Violence should be kept out of politics. The convention of citizens with different backgrounds has initiated a trend that has a right to grow in the interest of democratic pluralism. The way Oikya Prochesta got off the ground basically meant that the principle of expression of dissent was upheld. This is highly desirable in a democratic dispensation. The ruling alliance should not view political dissent as inimical; rather it should be accepted by them as a natural and logical extension of pluralism in politics.

The speakers at the convention covered a wide range of issues. At least three points made at the meeting should be seen as having unequivocal support of people, regardless of their political affiliations. First, politics of muscle power and black money should be replaced by a merit-based system having an intellectual and visionary content. Secondly, conditions must be created for introducing a political culture of tolerance that will benefit all the parties committed to democracy. Obviously, parliament should be the centre of all political activities. Overall, politics must return to a sound track rather than being a game of attrition and self-destruction.

The leaders of the convention deserve a round of applause for having not taken recourse to politics of hartal and ultimatum, which, needless to say, turns confrontational and tends to be counterproductive.

The points raised at the convention are concerns that have been oft-repeated. However, the value of the initiative lies in the fact that the issues have been articulated from a common platform. Civil society members have also entered the scene to plead the case for ridding politics of criminalisation. There is reason to believe that they have decided to speak out because political activities these days have assumed a marked belligerence that can cause incalculable damage to democratic norms and practices, upheld in theory so vociferously by the politicians but not lived up to.