As Bangladeshis, our pride lies in the fact that, throughout a thousand years of history, our sovereign territory of Bangladesh is the only nation-state based on the Bengali language. And who doesn’t know that the seeds of Bangladesh’s birth were sown through the movement to establish Bengali as the state language.
The boycott of Indian goods by patriotic Bangladeshis against Indian commercial aggression is one thing, and identifying the core issue of unequal political agreements signed between the two countries to prevent Indian cultural aggression is another. Identifying unequal exchanges between the two countries to prevent cultural aggression, formulating a constructive proposal to solve it, and developing an outline for implementing a balanced exchange based on this proposal to make a bilateral political decision is another matter.
Bangladesh is no longer confined to the geographical boundaries of Bangladesh; wherever the Bengali language reaches, Bangladesh extends. Toronto is home to a vast and conscious community of Bangladeshis. Although Srikanto Acharya is an Indian citizen, he is one of the contemporary cultural ambassadors of Bengali-speaking people. His voice is not an Indian product; he is an artist. His songs are for Bengali-speaking people. Through his voice, he propagates the message of human love for humanity. Emphasizing the importance of human bonds and universal brotherhood is the main mantra of his songs. Instead of isolation, he glorifies the power of the whole in his songs.
Those who have organized Srikanto Acharya’s concert in this city are all from Bangladesh. They have always been working continuously for the happiness and sorrow of this community, the solidarity of social formation, and the struggle. Organizing a musical concert involves a long-term plan as well as a huge financial investment. The call to boycott Srikanto Acharya’s concert in Toronto along with the call to avoid Indian products is not a correct idea.
Just as we cannot ignore the contributions of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah, Abbas Uddin, Abdul Alim, and others as milestones in our culture, Srikanto Acharya too stands as a contemporary landmark in the world of Bengali music. Let us extend a warm welcome to Srikanto Acharya. Best wishes for his musical event in Toronto.
