Nobel Prize should always go to deserving persons
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Emdadul Haque
THERE are some spurious organisations in the country which give awards to nondescript persons after taking donations from them. National prizes are also given some times to less qualified persons on political considerations. The selection process is not always fair and neutral.
Not only in Bangladesh, such instances of unfair selections are found in other countries also as selectors may be biased to specific persons.
But it is not expected from the Nobel committee that it would award non-deserving persons. If it happens repeatedly, then the Nobel Prize would lose its dignity and credibility.
Selection of some Nobel laureates created confusion and world community raised eyebrows. The latest instance of such a controversy centres on conferring Nobel Peace Prize on US President Barack Obama.
Obama himself was surprised at the announcement. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, however, justified its decision and said that it had attached special importance to Obama's vision and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Crirtics, on the other hand, say that "Obama's award is simply the projection of wishful thinking".
Obama would have become genuine recipient of Nobel peace prize if he could make the UN truly strong so that all the important decisions regarding any world conflict would be taken there ignoring veto of US itself or any other powerful country.
Another immature decision was to honour Mohammad Yunus with Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee awarded Grameen Bank and its founder, Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below." The award announcement also mentioned: "From modest beginnings three decades ago, Yunus has, first and foremost through Grameen Bank, developed micro-credit into an ever more important instrument in the struggle against poverty."
However, Yunus himself is not satisfied with the service of his institution.
Sudhirendar Sharma, a development analyst, claims that the Grameen Bank has "landed poor communities in a perpetual debt-trap", and that its ultimate benefit goes to the corporations that sell capital goods and infrastructure to the borrowers.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, then the leader of the opposition, criticised Grameen Bank for the high rate of interest that the bank realises from the borrowers.
The secret of Grameen Bank success lies in the hard work of the borrowers as they have no alternative to survive. They have no other option but to 'do or die'. So, how is it justified to select Yunus and his bank for Peace Prize?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize to the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the religious and political leader of the Tibetan people. The Committee chose him as in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently, he has opposed the use of violence.
Was there any other option other than 'peaceful one' for Dalai Lama as several protests in Tibet in the late 1980s and early 1990s were violently suppressed by the Chinese government and martial law was imposed in 1989? Demonstrations against Chinese rule have nevertheless continued.
There are six Chinese Nobel laureates. They are: Tsung-Dao Lee, Physics, (1957) Chinese-American; Edmond H. Fischer, Physiology or Medicine (1992), Swiss-American (born in China); Daniel C. Tsui, Physics (1998), Chinese-American; Gao Xingjian, Literature (2000), French Émigré; and Chen Ning Yang, Physics ( 1957), Chinese-American. All are non-resident Chinese.
China has achieved remarkable progress in almost all fields. But surprisingly no citizen of China has been honoured with the Nobel. Is the Nobel Committee hostile towards China?
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known as 'Mahatma' Gandhi, was the leader of the Indian nationalist movement against the British rule, and is widely considered as the father of his country. His doctrine of non-violent protest against the British rule to achieve political and social progress has been hugely influential.
Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama and Aung Sun Suu Ki received Nobel Peace Prize following the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent movement. But Gandhi was ignored.
The Nobel Prize is, undoubtedly, the greatest international award. It has special prestige around the globe. Therefore, the Nobel committee should be very careful and try to be impartial in its selection.
The writer can be reached at ehaque63@gmail.com
THERE are some spurious organisations in the country which give awards to nondescript persons after taking donations from them. National prizes are also given some times to less qualified persons on political considerations. The selection process is not always fair and neutral.
Not only in Bangladesh, such instances of unfair selections are found in other countries also as selectors may be biased to specific persons.
But it is not expected from the Nobel committee that it would award non-deserving persons. If it happens repeatedly, then the Nobel Prize would lose its dignity and credibility.
Selection of some Nobel laureates created confusion and world community raised eyebrows. The latest instance of such a controversy centres on conferring Nobel Peace Prize on US President Barack Obama.
Obama himself was surprised at the announcement. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, however, justified its decision and said that it had attached special importance to Obama's vision and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Crirtics, on the other hand, say that "Obama's award is simply the projection of wishful thinking".
Obama would have become genuine recipient of Nobel peace prize if he could make the UN truly strong so that all the important decisions regarding any world conflict would be taken there ignoring veto of US itself or any other powerful country.
Another immature decision was to honour Mohammad Yunus with Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee awarded Grameen Bank and its founder, Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below." The award announcement also mentioned: "From modest beginnings three decades ago, Yunus has, first and foremost through Grameen Bank, developed micro-credit into an ever more important instrument in the struggle against poverty."
However, Yunus himself is not satisfied with the service of his institution.
Sudhirendar Sharma, a development analyst, claims that the Grameen Bank has "landed poor communities in a perpetual debt-trap", and that its ultimate benefit goes to the corporations that sell capital goods and infrastructure to the borrowers.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, then the leader of the opposition, criticised Grameen Bank for the high rate of interest that the bank realises from the borrowers.
The secret of Grameen Bank success lies in the hard work of the borrowers as they have no alternative to survive. They have no other option but to 'do or die'. So, how is it justified to select Yunus and his bank for Peace Prize?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize to the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the religious and political leader of the Tibetan people. The Committee chose him as in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently, he has opposed the use of violence.
Was there any other option other than 'peaceful one' for Dalai Lama as several protests in Tibet in the late 1980s and early 1990s were violently suppressed by the Chinese government and martial law was imposed in 1989? Demonstrations against Chinese rule have nevertheless continued.
There are six Chinese Nobel laureates. They are: Tsung-Dao Lee, Physics, (1957) Chinese-American; Edmond H. Fischer, Physiology or Medicine (1992), Swiss-American (born in China); Daniel C. Tsui, Physics (1998), Chinese-American; Gao Xingjian, Literature (2000), French Émigré; and Chen Ning Yang, Physics ( 1957), Chinese-American. All are non-resident Chinese.
China has achieved remarkable progress in almost all fields. But surprisingly no citizen of China has been honoured with the Nobel. Is the Nobel Committee hostile towards China?
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known as 'Mahatma' Gandhi, was the leader of the Indian nationalist movement against the British rule, and is widely considered as the father of his country. His doctrine of non-violent protest against the British rule to achieve political and social progress has been hugely influential.
Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama and Aung Sun Suu Ki received Nobel Peace Prize following the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent movement. But Gandhi was ignored.
The Nobel Prize is, undoubtedly, the greatest international award. It has special prestige around the globe. Therefore, the Nobel committee should be very careful and try to be impartial in its selection.
The writer can be reached at ehaque63@gmail.com