The ruling class

By A. Mawaez, On e-mail
5 April 2005, 18:00 PM
Enjoyed the unusual article "The ruling class in Bangladesh" (DS Independent Day supplement). Prof Serajul Islam Chowdhury, always very readable, displayed that extra moral courage to present to the public a clinical dissection of the debased art of power puppet dance controlled from behind the stage (since the British left). He was uncomfortably frank with his analysis, and those attacked should respond, to create a national debate on this hot and slippery issue. These special but powerful coteries of power and wealth seekers avoid direct confrontation through clever diversion movements.

The politicians are boring personalities, as the system loss in local politics is very high. They operate with small footprints, and cannot get out of politics for a while. This game of the under-inflated ball travels like pervading epidemic through the second-rate filters of the changing society. The vast majority of the voters citizens are not directly and actively interested in this 'profession', avocation, or hobby. They play with black balls, in grey environment, and use invisible purdah (veil). These ranting are released for equaliser effects. Now the business magnates have joined the club, diverting politics into big business.

Unless the society can reduce the communication and economical gaps at the vertical levels, the future of the country is not bright, judging by the menu offered by the political jugglers for more than a century. The monotony of approaches by the different political leaders lead to the indirect conclusion that various hidden agendas continue to be patronised.

The jealousy rift is ripe to the core: notice that the name of Sk Mujibur Rahman was hardly mentioned officially during the Independence Day 2005 official celebrations.

Now religion has actively and openly entered into Dhaka politics, for which the political culture is responsibleall over the world. The current jote regime (coalition of convenience) is a beginning of the shape of things to emerge sooner than later. Not only mental preparation is necessary, but also physical contingency arrangements, by individuals and groups.

It appears that a fall-out is comingthere is no other viable alternative, when invisible walls and fortifications are being strengthened. Give more time to non-political agendas. There is no rainbow in darkness; or coming out of black holes.

The gravitational pull of these black holes is legendary, but that is the equation high above in the sky. Man-made tactics are transient, as there is no escape from the timeless law of compensation. Chawa-pawa (desire and want) has an auxiliary clause: the price has to be paid-ultimately.

The punishment is inflicted indirectly in most cases: "easy come, easy go", as the readers note every day in the newspapers. The medical services sector is booming, in this 'healthy' society. Of course the leaders have to be cured; but there is, apparently, never any shortage. Mass production, with premature perfection! The quality of leadership is inversely proportional to the generation of noise.

We fumble with objectives, and have no stamina for principles. The polemics in politics is self-centred. A true leader hides his centre, including universal appeal.

Bottled water is easy business. So is bottled coke (more than 90% water). Drops of water make holes in the stones below. Search for leaders with the humility of water (seeks the lowest point). Turbulence in water is due to the environment. Back to square one and andolon (mass movement). Against whom?