29 July 2008
Dear Moderator VM: Please consider posting the following write up in VM Forum. Thanks. MG (USA).
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Bangladesh: To embrace more difficult days!
Mohammad Gani (USA).
In 1777, Austria went to a war with its neighbor Bavaria over who could become the next Bavarian Monarch. There was relatively little fighting during this war because the two countries spent most of their energy stealing potatoes and other supplies from one another. Ultimately Austria and Bavaria ran out of potatoes and the conflict settled into stalemate. This event was popularly known as the Potato War, although its grandiloquent title is the War of Bavarian Succession! No, I am not targeting Bangladesh Caretaker Government whose advisers and its machineries have recently been "campaigning and promoting" potato for rice but only to broach how nation's major political parties (Awami League, BNP, & JP) and their Governments have stolen massive public wealth including all "Potatoes and other supplies" of150 million people for more than 30 years.
Bangladesh is now heading for more difficult challenges then ever, one after another. Multifarious show downs of Care Taker Government do not appear ameliorating overall political crisis and economy as expected and the nervous CTG have now slowly been drowning in the "Yamuna River" of judicial spills. Almost all leaders and their adulating associates incarcerated for specific charges are now becoming free despite having evidences of "stolen potatoes & beef" between their teeth. All these remind me a judicial story: A thief was apprehended by police for shop lifting and taken before the judge for trial. The presiding judge read the charges against him and asked him pleading either "Guilty or not guilty". The man (thief) pleaded "not guilty" but the judge quickly reminded him that the prosecutor had 3 witnesses against him at this court! The man then politely responded by saying, "Your honor, if you really believe these 3 stupid witnesses, I can produce 300 witnesses before you those have NOT seen me stealing anything! Would you still believe these 3 liars, your honor"? Very logical! Our at a loss Care taker Government could/might have 10 or 15 witness against all these intractable politicians/leaders but alleged defendants like Hasina and Khaleda have solid 150 million (minus Mohammad Gani) witnesses those have "Not seen" Hasina and Khaleda stealing anything or doing corruption of any kind!! So……....and we are enjoying the final chapter (scene) of our judicial comedy show! But it is still reasonable to believe that CTG has some plans of rescuing this nation's democracy and shall secure opportunities for these iniquitous politicians one more time during December 2008. However, after this national election, an evanescent "resurgence" of democracy shall come out again with full freedom of hostile "Aborodh and Lagathar Hartal" that shall invite a military Government "to bury the corpse of democracy" killed by our politicians.
It is truly hard to give up a dream we believed in for last 37 years that cost thousands of lives and sacrifices from 75 million men, women and children for 9 months. When we talk about "failures" it is not only the pain and frustration; it is something else, way deeper and much difficult to comprehend. It is a terrible feeling right inside our devastated hearts, in our confused minds against all these leaders those betrayed this poor nation, betrayed with our dreams, with spirits and incipient expectations during our struggles for freedom. Unfortunately, there is no one, absolutely no one to take any responsibility whatsoever for all these scourges. Should it be the teaching of "civilized" democracy to our politicians? Look at the US Senator from Alaska that now facing Federal charges for receiving undocumented cash to repair his home!
I, then only a 17 year old boy (1971) was a "ready to die" supporter of our founding father Sk. Mujib who gave this nation hopes and dreams for a better destiny. Along with 75 million people of a nascent nation, I took unequivocal prides in seeing how well he could change the fates of this poor nation but then found that Mujib was just a drum beater musician with only shortsighted vision of nothingness. Our Democracy was actually choked around its neck to death by Mujib himself when the Constitution was amended to make him president for five years and gave him full executive powers. Since then, his legacy of all out "failures" has been reigning uninterrupted for last 37 years and sadly, many more years to continue. [No wonder, Bangladesh shall remain like Haiti, a nation that still is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere even 200 years after its Independence].
