Category: Articles

When we were children, the arrival of Durga Puja filled our hearts with excitement. A colourful balloon bought by our father could make us feel like the happiest children in the world. We enjoyed little competitions with our friends over whose balloon was bigger or more beautiful. But today, in the age of Gen Alpha and Gen Beta, many children seem more attracted to mobile phones than to balloons. Sadly, some children are even mocked as “outdated” for playing with them. Have we become so modern that we are forgetting the simple joys of childhood? Today, while passing by a Durga Puja pandal, I saw a couple walking happily with colourful balloons in their hands. I was surprised to see that people of our generation still have so much love for balloons! I even took a photograph of them from behind. Later, I spoke to a balloon seller and learned that his sales had not been good this year. His words touched my heart. A balloon may seem like a small thing to us, but for a local seller, every sale brings hope and helps put a smile on his family’s faces. Behind that simple balloon lies the struggle of someone trying to earn a living. Balloons are not just toys. Playing with them can help children develop hand-eye coordination, recognise colours, use their imagination and build social skills, while also bringing happiness to their hearts. Let us encourage Gen Alpha and Gen Beta to step away from mobile screens, play with balloons, laugh freely and enjoy the true beauty of childhood. Playing with balloons is never “outdated”—the simple joys of childhood are timeless. The charm of our old days will always remain special, and those memories will forever be precious. This Durga Puja, let us buy a balloon from a local seller and bring a little smile to his face.

Today, my heart is filled with sadness. A painful real-life experience has compelled me to write these words. For many years, a young man from Dhemaji has been visiting our home to sell Mekhela Chadors, the traditional dress of Assam. Every year, he comes with hope in his heart, dreaming of selling a few clothes and earning enough to support his family. But this Durga Puja, his hopes have been shattered. His sales were so poor that he did not even have enough money to return home. Finally, he had to ask us for just ₹100. His helplessness touched me deeply. He told me that people were no longer buying Mekhela Chadors from him because they could easily purchase them online. He has spent his life doing this small business and has no experience of any other work. Today, he is worried about how he will earn a living and feed his family. While the world is celebrating Durga Puja with lights, new clothes and happiness, this hardworking man is struggling even to find the money to go home. His story raises a painful question: Is this the price a small vendor must pay for trying to earn an honest living? Look at the changing world around us. Before Jio arrived, a recharge of just ₹10 could provide incoming call service for one month. Later, many people switched to Jio because of its free calling offers. Today, in many cases, keeping mobile services active requires a monthly recharge of around ₹200. This reminds us that things that seem cheap or free today may become costly tomorrow. Similarly, if we allow our local businesses to disappear because of online offers and low prices, who knows what difficulties we may face in the future? There is nothing wrong with online shopping. It is convenient and often offers good prices. But we must not forget the small shopkeepers and travelling vendors who depend on our purchases to feed their families. For them, this is not just a business. It is their livelihood, their self-respect and their hope for a better future. This Durga Puja, while we enjoy the festival and buy new clothes, let us spare a thought for those who are struggling to survive. Behind every small vendor, there may be a family waiting for him to return home with some earnings. A business that seems small to us may be the only source of food and hope for an entire family. Let us not allow the convenience of online shopping to make us forget the pain of those who earn their living through hard work. Because when a small business dies, it is not just a business that disappears—someone’s dreams, livelihood and hope may disappear with it.

