Culture, which is a complex, nuanced and multi-layered concept, is intrinsically related to one's religion, ethnicity, land, and language. Much as we desire it, in a diverse society like ours, cultural homogeneity is not possible as not everyone has the same set of beliefs or follows the same customs. Ours is "a culture of many cultures." Over the centuries, it has been sliced up in so many ways that what's popular with one segment of the population may be quite unpopular with another segment. But certain ideas and occasions have the ability to transcend these differences, like Pahela Baishakh. It gives us a sense of unity amid our differences. At a time when divisions along religious, ethnic, political, and linguistic lines are ripping apart the very fabric of our society, it gives us hope about our future. OEKl0VCpt0SlJ_AkmhqXGj6vPD1iwmbyB-eOqjkoI40FP6TaQIW5WzrP8H92pXvNtUS_-yR68_LJPhK-45Ktqyos7dVQQWuBpuwJnAhq_cEssMQPQEhGmyH0T0z/s1024/Bengali-New-Year-History-and-F...