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Righteousness not sin

Martin Adhikary
Leadership is primarily the responsibility of faithful stewardship. Stewardship is the faithful use of all resources and opportunities that is within the care of the government. It is entrusted with the sacred responsibility of profitably using all the resources - man, material, merit -- for the fulfillment of the hopes and drcams of the people.
Doing that is extremely difficult in a context where democratic principles and culture are still at a basic level.
One basic tenet of a true democratic society is "Righteousness." It is acting justly in real life situation. Amos, Micah and Isaiah cried out for justice for their people and decried external ceremonial cleanliness. Not acting or living justly is sin.
An elected government's supreme responsibility is to ensure that justice to people is maintained. It is a challenge for our new government to create and promote the environment where authentic righteousness, especially for the poor and helpless millions, is ensured in every aspect oflife.
Our country is a developing one where around 80% live below the poverty line. Like poor people in any other nation they get exploited and are deprived of their due share in the resources and opportunities.
By the end of 1990s, 20% of the world's people living in the rich countries had 86% of the world's income; the bottom 20% had only 1% of the world's income. By the end of the 20 th century, the top 20% received 75 times the income of the bottom 20%.
Currently, 90% of the world's income is owned by the top 10% people and the 90% poor people own only the remaining 10%. So justice for them is of greatest priority. We might recall that already we have crossed half of the time-frame for the Millennium Development Goals, whose number one goal is Poverty Eradication.
With the national election, we have reached a kind of bend on our path to the realisation of our vision for a nation where all people will live in human dignity. This is a berid. hot an efrtf. We need to’ tak£ the right turn towards materialising our vision. The mahajote government will do well if it
can capitalise on the mandate that the nation has given to It to lead us towards justice, peace and progress.
It is nice to remember that army chief General Moyeen U. Ahmed spoke about skillfully using the 30 crore hands of our 15 crore people for ensuring our economic growth and progress.
This can only be ensured if there is good governance, valid and pro-people planning, and leadership of people with integrity and righteousness. What is of significance is the patriotism manifested by what is in our heads and in our hands, and used in our honesty. I remember that when I was a young boy there was a social club at Barisal town named, "The 4-H-Club." The 4 Hs stood for head, hand, heart and honesty. I believe that nation can truly advance with these Hs in every area oflife.
One can say that the election results proved the truth of what David, one of the greatest ancient rulers and also a prophet, said: "I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more, though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cutoff." (Psalm37:35-38).
This scripture should be paid attention
Reverend Martin Adhikary is Director of Advocacy and Promotion of the Leprosy Mission Bangladesh.
to by everyone as these words were not written for any particular group or people with any particular political adherence, but for all people.
I am concerned about the moral and ethical values of any religion. We Bangladeshis are outwardly very religious. But unless the human values of any refigion are in practice in our mundane fife nothing will improve.
Around 80% of the people five in poverty, while there Is a microscopic minority getting richer? Among the plethora of the Issues and challenges that the new government faces, bringing down prices of food items is of immediate concern.
The independence, not merely separation, of the judiciary from the executive branch, rural electrification, and pro-people investments in health and education sectors are by no means of small significance. Population control, reduction of unemployment, corruption in high places, and establishing rule of law are also areas of great priority.
Food eats up the lion's share of incomes. People have not forgotten that the Awami league had kept food prices low during its last tenure.
We are much more confident in our newly formed government than before. We heartily congratulate them as they have been given the responsibility to manage the affairs of the nation . We are encouraged by the political acumen and by the recently made statesman-like speeches of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. We only long to see the pre-election promises translated into action. We wish them all Godspeed.
***I am concerned about the moral and ethical values of any religion. We Bangladeshis are outwardly very religious. But unless the human values of any religion are in practice in our mundane life nothing will improve.***