The evil that some persons do
Monday, 17 May 2010
Fazal M. Kamal
By now it has become a subject that's just more than worrisome; it has been transformed into a cause for much alarm for the citizens of Bangladesh. It's the fast deteriorating crime situation in the country as well as the uncontrollable actions of especially the student and youth wings of the governing party. What is yet more vexing is the seeming inability of the leaders of the majority party and the administration to rein them in.
Initially right after the last parliamentary elections these criminal acts could be viewed as stemming from an over-enthusiasm brought about by the flush of victory. While the overall law and order situation could be looked as an interregnum before the new government got a grip on the extant circumstances. But now it's more than adequately clear that has not been the case. In exasperation this newspaper wrote in an editorial recently:
"Since the change of government some fifteen months ago, the campuses continue to be a particularly difficult area for governance. The student wing of the ruling party invited charges for many undesirable activities, ranging from expulsion of their political opponents from the dormitories to indulging in tender grabbing and other activities for making money. After establishing their dominance over the campuses, the student activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), claiming allegiance to the ruling party, were seen getting embroiled in bloody factional clashes for supremacy…"
One of the major factors encouraging the worsening of the crime situation is the meddling of political leaders and other powerful individuals in the assignments of police officers, as is known pretty well by everyone. When the law is utilised primarily to settle scores or get even the signals to the law-enforcement personnel are loud and clear. Consequently, the penchant of some police officials to curry favour with the high and mighty in society furthers the cause of the criminals and certainly not of the citizens whom they are expected to protect.
Given these circumstances mere inanities from administration leaders and similar declarations from the top echelons of the law-enforcement agencies neither improve the situation nor assist in bringing any sense of confidence to the people. They have been there before, they have heard those before, they have seen all that before. Over the years the people have seen more times than they would care to count how such persons have stated similar sentiments and how they continued to be mere words which were rarely if ever turned into tangible actions.
These conditions not only often result in loss of precious lives---often in gruesome acts leaving horrific after-effects, as has been witnessed recently -- aside from causing intense misery to the families affected, they in addition harm the country's economic well-being because these coupled with the grim situation on the energy front, as well as the lack of essential infrastructure, function as a deterrent to investments direly required by the nation. Surely, this much is understood by the country's leaders. But, alas, even then they are unable to right the wrong.
Immigration tussle
That immigration and related policies would become a much discussed -- and certainly hotly -- was a given once the Obama administration announced that it would bring an immigration reform bill for a comprehensive overhaul of the topic. Now, however, immigration has already morphed into a subject of great agitation with some states taking their own routes to handling what they consider an issue that has not been dealt with by the federal government in ways they would want it confronted.
Arizona, for instance, has already enacted a law that provides wide powers to the local police to arrest persons they believe are in the state in an undocumented status. This law has of course sparked nationwide controversy especially with groups associated with the largest number of immigrants in the United States, the Hispanics, mobilising all across the nation to protest as well as to lobby political leaders and other advocacy organizations. The U.S. Attorney General has meanwhile said Washington is considering going to court to challenge the Arizona law.
But that has not dissuaded some others who oppose immigration or are unable to reconcile with those who are in the country illegally to swing into action. One Oklahoma lawmaker, a Republican of course, has been trying to aggressively stem the tide of what he feels is an influx of illegal immigrants whom he blames for economic hardships and lawlessness in his state. He also believes that "flagrant illegal immigration threatens the very integrity of our Republic."
Nevertheless a reality check demonstrates that the Obama Administration has exceeded Bush Administration efforts on border control. Last year saw the highest number of people ever deported: 387,790, up from 116,782 in 2001 and 349,041 in 2008. Thus far this year, some 185,887 people have been deported, a record pace that, if maintained, will nearly double the number of deportations in 2010 to 604,133. The Administration has also doubled the number of agents assigned to the Border Enforcement Security Task Force and tripled intelligence analysts along the Southwest border.
