Editor’s note

The Bangla Naba Barsha, usually celebrated only in agrarian rural Bangladesh in the past, has these days become a serious cultural event for a significantly large section of the urban middle-class of the country. While it is politically important to find out the socio-economic reasons behind the waning interest of the rural population in Pahela Baishakh, we find it quite a positive political development that the urban population is getting increasingly interested in celebrating the Bangla Naba Barsha. The reason is simple: The grand celebration of Bangla Naba Barsha politically manifests the secular democratic aspiration of the Bengalis against the rise of religious fundamentalism on the one hand, and asserts its nationalist identity vis-à-vis the trend of politico-cultural aggression of the imperialist globalisation on the other.
   A point of caution: Cultural assertion of nationalist identity with a chauvinistic attitude is dangerous for the sound growth of any given culture, because national chauvinism stands in the way of further enriching the culture by way of accepting the progressive components of ‘other’ cultures of ‘other’ nationalities. Besides, cultural chauvinism of a ‘bigger’ nationality hampers the growth of the cultures of the smaller nationalities. Either way, cultural chauvinism promotes the politics of exclusion, which is undesirable to any democratic mind.
   We, at New Age, are, therefore, all for an all-out observance of Pahela Baishakh, but naturally without a hint of chauvinism - political or cultural. We want the Pahela Baishakh celebration to be the cultural source of an invigorated struggle for the growth of a secular democratic and inclusionary polity and state which, in turn, will fight the cultural aggression of imperialist globalisation.
   On this great occasion, we share with our readers a few creative thoughts by a group of Bengali authors, expressed, naturally, in the English language. We hope that the readers will enjoy the inclusionary cultural effort to assert our Bengali nationalism.