikdi mikdi cham chiki
চামর আগা মজুমদার /
Chamor aga majumdar
মজুমদারর হাড়ি কুড়ি /
Majumdar hadi kudi
দুয়ারো বইয়া চাউল কুড়ি /
Duaro boiya choul kudi
চাউল কুটতে অইলো বেলা /
Choul kudte oilo bela
ভাতো পইল্ল মাছি / কুদাল দিয়া চাছি /
Vato poillo machi/kudal diya chachi
কুদাল অইলো বুথা / খেক শিয়ালর মাথা।
Kudal oilo Bhuta/khek shialor matha
In another version, the rhyme is also read as
ইকড়ি মিকড়ি ঘাঘের গুটি /
Ikdi mikdi ghagher guti
চাউল চানা মট মটি /
Choul chana mot moti
দাদিয়ে আইনছইন বুয়াল মাছ /
Dadiye ainchoin bual mach
বউয়ে দিলা খুলা /
Bouey dila khula
আরিয়ে পরিয়ে জুকাড় দেইন /
Ariye poriye jukad dein
বউর পেটো উলা।
Bour peto u,la
The rhyme
was created through fun and laughter, and the game is also quite enjoyable.
Another fun
game, where boys and girls all sit in a circle with their fingers straight on
the ground. Then, one by one, they tap the back of each other's hands while
reciting the rhyme,
আড়কি শিছইন, দাড়কি পিছইন /
Adki shichoin ,dadki pichoin
রাজার ঘরো কুকুড়ি / মোরে দিলা বাকুড়ি /
Rajar ghoro kukudi
এর পা সের পা, রাজায় কইচইন /
Er pa sher pa ,rajai koichoin
কাটিতা কুটিতা / দলোর তলো কুয়াইতা /
Katita kutita /dolor tolo kuyaiya
দল দুল ভাঙিয়া / বুম্বাই মাত্তম / থেং থেঙ্গা ।
Dol dul vangiya / bumbai matthom /theng Thenga.
With the
word 'Thenga', whoever's hand is struck will withdraw it and hide it behind
their back. After everyone has taken turns hiding their hands, a
question-and-answer session will follow:
ও ছুড়ি তর আত কানো?চিলে নিছে ।
O Chudi tor ath kano? Chile niche.
চিল কানো ? বা-বনো ।
Chil kano? Ba bono.
বা-বন কানো ?
Ba bon kano?
"O,
girl, where is your hand?" "The kite took it."
"Where
is the kite?" "In the bamboo grove ."
"Where
is the bamboo grove?"
Without
answering the last question, everyone will then bring out their hands and show
them.
I cannot
say how old it is, but there is another similar game for young children, which
children usually call the 'finger game' – it can still be seen being played by
children in some places. The game is played by counting the fingers of both
hands. Any number of people can play together. The rhyme that is recited while
counting the fingers is as follows:
আঙ্গুল আঙ্গুল তাড়াতাড়ি
Angool angool tada tadi
ইস্টিশনে মিষ্টি ফুল,
Istisone misti ful
সাধুবাগানে গোলাপ ফুল
Sadhubagane gulap ful
"Finger, finger, quickly,
Sweet flowers at the station,
Rose flowers in the Sadhu Garden."
There are
many such rural games, from which one can not only enjoy the rhymes but also
get glimpses of the social life of that time. For example, this rhyme from the
train game:
এপ্রেনটি ভাসকর / লাইবেরী ঠেসকর /
Aprenti Bhaskar/liberi theshkor
সুলতানা বিবিয়ানা / সাহেব বাদূর বৈঠকখানা /
Sultana bibiana /saheb badur boitok khana
সাহেব বলে কে হে / পান সুপারি এনে দে /
Saheb boley kay hay
পানের আটা মরিচ বাটা /
Paner ata morich bata
ইস্কাবনের ছবি আকা / আমার নাম রেণুবালা /
Iskaboneyr chobi akha/amar nam
renubala
গলায় পরি হিরণমালা, - ঘোমটা।
Golai pori horinmala -ghumta
In this
game, two people stand facing each other and raise their hands to form an arch
by holding each other's hands. The remaining players, placing their hands on
each other's shoulders, form a long line like a train and pass back and forth
under the arch while reciting the rhyme. As soon as the last word of the rhyme,
'veil', is uttered, the player in the line who is under the arch is caught and
asked which team they want to join. Then they can choose their team. This game
is sometimes played to form teams for other games. Sometimes, the game ends by
declaring the last person remaining as the winner.
