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PLEASURE IS ALL MINE

Bullfight outlawed, our fight is on

Henry Adams, the famous US historian and writer said: "Politics has always been a systematic organisation of hatreds." In our context, the hatreds are neither systematic nor organised, and, therefore, only self-destructive.

Shah Husain Imam
Actually, there are only two classes in Bangladesh: the voters and the voted. The voted forget their obligations to the franchise once they are saddled in power or in the opposition.
An exception to the general amnesia or anesthesia, if you like, towards voters' sensibilities does occur, though. The ruling party balks at taking hard decisions (that could benefit the majority), lest they lose out votes. This is an inverse deference to a certain voter sensibility and are, therefore, not benign.
If a party comes to power with a two-thirds or even greater majority, it develops a sense of self-righteous entitlement to all it surveys. This in no time translates into arrogance of the executive. The law enforcement agencies turn into coercive arms of the state and lower judiciary in particular becomes vulnerable to the influence of executive authority.
That is why we see Home Minister Sahara Khatun claim the law and order situation is the best in the last ten years. The law minister adds, disappearances had occurred before and that because the press is more transparent (implying freer) now, the disappearances are taking up more news space.
That is why again, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan speaks of opening a centre for training journalists, adding if he resigns three million workers will
follow suit.
Is it a reflection of what Margaret Thatcher had once said: "I don't mind how much the ministers talk as long as they listen to me?"
The opposition, on the other hand, roots for popular support for toppling a legally constituted government by taking to the streets and not the parliament. Their constituencies are left effectively unrepresented in the Jatiya Sangsad. Such a denial cannot be made up for by street demonstrations which are not the stuff of which alternative concept of governance in a democracy is made.
Both the major political parties claim that the people are behind them and that they do everything in the best interest of the
public. Nothing can be the farthest from truth.
Which people are they talking about? An empirical arithmetic shows that their people are their fixed vote banks. The right-of-centre and far-right-alliance and left-of-centre and left parties have more or less equal share of votes. This is true, in spite of the 14-party Awami League alliance getting a three-fourths majority and the BNP-Jamaat tallying
just one-third, that too inclusive of independents. The electoral results clearly show that even in case of a landslide victory of one party over the other, the margin of difference in the votes polled by the vanquished and the winning candidate is extremely narrow. That explains the 32% vote tally of the BNP during the last poll despite their paltry 30 seats in parliament.
So they should not basically be claiming as they often do that the entire people are with them. This travesty is not encountered in any working democracy in the world. We are unique in overstating our claims.
There is no question for them to wean away a single vote or at least a difference-making headcount, from their hardcore vote banks.
It is the crucial 20% of the voters, mostly younger generation who carry no baggage, that make or mar the political fortunes of a party in the general election. Politicians should bear that in mind while opening their mouths or acting out party approaches. Winning their hearts and minds calls for a world-
class performance either in the government or in the opposition so the table could be turned on each other. It is a no nonsense reality the AL and the BNP need to live up to.
Henry Adams, the famous US historian and writer said: "Politics has always been a systematic organisation of hatreds." In our context, the hatreds are neither systematic nor organised, and, therefore,
only self-destructive.
The caretaker government red rag to the BNP and the Awami League is a simmering provocation for a "bullfight." The difference between the cruel sport in Spain, since-outlawed, and its political version in Bangladesh is self-evident. Those in the visitors' gallery in Bangladesh sense a certain doom in contrast to the actual bullfight spectators who would have staked money and excitement in the fighting arena for. Anyway, bullfight is getting out of fashion in its home country, but the political version of it has yet to in our country.
On the subject of caretaker conundrum, let me sound an optimistic note: It is asserted by the critics that the AL has overused its mandate of an overwhelming parliamentary majority by unilaterally striking the CTG provisions out of the statute book. By the same token, the ruling party can now use its mandate to undo the change and earn the gratitude of the nation. They would still abide by the SC verdict which has allowed for retention of caretaker system for the next two terms if they opted for it with a huge lot of goodwill gains.
This can be a good confident beginning in addressing a whole series of reform and reconstitution agenda that will have to be addressed if we are to clear the way to a peaceful transition of power.
The writer Is Associate Editor, The Daily Star.
E-mail: husain.imam@thedailystar.net