Political methodology
A Husnain, Dhaka
The other day I found on the drawing room table a photocopy of a textbook on Methodology in Research, taught in a private university, as used by a student. It was originally published (in a neighbouring country) in 1985 and underwent a couple of reprints and updates. But I was rather surprised to find no chapter on systems analysis, and the chapter on the use of computers in research methodology was restricted to half a page only.As a regular reader of newspapers, the idea crossed my mind (as a citizen trying to keep himself informed) how the mature political leaders themselves used methodology and systems analysis on improvement of local political culture, considering the overuse of hartal philosophy. The latter is now having a negative effect on the general public, through an overdose (like too much salt in the curry). Therefore my request to the local analysts is to clarify this technical problem to the citizens and voters; so that the bad politicians are discouraged to remain in the field. Public service is plain enough to grasp without going into the technicalities of actual methods, as practised in the civil service, and by the NGOs and the business companies and corporations and other public-oriented organisations. It is rather confusing to read that even the leadership in the powerful developed countries make mistakes in their foreign and other policies, not to speak of countries like Bangladesh (which has earned the latest foreign title of being the most dangerous country in Southeast Asia for journalists; after successive retention of the infamous title of the most corrupt country in the world). It appears there is something basically wrong in the political culture and science applied in these modern times; and new and varied political and economic solutions are being forcefully imposed on the DCs and LDCs. The tempo has quickened, and new energy sources and resources are being grabbed right and left by the experienced exploiters. Back to the hartal culture. We have seen the quit India and quit East Pakistan movements against foreign masters. The technique has to change for internal fight among the political parties all for the sake of the nation or country. But the old leadership appear to have half-closed minds and are reluctant to whip up the emotions of the masses through new ways of decreasing the systems losses we have been experiencing three decades after independence. How to make the errant political leaders listen to sane proposals?
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