With malice towards none
Monday, 31 May 2010
Shamsher Chowdhury
SOME years ago we saw a Hindi movie where apparently a senior politician was contesting elections for premiership of the country. During the course of the campaign, the Advisor of the lady politician who on an earlier occasion had decorated the seat of the Prime Minster, whispered into her ears which we shall first put it in Urdu followed by a translation in English., He said, "Madam, aap raj kijeye, niti ka mamla hum per chhor dijeye". When translated in English the essence of the statement is somewhat like this; Madam while you continue to do whatever you wish to, leave the matter of principles to us. Some how we find there is considerable relevance of the statement to the present day politics and political management in this country too.
Here in Bangladesh there are only two options open to you if you wish to have a peaceful coexistence, you have to be either the king yourself or one of his confidantes. Remember that famous couplet from a popular Tagore song, "Amra Shabai Raja ei rajar rajatte". We, Bangladeshis are very fond of being kings (the mighty and the powerful) without having any concept what it takes to be one. Most of us do not realize that it is not enough to be in the seat of power more importantly one has to know how to yield that vested power and authority effectively for collective good of the people and the nation. Many people feel that prevailing state of affairs has never been this bad. It was bad enough yesterday, it is even worse today.
We all wish to be at the center stage on the corridors of power "at any cost". Each one of us wishes to have access to power with no strings attached. The other day we asked a friend of ours as to who he thought was his most favourite character? He promptly responded by saying, "I, me and myself". We believe he meant it to be a joke but we found that there is considerable relevance to what he said in the context of the Bangladeshis. Most Bangladeshis are incapable of thinking beyond self, the country and the people being the last in his or her agenda.
The other day we saw in one of the media reports that a sign on the road named after one Nuru Mia continues to shine even after him being a confirmed Razakar. Apparently the name has been cited as that of the grand father-in-law of the daughter of the most powerful individual in today's polity. We have no way of personally verifying the truth of it all as such, but as the famous saying goes: Ja Rote ta Kichu Na Kichu Bote. If there is any truth in what has been reported, it is not fair nor is it in the best interest of either the people or the good name of the most respected family particularly in the present-day context.
Remember that famous song by Bhupen Hazarika, "Manush Manuhsher Jonno" meaning, People are for the people. We wonder how much of that is true in the case of Bangladesh and Bangladeshis. More than a year has passed since the devastating tsunami struck a section of our coastal areas, yet the affected people continue to live virtually in the open air without access to food and drinking water. In the meantime, climatologists have predicted that the crisis is likely to deepen in the future.
In the backdrop of this, how does the government feels about staking its claim as the rightful champion of climate change and its commitment to meet the challenge. Consider this too that Bangladesh also has the proud legacy of handling natural calamities of greater magnitude most effectively. Something is wrong some where. As far as our memory goes considerable funds were collected during the caretaker government and the present administration. What has happened to those funds?
The ruling party continues to hammer on the points that, "Drobbo mullo ekhono shahaneo porjae ache" meaning the prices of daily consumables are till today, under tolerable limits." We wonder as to what all that means. Our question is, as to who decides what is the benchmark of prices being shohoneo? Is there any monitoring of the market in real sense of the term?
The High Court has recently issued a rule on the government to ensure that Mr. Milon, a former Minster not to be tortured while in custody. This alone in our mind confirms our belief that tortures do take place when people are taken into custody.
In mid-50s, when this scribe was in class seven he was often confronted with an arithmetical problem regarding a monkey climbing an oily pole. The problem we had to solve was this; if a monkey climbs a 30 ft pole at the rate three feet per minute and subsequently slips down a foot when will the monkey finally reach the top end of the pole? This writer could never solve it. It is our belief that the ruling party is encountering serious hiccups with its much drummed up trials of crimes committed against humanity during our war of liberation. We find it puzzling whether we are going forward or backwards with our "preparations" of holding of the trials. We are yet to have a clearer picture as to what is it that the ruling party is trying to achieve and how. It is our belief that so far we have been successful in drowning us in a sea of high voltage emotions while indulging in excessive and uncalled-for rhetoric, driven by frustration and anger. Let us remember that no sane thinking can flourish in such an environment.
We, the people alongside the government need to streamline our perceptions and thinking in a more rational and logical way. From here onwards we must take a vow not to play politics and God with anything and everything. Let sanity and sobriety come into play.
