Sense & Insensibility
Are you ready, brother?
NOW that the Election Commission (EC) has announced the detailed schedule for the 9th parliamentary election, which is to be held on December 18, and that the High Court has also rejected three separate writ petitions challenging the Commission's gazette notification on the recent re-demarcation of parliamentary constituencies, all the equations for some of our politicians must have gone topsy-turvy overnight. The sound of their shattered dreams still reverberates through the length and breadth of the country.
Why so? What has gone wrong with the announcement of the date of the national election? Isn't this what they have been asking for since the takeover of the caretaker government? Actually the reason is, it has taken many of them off guard. They are not ready yet to go to the people for seeking votes. They have no agenda, no plan, no vision, no acceptability among the people because of their past records of corruption. They are looking for ways to come to power through the alleyways, not daring to get exposed on the highways.
This lot of politicians had great hopes that the EC would not be able to announce the schedule and that the High Court would accept the writ petition on the demarcation controversy. Some foxy little leaders even held public meetings defying the emergency to show their clout. But everything came to an end last Sunday. Now, the ball has been pushed to the court of the politicians.
Hence, we wonder what is left for our squabbling politician brothers to squabble about any more. Yes, our brothers will now miss the "fun" of doing politics -- which is, talking tough about the caretaker government, talking tough about the EC, placing demands one after another, running from one flat to another, doing fishfush in each others' ears, and then appearing before the TV cameras to talk junk. It's all over now.
Our self-declared tratas (saviours) are not happy because the CEC has assured the people of a free, fair and neutral election and said this in his speech:
"I want to assure the voters that we will do everything possible so they can go to the polling centres without having any fear, and also can return home safely after casting their votes. We will not let the voters be hostage to terror, hooliganism, and muscle, and will arrange to hold the elections peacefully at any cost." He further stated that for holding the elections peacefully, members of the armed forces would be deployed along with the police, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), Bangladesh Ansar, and the Village Defence Police (VDP).
Our brothers are not happy because the CEC has warned of tough actions against candidates and election officials for violating electoral rules. He gave the call for all election officials to carry out their responsibilities with neutrality and efficiency. There are more reasons for our politician brothers to be unhappy. The CEC has requested candidates to abide by the new electoral code of conduct, which bans using colour posters and writing graffiti on walls, erection of gates, etc. He has also warned candidates against undue entertaining of voters and buying of votes.
Oh come on Mr. CEC ... that takes the fun out of elections, doesn't it. Look at them! Have some pity, sir! They have been playing this election game for decades and they know how the game is to be played. They know how to woo (read threaten) voters to the voting booths and get the ballot papers dropped in their boxes. You have no idea of the racket, sir, so please don't come in the way of materialisation of their dreams. This is a seasonal business, have some sympathy for them.
Dear readers, do you remember that recently some political leaders had asked the CEC and his men to get lost. They were very angry with him for having said that he wanted the upcoming election to be as good as the one held in 1970. Well, it was like throwing a stone at a beehive. All the bees came out and began to chase him down the Rokeya Sharani. Some of them even informed the nation for the first time that the 1970 election was a rigged one!! Well, we do not want to go into a debate on such juvenile uttering.
But what has to be noted here is that none of these "great politicians" has ever talked about the ridiculous role played by the jokers in the EC under the leadership of the former CEC. Must we forget what the EC had done to rob the nation of its mental peace? Must we forget how a state institution danced like a puppet in the hands of some corrupt politicians and plotted to organise a flawed election? Must we forget how the EC had "prepared" a flawed voter list that was all set to bring the ruling parties to power once again?
So, brother politicians, take stock of your own weaknesses and strengths, and find out where you stand as far as your commitment is concerned. Look at your own faces in the mirror and see if you can say with great conviction that you are ready to serve the people and not deceive them. Please, for God's sake, be honest and try to do something for those hapless millions who spend cold nights under the open sky. Try to arrange food for the millions of hungry souls who walk miles to cast their votes in your favour.
Brother politicians, have a heart, please. Shun your putrid, decaying politics once and for all. The 21st century demands a different kind of politics -- one that will harness scientific knowledge and apply technologies for overall growth. So prepare yourself. The days of bluffing the people are over.
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