Belying those hopes the monga has again hit the area also this year. The authority also is routinely back with its 'usual feature' theory. And an Eid also is approaching fast, as if, to add insult to injury. The gala Iftars witnessed in city hotels and posh public places are indications of what the Eid extravaganza would be liked. But the backdrop against which the Eid would be around makes it difficult for the traditional spontaneity and universality of its festivity to prevail. In the meantime monga is not typical northern district phenomenon any more. It has bared its fangs also in the cities where with the soaring prices of the essentials, the city dwellers are gasping to make their both ends meet.

A 'sun-shine' theory was invented to explain some aspects of this monga but it did not click. With plenty of sunshine available little succor was afforded to the poor. The crux of the matter is our terrible socio-economic distortion. This is a country of dirt poor in squalor and super rich afloat in a few islands of plenty. Here the streets have either flashy cars or destitutes. None ever addressed this socio-economic aberration -- not even the firebrand ideologues of socialism. At first opportunity most of them climbed up the social ladder leaving the weaks in the lurch.

Our leaders might have tried to absolve their crisis of conscience by calling monga an usual feature of North Bengal at this time of the year, but the nagging question persists. What did they do to change those features for umpteen years the monga-hit people have been suffering with? The Dhaka-dwellers seldom wanted to miss the finest quality rice of North Bengal without caring to improve the lot of its producers. What a dichotomy! The same dichotomy prevails in big cities where a class of people has gone mad with their shopping spree in dazzling shopping malls displaying lehenga worth Taka two and half lakh while another class ploughs through the cities' rubbish bins. Couldn't there be a social engineering to strike a social balance in some way?

The people of this country always fought for social justice and equity if not for doctrinaire socialism. The idea had been to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. It is, however, an irony that the gap only widened. So much so that the disparity had seldom been so blatant and naked in the past. The country boasts of sound macro-economy but the country's economic life is in a mess. Where only the crimes thrive dispelling an ambience of festivity. Yet an Eid of sorts will be enacted even in this country.

We will forget the pangs and pains of the routine and join the charade of celebration, notwithstanding continuing law and order problems, soaring prices, ever raging corruption, a restive society, political repression and an arrogance of power.

There are already rulings that the law and order has improved, prices are stabilised and things are already within purchasing power of the people. Things are hunky-dory but for the opposition's perfidy. One can contradict the rulings only to buy problems.

While the Eid will be show-cased in the government functions, official receptions and prayers in Eidgah, we can not lag behind in celebrations, whatever may be the cost involved -- moral and material.

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.