This writer can be reached at
e-mail: chowdhury.shamser@yahoo.com
SOME years ago we saw a Hindi movie where apparently a senior politician was contesting elections for premiership of the country. During the course of the campaign, the Advisor of the lady politician who on an earlier occasion had decorated the seat of the Prime Minster, whispered into her ears which we shall first put it in Urdu followed by a translation in English., He said, "Madam, aap raj kijeye, niti ka mamla hum per chhor dijeye". When translated in English the essence of the statement is somewhat like this; Madam while you continue to do whatever you wish to, leave the matter of principles to us. Some how we find there is considerable relevance of the statement to the present day politics and political management in this country too.
Here in Bangladesh there are only two options open to you if you wish to have a peaceful coexistence, you have to be either the king yourself or one of his confidantes. Remember that famous couplet from a popular Tagore song, "Amra Shabai Raja ei rajar rajatte". We, Bangladeshis are very fond of being kings (the mighty and the powerful) without having any concept what it takes to be one. Most of us do not realize that it is not enough to be in the seat of power more importantly one has to know how to yield that vested power and authority effectively for collective good of the people and the nation. Many people feel that prevailing state of affairs has never been this bad. It was bad enough yesterday, it is even worse today.
We all wish to be at the center stage on the corridors of power "at any cost". Each one of us wishes to have access to power with no strings attached. The other day we asked a friend of ours as to who he thought was his most favourite character? He promptly responded by saying, "I, me and myself". We believe he meant it to be a joke but we found that there is considerable relevance to what he said in the context of the Bangladeshis. Most Bangladeshis are incapable of thinking beyond self, the country and the people being the last in his or her agenda.
The other day we saw in one of the media reports that a sign on the road named after one Nuru Mia continues to shine even after him being a confirmed Razakar. Apparently the name has been cited as that of the grand father-in-law of the daughter of the most powerful individual in today's polity. We have no way of personally verifying the truth of it all as such, but as the famous saying goes: Ja Rote ta Kichu Na Kichu Bote. If there is any truth in what has been reported, it is not fair nor is it in the best interest of either the people or the good name of the most respected family particularly in the present-day context.
Remember that famous song by Bhupen Hazarika, "Manush Manuhsher Jonno" meaning, People are for the people. We wonder how much of that is true in the case of Bangladesh and Bangladeshis. More than a year has passed since the devastating tsunami struck a section of our coastal areas, yet the affected people continue to live virtually in the open air without access to food and drinking water. In the meantime, climatologists have predicted that the crisis is likely to deepen in the future.
In the backdrop of this, how does the government feels about staking its claim as the rightful champion of climate change and its commitment to meet the challenge. Consider this too that Bangladesh also has the proud legacy of handling natural calamities of greater magnitude most effectively. Something is wrong some where. As far as our memory goes considerable funds were collected during the caretaker government and the present administration. What has happened to those funds?
The ruling party continues to hammer on the points that, "Drobbo mullo ekhono shahaneo porjae ache" meaning the prices of daily consumables are till today, under tolerable limits." We wonder as to what all that means. Our question is, as to who decides what is the benchmark of prices being shohoneo? Is there any monitoring of the market in real sense of the term?
The High Court has recently issued a rule on the government to ensure that Mr. Milon, a former Minster not to be tortured while in custody. This alone in our mind confirms our belief that tortures do take place when people are taken into custody.
In mid-50s, when this scribe was in class seven he was often confronted with an arithmetical problem regarding a monkey climbing an oily pole. The problem we had to solve was this; if a monkey climbs a 30 ft pole at the rate three feet per minute and subsequently slips down a foot when will the monkey finally reach the top end of the pole? This writer could never solve it. It is our belief that the ruling party is encountering serious hiccups with its much drummed up trials of crimes committed against humanity during our war of liberation. We find it puzzling whether we are going forward or backwards with our "preparations" of holding of the trials. We are yet to have a clearer picture as to what is it that the ruling party is trying to achieve and how. It is our belief that so far we have been successful in drowning us in a sea of high voltage emotions while indulging in excessive and uncalled-for rhetoric, driven by frustration and anger. Let us remember that no sane thinking can flourish in such an environment.
We, the people alongside the government need to streamline our perceptions and thinking in a more rational and logical way. From here onwards we must take a vow not to play politics and God with anything and everything. Let sanity and sobriety come into play.
This writer can be reached at
e-mail: chowdhury.shamser@yahoo.com