Perspectives
Beware of the charlatans!
FIFTEEN months ago, when the present dispensation assumed power, it was a dazzling team of experts. The people felt relieved by the government's anti-graft operations and other activities. It had its initial impact and earned some laurels. The electoral reforms were undertaken as per public demand. But when the political parties were asked to reform themselves, there were reservations and split opinions within them in the backdrop of arrest of party members, including the top leaders.
The question of reforms has led to a deep schism within the BNP and created strain in the AL, although the latter still remains in one piece. In the meantime, the government's credibility was somewhat dented when it stumbled with regard to some hard issues, like the scarcity of rice and other food stuff as well as their spiralling prices.
Amid a mixed bag garnered by the interim government, the charlatans seem to be enjoying a field day, and have muddied the water.
Power centres are always surrounded by political hopefuls, and their corridors crowded by sycophants and hangers-on. The flunkies and toadies never tire of pursuing their occupationthat of grabbing the scraps and ensuring a share in political spoils.
Each regime produces its own beneficiaries, who, as a matter of privilege, rule the roost along with their benefactors.
Our two spells of military and quasi-military rule threw-up quite a lot of them. We are yet to cleanse the society of those parasites, and the process of ensuring transition to a "reformed" polity might produce more of them.
While they are active in the field, the new hopefuls are readying themselves to join the fray on a new political turf. Whether in academia, judiciary or civil society, there are spin-doctors with familiar faces who have been unmistakably hawking ideas favoured by power centres. They are at it once again, with the hope of going a few notches up in their standing.
Always dressed in classy suits, they deliver bunkum at especially arranged gatherings at exclusive places. Don't try to know how are they arranged. The moot point is to promote the ideas. They are usually found to be hanging around hotel lobbies obsequiously, with the hope of being spotted.
They are shysters, dealmakers and commission agents out to make a quick buck. It will be a tragedy if we take them to be architects of our future!
These power peddlers, or ones jockeying for power, have antennae so sensitive that they would put cockroaches to shame. They know exactly who is worth what in terms of deal making or power equations, who is worth giving attention to and who deserves a cold shoulder. This self-serving lot is as dangerous as our failed politicians, when we intend to upgrade politics to responsible statecraft.
Those who hold the sceptre ought to be aware of these species, who have the tenacity to survive in the most insalubrious atmosphere. The vultures are hovering in our political firmament for a bite at the bait held out. We are pretty well familiar with their greed and trickery. It will be an achievement, per se, if only they can be denied space, both in our politics and in the political reforms process.
The basic premises of a polity already built can seldom be re-defined, but we can always redesign its architecturebut not with the help of pseudo-experts volunteering to do so, whether he is a political scientist, a legal luminary or a celebrity of our civil society.
Our people possess considerable gumption, and with their collective wisdom a far better result can be obtained. Any involvement of the merchants of delusions and shenanigans should be shunned. It's already a positive sign that the government has started its dialogue with the politiciansthe real stakeholders in the issue. By widening its scope at a later stage, the desired changes in our political ethos can hopefully be effected. Meantime, let's keep our fingers crossed as to a successful outcome of the ongoing dialogue.
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