Chintito

A Ringing of the New

Chintito

Over half a century ago, politics was defined by British publisher Ernest Benn as “The art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.” Imagine that coming from a citizen who enjoyed one of the greatest democracies.

That precisely is the politics our politicians are not expected to practice in parliament, or outside it. They are not entitled to. That is in view of the reawakening of a nation against terrorism, corruption, war criminals and market syndication; the order varies from voter to voter.

No past government or opposition has been as much under the scrutiny of the electorate and the donor countries/agencies as the present. Every move is being watched. How big will the cabinet be? Who will be sworn in as ministers? How many from which division? Who from faction of the grand alliance? Who will be the technocrats in the first thirty?

The primary reason for this excessive, yet necessary, attention is because the country has sacrificed two years of democracy (whatever be its outcome) to gain good governance for eternity.

People of Bangladesh want to live in peace. Bangabandhu summed it up in his memorable 7 March epic speech. People want to do away with violence. They want to share a wholesome meal three times a day with their near and dear ones. And they do not want to be governed by dishonest people singing uchchango sangeet.

As it is we are a nation of critiques. By and large it is our favourite pastime. Unfortunately there is no Olympic event, nor a Test match, on the event, or else the Gold would have been ours for good. We start criticising even before someone has taken over, or given a decision. Our judgement is often premature, and therefore wrong and destructive. If we cannot find anything to say about a person's work we start attacking looks and attire. How unfortunate!

Let not only the politicians shun their negative attributes. Let us lend them a hand so that they cannot go astray. Let each of us behave in our personal and communal life as we expect the MPs, ministers and government to perform. Little drops of water make an ocean, has been said in different ways, in different languages. It is time that each of us deliberately becomes a drop in that ocean, not to become unaccountable but to be prepared to start a wave if and when our conscience so dictates.

On the auspicious occasion when the Mahajote has formed a new government in an environment that reflects the aspirations of 1971, let us conclude with some nice thoughts that is doing their round on the Internet; thanks to the sender.

- If you want your dreams to come true, don't oversleep. Every citizen must do his or her best.

- The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention. Each one of us can make a difference.

-Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important. Let us make each other feel that we belong to the same country, that we are a nation, a proud nation.

- The best vitamin for making friends: B1. Let us befriend our political and business foes.

- The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. Let our thoughts be positive.

-Ideas won't work unless YOU do. We all have to work hard to get what we expect from the government.

-One thing you can't recycle is wasted time. We have wasted enough.

-One who lacks the courage to start has already finished. Let us have the pluck to start good things that help even the poorest.

-The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge. Let us shun them all and look forward with the zeal of ekattur.

-We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves. Let us be truthful, first to ourselves.

-Jumping to conclusions can be bad exercise. Let us give time to our decision makers. Let us not make them restless.

-One thing you can give and still keep is your word. That is easiest thing that we can make hard by selfish ambitions.

-A friend walks in when everyone else walks out. Let that friend be you, walking in.

AND FINALLY...
- The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! The pursuit shall not cease.

Let us not look for trouble, find out whether it exists or not, diagnose it incorrectly, and apply the wrong remedy. We are where we are because we have been doing all that for a very long time.

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