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The city of sadness

"Without art we are left with the dull. dark abyss of facts.’

by Naheed Kamal
STEP out into this city we live in. See the millions of men. women and children struggling through life. We have highrises, slums, grand hotels, street vendors, rickshaws, cars (old and new), buses and trucks and people everywhere. Wc arc forced to live together yet apart not seeing each other, in as much unity as it is possible to create in such a diverse city. During the day the city streets are bustling with activity and late into the night the city comes to a standstill and the streets turn intp sleeping grounds for Dhaka's many homeless : beggars. destitute, ragpickers, the dreamless men and women.
Everyday a thousand more troop into the city from the far corners of the country dreaming of a new beginning but little do they know of the disillusion that awaits them. Dhaka Is not the city of dreams as it is made out to be.
By a mere chance of fate a handful of us were born to our families and so we have luxuries and all our basic needs met We have homes to live in and schools to go to, to gain a decent education. By the same chance of fate the poor were born into their lives. They however, have little but superstitions to guide them through life. The illitenite (and many learned as well) believe that one's life is set by ones karma, fate, call it what you will but is said to be predestined. This leads to an aimlessness ... there is no use fighting fate, is there?
Yet Just a mere hundred years ago Dhaka was a city of grandeur. Like the rest of Bangladesh, we have a rich culture and tradition runs deep. aS who came into contact with The city's rich heritage were awed by It and they returned home filled with stories of Dhaka city's grandeur. Now our heritage is barely altve. It has been exchanged for modemi-satlon ... steel and concrete. We cannot live in the past forever nor can we forsake the past for the sake of the present because the future cannot be forbidden to us. The art. dance, music, poetry and handicrafts made in Dhaka were the pride and Joy of the nation. There was beauty and elegance In all forms of art from pottery to saris to silver Jewellery. We still have art and beauty but the only cause for what survives is money. The artisans no longer can take pride in their creations for no one gives them due credit.
The land cannot be turned back to what it was a century ago. This is an unrealistic wish, nor can we isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. We need to revive our lost heritage and culture. A culture which was once the pride of the nation. when a nation loses Its sense of pride and belonging it also loses direction. This loss gives way to sadness. We cannot let our tradition go to ruin.
Once traders came from far away seeking the many wonders of Dhaka : the spice, muslin, handmade pottery, sil ver Jewellery, etc. Now traders still come to Dhaka but it is only because we are a cheap source of labour! The sadness has enveloped the majority of the city's inhabitants. They have lost their sense of belonging ... there is no Joy derived from shifts spent in a garments factory. What is there to be proud of? What heritage Is there to belong to?
True, modernisation has given the unemployed the much needed Jobs and helped us regain some semblance of lost pride. Wc are not necessarily a "basket case". Changes are Inevitable. We cannot stop progress, neither can we forsake our sense for the sake of It. The people need to know that what they have is a source of pride an Joy
It is not possible to preserve any culture in Its purest from. Decisions about change, If there are any. are often done collectively, but they tend to be political. But political decisions did not help any culture get where it is now It is for the individuals to decide for themselves how much of the old they wish to retain, how much of the new they find useful in life. This is how cultures have enriched themselves tn all great civilizations. No cul ture has flourished tn isolation, ours cannot cither. The reason for our sense of loss is simple. We have taken advantage of simple people and their simple dreams. We have turned the city of hopes into a fertile ground for exploitation. It is now a city of steel hearts, blank eyes and sadness.
Art gives the human heart a reason for happiness, for living. for dreaming. There is little place for any form of art to flourish in a city filled with sadness.
The people need to know that the handmade potter. woven "Jamdani" sari, impromptu singing and poetry-all these are precious forms of art and a source of pride for them. This is an ancient art which need to be encouraged and preserved. This is the only way for the common man to* realize that it is okay to dream and that they do belong and they do have worth.
It Is not for the sake of tourism or wealth that we must revive our lost culture. This will only benefit a handful of people. We must revive our heritage to bring about a sense of belonging and forego the sense of loss which Is enveloping us.
It is time to see the sadness which lurks at every street corner, art Is not a cheap movie at the cinema hail nor Is It a Hindi movie Art In our culture gives hope and allows for one to dare to dream and this gives us the courage to live, happily