Time to move beyond the rhetoric
THE new Al-Led dispensation has set off with a jerky start amid a spurt of dismal events on several fronts. It may be recalled that soon after AL's assumption of power in 1996, turbulences erupted across the country. As then, so also now, the government refrained from putting up a conspiracy theory, not even a veiled one, thus showing signs of maturity.
However, the puzzling developments obtaining in the countrya marked down-turn in the Stock Exchange, sudden rise in extortion, theft and murder, unrest in the campuses, activities desecrating the sanctity of the national mosque, an influx of small arms, return of terrorists, and the weird theft in the Railway Headquartersare all in sharp contrast to a peaceful election, an orderly transfer of power and the expectations they generated only two weeks earlier.
In the meantime, although the price spiral has been arrested for some essentials, the relief does not extend to most other items. Moreover, in spite of the reduction, prices are still above the purchasing power of the vast majority of the consumers. This is in spite of our assertive commerce minister making his weight felt both in the market as well as in the business community.
An embarrassed and exasperated authority is seized with the situation in right earnest, and is assiduously grappling with the problems to tackle them to the satisfaction of the concerned quarters. The people also know that there is no quick-fix to the myriad problems facing the country, and that any phase of transition is always fraught with difficulties. They seem prepared to grant the government reasonable time to first settle down before addressing the problems. But then, the complex and piled up problems are deep-rooted, and can be resolved only with extraordinary efforts and changed perception of politics and power play.
This change is more about being sympathetic to the suffering millions, providing them succor, and relieving their pain of being dispossessed. This is certainly not about having access to perks and privileges; neither is it about hankering after luxury and a consumerist life style. All that the people want at this stage is reflection of that changed mindset among the politicians and bureaucrats, and a modest beginning in keeping with the spirit of dedication and service as exhorted by none other than the prime minister herself.
The realisation of this prompted Sheikh Hasina at the very outset to give a clarion all for a change. Apart from a change in outlook, it also involved dismantling of entrenched and vested interests in the higher echelons of the establishment. She unmistakably wanted the politicians and officials to shun luxury and resort to simple living, and to dedicate themselves to the service of the country's underdogs, the destitute and dispossessed.
There are no signs that the prime minister's pious call has made much difference, either among the politicians or among the bureaucracy, who are more interested in designer suits, luxury cars and consumerist lifestyle. According to a news report, the ministers squabble over the official cars provided to them from the government transport pools and some are reported to be unhappy over the quality of the cars. As a result, the government is planning to import luxury cars for the ministersa plan shelved earlier even by an unrepresentative, and thus unanswerable, caretaker government. This being the state of change prevailing in the power circle, obviously the much-hyped change takes a backseatat least for the time being.
A bit of rhetoric is indeed a part of democratic politics, where it works more as an electoral gimmick. But a state is reached in the roller coaster journey of a political party, particularly for the winner in an election, when it can continue with the rhetoric only at an exorbitant political cost. It is always wise to be able to identify the precise time when one must move beyond the rhetoric. Gauging the public mood is a delicate exercise, and the result of disillusionment can be bitter and devastating.
To mark a new beginning in our political culture let's shun the ostentatious life style, which is ridiculous in a country where almost 50% of the population lives below the poverty line. After all, whom do we want to show off to? In much less impoverished India and Pakistan, the life-style adopted by the politicians is much more Spartan and austere. Let the AL dispensation be qualitatively different from the predatory BNP-Jamaat government that preceded it. Let it be true to its our commitments. Or else it may find itself hoist on its our petard.
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