In fact, states a report in Time, the Obama Administration has gone so far to the right on enforcement that some immigrant-rights groups, already peeved at the lack of action on comprehensive reform, are calling for a boycott in the 2010 elections. It is a powerful threat, the report says. Latino voters are credited with helping Obama flip conservative states in the 2008 elections. Democratic candidates in close races in a number of states, including Arizona and Oklahoma, are hoping for similar high levels of Hispanic turnout as they look at potentially losing more than 30 House of Representatives seats.
However, groups like the National Evangelical Association are getting into the act and pressuring the administration to move on immigration reform because as one of their leaders put it, "What we say is: There does need to be some workable system that's put in place to address the situation of people that are already here." By focusing on the biblical material that supports immigration, says a Yahoo story, the association reached a consensus on immigration reforms. The group's 2009 resolution on immigration includes several paragraphs citing scriptural authority. That resolution calls for a path to citizenship for immigrants who are in the country illegally but "who desire to embrace the responsibilities and privileges that accompany citizenship," and they want reform that "establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents."
But time is running out for any meaningful action to be taken on immigration reform for the Obama administration before the November elections. The President said on May 5 that he would like the Senate debate on immigration to begin this year, essentially declaring that it is unlikely to finish before the midterm elections. That means that any reform legislation is going to be further delayed, which of course is angering both sides in the divide on this issue---and the emotions are certainly running high and will continue to rise as the elections draw near.
Nevertheless it has been underscored by commentators if the immediate danger of the anguish of the immigrants is to Democrats seeking Hispanic votes this November, the longer-term danger is to Republicans if they're perceived as blocking the legislation. The Arizona law, authored and passed by a Republican-controlled legislature and a Republican governor, means that the Republicans begin this cycle with a negative point with the Hispanic community which could have drastic consequences as they go into the next presidential election.
Before the dust ultimately settles on this vexatious, contentious, divisive question the national debate will range from the chauvinistic and the xenophobic to the bizarre and the absurd -- including one argument that it was perfectly acceptable to first decimate and then corral the Native Americans because they had no law, no state and no rights---and many semi-literate, half-educated, barely-informed persons will weigh in with their two cents worth of contribution now that the Internet has opened up all the avenues to do just that.
E-mail : fmk222@gmail.com
By now it has become a subject that's just more than worrisome; it has been transformed into a cause for much alarm for the citizens of Bangladesh. It's the fast deteriorating crime situation in the country as well as the uncontrollable actions of especially the student and youth wings of the governing party. What is yet more vexing is the seeming inability of the leaders of the majority party and the administration to rein them in.
Initially right after the last parliamentary elections these criminal acts could be viewed as stemming from an over-enthusiasm brought about by the flush of victory. While the overall law and order situation could be looked as an interregnum before the new government got a grip on the extant circumstances. But now it's more than adequately clear that has not been the case. In exasperation this newspaper wrote in an editorial recently:
"Since the change of government some fifteen months ago, the campuses continue to be a particularly difficult area for governance. The student wing of the ruling party invited charges for many undesirable activities, ranging from expulsion of their political opponents from the dormitories to indulging in tender grabbing and other activities for making money. After establishing their dominance over the campuses, the student activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), claiming allegiance to the ruling party, were seen getting embroiled in bloody factional clashes for supremacy…"
One of the major factors encouraging the worsening of the crime situation is the meddling of political leaders and other powerful individuals in the assignments of police officers, as is known pretty well by everyone. When the law is utilised primarily to settle scores or get even the signals to the law-enforcement personnel are loud and clear. Consequently, the penchant of some police officials to curry favour with the high and mighty in society furthers the cause of the criminals and certainly not of the citizens whom they are expected to protect.
Given these circumstances mere inanities from administration leaders and similar declarations from the top echelons of the law-enforcement agencies neither improve the situation nor assist in bringing any sense of confidence to the people. They have been there before, they have heard those before, they have seen all that before. Over the years the people have seen more times than they would care to count how such persons have stated similar sentiments and how they continued to be mere words which were rarely if ever turned into tangible actions.
