Hartal — the root cause

Sir. It takes two palms to clap. The other palm may belong to somebody else. The criticism is focussed wholly on those who call for political hartals The background or culture of hartal which has developed in Bangladesh since the beginning of 1990 has to be kept in view before appropriating the proportionate blame, on one or more groups.

Hartal is a tool, not solution: a means to an end. not the end to a means. Hartal is a medium (container), not the message (content). Today's hartals are coercive, hence the opposition by those who are forced to'observe it.

Observance must be voluntary. if freedom is to have any meaning for anybody.

Awami League cannot claim to deny all responsibility for encouraging hartals, which it practised for a total of 174 occasions when it was in the opposition and BNP was in power, to pull down the elected government. Now similar is the case, only the position of the parties are interchanged.

The second point is to communicate in a language which the opponent will understand and take seriously. AL takes note of only the hartal language and mobilises negatively against, using police force. Political issues cannot be solved through use of violence: which means war at the highest level, and agitations in various forms at the lower, internal, local levels.

It is unthinkable that the party workers are not allowed to enter their own party office (as also pointed out in the DS editorial)! If the same treatment were accorded to the Awami League party workers, how they would react in the name of democracy? What applies to BNP also applies to Awami League, as defined by Justice and fair play (my ruling applies on me also). The AL has kept up a dubious propaganda of bringing back the voters' right, whatever it means. As a voter I do not see the point under stress.

The third point is that now AL is in power, hence the responsibility of judicious governance is theirs. The political leaders, under pressure from the leaders in other sectors of the society must sit down together and find alternative solution to this hartal syndrome, otherwise the country will suffer. regardless of noisy appeals. One of the other alternatives is military takeover. Who want it? It should NOT be encouraged, specially by the politicians, at the point of no-return (takeover by default).

The politicians must improve their image, if they love the country, which is doubtful, as it is a secondary priority in their subjective plans of action, as watched by the voters for decades. The majority of the voters may be wrong, but they decide the voting pattern, not those running as candidates. The exploited citizens should not be antagonised '(the Commonwealth team to Pakistan had some surprises compared to the patronising assessment sitting overseas).

A Diehard Cynic Dhaka

. Political reforms

Sir. The press has warmed-up scanning the judiciary issues being discussed publicly, after the Pandora s Box was opened, perhaps inadvertently, by the Prime Minister, and other ministers.

It appears that the ruling party has pressed the wrong button in going about trying to improve the judiciary. The Prince of Denmark is missing: tackling firmly the long-standing issue of the separation of the judiciary from direct and indirect bureaucracy, and making it transparently independent (as it should be): and. the insulation of the bureaucracy from the indirect, backdoor, unwarranted political influence.

The responsibility for affecting the urgent reforms lies with the elected representatives of the people; but they are unable

to deliver, regime after regime. The bone is struck in the throat, and no strategy or surgery is able to remove it. Others should not be blamed for the nontransparent inability to carry one's own responsibility.

The feigned helplessness has to be formally recorded, for fixation of public responsibility.

The general elections is round the corner, hence no hard-core issues would be taken up during the intervening period. The dust is being raised.

AZ

Dhaka

Politics

Sir. The national spirit is symbolised by the shape of a ball (imagine a ball), the view or perspective from any angle by any observer is the same (the property of a sphere) If this spirit develops into a split personality. the shape may change to that of a coin, which has two fiat sides, and a thin circular edge. When squeezed, the sphere becomes fiat as a coin, and the two sides represent the split personalities (only one side can be seen at a time), and the national view is restricted to the thin edge. Is this the way to look at a nation shaped like a coin?

Perhaps it reminds us of Bangladesh, where political bipolarity has split the nation into two major segments, which do not disappear even in foreign countries, even when receptions are held in honour of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh by the Bangladeshis residing abroad. It is indeed very sad that the dividing wedge has penetrated so seep, that we never seem to be able to present a united front on national occasions.

Only the combined political leadership can solve this problem. because the split started in the political sector: and later diffused into other segments of the society. We Bengalees have a mysterious passion for politics; hence the diverging sensibilities are difficult to overcome. So far the different political leaderships have showed no inclination to initiate dialogues on this sensitive issue of split national personality, and the

confrontation between the two major political parties are getting wider and more bitter, thereby more entrenched. The current situation is foreboding and depressive.

We have of course one flag, and the homogeneity in culture and language, in a compact country, is unique, but this split continues, even after a decade of the return of democracy. All of us realise the absurdity of the stance, but the leaders of the society are not in a persuasive mood, and nobody is apparently doing anything about it. How long this internal cold war will continue? Is it good for the budding nation?

The issue hopefully has not the permanency of hounding the future generations for long during the millennium. In national interest this unrealistic state of affair has to be nipped in the bud. But how? This citizen is expressing his dismay from the common denominator level, and apjteals for a consensus on national issues. We just cannot live with a split national personality — it is not in national interest.

Abul M Ahmad Dhaka

"Medicins sans Frontieres"

Sir. I heartily congratulate the "Medicins Sans Frontieres” (Doctors without Borders) for winning the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its "pioneering humanitarian work in several continents".

Medicfns Sans Frontieres which has been working since 1971 with a group of idealistic and dedicated French doctors have done a lot towards ensuring welfare of the distressed irrespective of caste and creed.

It is sincerely expected that the Medicins Sans Frontieres would continue their welfare-oriented activities and expand their humanitarian services to every nook and corner of the globe.

M Zahidul Haque

BAI. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Dhaka