Baishakh this year - 1423 - is yet to show its full fury. Last year it came with a bang, not a whimper. The end of Chaitra last year was characterised by storm and heavy shower that grounded kaccha houses and trees in Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla, Bogra, Jessore and other districts across the country. Electric poles were uprooted and transformers burst in many places of the country disrupting power supply and plunging many areas into darkness for several nights. Mango trees were uprooted in the gardens of Chapai Nawabganj. Hail storms together with heavy showers raged crop-plants to the ground in many places like Kushtia and other districts. This is the situation under which the people welcomed and celebrated the Pahela Baishakh - the Bengali New Year day of 1422 - with traditional festivities like village fairs, boat races, urban fairs and colourful street shows.
However, despite such damages, the Bengali New Year is welcomed and celebrated every year by one and all across the entire country with new hopes of peace, prosperity and progress and good wishes for all irrespective of creed or colour. Delicious foods are prepared and new dresses are made for children in almost every house on the occasion of the New Year. The whole day of Pahela Baishakh becomes an occasion for enjoyment and festivity. History tells us that the 1st of Baishakh is being welcomed and celebrated in this land with due festivities by the cultivators, traders and Zamindars from time immemorial. The Bengali New Year was initiated by Emperor Akbar with his ascending to the throne in 1556 AD.
Many controversies centring the Bengali New Year exist in society. There are similarities between the Hindu religious festivals and the lunar months in this Subcontinent. On the other hand, the solar months are considered advantageous for the season-based agricultural activities of the people of the region. To put an end to these controversies and remove differences of opinion, renowned astronomer Dr. Meghnath Saha proposed in 1952 some reforms of the Bengali calendar (Panjika) throughout the subcontinent. In 1963 Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah led a committee named after him as "Shahidullah Committee" and proposed reforms of the Bengali calendar (Panjika) based on solar months instead of lunar months in line with reforms made by Dr. Meghnath Saha. After independence the Bangladesh government accepted the proposals of "Shahidullah Committee" and gave importance to the reform of the Bengali calendar accordingly. At last in the fiscal year 1988-1989 instruction was given to re-frame the Bengali calendar on the basis of recommendations made by "Shahidullah Committee". But some complications regarding leap year and few other related issues could not be resolved. Finally, in 1994 the "Bengali Calendar Reform Committee" of Bangla Academy, Dhaka, fixed April 14 of the Gregorian calendar as the 1st of Baishakh - the beginning month of Bengali calendar year in line with proposals of "Shahidullah Committee". In this new calendar the Bengali tradition, culture, seasonal changes etc. were taken into consideration. And thus in 1995, the Bangladesh government universalised the Bengali calendar by considering change of dates from midnight.
It is universally accepted by historians that Emperor Akbar ascended the throne in 1556 which was Hijri year 963. This Hijri year is considered as the first of Bengali Year. Now, the running Gregorian calendar year is 2016; if we subtract from this the year in which Emperor Akbar ascended the throne we get 460 years. If we add these 460 years to 963 Hijri year equivalent of 1556 Gregorian calendar year in which Emperor Akbar ascended the throne, we get (460+963) 1423 years. Arithmetically {(2016-1556) = 460 years + 963 Hijri years = 1423 Bengali years)}. It may be mentioned that there is a difference of 593 years 3 months 13 days between the Gregorian year and the Bengali year. However, it is to be noted that the Jukto Front (United Front) government declared April 14, 1954 (Bengali year 1361) a public holiday as Bengali New Year's day in the then East Pakistan.
Bengalis of India's West Bengal, however, follow the traditional Panjika (calendar) and observe Pahela Baishakh which may or may not fall on April 14. As a result, the same annual and seasonal festivals are observed on different days in Bangladesh and West Bengal. That is why the Bengali New Year is yet to achieve universal acceptance. The Pundits (scholars) of West Bengal may be held responsible for this as the present reformed Bengali calendar was framed by following the scientific reform proposals of Dr. Meghnath Shaha. The Indian government also fixed April 14 of Gregorian calendar as the 1st of Baishakh as per the recommendations of Dr. S.P Pande committee that modified and amended the proposals of Dr. Meghnath Shaha.
Even after this, April 14 of the Gregorian calendar is yet to be recognised as the 1st of Baishakh in West Bengal. It is alleged that the scholars and government there are helpless at the hands of Panjika makers' syndicate which is very powerful and they make huge profits by printing and selling Panjika in the traditional (old) form.
The observance of the festivals of the Bengali New Year is a reminder of our common national heritage. Let us be united in our observance of this great occasion of Pahela Baishakh - the Bengali New Year's day.
The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS General Education Cadre.
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