These conditions not only often result in loss of precious lives---often in gruesome acts leaving horrific after-effects, as has been witnessed recently -- aside from causing intense misery to the families affected, they in addition harm the country's economic well-being because these coupled with the grim situation on the energy front, as well as the lack of essential infrastructure, function as a deterrent to investments direly required by the nation. Surely, this much is understood by the country's leaders. But, alas, even then they are unable to right the wrong.
Immigration tussle
That immigration and related policies would become a much discussed -- and certainly hotly -- was a given once the Obama administration announced that it would bring an immigration reform bill for a comprehensive overhaul of the topic. Now, however, immigration has already morphed into a subject of great agitation with some states taking their own routes to handling what they consider an issue that has not been dealt with by the federal government in ways they would want it confronted.
Arizona, for instance, has already enacted a law that provides wide powers to the local police to arrest persons they believe are in the state in an undocumented status. This law has of course sparked nationwide controversy especially with groups associated with the largest number of immigrants in the United States, the Hispanics, mobilising all across the nation to protest as well as to lobby political leaders and other advocacy organizations. The U.S. Attorney General has meanwhile said Washington is considering going to court to challenge the Arizona law.
But that has not dissuaded some others who oppose immigration or are unable to reconcile with those who are in the country illegally to swing into action. One Oklahoma lawmaker, a Republican of course, has been trying to aggressively stem the tide of what he feels is an influx of illegal immigrants whom he blames for economic hardships and lawlessness in his state. He also believes that "flagrant illegal immigration threatens the very integrity of our Republic."
Nevertheless a reality check demonstrates that the Obama Administration has exceeded Bush Administration efforts on border control. Last year saw the highest number of people ever deported: 387,790, up from 116,782 in 2001 and 349,041 in 2008. Thus far this year, some 185,887 people have been deported, a record pace that, if maintained, will nearly double the number of deportations in 2010 to 604,133. The Administration has also doubled the number of agents assigned to the Border Enforcement Security Task Force and tripled intelligence analysts along the Southwest border.
In fact, states a report in Time, the Obama Administration has gone so far to the right on enforcement that some immigrant-rights groups, already peeved at the lack of action on comprehensive reform, are calling for a boycott in the 2010 elections. It is a powerful threat, the report says. Latino voters are credited with helping Obama flip conservative states in the 2008 elections. Democratic candidates in close races in a number of states, including Arizona and Oklahoma, are hoping for similar high levels of Hispanic turnout as they look at potentially losing more than 30 House of Representatives seats.
However, groups like the National Evangelical Association are getting into the act and pressuring the administration to move on immigration reform because as one of their leaders put it, "What we say is: There does need to be some workable system that's put in place to address the situation of people that are already here." By focusing on the biblical material that supports immigration, says a Yahoo story, the association reached a consensus on immigration reforms. The group's 2009 resolution on immigration includes several paragraphs citing scriptural authority. That resolution calls for a path to citizenship for immigrants who are in the country illegally but "who desire to embrace the responsibilities and privileges that accompany citizenship," and they want reform that "establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents."
But time is running out for any meaningful action to be taken on immigration reform for the Obama administration before the November elections. The President said on May 5 that he would like the Senate debate on immigration to begin this year, essentially declaring that it is unlikely to finish before the midterm elections. That means that any reform legislation is going to be further delayed, which of course is angering both sides in the divide on this issue---and the emotions are certainly running high and will continue to rise as the elections draw near.
Nevertheless it has been underscored by commentators if the immediate danger of the anguish of the immigrants is to Democrats seeking Hispanic votes this November, the longer-term danger is to Republicans if they're perceived as blocking the legislation. The Arizona law, authored and passed by a Republican-controlled legislature and a Republican governor, means that the Republicans begin this cycle with a negative point with the Hispanic community which could have drastic consequences as they go into the next presidential election.
Before the dust ultimately settles on this vexatious, contentious, divisive question the national debate will range from the chauvinistic and the xenophobic to the bizarre and the absurd -- including one argument that it was perfectly acceptable to first decimate and then corral the Native Americans because they had no law, no state and no rights---and many semi-literate, half-educated, barely-informed persons will weigh in with their two cents worth of contribution now that the Internet has opened up all the avenues to do just that.
E-mail : fmk222@gmail.com