Nowadays, young people are eager to prove themselves progressive. Perhaps even more eager to express disdain by labeling the ancient as reactionary. According to them, the current society is divided into two parts—progress and reaction, black and white. There is nothing in between. The victory of progress is in the destruction of reaction. The victory of progress is inevitable, the course of history is unchangeable, that day is coming. They are the struggling soldiers of the goddess of history, with swords in hand and the footprints of history on their chests.
The description became a bit dramatic, because the matter is just that. Arguing with the struggling youth is futile; whatever they needed to understand has already been understood, now it's just work and more work. If it is said that various interpretations of the course of history are possible, and Marx himself said that people can change the course of history; then is such certainty justified? The answer would be that this is a petty bourgeois hesitation, such skepticism hinders work and delays revolution.
Yet, it is through skepticism that modernity begins. The skepticism of the French philosopher Descartes frees modern man from the shackles of blind belief. According to Descartes, belief must be accompanied by reason. The courage and self-confidence to test the innermost beliefs against the touchstone of facts and logic is true modernity. It is this indomitable self-confidence that has allowed European navigators to roam the entire world, establish the empire of European warships, scientists to meticulously search the realm of information and establish new truths, and artists to adorn the world with new creations.
Generally, the gradual advancement of this skeptical, science-based human civilization has been termed progress. Philosophical debates about progress had not yet begun at that time. In the nineteenth century, Auguste Comte boldly declared that the era of old religions was over, and now a new type of human religion would be established based on science. The core principle of this human religion is progress—continuous and unending upward movement. The pace of progress is inexorable, inevitable; one simply needs to let oneself be carried away by this uninterrupted wave of progress.
In the old religion, people believed that this life is a continuous history of atonement and that spiritual 'progress' is the attainment of the goal of returning to the desired state; the thought was this: what I was and what I have become, therefore, let us return. In Islam, some emphasis has been placed on worldly comfort, but this comfort is beneficial, like simple food and clothing. The variety of sweets and the delicacy and craftsmanship of clothing are beyond this scope. The ideal in Islam is not the self-sacrificing Omar or the indulgent Harun al-Rashid. Under the influence of the religion of sacrifice, the fallen man would be absorbed in the dream of returning to heaven, his past was his future, thus the question of continuous worldly progress was irrelevant there.
In the age of science, humanity focused on shaping this world, and tools for enjoying life in new ways began to emerge. Therefore, progressives said, there is no need to look back with regret at the golden age of the Garden of Eden; the age of dreams is not behind us but ahead, its beginning is in the present, and the era of looking back has passed! Now, let’s move forward. In the allure of 'moving forward,' the modern person's ever-questioning intellect becomes overwhelmed. A monotonous sentiment begins— the world will become a nest of love, hatred and conflict will be cast away, and heaven will be established right here on earth. The past is barbaric and shrouded in darkness; science is the only foundation of human civilization, so the journey begins in the present and leads to the attainment of heaven in the future.
In 1914, this illusion was shattered, and it was unequivocally proven that humanity would never be the lord of heaven. It was further demonstrated that continuous progress is not inevitable—the notion of uninterrupted progress is unrealistic and contrary to rules.
Marxist revolutionaries corrected the linear progressivism by stating that progress is not continuous; the path of progress is dialectical, where decline and rise are two opposing forces that, through their repulsion, allow progress to move from one stage to another. However, there is no doubt that progress is inevitable, and the establishment of a classless paradise is possible on Earth.
The struggle and the efforts of people have indeed been valued, but this struggle is one to annihilate the opposition, and the struggling individuals are merely agents of a historical fate, devoid of personality and united. The creation of a sub-religion centered around history is astonishing, and even more astonishing is the immense influence of this new sub-religion in the modern era. The only beacon of hope amidst the pervasive despair that emerged after the First World War was this revised progressivism. The current bloody struggle is a harbinger of uninterrupted peace in the future; it is doubtful whether this catastrophic despair could have been averted without such irrational religious convictions. The main characteristic of this sub-religion is that heaven will be established on earth, thus the cessation of the unyielding desire for heavenly gain is possible here. What could be more desirable for the common people, who are religiously inclined and covetous of heaven? The religiously fervent populace, having discovered this new heaven, became elated, the fear of war and destruction dissipated, and the necessity of current destruction for the ultimate welfare of the future was felt anew. It is through the destruction of this decaying, reactionary old society that the organization of the coming days is possible; therefore, destruction is a harbinger of welfare. Caught in the deadly dialectics of war and peace, destruction and welfare, the state of the entire world is gradually becoming deplorable. Yet, there is no end to hope; the hope of the righteous is eternal and immortal.
