Quality of politics -- yesterday and today
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Politics in the past used to be of better quality compared to today. Now there are more petty men, with their chicanery, greed and nihilism dominating, than nobler qualities that are badly needed to salvage the country.
Politics in the days gone by was an instrument of liberation and advancement of the people in general. People then had reasons to believe that their leaders were inspired by ideals and were leading them to a better existence in the physical and the spiritual sense. Can the same be said today about politicians whose driving force seems to be self seeking and little else?
It is difficult to keep faith anymore in the gospel that politicians engage in politics for the good of the people and the country. And this is a tragedy because this country has had elective and democratic forms of governments with political parties and politicians at the centre stage of governance for over two decades.
If they are not fired by any positive imagination and intention, not restrained by scrupulous impulses and not guided by the instinct to work for the good of the people, then what fate awaits the nation? The answer should be a self-explanatory one.
Several elected governments completed their tenures during the last two decades in Bangladesh. But in this period people's frustrations and problems have only increased and deepened. The needs of the people were identified very clearly long ago and also the ways to their solution. But very little was attempted by all the ruling political parties, to address the problems faced by the people. People continue to see only the worsening of the problems of their lives whereas politicians seem to be living off the fattest fruits of the land.
Kabir Murad
DOHS, Dhaka
Politics in the days gone by was an instrument of liberation and advancement of the people in general. People then had reasons to believe that their leaders were inspired by ideals and were leading them to a better existence in the physical and the spiritual sense. Can the same be said today about politicians whose driving force seems to be self seeking and little else?
It is difficult to keep faith anymore in the gospel that politicians engage in politics for the good of the people and the country. And this is a tragedy because this country has had elective and democratic forms of governments with political parties and politicians at the centre stage of governance for over two decades.
If they are not fired by any positive imagination and intention, not restrained by scrupulous impulses and not guided by the instinct to work for the good of the people, then what fate awaits the nation? The answer should be a self-explanatory one.
Several elected governments completed their tenures during the last two decades in Bangladesh. But in this period people's frustrations and problems have only increased and deepened. The needs of the people were identified very clearly long ago and also the ways to their solution. But very little was attempted by all the ruling political parties, to address the problems faced by the people. People continue to see only the worsening of the problems of their lives whereas politicians seem to be living off the fattest fruits of the land.
Kabir Murad
DOHS, Dhaka