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Attitudinal deficits in our fledgeling democracy

Muhammad Nurul Huda
***STRAIGHT LINE
What, however, should engage our thoughts in the wake of the present efforts of transformation, is the nearly all pervasive attitude of tentativeness in every establishment effort to innovate or contain or arrest systemic deficiencies. Without doubt, such tentativeness has an adverse impact on the staying power of democracy.***
CYNICAL observers of the current Bangladeshi political scene entertain grave doubts about a real change in the style and substance of politics in so far as desirable democratic governance scenario is concerned. Their continued pessimism is not without ground as hapless Bangladeshis sadly watch their guardians unmoved despite the combined onslaught of logic and reason, law and fact.
Politically speaking, the current scene is not the first instance when otherwise responsible and erudite people have talked irrelevantly and irreverently The tragedy is that we are forgetting that democracy, with freedom of opinion and opposition is not the nonnal way of organizing society but is a rare human achievement In our environment, many citizens may appear un-dimensional but our political leaders have no excuse for being so perilously un dimensional. They have to act as catalyst The responsibilities, which today lie on their shoulders are far greater than at any earlier time in our history.
We seem to be oblivious that law moves on a unique plane and that a lawful society reflects man's sense of order and justice. Such society embodies rules and traditions that have a binding effect and provide the enduring element, the dimension of permanence, in history. We cannot have a government without order and there can be no order without law. Viewed tn the above context, there is no doubt that the country is in the midst of a serious crisis and the premonition is that the downward slide to dangerous uncertainty may have commenced.
The country is now sharply and dangerously polarized with political adversaries bent upon maligning each other. The language of reason and moderation is absent while there is hardly any trace of tolerance. This, however, does not come as a surprise as forebodings of a perilous polarization were there for any keen observer to realize. One feels constrained to comment that the country is held hostage to the partisan ambition of an immoral and acquisitive class whose kleptocratic instincts are no secret.
The defenders of the constitution would not admit the manifest reality that during the last couple of years institutions like general admin -istration, police, election commission, public service commission and judiciary have been politicized and made partisan thereby rendering the holding of impartial election extremely
difficult. One has to find out why desperate attempts are still being made to somehow return to political power. The unfortunate reality is that while sinister politicians have gone full speed on the self-defeating course of sabotaging the state institutions to serve their selfish interests, the saner elements have miserably failed to inform and activise the polity about the real threats to our fledgling democracy. The enormity of the issue has not been realized and appreciated. Altruism has hardly been the virtue of our politicians.
Even the pessimists have to admit that the commendable reform venture of the present government has brought to the fore the large scale deviations and malfunctioning that have taken place in our body-politic. Irregularities
and waywardness have been so deep and corrosive that unless sustained efforts are continually made to restore normalcy and propriety, in at least the domain of public affairs, it may not be possible to ensure decent living in a civilized society.
Paramount importance needs to be attached to the repair and rebuilding of vital institutions that nourish and nurture a democratic society. Collapse will overtake our country if our institutions, particularly the political ones do not acquire durability through experience and tradition.
Successful democratic experience indicates that we cannot be truly free without doing away with ignorance. We have to realize that our leaders have to rebuild and also produce the
required institutions for doing the needful. In course of time, those institutions will produce the leaders.
One may reasonably ask as to what has happened to our nation-building institutions, particularly the educational institutions that will generate excellence? Some say that in Bangladesh, instead of establishing excellent educational institutions, we have downgraded and devalued the fine universities, which existed when we became a republic. It would only be stating the obvious to comment that meaningful democracy would be impossible without literacy and education and that the absence of earnest efforts in this regard will help the vested quarters to continue to benefit from public ignorance.
The politicians and the media had complained that higher judicial appointments have been given to persons who are suspected to subscribe to the notions of the ruling party. Therefore, it would be prudent to recognize the underlying moral, political and constitutional implications of such gross indiscretions. It is perhaps time to initiate corrective measures to effectively halt the irregularities and hold aloft the majesty of judiciary in public interest.
In fact, the present government has already effected key personnel changes in sensitive regulatory institutions. The staffing pattern, entry qualifications, domain of responsibilities and related matters in constitutional posts require scrutiny before formalisation.
What, however, should engage our thoughts in the wake of the present efforts of transformation, is the nearly all pervasive attitude of tentativeness in every establishment effort to innovate or contain or arrest systemic deficiencies. Without doubt, such tentativeness has an adverse impact on the staying power of democracy.
Sadly, politics has been debased to low ends and has unfortunately become a mean pursuit instead of a high adventure. It has been used as a means of livelihood instead of being pursued in the grand manner so as to afford opportunities for a full and fulfilling life. Since our major political parties are not desirably committed to share principles of constitutionalism, we may have to wait for the working class and the peasantry to organise political parties and stronger social movements to push for social equality and justice for ensuring true progress.
Muhammad Nurul Huda Is a columnist for The Dally Star.