'Eid comes with many colours'

Traditions change as time goes on. Celebration of Eid is no exception. However, the spirit of Eid is something that remains universal - a shared joy and feeling of brotherhood.
Poet Asad Chowdhury, now in his early 70s, closely observes the transition in celebration of festivals such as Eid. He is full of sweet memories of Eid celebration but appalled by the silent moral decline in the process of celebration of Eid.
“Eid has been a colourful festival to me, be in Dhaka or rural Bangladesh.... However, I have witnessed a transition in the economic solvency in terms of shopping during Eid. But it is also sad to see a gradual decline in moral values in society that has been reflected in the Eid celebration as well,” he told Prothom Alo English in an interview on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Asad Chowdhury, who enjoys a special position in contemporary Bangla literature, feels that the society needs to nurture its intrinsic values of love and respect for each other and remove the ills and evils of jealousy and heartless consumerism.
The full text of his interview is given below:
How was the Eid celebration in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country earlier, say, 60 years back?
I was lucky enough that I had spent much of my life in Dhaka and also in my village home Barisal’s Ulania. And so, Eid has come to me with many, many colours. When I first came to Dhaka in January, 1948, its population was, I guess, not more than 70,000. Dhaka used to be a pretty small, quiet and tranquil city, then. But there was no lack of enthusiasm in the preparations for celebrating Eid. My father used to buy clothes from Hashmi Silk Store near Mitford Hospital for my sisters. New dresses, in most cases, were bought for me from N Mallick shop as it used to follow Kolkata-centric traditions.
What did people do those days to celebrate Eid?
At that time, people had want of money - no doubt about that. But they were not frenzy like the people are today. The ingredients of happiness and bliss could not be purchased by money. Listening to gramophone tracks and radio plays, watching movie, reading books, and visiting friends and relatives were the common activities in Dhaka’s urban life during the Eid festival.

I saw an opposite scene in my village home where not much was celebrated during the Eid. Wearing new clothes to say Eid prayers, having delicious food items, and some time playing rural sports like boat race were all about the Eid celebrations in my village.
How did the people have feelings, respect and love for each other while celebrating festivals like Eid in those days?
In fact, people used to possess an extraordinary harmony and cohesion in their co-existence. There was hardly any jealousy among the people, and almost no unhealthy competition for material gains like today. People used to nurture values among themselves. They were tolerant, sacrificing and simple. They had great souls. Today, everyone seems to be running after something, some gains to meet the infinite needs. There is no stopping. Once a demand is met, hundreds arise. They seem to have forgotten - contentment is happiness.

How was the gap between the impoverished and the wealthy class of people in celebrating Eid?
It was not like that -- rich people were not as lavish as they are today. Veteran leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani once said a country could not go forward when a blazer cost Tk 150 and a lungi 3 anas (18 paisas when 100 paisas equal to Tk 1). The great Maulana could not accept that disparity.
But today, a dress at a shopping mall is sold even at more than Tk 100,000. We belong to the clan of a Zamindar (landlord). But we, in our childhood, could not buy more than one dress in an Eid. Now, attires are no longer a matter of necessity rather it is for showing off wealth. Our purchasing power has increased manifold as we are growing, at least financially, but we are far lagging behind many others in terms of moral values and enlightenment.
People now visit amusement parks and spots with friends and family members during Eid vacations. What’s your experience?
Today, Eid is celebrated in a larger scale. There was not much celebration when I was a young man. People used to enjoy fresh air of Buriganga river in the afternoon and watched movies in the evening of Eid days. A procession used to be brought out from Old Dhaka on the Eid day.
Would you please tell us something about a particular Eid day in your university life, which you still remember?
When I was a student at Dhaka University, I used to start my day from Baitul Mukarram mosque. Saying Eid prayers, I, with my friends used to go to Narayanganj to hang out at Bose Cabin, a spot of adda (rendezvous) for emerging litterateur. We also used to roam around an Eid fair which was organised at Azimpur. I, sometimes, had to visit graveyards with my father on Eid days, seeking divine blessings for our forefathers.
And the Eid days in your childhood?
I spent my childhood at Ulania in Barisal. Hanging out with my friends and cousins was the main attraction for us during Eid holidays. We used to visit every house of our relatives. But, there was no Eid-like trend (giving gift in the form of money) there then. Another excitement for us was to sight the Eid moon on Chand Raat (the evening before Eid). Today, we see no rush for this.
How do you pass your Eid days now?
Eid, now, comes to me with a busy schedule. I anchor a special programme for satellite channel Bangla Vision every Eid and stay busy with this till the day before Eid. In most cases, I sleep on Eid days. But, my grandchildren, most of whom stay abroad, contact with me on Skype and video chat.