Intolerance unlimited
Mohammad Ali Sattar
Following the uproar in the Parliament centering the communications
and the finance minister some quarters expected that the prime
minister this time would come up with corrective measures against the
non-performing ministers. Many thought that she could ill-afford to
pass up the resentment expressed by senior party leaders and alliance
members in the house, in full glare of the TV cameras, watched by the
whole nation.
But there were others who feared the opposite. Their fear came true.
The PM took her time and came back hard to censure those who
criticized her ministers for failures. She had been blunt and clear.
Without mincing words she made it known that she did not take pleasure
in the act of some party colleagues highlighting the lapses and
failures of her blundering ministers. She asked them not to magnify
the failures'. She also urged them to talk about achievements also.
I couldn't agree more with the honorable PM. Successes also deserve
mention and those should also be made public. But the fact is
miniature achievements have been overshadowed by much bigger lapses.
If her ministers have been criticized she ought to have taken it in
good grace, this could have been a departure from the rituals of
praising the sycophants.
The Awami League government finds itself in uncomfortable
circumstances, for sure. Law and order situation has taken a turn for
worse, police atrocities have risen, mob lynching has gone up at
alarming rate, tendency to take up law in own hands have risen, the
law enforcers have been failing to deal with situations, traffic
system has almost come to a standstill, highway deaths have increased
due to reckless driving, road and rail communications is in doldrums,
corruption in BRTA, Rajuk and other government agencies goes on
unabated, political oppression has been ruthless and the parliament
remains an one-sided business.
In the economic front, the market price of basics is out of control,
capital market is in a haze and we still remain a heavily import
-oriented economy.
Besides, there has been a deliberate attempt by the government to drag
almost everything and everyone to court for settling matters that
could otherwise be handled politically or through normal
administrative procedures.
There's not much concerning our foreign policy, except for
transactions with India. The regime had been busy with deals between
the two governments. The transit issue has created a storm. This needs
to be resolved and made clear in 'clearer terms'. The people have the
right to know and the government is obliged to make no secret of the
deal.
Performances in education and agriculture sectors have been commendable.
Apart from these two, we do not find any area with which we can be
pleased about. Rather the unrest and frustration among the people is
palpable. Impatience and intolerance have crept in our lives; most
damaging is the loss of confidence in rule of law and faith in the
politicians.
The upshot is explicable. There is a portentous sign of total
breakdown of social systems at some point of time. Something needs to
be done to put the brakes to prevent the final plunge.
If the government is not to blame for this, who else is? The
ministries are all in state of confusion and appear tentative. If the
Prime Minister is planning to achieve her political and economic
goals, can she make do with these ministers at the helm?
If the ministers have come under fire, there must be reasons, and the
PM should know better. Instead of defending them she should have taken
them to task.
The PM has once again let go another opportunity to act
democratically. She should have shown tolerance to the critics and
taken a forbearing view of those. She could have created an instance
of upholding democracy, which is absent in our leaderships. The
opposition might have also learnt a few lessons.
She preferred to stand on the wrong side. Her stance will not help her
party and country's politics. By siding with the middle-of-the-road
ministers she has inflicted wounds on herself.
The writer is Assistant Editor, The Daily Star. Email: malisattar@hotmail.com
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=200698
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