Grand rally today

It is incumbent on us to point out at this moment the background to the current rally. Context is important and it would not be possible to fully appreciate the issues involved without recourse to recent events in Bangladesh and the current political climate.

On the one hand, the government's record of sparing no effort to disrupt these kinds of opposition activities is well known. The government has time and again sullied its own reputation by resorting to highhanded and excessive means to deny democratic space to the opposition. Fears that the government could use today's rally as an excuse to unleash violence upon opposition leaders and activists may not be ill-founded.

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On the other hand, the government has a duty towards the people to ensure that law and order is preserved and that the general environment remains safe and secure. The periodic terror attacks serve to underline the need for the government to remain fully in control of the situation, thus one cannot fault it for being security-conscious at such a time.

The important thing is to strike the right balance. The government must make sure that it acts out of concern for security and not merely to harass and intimidate opposition workers and activists.

Initial signs are not encouraging. Already over 4,000 opposition activists and workers have been arrested, and harassment and intimidation are widespread. The government seems to be using security as an excuse for its actions, rather than being motivated by unalloyed security considerations.

The government must allow the opposition to hold their rally without any hindrances. The rally is a legitimate and constitutional means of expressing their political opinion, and should not impinge on the lives of the general public. There is no justification for government to preempt it by obstructionist methods.

By the same token, the opposition must ensure that there is no violence and that people's lives are not disrupted by their agitation. Both sides thus have a serious responsibility before them. Lest either side forget, confrontation between the two of them will only serve to direct attention away from the terrorists.