Shot in the womb

This is perhaps for the first time in this country that a baby was shot even before his birth. She received the bullet injury in her mother's womb and had to be delivered prematurely in order to save her and her mother's lives. No, her mother was not a target of the feuding factions of the youth wing of the ruling party at Doapara under Magura Sadar upazila. The seven-month pregnant woman simply happened to be in the crossfire of the rival factions out to establish their supremacy there. Two other people sustained bullet injuries during the clash but what happened to the members of the two groups is not known.

Apparently, the mother and her yet-to-be-born daughter were shot accidentally. But a closer look cannot dismiss this as a case of mere accident. The feuding groups reportedly belong to the same youth organisation. There may indeed be differences of opinions over certain issues but if the same politics is their avocation, why should they take up arms against each other? People with political affiliation no longer believe in the language of reason. They are more prone to exercising their muscle power in order get the better of their rivals -no matter if they are within the same political fold. Political leadership at various levels is more conspicuous by the absence of tolerance of opposition and opponents.

A monopoly hold is what the aim is. Free use of fire arms has made followers of political parties, particularly those of the ruling party, bolder. This happens irrespective of political parties in power. Why? Because followers of the ruling party have been enjoying impunity of sort during rule by almost all political governments for a long time now. Not all the fire arms used in clashes are likely to be licensed. Then why are men possessing such arms not arrested and those confiscated?

Intra-party arms clashes are not confined to Magura alone. They have become so widespread that people may unwittingly come under such fires anywhere any moment. Increasing incidence of such clashes is not for nothing. Party obligation proves secondary to personal or group gains. Following politics is just in exchange for material favour. Idealism and belief in party's inherent principles have taken leave of the new breed of followers. They consider party politics a milching cow. The followers are growing desperate to prove their muscle power instead of sagacity and logical argument to establish points.

Politics is indeed slipping gradually into inept but violent hands who put at risk not only the lives of their kind but also of innocent people who have nothing to do with politics. In British India and during the liberation war, patriots took up arms to free their motherland but today political elements take recourse to violence in order to maximise their material benefits. Actually politics of violence has set the tone of Bangladesh society. If politics could leave a sobering influence, if there was no rise of militancy, chances were that common people would have been more sensitive to each other in their dealings. Savagery did not get the currency the way it has done today.

Unless political violence is arrested, there is little chance of redeeming society of its violent crimes and ensuring security of life from attacks -both deliberate and unintentional.