Let Bengali new year 1425 usher in peace and prosperity

Silchar, April 16: Bengali new year 1425 has been welcomed by the people of Barak Valley along with the rest of the world. At a simple but colourful function organized by Silchar Municipal Board (SMB) at India Club ground here on Sunday and attended by an impressive gathering of citizens, the new year was given a warm welcome through songs, dances and cultural programmes relevant to the auspicious occasion. Students of different schools, private and state, took active part in the celebration, giving it an aura of sublime touch. After winter, comes spring when nature looks all bright and beautiful. It is like the ringing in of the new year and ringing out of the old as said by Tennyson, the great Victorian English poet.

Addressing the august assembly as chief guest, Deputy Commissioner of Cachar S Lakshmanan, while bidding farewell to the year gone by wished all round peace and prosperity for the citizens in the new year. He said, “Let there be the dawn of amity, goodwill and the spirit of living together, rising above all meanness and narrowness.” In peace, there is the worth of living in society. In an atmosphere of hatred and enmity, there can never be the good of anybody. He called upon all sections of people to maintain law and order for the well being and welfare of all.

Niharendra Narayan Thakur, chairman, Silchar Municipal Board, expressed his happiness to say that keeping in mind the tradition of the civic body to welcome the new year, he hoped the new year would definitely bring about a new wave of life and uphold the values and virtues of humanity. He reminded how there is infinite affinity between man and nature. Human life becomes more vibrant and blissful when nature looks all blooming and blossoming. The Bengali new year brings in the essence of being living harmoniously in tune with the spirit of nature.

Kabindra Purkayastha, special guest on the occasion, too conveyed his good wishes to the citizens assembled here and hoped the new year would add more joy and bliss to their life. He did not miss to address the disturbed psyche of people in general under the glare of NRC. He however gave them words of comfort by saying that it is the responsibility of BJP and Narendra Modi government to stand by them in this hour of their crisis. He was confident Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 would be passed by the Parliament before the Parliamentary elections of 2019. His words on the new year are “Do not worry and panic. No Bengali Hindu would have to leave the country.” He asked everyone present to welcome the new year with prayer to the Almighty to give them the strength of mind and body to overcome the hard time.

Before the celebration, students of different schools of this town in their distinctive uniforms and with flags of their institutions paraded through the main streets of this town and then converged at the venue of celebration from where they had started. It is relevant to note that the new year is celebrated by different names in different states of the country. In Assam, it is called Bohag Bihu, in West Bengal Poila Baishak, in Punjab Baisakhi, in Manipur Cheirabao, in Kerala Vishu, in Tamil Nadu Puthandu and in Odisha Pana Sankranti. Tipperies celebrate new year as Bizhu.