আজি মনটো বৰ গধুৰ হৈ পৰিল। বুকুখন বিষাই যোৱা এটা বাস্তৱ অভিজ্ঞতাই মোক এই লেখাটো লিখিবলৈ বাধ্য কৰিলে। বহু বছৰ ধৰি আমাৰ ঘৰলৈ ধেমাজিৰ ফালৰ পৰা এজন যুৱক মেখেলা-চাদৰ বিক্ৰী কৰিবলৈ আহে। প্ৰতিবছৰে পূজাৰ বতৰত তেওঁ আশাৰে আহে—কেইটামান কাপোৰ বিক্ৰী হ’ব, দুপইচা উপাৰ্জন হ’ব, পৰিয়ালটোৰ মুখত হাঁহি বিৰিঙিব। কিন্তু এইবাৰ তেওঁৰ ব্যৱসায় একেবাৰে বেয়া। মেখেলা-চাদৰ বিক্ৰী নোহোৱাত ঘৰলৈ উভতি যাবলৈও তেওঁৰ হাতত টকা নোহোৱা হ’ল। অৱশেষত আমাৰ ঘৰৰ পৰা ১০০ টকা বিচাৰি ল’লে। তেওঁৰ দুখভৰা কথাবোৰ শুনি সঁচাকৈয়ে মনটো ভাগি পৰিল। তেওঁৰ ভাষ্য অনুসৰি, অনলাইনত মেখেলা-চাদৰ পোৱাৰ বাবে এইবাৰ তেওঁৰ পৰা কোনেও কিনিবলৈ আগ্ৰহ প্ৰকাশ কৰা নাই। জীৱনত আন কোনো কামো কৰি পোৱা নাই। এতিয়া তেওঁ কেনেকৈ চলিব, কি খাই জীয়াই থাকিব—সেই চিন্তাই তেওঁক দিশহাৰা কৰি তুলিছে। পূজাৰ বতৰত চৌদিশে আনন্দৰ পোহৰ, কিন্তু এই মানুহজনৰ জীৱনত যেন হতাশাৰ এন্ধাৰ নামি আহিছে! আজিৰ অনলাইন মাৰ্কেটিঙৰ আকৰ্ষণীয় অফাৰ আৰু কম দামৰ প্ৰতিযোগিতাই বহু স্থানীয় দোকানী আৰু ক্ষুদ্ৰ ব্যৱসায়ীৰ জীৱিকালৈ প্ৰশ্নচিহ্ন কঢ়িয়াই আনিছে। এবাৰ জিঅ’ৰ কথাই ভাবকচোন—জিঅ’ অহাৰ আগতে ১০ টকা ৰিচাৰ্জ কৰিলেও এমাহৰ বাবে ইনকামিং কলৰ সুবিধা পাইছিলোঁ। পিছত বিনামূলীয়া কলৰ আকৰ্ষণত বহুতে জিঅ’ ব্যৱহাৰ কৰিবলৈ আৰম্ভ কৰিলে। আজি ইনকামিংৰ সুবিধা পাবলৈও মাহে প্ৰায় ২০০ টকাৰ ৰিচাৰ্জ কৰিবলগীয়া হয়। সময়ৰ লগে লগে সুবিধাৰ চৰিত্ৰ সলনি হ’ব পাৰে; তেন্তে আজি কম দামৰ আকৰ্ষণত আমি নিজৰ ওচৰৰ ব্যৱসায়ীসকলক হেৰুৱাই পেলালে, কাইলৈ তাৰ মূল্য কোনে ভৰিব? এই দুৰ্গা পূজাত এফালে আমি নতুন কাপোৰ পিন্ধি আনন্দ কৰিছোঁ, আনফালে এজন ব্যৱসায়ীয়ে ঘৰলৈ উভতি যাবলৈও ১০০ টকা বিচাৰিবলগীয়া হৈছে। এই বৈপৰীত্যই আমাক এবাৰ হ’লেও ভাবিবলৈ বাধ্য নকৰেনে? অনলাইন বজাৰৰ সুবিধা লোৱাত আপত্তি নাই, কিন্তু তাৰ সমান্তৰালভাৱে আমাৰ স্থানীয় দোকান-পোহাৰ আৰু ঘৰে ঘৰে সামগ্ৰী বিক্ৰী কৰি জীৱিকা নিৰ্বাহ কৰা মানুহখিনিৰ কথাও আমি এবাৰ ভাবি চোৱা উচিত। কাৰণ, তেওঁলোকৰ বাবে এই ব্যৱসায় কেৱল উপাৰ্জনৰ পথ নহয়—এয়াই তেওঁলোকৰ জীৱন, আত্মসন্মান আৰু পৰিয়াল পোহপাল দিয়াৰ একমাত্ৰ ভৰসা হ’ব পাৰে।