The nation at a cross-road

The national security of a country is at stake when its founding principles -- also known as the nation's core values -- are challenged. The country is not a mere geographical expression and it is a complete entity only when founded to preserve certain values. The challenge now becoming palpable did not come suddenly. In the aftermath of the gory events of another August thirty years ago, the nation's care values enshrined in our constitution were, for the first time, tampered with. Since then, the founding principles of the nation for which three millions courted martyrdom inexorably eroded, paving the road for the adventure of power-hungry clerics. In the ensuing struggle for power they have thrown down the gauntlet. Is there anyone to pick it up?

The Bengali nation has thousand years of history of its own and developed its own culture, values, and principles, and Islam is, of course, an inseparable part of them. The value system -- Bengali nationalism, secularism, socialism, and democracy -- provided the dynamism behind our great liberation struggle, right from 1952, and in the process gained widescale legitimacy with the people's spontaneous support. During the long years of our liberation war and even after the country's independence no one raised a question about its legitimacy. It was only in the aftermath of the August 15 tragedy that the new wielders of power, still lacking legitimacy, tampered with our values by distorting most of them.

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But in the public consciousness, it is the same values that continue to provide the raison d'etre for our nationhood, the ramparts of which are now under assault. The rise of "Islamic" militants -- hitherto thought to be an impossibility -- has put us face to face with a dangerous reality. The militants are already on the war-path and want us to embrace sharia rule in this country by making a complete U-turn in our political culture and abandoning our dearly held beliefs. This is a direct threat to our survival as nation, but who would rescue us from the impending catastrophic? We are at a fork, we have to decide without any vacillation -- once and for all -- which way should we proceed.

The prognosis cast by the revelations made by those apprehended in connection with both the August 17 and October 3 episodes are alarming indeed. The militants' organisational spread, their indoctrination, standard military training, resources required for guerilla style operation, hide-outs all over the country, and above all, significant public support, make the problem intractable. Enjoying impunity and official patronage, they have grown to a level of becoming a Frankenstein's monster for their creators who can hardly control them any more. What the government did in this regard to gain some political mileage will have to be paid back by the nation in a big way. As the militants have only bared their fangs, the government is off-balance, and in spite of its bravado to wipe out terror, so far the establishment is bogged down in a series of inconsequential enquiries and interrogations. Its ability to bring to light the facts behind numerous terror actions believed to be committed by the Islamic militants is seriously handicapped by the Islamic components of the alliance government.

Creating fantasies of sharia rule is by and large the preserve of the Middle East's hereditary rulers, but few can match them in denying democracy, human rights, women's rights, and social progress. Pakistan once opted for sharia rule under General Ziaul Huq to perpetuate his military rule. Pakistan, from the begining played with the religious politics in domestic power game, but latter day rulers including Z A Bhutto and Ziaul Huq (inspite of their ideological difference) over-Islamised Pakistan. So much so that after his mantra of enlightened moderation failed to make much dent, a frustrated President Musharraf of Pakistan now wants to fashion his country as a modern secular state, as envisioned by its founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and hardly hides his penchant for secular Turkey.

The religion of Islam is simply great. Ordinary mortals like us can seldom measure up its greatness. Yet some of our half-baked clerics are indiscriminately trading in its great name for the sake of power, position, and recognition. To bring glory to Islam does not require power. The caliphs of Medina conquered half of the world known at that time when they virtually had nothing. Most of Islam's great conquests were the result of the opponents' voluntary surrender. It is not understood why our clerics hanker after power, and that too, through dirty means, killing innocent people with bombs while pretending piety.

We can only wish good sense will dawn on them. Given the nexus found between parts of the government and the militants, little can be expected to happen on the official front. It is only the people who can resist the calculated onslaught on our values and way of life. The greatness of Islam lies more in its piety, humanity, tolerance, justice, and compassion for the weak and oppressed, which all are in consonance with our value system. So we have nothing to fear from Islamic militants who are only trivialising the great faith. Let our resistance not be subjected to any political consideration. Let it rather be a last ditch battle for our survival. We are at a fork in the road. Choosing the wrong path will spell doom for us.

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.