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I keep wondering...

Shamsher Chowdhury
WHEN we gained our independence over 36 years ago I was overjoyed. I still remember the day when the Pakistani forces surrendered to the victorious Indian army at the Ramna racecourse ground. The euphoria, and the ecstasy of the public, at least in the capital, as I had witnessed was unprecedented.
I keep wondering as to what happened since that day. As I look around, I find that we are, as a nation, confused and totally direction-less, except for the fact that from time to time I hear of great optimism from a handful of eminent members of the civil society and intellectuals-cum-politicians.
They talk of corruption and the need to punish those involved, but, frankly, I am more concerned about the all-round moral and ethical degradation that has taken place. Even the parents of today teach their children the art of "money making" instead of "character build ing." While passing by a college I see young boys and girls standing right in the middle of the road having tea and gossiping, and if you happen to honk they seem to be extremely annoyed,
and often curse you.
I keep wondering about many of our third generation of otherwise bright boys and girls, who are either pursuing their higher studies at some of the American or European universities or, having completed their studies, are now working there. They often come home to meet their old parents or relations; they often discuss plans for the return journey even before they board the aircraft for the journey home; whereas it has been my experience that many of the Europeans and the Americans who come to this country as venerable "consultants," given the opportunity,
would not like to leave since they find that there are so many "opportunities and challenges" to meet.
The attitude of the Bengalis happens to be quite the opposite. This is mostly due to the fact that Bengalis as a race have never been outgoing and adventurous in their lives and living. Their narrow vision and fixed notions continue to haunt them no matter what, although it is also true that this is also due to the influence and spread of multiculturalism driven by factors of economic compulsions; yet, surely, we could have done better.
I keep wondering as to what it is that makes us the way we are. I find that we are a nation that is always ready to accept anything and everything as "fait accompli.” It may sound rather cruel, but the truth is that most of us have negative work culture and do suffer from a deep-set inertia. Begging and receiving handouts
have become a culture with many ofus, not just the poor alone.
I keep wondering as to what makes us such easy prey to temptations, and to look for the easy way out. It looks as though each one of us is ready to reach the top even before we begin the race. I believe that this could be attributed to two factors. First and foremost, jealousy, and the other, lack of confidence in our own selves, which is driven by a sense of insecurity.
I keep wondering as to why no one to this day ever mustered the courage and the honesty even analyse the shortcomings and the various inherent flaws in our War of Liberation, both pre and postwar times, as though wc are apprehensive that something unpalatable for many of us who stand glorified today may emerge. For example, of late, we are hearing passing remarks on the
authenticity of the number of
people killed or women raped during the nine-month occupation of the country by the Pak army and the actual 13-day war. That is why it is my belief that our independence has turned into an end in itself rather than a means to an end.
Innumerable other "controversies" exist. It is a shame that we are still squabbling over who did what during the War of Liberation. With absolute humility and malice towards none I continue to have this feeling that independence came too early, no matter how heightened the sufferings of the people might have been.
We are yet to understand and appreciate the value and essence of independence and, therefore, we continue to use and abuse it.
I keep wondering as to what it is with us that we continue to talk about democracy at crossroads, at seminars and workshops; hundreds of intellectual discus-
sions and round table talk shows have taken place and yet, time after time, we end up working against, and vandalising, the very
essence of democracy and democratic practices. To top it all, there are those, beginning from the era of Ayub Khan in the then Pakistan, who continue to come up with "new and revised versions" of democracy.
Being a student of history to this day, I have known no other brand of democracy that has worked any better than that advocated by that famous president of USA. Abraham Lincoln, as propounded in his famous
Gettysburg address.
I keep wondering as to why this country has been continually limping since its birth, despite the fact that we have amongst us economists, engineers, historians, planners, and a host of qualified people in many other fields of knowledge, and who are as good as they come anywhere in
the world.
To my thinking, I believe this is largely due to the fact that each one of them is busy basking in the glory of his individual world. There is no conscious effort on their part to disseminate or evenly spread that storehouse of knowledge and information in a concerted and coordinated way through the length and breadth of the society.
I keep wondering about another yet aspect of our nature. I am convinced that we. as a nation, have a serious dearth of patriotic people. Not only that, most of us have little or no concept of "nation" or "nationhood." 1 have often felt that we are nothing more than a congregation of people locked in a delta. Let us face it, most of us are incapable of any collective thinking for collective good.
Shamsher Chowdhury is a columnist for The Daily Star.