There are
variations of the rhyme depending on the region. For example, the last few
lines are sometimes found in this form:
সাহেব বলে যাইতে / পান সুপারি খাইতে /
Saheb boley jaitey/ pan supari khaitey
পানের আটা মরিচ বাটা /
Paner ata morich bata
ইস্পিরিং-এর চাবি আটা /
Ispiringer chabi ata
যার নাম রেণুবালা /তারে দিমু মুক্তার মালা
Jar nam renubala/tare dimu muktar mala
The
Phultuka or Tukatuki game is also quite a fun game. This game requires two
teams. The leader of one team might name his team members after various
flowers, while the other team leader might name his team members after
different fruits. Sometimes, however, both teams' members are named only after
flowers. Then, after the two teams sit facing each other, the leader of one
team will cover the eyes of a player from the opposing team with his hands and
call out to one of his own team members using the name he has given them, such
as 'Come, my Tagar flower,' or 'Come, my Kadam flower,' etc. That player, named
Tagar flower or Kadam flower, will come and gently tap the forehead of the
player whose eyes are covered, and then return to their place and sit with
their head bowed like the others. If, after opening their eyes, the player can
identify which player tapped them, they will jump forward one step. In this
way, the team whose player reaches the final step first will be declared the
winner. Many people call this game Golap-Tagar, while others call it
Tagar-Tagar.
In the game
of 'Thief and Police', writing 'thief', 'police', 'robber', and 'gentleman' on
small pieces of paper and having the police find the thief and the robber was a
lot of fun. Similarly, children also derived great joy from the
'Ram-Shyam-Jadu-Madhu' game, played with four small slips of paper bearing
these names.
The game of
'Gharghar' or 'Buri's House', played by drawing several circular houses on the
ground and jumping from one house to another, was also quite enjoyable. While
playing, they would recite the rhyme, "Give me alms, don't go to that
house," as they jumped from one house to another.
Making a
spinning top by rubbing the stem of a Simul flower against a stone to flatten
it, inserting a small bamboo stick like a nail, and spinning it with their
fingers brought immense joy. It did not require a wooden top or a string like a
traditional spinning top; the stick was spun with the fingers on a flat surface
or in the palm.
Another fun
game involved shooting projectiles with a gun made from bamboo. A bamboo pipe
was made, and two jute plant seeds were inserted into both ends. Then, a
thicker bamboo stick was used to push the seeds out with a sound like a gun,
making it a favourite game, especially among young boys. I do not know if it
has any other name, but everyone in the village knows it as 'Phatang'. However,
I have heard that in the Tripura region, this game is called 'Thuski'.
Another
game called 'Bogar Theng' was quite popular among boys. In this game, two
pieces of bamboo, 7-8 feet long, were taken from the top of a bamboo pole. On
both pieces of bamboo, the knot 2-3 feet from the bottom was kept, and the rest
of the knots were trimmed off. However, the height of the two knots at the
bottom of both bamboo pieces had to be the same. Then, they would place their
feet on these two knots and walk while holding the upper part with their hands.
Some people also call this game 'Theng Thengi'. This was probably the 'Ron Pa'
game.
Playing
these games often led to arguments among themselves. However, there was no
malice or cruel vindictiveness in those arguments. For example, while playing,
one person might playfully push another, and the opponent might even fall to
the ground – but this push was not driven by a desire to hurt or physically
assault the opponent. The sole purpose was pure enjoyment. Therefore, after
being pushed, no thought of revenge arose in the mind, nor did any feeling of
remorse arise in the mind of the one who pushed. Of course, the opponent was
not entirely deprived of enjoyment even after being hurt. It seemed that the
pleasant feelings and, of course, the bond of love between both sides grew
stronger through this. Although very rarely this pushing and shoving would lead
to a minor quarrel, this quarrel was also a part of the game – the game ends,
and the quarrel ends too. At most, sometimes communication would stop between
the two sides, but its duration was no more than one or two hours. No one even
noticed when this 'falling out' turned into 'reconciliation'.
