Democracy Versus Patriotism!

 

A widely spoken text book definition of democracy given by Abraham Lincoln suggest “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”. The definition is self explanatory and as such needs no further interpretation or elucidation. In a democratic dispensation people are the major forces who govern state machinery functioning in right order with accountability. Further, in a democratic dispensation government is formed with democratically elected representatives for certain period of time and after which voting takes place on the basis of Universal Adult Franchise to form a new government for further terms. A democratically elected government can function properly with a majority representatives in the treasury bench and a minority representatives occupying the opposition bench in the parliament. On democracy, Sir Winston Churchill once said: “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time”.

Lexicon defines patriotism as one’s love for his country and unwaveringly support its interest. British Labour politician Neil Kinnock once said: “I would die for my country, but I will never let my country die for me”. Contrarily English poet and critic Samuel Johson once said: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”. In whatsoever way and manner patriotism is defined, patriotism stands as a core value a citizen of the State adhered to unflinching faith and allegiance, on the National Flag, National Anthem, Father of the nation, spirit of Liberation War and other core values of the State. Without recognizing and showing unfettered allegiance to the above, no one can claim to be a true citizen of the nation, let alone forgetting about their democratic rights, no matter whether these kind of people do physically exist in the State or not. After long 23 years of repression by Pakistani rulers, Bangladesh went through an enduring Liberation War for nine months and emerged as an independent Nation State in 1971 under the charismatic leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangladesh got a Constitution in 1972 with four national principles: Democracy, Socialism, Nationalism and Secularism guaranteeing an egalitarian society with equal rights to all citizens of the Republic.

Defeated evil forces who opposed the Liberation War went into hiding and looked for an opportune movement to take revenge with taking Bangladesh again to the road to regression with Pakistani ideals. Three and half year after the independence, defeated evil forces and their foreign allies succeeded to overturn Bangladesh by assassinating the Father of the Nation Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with his entire members of the family except two daughters who were then abroad. Killers, perpetrators, abettors, and beneficiaries of Bangabandhu’s killing surfaced with restoration of a brand of democracy to rehabilitating war criminals and collaborators in the garb and facade of political parties. After the gruesome massacre of Bangabandhu and four national leaders who led the Liberation War in the name of Bangabandhu; the killers, abettors and beneficiaries abhorrently went to the extend of stopping the trials of Bangabandhu’s killers by an Indemnity Ordinance. They ruled Bangladesh for long 21 years with airbrushing the name of Bangabandhu and the spirit of Liberation War thereby blatantly distorting the national history of how Bangladesh came into existence as an independent State. Upon the return of Bangabandhu’s one of surviving daughters Sheikh Hasina from exile in 1981, who took over the helm of Awami League, political scenario started changing. In 1996 under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina people got back the country by electoral process. Black law of Indemnity Ordinance was duly repealed thus opening the judicial process of trials of the killers of Bangabandhu and four national leaders. Enduring judicial process was again lost its tempo and dumped in deep fridge when BNP again came to power in 2001. Awami League regained a land slide victory in 2008 election and duly took the initiative to revive the trials.

After years of judicial process, some killers walked the gallows, while remaining six are still at large in different foreign territories.Government has been taking all out measures to smoke out the killers from abroad to face the verdict of the court which is nothing less then the death penalty they are waiting for. Democratic rights and responsibilities are synonymous to each other. Without responsibilities, democratic rights find no place. Democratic rights are not free licences to anybody to do anything that he deems fit with whims and caprices. In the name of exercising democratic rights like political movement, demonstration, freedom of speeches etc, one cannot indulge in vandalism, loots, arsons, killing and expressing anything derogatory and repugnant to the core values of the State to overturn democratically elected sitting government. Political movement like road blockades, vehicle breaking and arson in the street is not a free license given to any one to trample the rights of others and as such does not fall in the category of democratic rights by any measure.

