Surely it is a breath of fresh air for the people of the subcontinent to see Pakistani Malala Yousafzai winning Nobel Prize with India's Kailash Satyarthi. I have crossed age 73 and fellow septuagenarians have seen three periods of history - British India, divided into Indian Union and Pakistan in 1947, leading to the emergence of Bangladesh from the erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971 in the spirit of Bengali nationalism at immense sacrifices. We're happy both of them declared unanimity to march hand in hand to establish peace at the time of declaration of the Prize on October10, 2014 as ceasefire violation at line of control in Kashmir between India and Pakistan killed and injured people on both sides. In her instant reaction to receiving Nobel Prize, Malala wished Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Narendra Moodi to attend the Prize giving ceremony, to which we hope they will respond and together auger strong steps breaking the barriers to peace by vested quarters from that august gathering.
Kashmir is the core issue of conflict, since communal partition of undivided India by the then British Government, which caused Indo-Pak wars and tensions. It has to be resolved now as historic reminder has come for taking a fresh look to history, miseries over the last 67 years and opportunities for development with human face lost in this subcontinent, as Muslim Malala and Hindu Kailash won the Nobel Prize heralding new peace horizon. We pray to see at the fag end of life that unity in diversity is restored for sustainable development of this region and the globe we live in. My childhood memory of communal riots at 'great Kolkata killing' in August 1946 is so sorrowful, and kept me crying. My father late Advocate Muezzul Islam (M Islam) despised it, which was an intrigue of the vested quarters for power and pelf; and his lone survivor in politics still recalls he was a true Nationalist.
Divinity has given us an opportunity to rectify the situation in a peaceful manner. It has been opened up now by the installation of new Indian government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made a historic end to the Nehru dynasty that ruled India so long which cannot escape responsibility of creating Kashmir problem and miseries. It is now the turn of democratically elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Newaz Sharif, who inflicted defeat on the Bhutto dynasty in last national election to seize this opportunity boldly showing his support to Malala without succumbing to extremists' terrorists for enduring peace and development in the true spirit of Islam. If India and Pakistan agree, Bangladesh will obviously follow suit, whatever might be the quality of its leadership as people want it.
It was not unexpected there would be some, as already appeared in the media, who doubt noble wish of the Norwegian Nobel Committee for peace. Malala has been maligned in her own country as an American agent, viscously accused of working against Islam. Who're they, what for they say so, what they do for their personal welfare aren't far to seek. So a Pakistani writer reminded those supposedly enlightened people that her entire struggle was founded on the belief: One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. 'When they were asked whether or not this was the essence of the very first words with which the revelation of the Quran began, there was silence', he wrote. What can they be called except munafiq (hypocrites) who do not honour her but downplay her global recognition as a child prodigy, which is a triumph for Pakistan and the Islamic world?
Citing the story of Nobel laureate Grameen Bank proponent Prof Muhammad Yunus in this connection, one has said he has been "shabbily" treated in his country Bangladesh, which does not stand to logic. He cannot be compared in any way with Pakistani Nobel laureates, as Abdus Salam was awarded Nobel Prize for Physics in 1979 and Malala now for Peace. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus won the Prize for Peace jointly with Grameen Bank for micro credit performance in 2006, of which we are proud as a batch-mate of Dhaka University 1961. Frankly speaking he ventured in politics when the country was in turmoil in 2006 on the formation of non-party caretaker government for 3 months for holding national elections, which led to 2 years' emergency caretaker government, backed by Army and led by his batch-mate Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed as the Chief Adviser. He floated a new political party Nagorik Shakti and wrapped it up in no time! Neither he nor his friend could bring any qualitative change in politics; rather were confounded. Earlier in 1993 Prof Yunus inaugurated a new political party Gano Forum founded by Dr Kamal Hossain, an ex-Awami League Minister, calling it a dream party, but could not make any impact on the people. Both known as NGO lords remain away from the country most of the time! That he was removed from the post of Managing Director of Grameen Bank was in the due process of law, which Yunus fought a legal battle and lost at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
The youngest ever Nobel laureate at the age of 17, Malala received US Liberty Medal on October 21 for her courage and resilience in the face of adversity and for serving as a powerful voice for those who have been denied their basic human rights and liberties. She was shot in the head in October 2012 by a Taliban gunman and is regarded with suspicion and hatred among many in Pakistan. She pledged her $ 100,000 award to education in her homeland, Pakistan. On the other hand Kailash at age 60 won the Prize, heralding new peace, vindicating rights of child, education and children, which struggle he undertook from the age of 26 with records of successes. May their initiatives to sub-continental unity for peace and development materialise; leaderships take note of it, we are with them.
The writer is an economist, advocate and columnist.
E-mail: mqislambd@ hotmail.com
Significance of Nobel Peace Prize 2014 for subcontinent
Muhammad Quamrul Islam | Published: November 08, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
Kailash Satyarthi Malala Yousafzai
Share if you like