Social gaps

In Bangladesh also, the social gaps are not being addressed seriously, and pointed out by the leaders of the society. The main culprits are the political ideologies, encouraged through charismatic culture (political leadership has no elbowroom with small footprints).

Now a third component has entered into the arena: the active politics of religion, (ruled by the heart, rather than by the head). As per newspaper reports, recently a Maulana in Sathkhira termed the Jamaat as un-Islamic. What is the end game? The sense of direction has to be clearly defined, at least at the highest national level. The nation is faced with a huge complex jigsaw puzzle which it cannot assemble.

The regime is said to be thinking what to do about student politics on the campus (DS report July 19). Political indolence and nepotism have aggravated the situation, with teachers held hostage for hours; and chases and pursuits by political activists of different groups.

This educated young generation would be running the country in the near future. How to maintain neutrality in various public services. Reorientation is not that easy. But even the first phase of the correction programme has not been set into motion. Why the students and the labour unions are used so much by the political parties? More than half of the population live in the rural areas, and their literacy and economic levels are low. In the under-developed nations, politics is not a part-time activity; and the political activists have to sustain themselves through other means. There lies the rub.

Another evil: the people are not aware that corruption is being contained in a firm way, as per some road map. Why this dilly-dallying? This gap is harming three generations: the old, the present, and the future.

How to console and guide the parents? Social reorientation through politics, and through other agencies, have differences in content, style and ideologies. In this truncated society of multi-segment allegiances, who are going to coordinate and send through a common message acceptable to the majority? Voluntary formation of public opinion is a tricky task. Are we ready to wage this major silent revolution in the background?

Bangladesh is passing through a perspective crisis. Who are monitoring the SOS signals?