Chalanbeel – Chalanbeel is formed by rivers, canals and beels. The historical Chalanbeel region of Bangladesh is well-known to the people of the whole country as a storehouse of grain and fish. The 9 Upazilas of Chalanbeel area are Tarash, Ullapara, Shahjadpur, Faridpur, Bhangura, Chatmohar, Gurudaspur, Singra and Atrai. With the spread of modern technology, many things of rural culture are being lost day by day.
The new generation of boys and girls are leaning towards machine civilization and culture, as a result of which the old culture and traditions of nature are gradually disappearing. Many things of rural culture are not visible as before. In the past, rural children and teenagers used to be seen playing various sports. Notable games were shoe playing, kanamachi, gollachoot, badan khel, bouchi, hide and seek, haribhanga, akka-dokka, rope jumping, long jumping, kutkut, marbles, kabaddi, ha-du-du, jandera ki raag, cockfighting, patakhela, ludu, chess, lady and various other games.
In the modern digital era, children and teenagers are now seen with mobile phones of different bands, laptops, tabs, desktop computers in their hands. Due to this, children and teenagers are getting involved in technology culture. Currently, children and teenagers are immersed in instrumental music, TV, playing various games on mobile phones of different bands, computers, tabs, laptops in their hands.
Due to this, they are moving away from the ancient rural traditions as they are used to machine civilization. If we go back twenty years to today, we can see that the participation of children, adolescents and youth in various types of rural sports was eye-catching.
In the past, the vehicles that the people of this area used for wedding ceremonies in the rural culture are now on the verge of extinction, such as palanquins, horse-drawn carts, and bull-buffalo carts, which were used to travel far and wide. With the change in modern civilization, people in villages and towns are now seen traveling to wedding ceremonies in microbuses, minibuses, auto rickshaws, taxicabs, and some wealthy members of society are seen traveling in helicopters. Due to the grip of modernity, the images of transportation of rural culture are disappearing day by day.
In addition, great joy and excitement could be seen in those rural weddings. The wedding house was decorated with colors, and men and women performed various dances and songs in groups, enlivening the wedding ceremony all night long. In the past, girls did not easily accept. However, the invention of modern technology has shortened human life to a small scale. In today’s wedding ceremonies, everyone is busy taking pictures and videos.
It does not take as much time as before to say “yes” to the bride and groom at the wedding ceremony. Therefore, the wedding ceremony is completed quickly and the wedding ceremony ends within a day or two after returning home. In the current rural Bengal, behind the background of technological instrumental music, the Bhatial and Bhawai songs of rural culture are not heard among farmers and shepherds. Therefore, the herds of cows, buffaloes, goats, and sheep herded by shepherds in the vast fields are not seen, and the charming tune of the shepherds’ flutes is not heard. In addition, rural men and women are changing their ancient clothes and wearing the glitter of the city, while the boys and girls of the current generation have mixed with Western culture and have forgotten their native attire.
The scene of paddy threshing in a husking pedal is now almost unnoticeable. Now the householders bring the paddy by machine, so the women work in the office, court, and earn their money and spend their time. Due to which, rural women are moving away from all the household chores.
In ancient times, rural women used to create attractive design Kantha by drawing birds, flowers, vines and various pictures in groups. Making these design Kantha carried the identity of the skill of rural women. This craft was a great way to spend time, but as women got used to the mechanized civilization, this craft is disappearing day by day. With the development of civilization and the touch of modernity, the picture of rural infrastructure has also changed.
Where there were mud wall houses earlier, now brick walls and tin sheds are being built, and where there were hurricane lamps and open lamps, there are now electric lights. In addition, with the change in rural society, various types of indigenous fish species such as Tengra, Gunchai, Baim, Folai, Guja, Shoal, Boal, Gajar, Moa, Puti, Shing, Magur, Kai, Pabda, Chapla, Baila, Shrimp and other species of fish are disappearing. However, according to the conscious community of Chalanbeel, everyone must come forward to save the rural culture that is on the verge of extinction. Experts believe that the demand for the lives of the people of Chalanbeel area, even if it is on a small scale with government sponsorship, everyone should be aware of the ancient traditional culture and change the mentality of children and adolescents.
Mirza Abdur Rob Bulbul
