Home  -  Back Issues  -  The Team  Contact Us
                                                                                                                    
Linking Young Minds Together
     Volume 1 Issue 16 | November 26, 2006 |


  
Inside

   News Room
   Spotlight
   Feature
   Academician    Speaks
   Travelogue
   Science Feature
   Medical Feature
   Book Review
   Movie Review
   Classic Corner

   Star Campus     Home


Feature

Random Rambling

Dazed and Confused

Once upon a time, in a domain not so far away, there was a King. A spineless, pushover of a monarch torn between two feuding queens. The queens, lets call them Shuorani and Duorani were after the same thing the royal crown and sceptre (and needless to mention ensuring their offspring inherit the throne). But what becomes of the humble masses?
Between the warring harpies, how do the loyal subjects get by? According to rules of war, they must pick sides. But whom do they pick and what are the consequences? It's damned if you do and damned if you don't. Most importantly, does the fate of the common man ever change?
I remember my grandmother's bedtime stories from (you guessed it right) Thakurmar Jhuli. If Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder was (un)fortunate enough to be alive to day in Bangladesh, he might have given his fables a different twist.
Yes, we seem to have done away with the royal crowns, golden sceptres and the Mayoor Shinghashan but could we truly abolish monarchy. If so, why our only options for head of the state are people related to deceased political icons. And that is apparently their only qualification, as they have never demonstrated any skill necessary to run a country. It's a monarchy of a different kind, “political inheritance”, if you will. Some pundits, pseudo intellectuals and constitution-nerds are probably grinding their wisdom tooth at this moment (or not, this is after all a magazine for students, fortunately) while reading this. But I needed an outlet to vent my anger, my frustration and desperation.
I admit, I like Dhaka traffic-free but I'll have to be a grade-A moron to be ecstatic that I could only attend 7/8 classes since last Eid (including Friday classes which I and most of the my fellow students absolutely loathe). Finals are supposed to take place next month and most of us students have no idea what in hell's kitchen is going on and what is about to happen.
I'm sure our “altruistically benevolent” political leaders are gravely concerned for our future. Seeing how their sons and daughters are either done with their studies, or don't have the need to pursue higher studies or are overseas concentrating on their prestigious degrees, I'm sure our leaders don't get much shut-eye at night (of course, during the day they have to focus on mudslinging and be at each other's throat).
On a totally unrelated note walls of a school next to my home is being covered with posters; delightful posters brought out by political parties, each more graphic than the other, to highlight atrocities and heinous crimes by their rival parties. I'm surprised school-going children don't turn out to be psychopaths or sadistic serial killers, being exposed everyday to images of punctured skulls and severed bodies.
When will our politicians grow up and realise their political opponents can be considered "competitors", not "sworn enemies" and spare the common man from their lethal farce to take over the state?


An open letter to our President

Dear respected President,
I am surprised to find that you being a teacher can actually allow all
this happen to the students of this country. It makes me a little hesitant to say that your inaction is costing us our precious time. We have been trapped in an unthinkable situation for quite long now. Our regular class schedules have been called off as we have fallen victims to the exploitation of the political parties. This crisis is doing irrevocable damage to our future lives. It is putting our natural academic progress in jeopardy thereby causing us to lag behind others. Many of us were preparing for significant tests to enter higher academic levels but things have come to a standstill at the moment. If we are forced to remain unproductive in our day to day activities in such a way then it will be beyond the realm of reason in paving our way to success.
Now then, my question to you Sir is, will you stand up and take responsibility for our loss? If not then why wouldn't you disentangle the subjects of dispute? We want to go back to our classes and put aside all the turbulence that is materializing everyday.
You possibly have no idea how the student community is desperately clinging to hope, like cliffhangers, that you would come forward to end this state of affairs in whatever way you can.

Thank you in anticipation.
Sarah

 

Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2006