Bangladesh have had a bitter experience in 2013-15 when bombing, arsons, killing played havoc in the streets of Dhaka and other places in Bangladesh perpetrated by BNP and its political ally Jamat & Shibir causing deaths of several dozens of people and destroying immeasurable public properties. If these kinds of harmful activities are democratic rights of any political party, then political scientists and sociologist must seat back and redefine political and democratic rights for text book reading. We are now a few months away from General Election to be held either in end December 2023 or in early January 2024. Drums of election are now being heard loud in the political firmament of Bangladesh with our foreign friends sporting high-jumps and somersault exhibiting their wanton concern to see a fair and free inclusive election. Government says with responsibility that election will be free and fair within the framework of the Constitution, while BNP and its allies are strict to their demand for an election under a neutral caretaker government, the concept which is no more in place in the Constitution. If the government remain strict to their stand, then, presumably, BNP will boycott the election like 2014 election. Should the situation be like that then the election may be fair and free but will not wear the tag of being inclusive without the participations of BNP and its allies,for which our foreign friends will be, presumably, nagging to give the legitimacy of the election no matter of how free and fair the election will be.

Honorable Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina said recently that non-participation of BNP in the election will not call for questions on the legitimacy of the election, spontaneously participated by the people of Bangladesh in greater numbers. Adage has it: “A burnt child dreads by fire.” Members of the civilian are immensely concerned if any recurrence of 2014 arson and killing comes back in 2024. Following election, if such political impasse takes place, then people of Bangladesh, with all patriotic zeal, should resist all these belligerent activating from happenings. The Nation seem to have been divided into two major camps- one with upholding the spirit of Liberation War, recognizing Bangladesh’s National Flag, National Anthem, recognizing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the nations and other core values of Bangladesh on which Bangladesh rests, while other camp does not recognize Bangabandhu as the Father of the Nation.

They even feel shy to affix ‘Bangabandhu’ before Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as bestowed on him years before the independence of Bangladesh in a mammoth public meeting. It is much disturbing to note that Quomi Madrasas in Bangladesh do not hoist Bangladesh’s flag and sing National Anthem in their premises. It is stupendous to imagine how these people living in Bangladesh be the citizens of Bangladesh. The division between two major camps are ideological in nature which is not to be conjoined even by any magic wand. Only a national reconciliation by recognizing the core values of Bangladesh with patriotic zeal can overshadow the long lasting wound caused by the political devision that inherently refuse to heal. Any subversive activities like looting, killing, arson, road block etc in the name of political movement be banned by law to protect the public and their properties in order to keep the nation unified for all intents and purposes. It is not out of place, at this point, to refer to American Civil War that took place in 1861 fought between the North and the South. To keep the America united without being divided which was in the brink, the father of the modern democracy Abraham Lincoln suspended many democratic rights for certain period of time.

In the same spirit, if any such act that stands as existential threat to Bangladesh, be banned once for all which will not create any dent in our democratic pursuit in governance. It is long 78-80 year since world war 2 was fought and over in 1945. Both Germany and Italy banned Nazi Party of Hitler and Fascist party of Mussolini and that banning still persists and firmly in place in Europe without creating any question mark in democratic practices in those countries of Europe.If anybody ever dares to wear Swastika- emblem of Nazi Germany ,is at once dealt in heavy hand. During our Liberation war, Jamat-e-Islami and other Islamist fanatic political outfits openly opposed the Liberation War and collaborated with Pakistan army and engaged in genocide. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman banned those fanatic Islamist parties after independence.

But unfortunately after the assassination of Bangabandhu, those fanatic Islamists regained ground beneath their feet and engaged in active politics. It is an irony of fate that war criminals like Nizami and Mujahidi who walked the gallows for war crime, were rewarded to flutter Bangladesh’s National Flag in their cars as ministers during BNP-Jamat rule. Further, it is unfortunate to observe with concern that centering on the recent death in custody (hospital) of another war criminal Delwar Hossain Sayedee, who was claimed by his frenzied followers to have been sighted in Moon a few years ago leading to the death of many innocent people in commotion. Islamist activists dared to create havoc on the streets of Dhaka, Chattogram and elsewhere in bright daylight when Awami League, who bears the flambeau and spirit of Liberation War, is in the State power. It is now time to seriously ponder over if so called democratic rights overrides the true patriotic zeal on the basis of which Bangladesh emerged as sovereign independent State at the cost of three million souls. Let our political leaders, activists and overall citizens of the country do not act in a manner so that English poet Samuel Johnson, rising from his grave, does not whisper in our collective ears and conscious any more to say: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”. God bless us.


Mahbubar Rahman is a freedom fighter
 and former civil servant.