At this point, we can not import politicians/leaders from a foreign country nor could sign a lease with Halliburton, Bechtel or Westinghouse to run the country. Politicians/leaders first duty now is to denounce themselves for doing things wrong. Public crime must not be concealed neither by the offenders nor by the Care taker Government but brought to the light so that the corrupt leaders pay the price and grow again. This is almost like forcing them gritting the teeth without flinching and ignoring the pain, bravely submitting to the physician's knife and cautery in the pursuit of the good and beautiful future. They also must have love for its citizen. If they do not have certain feelings in common for its citizens, if each of them has merely their own private sensations unshared by the entire nation, it would be difficult to demonstrate to what and how ordinary people feel during extreme circumstances. These insatiable leaders have been ignoring the basic and common benefits of their own citizen since our independence.
This nation could then look through the process of electing lesser evils (leaders); keeping in mind that it still could transpire to worst because of greed burgeoned and percolated their blood and bones. We can put a bottle of perfume on a pig and he still smells like a Pig. Nation must get rid of all lying hypocritical politicians those do not have the best interest of this country at their hearts. Also, we need to move on and re-prioritize for the real war against corruptions, extortions………those our leaders have no stomach for. All they have perpetrated against public interests and now is the time to come up with reparation before start committing more crimes.
Much talked "REFORM"s in the government and in political parties are only the theories and shall remain as theories where only facts would be changed over time to fit the theory until this nation is lucky to see a revolutionary new leadership to put all these REFORM elements into action. At this moment, our exigent need is NOT the reforms but a nonpareil leader who shall care much about higher purposes, higher principles and higher goals those he is willing to make; the most important sacrifices for the sake of what he is aspiring to accomplish. Unfortunately this poor nation could not push its luck to there yet!
We are one of the few democracies among the Muslim countries despite chronic problems with dysfunctional political system, weak governance and fettered by pervasive corruptions. 150 Million People regard democracy as an important denouement, legacy of our bloods for independence and we participate in all election process in large numbers. But the concept, understanding and practice of democracy in my beloved motherland are most always shallow. We intuitively understand democracy as a system of individual liberty; one free of authoritarian controls and restraints on our individual liberty; one with opportunity for all. While we envision this system, we fail to recognize the importance of enforcing the public accountability and transparency of politician's/Government conducts and behavior before voicing our tendentious predilection for democracy.
And finally, "Bill Clinton is the first Black President and Barack Obama to be the second" said famous author Toni Morrison in her endorsement of the Democratic presidential candidate 2008. "In addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other candidates," Morrison wrote. "That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom". "Wisdom is a gift; you can't train for it, inherit it, learn it in a class, or earn it in the workplace — that access can foster the acquisition of knowledge, but NOT wisdom" She said. This poor nation now needs to pray and hope for such a visionary and unremitting leader of unshaken confidence who could deliver smiles to 150 million faces with the glory of real success, happiness and prosperity.
Mohammad Gani
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Dear Moderator VM: Please consider posting the following write up in VM Forum. Thanks. MG (USA).
************
Bangladesh: To embrace more difficult days!
Mohammad Gani (USA).
In 1777, Austria went to a war with its neighbor Bavaria over who could become the next Bavarian Monarch. There was relatively little fighting during this war because the two countries spent most of their energy stealing potatoes and other supplies from one another. Ultimately Austria and Bavaria ran out of potatoes and the conflict settled into stalemate. This event was popularly known as the Potato War, although its grandiloquent title is the War of Bavarian Succession! No, I am not targeting Bangladesh Caretaker Government whose advisers and its machineries have recently been "campaigning and promoting" potato for rice but only to broach how nation's major political parties (Awami League, BNP, & JP) and their Governments have stolen massive public wealth including all "Potatoes and other supplies" of150 million people for more than 30 years.
