What brand of democracy is this?

It defies understanding why Dr. B Choudhury has not been given permission for using microphone in a meeting. Then there were midnight attacks on the dais built for holding the first public meeting of the BNP quitters and other like-minded political leaders. Worse still, the private clinic of Dr. Choudhury came under bomb attacks the same night. It suddenly appears that political dissent is an unpardonable sin that has to be punished in the crudest of ways. How else can one explain intolerance of such a kind?

Manifestation of such political vandalism is repugnant to all democratic sensibilities, and, therefore, unacceptable. The question that arises for obvious reasons is, what brand of democracy is the ruling alliance practising? The general masses get the impression that such attacks couldn't have been carried out without some kind of a nod from the leadership of the party in power. It is difficult to wish away such popular belief when power that be failed to demonstrate a minimum adherence to the rules of the game.

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But the BNP was not quite known for such treatment of its political adversaries and defectors in the past. Even a layperson should be able to surmise that such activities cannot portend anything auspicious for the party, or society as a whole. Why this journey backwards? The political parties showed a greater measure of maturity when democracy was established after a long struggle in the early nineties. Why have they not learned that in a democratic system there is no room for the highhandedness that the BNP dissenters have been subjected to? The BNP general secretary has said that his party is totally unperturbed by the exit of the two lawmakers. But this nonchalance is not reflected in the incidents that we have witnessed so far.

We do not, however, want to delve into the complex psychological phenomenon of how precisely a party should respond to defections. But what we have to say in clear terms is that nothing should be done in violation of the law. It is not the first time that leaders of a party have quit it, citing a host of reasons in support of their decision. The BNP should have been able to avoid the retaliatory reaction manifested by some of its activists. Let democracy not get any further beating.