Among the
adults, the most popular game was 10/25 or Chhakka-Panja. This game, played by
two pairs of players, required 6 cowrie shells and 16 pieces (four for each
player). Although the game, played on a cloth with a square grid drawn on it,
was limited to only four players, each player had several supporters who would
cheer on their favourite players by shouting "10, 25, Chhakka, 12,"
etc. However, children were practically excluded from this game. Of course, no
one had any objection to them enjoying the game as spectators.
Besides
this game, 'Cowrie Shell Game', played with just four cowrie shells, was quite
popular, especially among girls. This game was also called the 'Kada kadi'
game. Because, if all four cowrie shells flipped over after a player threw
them, any opposing player could snatch the shells and increase their own points
by competing for them. Sometimes, instead of cowrie shells, the seeds of the’ korabi’
flower were used as an alternative.
Some of
these games were not limited to the children of a neighbourhood but were
sometimes played on a regional basis. For example, when a game started between
players from the southern part of the village and those from the northern part,
the players or supporters from the south would communicate using a kind of
coded language that the players or supporters from the north could not
understand. Similarly, the language used by the northern players was
incomprehensible to the southern players. Someone from the southern team might
tell a player to move back a little using a coded language, like:
"Tunkuruin Thunkurura Pinkiriche Jankara -তুংকুরুইন থুংকুরুড়া পিংকিরিছে যাংকারা,"
Similarly, someone from the north would say the same thing to their
player like this
"Intu dathu chepi Oza.
ইনতু ড়াথু ছেপি ওযা” ।
Sometimes, the players from the western side would say this differently
among themselves:
‘Tupuduin Thupudura Pipidiche Yapaḍa
তুপুডুইন থুপুডুড়া পিপিডিছে যাপাডা’.
When the
players of each team communicated fluently and effortlessly in this kind of
coded language, no one outside could decipher its meaning. In this way, a
separate type of language was prevalent among small groups. It saddens me to
think that this art of creating coded languages is on the verge of being lost
forever, or has already been lost.
Among the
rural games, the Haḍu-ḍu-ḍu (Kabaddi) game was not only extremely exciting, but
it was also organised as a competition between players from different villages
on various occasions. When the players played the game reciting rhymes, the
spectators enjoyed the excitement of the game as well as the joy of the rhymes.
One player from one side might recite a rhyme and try to touch a player from
the other side:
চল বডি হারা সিপাইকো মারা
Chol bodi hara shepaiko mara
সিপাইকো লেটো বেটো
Shepaiko letu betu
বঙাল কো ধরা।
Bangal ko dhora
As soon as
he returned to his own boundary, an opponent chased him, reciting a rhyme:
আমার ছলর বিয়া, কাড়া বাজাইতে গিয়া
Amar chaolor biya,kada bajaite giya
কাড়ার তলে কুটি-নাটি,
Kadar tole kuti- nati
ধুমা দিতে গিয়া, ধুমা দিতে গিয়া ।
Dhuma dite giya,dhuma dite giya
Many such
funny rhymes were used in this game. For example, someone might say:
এত্ গাছো মাইল্লাম টান / বেত গাছ লড়ে
Et gacho mallam tan / Beth gach lare
কটায় কাটল খায়/টক টক করে/টক টক করে
Kotai katol khai/Tok tok kore,tok tok kore
In this
way, one side would attack the other by reciting one rhyme after another.
Someone might say:
হাডু-ডু-ডু লেং ঢেং
Hadu-du-du leng deng
কুদালে কাটিল ঠেং........ ইত্যাদি।
Kudale katilo teng …….etc.
Or someone
might say:
উরির পাতা কেরাইয়া,
Urir pata keraiya
বেটা অচতে ধর আইয়া,
Beta osthe dhor aiya
বেটা অচতে ধর আইয়া
Beta osthe dhor aiya
In
response, someone from the other side would retort with this rhyme:
বেটা না-তে বেটি নি, ধরমু না-তে ছাড়মু নি,
Beta na-te beti ni,dhormuna-te chadmuni,
ধরমু না-তে ছাড়মু নি
dhormuna-te chadmuni
Or perhaps
someone would chase after them, displaying even more bravado:
উরির পাতা ঝুরি ঝুরি, মারমু তরে ঘুরি ঘুরি,
Urir pata zuri zuri,marmu tore ghuri ghuri
মারমু তরে ঘুরি ঘুরি
Marmu tore ghuri ghuri
These
rhymes are recited in a single breath. In the language of the Sylhet region,
these are called 'Uya'. If someone can recite it in one breath without pausing
and touch an opponent, that person is 'out'. However, the opposite often
happens—the opposing team surrounds and tackles the person, making them the one
who is out.