After the Second World War, the influence of Marxist ideology spread significantly in Western Europe. The pace of progress is not inevitable, and although progress is desirable, it is highly uncertain; the attempt to create heaven on earth is akin to trying to build a staircase to Ravana's heaven—this truth became evident in many ways. In the dialectic of communism and fascism, the entire world could become a mere shadow in the bloody struggle between progress and reaction, and Hiroshima was its first forewarning. It repeatedly made one wonder what the point of dialectics would be if there were no humans left on earth. The terrifying form of fascism, the deplorable moral decline of humanity, raised serious doubts about the benevolence of the deity of history, prompting a renewed search for the heart.
The religious Asian people were first introduced to progressivism through Marxism. The outcome of the First World War did not have a significant impact in Asia, while the Second World War brought hope and success to many, thus Marxist progressivism continues to spread a charming web in Asia. The possibility of a Third World War does not frighten the Asian people—they have never tolerated the excessive emphasis on the value of individual life like the Europeans. Even Hiroshima could not bring about a change in their mindset. On the contrary, Hiroshima has awakened in them an immense hatred towards the West, and thus they are now determined to eliminate reaction. The religious Asian people are now the main reliance for revolutionary protest.
The two major signs of the modern age are mechanical advancement and moral decline. Forgetting or disregarding the truth that every human possesses a sense of character, we loudly promote collective traits. The fault lies not with the machines, but with our inability to determine proper values. Due to the indecent busyness that separates us, the common human sense of character is now oppressed. Whether good or bad, as long as one belongs to the group, it is sufficient. It is this misdirection that has led us to face a deplorable situation. The progress of diverse materials is now manifesting in the form of deadly weapons. The possibility of material progress is also dwindling. Facing the prospect of a third world war, we have come to understand that the root of material progress also lies in the severely neglected principles of character. In the absence of character, progressive plans turn into mere illusions, and war gradually advances while wearing the mask of peace. The result of characterless material comfort is deception at every step and ultimately destruction.
The character of the subject is such that it is difficult to maintain at all times. Even the sages experience confusion. And this is precisely why creating heaven on earth becomes entirely impossible; yet those who engage in the work of making the impossible possible ultimately face a tragic situation similar to that of King Ravana. It is impossible to have certainty about character, which is why making predictions in historical interpretation is dangerous; the belief that progress is inevitable is irrational. It can only be said that if the gem of innovative power is added to character, then progress is possible. However, it cannot be understood in advance which ideology progress will adhere to; and it cannot be firmly stated that after some progress, a new decline will not begin again.
In fact, progress is solely the result of humanity's ever-vigilant striving. Relying on fate, it is possible to slip if one becomes a little distracted, and if one slips, fate may or may not be able to protect. There is no close relationship between the promotion of any particular ideology and progress. On the other hand, promotion is primarily contrary to striving. A particular ideology can support character, but the spread of virtue is not possible without personal examples. Words can create temporary excitement, but devoted individuals cannot be made.
Any power-hungry party can use progress as a trademark. The only way to rescue progress from this demise is through an analysis of its essence. The mature outcome of the skeptical intellect, progress must be established in its true form through its revival. Will our youth abandon the allure of the exciting forbidden fruit of party progress and choose the arduous and uncertain path of true progress? This path may have less fun, but it certainly has a bit more romance.
Note: The text is taken from the 'Shaheed Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta Smarak Granth' edited by Sardar Fazlul Karim and Ranglal Sen (Bangla Academy, 1986). The text was reprinted in this book from the Daily Sangbad newspaper. The exact date of publication could not be retrieved. However, the editors estimate that the text is from the early 1950s. The part of the newspaper from which it was collected is damaged by insects, making it difficult to clearly understand a few printed words. Therefore, the editors of the memorial book have used potentially meaningful words in these places based largely on conjecture.