Experts Respond

In the realm of cultural discourse, art operates within two primary modes of dissemination: the commercial, exemplified by art fairs, and the non-commercial, encompassing soft diplomacy and political engagement. Art, as a medium, embodies a collective conversation of the human mind, playing a pivotal role in constructing political identity. Yet, such a conversation remains conspicuously absent in the context of Bangladesh. This absence is further compounded by systematic efforts from neighboring India to construct a rhetorical framework that obstructs the emergence of Bangladesh's political possibilities. However, art has the transformative potential to counter these forces, acting as a medium to interrogate and reassert identity. In this context, the emergence of the ruh or Geist of Bengali Muslim identity demands rigorous analysis, particularly as it relates to the crisis of modernity. Modernity, with its implicit hierarchies, privileges intellect as the supreme human faculty, marginalizing others in the process. This prioritization is not merely a lapse into amnesia but an active politics of erasure—one that eliminates alternative ways of knowing and being. Such an erasure forms the cornerstone of the neoliberal paradigm, which legitimizes the exploitation of resources and environmental destruction through the glorification of human rationality. Historically, humanity has responded to such crises through two dominant forms of romanticism: fascism and communism. The ruh of Bengali Muslim identity has historically awakened in three distinct phases. The first awakening dates to the Mahasiddha movement, spanning from the 8th to the 12th centuries, under the leadership of figures like Nāropa and Niguma. During this period, orthodox Sanskrit-speaking communities derogatorily referred to Muslims as neraneri. Over time, this term became emblematic of broader efforts to demean Muslims. Amid this historical continuity, the arrival of Sufis catalyzed a profound synthesis of Islamic, Vaishnavic and Buddhist traditions, reshaping the socio-religious fabric of the region. However, this period also reveals a recurring pattern of attacks on Muslim cultural markers, intensifying the anguish of their ruh. This first awakening found literary expression in the works of Shah Muhammad Sagir and Syed Sultan, who articulated the ethos of the simple Bengali person, embodying the region's collective identity.