Pohela Boishakh festival: A unison in straight line of Bengali identity
At the beginning of the New Year, everyone offers good wishes. I, too, extend greetings—yet not only that. Alongside my well-wishes, I speak of hatred. Hatred—fierce, intense, overwhelming, and sacred! Yes, like everyone else, I extend New Year’s greetings. But I’m not one to greet everyone indiscriminately. For friends, I offer my warmest wishes, but for enemies—never. They deserve only hatred. I direct that hatred at those who exploit Pohela Boishakh, a secular and apolitical festival, by smearing it with political colors to serve their vested interests. If we forgive such people even on this celebratory day, they will take our forgiveness as a sign of weakness and grow even more aggressive in their hostility.
