Sense & Insensibility
Can the deformed be reformed?
"WHAT is Deformed, Cannot be Reformed" was one of the topics of a debate competition organised by the IBA Department of Dhaka University some months back. It was obviously an oblique reference to the moribund state of the major political parties of the country.
The battered and bruised parties have been running from pillar to post, leaking engine oil all over the place since 1/11. But when it came to getting united and doing some overhauling, party leaders remained as divided and as un-trustworthy as ever. They have been stalling the intra-party reform process, resorting to all sorts of dilly-dallying tactics, hoping to see the back of the caretaker government one fine morning. Today, with the elections coming up fast, the word "reform" has acquired the undertone of a bad joke.
It is, therefore, no wonder that the IBA debate title would generate curiosity among the audience, as reform was the "talk of the country." It was one year by then, and both the caretaker government and the intellectuals have been talking about the imperatives of reform of the major political parties.
No, it was not only the government or the intellectuals of the country who felt the urgency of seeing changes in the political culture of the country. We know they have been talking about it for quite a while now. But this time around, something has perceivably gone wrong for the right reasons in the minds of the people, the so-called common masses. The stories of unequalled "Horir Loot" (Corruption binge) in last five years, that has given birth to thousands of billionaires in this poor country, have started to stir their minds to a reawakening that was badly needed.
The common masses have begun to discuss with veritable contempt the follies of the professional politicians and government employees. They have the faculty to think wisely and, to be honest, some of their analyses are worth pondering. They believe full-time businessmen should not be given nomination to contest elections.
The masses argue that business is their profession, not making laws! They (the businessmen) utilise the newly gotten political power to make more money for themselves and that is why, come election time, they spend huge sums to influence the poor voters. The pertinent question the masses ask: How could an honest and dedicated person who is popular in his constituency hope to get party nomination when a businessman could buy it with black or yellow money? Many people recall the blatant "nomination banijya" at the party offices before 1/11. Banani residential area resembled a "Gorur Haat" (cow market) as nomination-seekers thronged the roads from 6am till 2am (midnight!!). They waited eagerly on the roads to be "chosen." It was the same picture where other political party offices were located.
Common people strongly feel that police record, political career, educational background and social acceptability of the nomination-seekers must be scrutinised by the parties before giving nomination to a person. No more they wanted to see Altus and Faltus riding the crest with silly smiles on their faces. And they want the nomination-seekers to submit wealth statements of the entire family before the election, and not after.
The people's reform agenda also includes: No political party will ever hold a meeting in Paltan Maidan to tongue-lash the opposition. They will hold such meetings in the Sholakia Maidan that can accommodate 300,000 people at a time. They have no business holding up traffic and disrupting normal city life on a busy day.
They will not have a bunch of buffoons in Parliament trying to act like law-makers. Law-makers don't look or behave like some primates -- screaming, stomping, thumping, pounding and making faces at the opposition. The Speaker must not be a one-eyed person who cannot see the other side where the opposition members sit. He has to have two functional eyes. And also, he shouldn't be playing with the microphones like a child switching on, switching of, switching on…!
No political party will accuse another of selling the country to foreigners. Simply because, this country is nobody's grandpa's or husband's or father's property. But the people want the law enforcing agencies to check anyone going abroad with thirty suitcases. What goes in those suitcases might turn out to be people's property.
People want the politicians to realise that winning elections does not mean they have taken the entire country on lease for five years. The Election Commission is no leasing company. There is more on the reform agenda. No duty free cars ever. No taking of meat, vegetables, cooking oil, onion and eggs from the kitchen of MP hostels.
The masses have serious concerns about who will be the next law minister, as they have had incredible experience with the one for last fifteen years, on two terms. They do not want him to come and tamper with the country's constitution and rewrite it with total impunity. This particular law expert did more damage to his party single-handedly than all the Faltus could do collectively.
So, that was some glimpses from what the common people have been thinking about reform in political parties. But, they remain frustrated as ever when they see that no political party has expelled so far a single corrupt person who has been sentenced to imprisonment after proper trial in a court of law.
They also wonder whether political parties will at all listen to the voice of the people and bring about changes in the manner and method of doing politics in the future.
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