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Poorly crafted apology?

27 April 2006, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Touhid R. Sacramento, California
27 April 2006, 18:00 PM
A few days ago the DMP commissioner apologised to a group of journalists for the shameful incidents at Chittagong Stadium prior to Bangladesh's second Test match against Australia. Such and other apologies from ministers and senior police officers is by all means very praiseworthy. However, I was shocked when I heard the police commissioner say that the police are always advised that they cannot "raise their hands" at three categories of people. First were the senior politicians, second were the journalists, and third were the women. So, I am happy for people of these categories, but at the same time I am worried because the police chief is suggesting that it is okay for the police to rough me up, because I am not a politician. I am also not a journalist, and I am not a woman.

Isn't it wrong when people respond to their frustration and raise their hands at rickshaw pullers, servants or even beggars? Isn't a person raising a hand at a rickshaw puller only doing so because he knows he is better than the rickshaw puller? Would the same person raise his hand at someone in a car?

Lastly, those who thought what the police did in Chittagong was bad, must know that doing the same to others is as bad too.

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Isn't what is wrong always wrong? Morality was not meant to be a product that you sell differently to different market segments. Morality is not meant to be a product that you differentiate using different packaging. It is an intangible asset that increases your equity, but the sad thing is until you have it you don't know and hence you don't strive for it, and that is the catch 22. I was expecting the police commissioner to know this; maybe he does, and just poorly crafted what he really wanted to say.