Self immolation?

The Awami League is losing weight, and slowly fading out: and the party is not aware of it! inexperienced top leadership is today sheltered and surrounded by charismatic people, past names, and sycophants who trade in names.

The times are changing which calls for adaptability. The party's windows are closed, not letting in sunlight, and no light from inside goes out. Static policies deny dynamism in political ventures (not adventures).

There are several types of changes: global, regional and in the local environment. Add the various kinds of gaps created by the new generations. Social awareness and literacy levels have risen, as also communication speeds. Several lakhs of Bangladeshis live and work abroad and thousands of our students are studying abroad. Today it is a small world, with tremendous local effect. Their feedbacks should be monitored and not ignored. The mass media do not indicate the views of the politicians to the changing scenarios. The pronouncements are full of the usual opponent-bashing speeches and movements. Tolerance, patience and diversity do not sell in the Dhaka market. The inner space is lacking.

What about the rest 90 per cent of politicians? Real politics is independent of party and personality (philosophically speaking). Besides, politics is a science, for rational objective (not subjective) application. Politics has to be ruled by the head, and not by the heart. Passion in politics is dangerous and damaging. Look at the United States today: consuming itself in passionate global politics.

Politics has come out of the political arena, to be used apolitically. That is the test-neutral application at the national level, where the rainbow colours merge into one single colour of daylight. Clear sky, not cloudy. The sweet breeze of development activities, and no thunderstorms every now and then, felling trees and institutions.

When leaders become smug, it creates smog in the atmosphere. Here is a quotation for the consideration of our leaders: "Proud, but not arrogant; haughty, but not vain." It takes some reflection to sort out the difference amongst these four terms.

A political party dies out internally, not through external efforts of the opponents. There is a common factor between two feuding parties: the appeal of the masses. The latter have the right to change the caretakersand no grumbling.

Hartal has been overused politically, and it is time to change the menu. Forced hartal makes no sense. It is a voluntary option, without use of violence, coercion, and damage to property. The politicians do not follow this simple, basic rule.

Today politics has lost credibility, losing the right to enjoy the benefit of the doubt. The politicians themselves are cornering politics, and the hate campaigns are alienating the janata.

It seems the time has come to say: good riddance (for a while).