Real politics or realpolitik?

The spectre bears similarity to the situation lately obtaining in this country. Indeed, the things are falling apart whether it's the country's internal order, the economy, the value system or its nation-building as a whole with the centre of authority increasingly proving unable to hold them together. The lawlessness has spiralled out of control and risen its all time high showing no sign of abatement even amidst country-wide alert. The ensuing anarchy has taken its heavy toll by putting at stake the people's individual and corporate safety, bringing the economic life to a grinding halt and driving the investors away -- albeit holding the whole nation hostage to the ravages caused by a bunch of diabolical criminals. A concerned citizenry, the civil society as well as the business community, repeatedly sent SOS for rescue only to fall on the deaf ear of the establishment. Ironically, all of their anxieties were followed by fresh spate of blood-curdling crimes resulting in more killings, kidnappings, terrorism and extortion. The criminals seem determined to stop at nothing. Never before was the outlook of the polity so bleak and the spirit of the people so blighted.

Yet, two years ago making its pledge to wipe out terrorism and corruption the electoral plank the four-party alliance led by the incumbent prime minister returned to power. An electorate already tired of terrorism and its concomitant ills gave the alliance a land-slide victory only to be disillusioned months later. The popularity of the prime minister was not matched by her performance in the office. Second time the head of the government she is still wobbly in her steps and baffled by the challenges of governance when it comes to the hard issues of the polity. Her only asset -- a calibrated reticence with certain political savvy -- carried her through the crises of the statecraft.

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With that asset and other aces in its hand the alliance may well survive politically and win elections in future but its empowerment even for umpteen years will not make any difference either for the country's law and order or changing the fate of the people. The alliance's performance in this regard for last two years is a pointer. It is, indeed, disgustingly naive and cynic and the alliance's achievement on law and order front rested only on passing the buck. The government's sound and fury in bringing back order signified little and yielded even less and the official assurances of improvement in the situation now ring increasingly hollow. Yet in a developing country like Bangladesh where everything revolves round the establishment, the government cannot wash off its hand by just placing the blame on others. The public is interested in the end-result which must ensure the prevalence of order in the society. This goal is far from achieved in last two years and there are few signs that it will be achieved during the remaining years of the government's tenure.

The public woes do not end here. Another of the 'twin evils' the BNP-led alliance wanted to fight -- the corruption -- has since raised its ugly head and occupied a wider space in our culture. The cost for the rescue, say of a business magnet, must have gone up because the rescuers are also likely to stake their share in it. The corruption has thus compounded the law and order situation and they together form a vicious circle which is closing around us with certainty.

In today's society, none of these problems can be viewed in isolation from one another. The economic disparity and price hike of the essentials have, for example, profound effect both on law and order and corruption. The law and order will certainly register yet another dip as many people driven by the sheer urge for survival under harsh economic conditions would join the ranks of criminals. The corruption will have a boost when many under similar conditions would resort to it with a view to making their both ends meet. The alliance government did put up a few fire-fighting demonstration to douse the flame of lawlessness by launching special operations from time to time without going whole hog to address the problem's socio-economic dynamics. The same trend is at work in initiating a hyped-up Independent Anti Corruption Commission. In a recent meeting the country's intelligentsia has aptly unveiled the skullduggery and hollowness of the project.

The issues at hand are not to be tackled through just patchworks here and there. What is involved is the reconstruction of the decrepit society through a social engineering. It has to be a balanced society based on equity and social justice. The wastes and surpluses will have to flow to the lower ground of deprivation and deficiency. They cannot be achieved through anything but 'fire-fighting' efforts. Unless the government can enforce an affordable price in the market, the survival dynamics will put in place an alternative which is often unsavoury.

The alliance government has proved unequal to the task so far. It is to be seen how and when can it make a difference in its approach and thus portend a period of real politics and not just realpolitik in the country's body politic.

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.