While the
game of Haḍu-ḍu-ḍu, or the modern-day Kabaddi, was previously limited to boys,
many games involving this type of 'Uya' were also prevalent among girls. Among
these games, 'Betbandi' was very popular among girls.
Among
girls, especially younger girls, 'Puttoler Biya' (Doll's Wedding) is not just a
game; it also reflects the folk beliefs of the Bam region. A bride and groom are made from cloth
scraps, and all the customary rituals, from the pre-wedding ceremony to the
wedding and post-wedding celebrations, are observed with great pomp and
circumstance. A feast is even arranged for the occasion. Like other wedding
ceremonies, Dhamail songs related to the pre-wedding ceremony, exchange of
garlands, and bathing at the ghat are sung during the doll's wedding. For
example, a humorous song is sung while going for the ghat bath:
চল গো সখি যাইগো জলে /
Chol go shokhi zai go zole
ঘর থাকি জামাইর মা বাইরয় না।
Ghor thaki jamair ma bhairoi na
চউকর চশমা, হাতর ঘড়ি /
Choukor chosma ,Hathor ghodi
জামাইর মা-য় খুজিয়া পাইলো না ।।
Jamair maye khujiya pailona
মাথার তৈল, সিথির সিন্দূর/
Mathar toil,shithir
জামাইর কাকিয়ে খুজিয়া পাইলো না ।
Jamair kakiye khujiya pailo na.
আয়না তুলিয়া চাইয়া দেখে/
Aina tuliya chaiya dheke /
সাজ-তো ভালা অইলো না ।।
Saj to vala oilo na .
Many
believe that arranging a marriage between dolls in this way can bring relief
from drought. Incidentally, for the same
purpose, sometimes two frogs were caught, smeared with oil and vermilion, and
married off while reciting rhymes. The rhyme went like this:
বেঙর বিয়া, তেল সিন্দূর দিয়া,
Bengor biya,tel sindoor diya
বেঙর বিয়া, ছাত্তা মুড়িত দিয়া
Bengor biya ,chatta mudit diya
This
diverse world is full of countless natural elements from which we can derive
immense joy. However, with time, people's tastes are changing, their demands
are shifting, and many new means of enjoying pleasure are now readily
available. Therefore, in the pursuit of something new or in the greed for more,
we are constantly overlooking the small, yet pure and innocent joys of life.
No one has
the power to stand against the tide of time. Its pace is unstoppable. We cannot
stop the natural process of change in this dynamic world, but we can at least
delay its rapid disappearance into the clutches of time. But we are refraining
from even that effort, sitting idly by. Due to our negligence, apathy, and
above all, our arrogant mentality, we are not taking any steps to preserve
these things, even as we watch them disappear before our eyes.
This crisis of civilisation is not limited to the left-wing regions
alone; the same picture is vividly visible everywhere in the world. We have
forgotten that culture must be advanced not by abandoning tradition, but by
embracing the new while simultaneously carrying forward the experience and
wisdom of the old. But today, the allure of development has so completely
consumed folk culture and traditions that we have turned life into a
machine—where rules and patterns bind everything. In the name of establishing
ourselves in life, we have all become busy creating ourselves into mere
money-making machines. We are removing the heart and installing various chips
to enhance the brain's power. Today, we are more interested in creating robots
than human beings. As a result, while the value of old things is diminishing in
the pursuit of novelty, the number of old age homes is increasing day by day.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Author's Introduction:
Devtosh Nath: A bright star in the world of dance in the Barak Valley,
Devtosh Nath, currently residing in Silchar, is also widely renowned in the
literary world. Besides various writings on music (Kathak, Rabindra Nritya,
Tabla), his historical novels and mystery novels have also won the hearts of
readers. His research-based book "Indian Art Practitioners" (three
volumes) is soon to be published.
……………………………
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