In quest of solace and peace

This scribe has been thinking for quite sometime to quit writing. Over ten years have passed since he began writing columns for various dailies of the country. Today it looks as though, there has been no impact or reactions on any of these writings, whatsoever from any quarters. The other day a retired senior civil servant who has been a friend of this writer for years also urged the latter in no uncertain terms to stop writing, saying that it is like crying in the wilderness and that no one really cares. This writer has written about the malfunctioning of the judiciary including the continuous violations of human rights. The writings covered subjects like steady downward swing of our moral and ethical values, disgracing and bashing of women both in and outdoors. Many of such victims committed suicide out of sheer guilt and shame. The writings of this scribe also mentioned the miseries that people are undergoing due to spiraling of prices, besides about the deaths on the roads and the killing state of the traffic jam. Raping and the reign of terror by the members of the student cadres of the party-in-power, the incident involving six who raped a young girl and made video footages of it, all such developments were also dealt with in a number of writings. The brutality of our police and custodial deaths in no uncertain terms, the abominable state of our health care and health services for the poor and people with limited incomes, the arrogance and misdeeds of some of our lawmakers and ministers, the relentless bashing and demonizing of our media by the ruling party were also focused on, in a number of such write-ups. The deteriorating state of our legacy and heritage, the neo-rich and the powerful both in and out of the ruling establishment, our stinking politics etc., also featured in some of them, likewise. God knows what other subjects have been covered in those writings. This writer must admit here that of late, he is rather tired of the prevailing environment of the country which is getting the better of him. As it is, writing as such has not been easy for this scribe being burdened by a debilitating state of Arthritis, and a diabetic condition stretching over 25 years and, of late, being confined in a wheel chair. Many of his well-wishers often tell him to quit and live a life of comfort and ease. Frankly, perhaps, he could do that. He has two wonderful children who are both well educated from abroad and has no real financial worries. This scribe lives in a spacious apartment and is provided with all comforts of life that a man of his humble stature can wish for. Some people close to him often tell him that there are so many other people who do not care as to what is happening around. Why should this scribe then be concerned? He keeps quiet and say to himself may be they are right or may be they are not. What is most frustrating is the fact that when this scribe talks to people, some of them often get angry and accuse him of being one-sided and a confirmed pessimist. There is considerable truth in what they say. But he tells them as of now more than ever before, the evil outweighs the good, besides the success stories rally round material development only. Frankly over the past three decades, our moral and ethical development has taken a serious beating. As we see it, it is better to eat two square meals a day than be morally and ethically corrupt. Over the years, we are indulging more and more in violence, murders, lies and looting; we no longer have any respect for our elders. Our children no longer respect their elders, be they parents or teachers. We use and abuse women, be they our mothers, sisters or even maids. Greed and lust for power have become a cancer in the society. The other day this scribe was shocked beyond measure to see two people being dragged to court in shackles. The actual process of the trial had not begun as yet. Whatever crimes they might have committed, let us not forget that no human being has the right to play with the dignity of the other. This is medieval. We say may God have mercy on us. In this country people are being killed right in the presence of the police and dragged into a van just like a hunter carries his booty a dead dear or a tiger. For God's sake, human beings are not animals they are the best of God's creations. Had it not been so, we should have kept quiet about the recent public executions of the eight Bangladeshis that took place in Saudi Arabia, the other day. Well this scribe has thought things over and over again and have decided to continue with his writings so long his arthritic fingers continue to be active and the pain remains bearable. May Allah give us the wisdom to differentiate the right from the wrong, give us the wisdom to understand as to what we can do and what we cannot and what we must not. The writer can be reached at e-mail: chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com