Bangladesh is now heading for more difficult challenges then ever, one after another. Multifarious show downs of Care Taker Government do not appear ameliorating overall political crisis and economy as expected and the nervous CTG have now slowly been drowning in the "Yamuna River" of judicial spills. Almost all leaders and their adulating associates incarcerated for specific charges are now becoming free despite having evidences of "stolen potatoes & beef" between their teeth. All these remind me a judicial story: A thief was apprehended by police for shop lifting and taken before the judge for trial. The presiding judge read the charges against him and asked him pleading either "Guilty or not guilty". The man (thief) pleaded "not guilty" but the judge quickly reminded him that the prosecutor had 3 witnesses against him at this court! The man then politely responded by saying, "Your honor, if you really believe these 3 stupid witnesses, I can produce 300 witnesses before you those have NOT seen me stealing anything! Would you still believe these 3 liars, your honor"? Very logical! Our at a loss Care taker Government could/might have 10 or 15 witness against all these intractable politicians/
It is truly hard to give up a dream we believed in for last 37 years that cost thousands of lives and sacrifices from 75 million men, women and children for 9 months. When we talk about "failures" it is not only the pain and frustration; it is something else, way deeper and much difficult to comprehend. It is a terrible feeling right inside our devastated hearts, in our confused minds against all these leaders those betrayed this poor nation, betrayed with our dreams, with spirits and incipient expectations during our struggles for freedom. Unfortunately, there is no one, absolutely no one to take any responsibility whatsoever for all these scourges. Should it be the teaching of "civilized" democracy to our politicians? Look at the US Senator from Alaska that now facing Federal charges for receiving undocumented cash to repair his home!
I, then only a 17 year old boy (1971) was a "ready to die" supporter of our founding father Sk. Mujib who gave this nation hopes and dreams for a better destiny. Along with 75 million people of a nascent nation, I took unequivocal prides in seeing how well he could change the fates of this poor nation but then found that Mujib was just a drum beater musician with only shortsighted vision of nothingness. Our Democracy was actually choked around its neck to death by Mujib himself when the Constitution was amended to make him president for five years and gave him full executive powers. Since then, his legacy of all out "failures" has been reigning uninterrupted for last 37 years and sadly, many more years to continue. [No wonder, Bangladesh shall remain like Haiti, a nation that still is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere even 200 years after its Independence]
At this point, we can not import politicians/
This nation could then look through the process of electing lesser evils (leaders); keeping in mind that it still could transpire to worst because of greed burgeoned and percolated their blood and bones. We can put a bottle of perfume on a pig and he still smells like a Pig. Nation must get rid of all lying hypocritical politicians those do not have the best interest of this country at their hearts. Also, we need to move on and re-prioritize for the real war against corruptions, extortions………those our leaders have no stomach for. All they have perpetrated against public interests and now is the time to come up with reparation before start committing more crimes.
Much talked "REFORM"s in the government and in political parties are only the theories and shall remain as theories where only facts would be changed over time to fit the theory until this nation is lucky to see a revolutionary new leadership to put all these REFORM elements into action. At this moment, our exigent need is NOT the reforms but a nonpareil leader who shall care much about higher purposes, higher principles and higher goals those he is willing to make; the most important sacrifices for the sake of what he is aspiring to accomplish. Unfortunately this poor nation could not push its luck to there yet!
We are one of the few democracies among the Muslim countries despite chronic problems with dysfunctional political system, weak governance and fettered by pervasive corruptions. 150 Million People regard democracy as an important denouement, legacy of our bloods for independence and we participate in all election process in large numbers. But the concept, understanding and practice of democracy in my beloved motherland are most always shallow. We intuitively understand democracy as a system of individual liberty; one free of authoritarian controls and restraints on our individual liberty; one with opportunity for all. While we envision this system, we fail to recognize the importance of enforcing the public accountability and transparency of politician's/Government conducts and behavior before voicing our tendentious predilection for democracy.
And finally, "Bill Clinton is the first Black President and Barack Obama to be the second" said famous author Toni Morrison in her endorsement of the Democratic presidential candidate 2008. "In addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other candidates," Morrison wrote. "That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom". "Wisdom is a gift; you can't train for it, inherit it, learn it in a class, or earn it in the workplace — that access can foster the acquisition of knowledge, but NOT wisdom" She said. This poor nation now needs to pray and hope for such a visionary and unremitting leader of unshaken confidence who could deliver smiles to 150 million faces with the glory of real success, happiness and prosperity.
Mohammad Gani
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
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