Sons and Sinners
Some were returning from their morning walks, some were finishing breakfast, and some were simply reading the print posts. And suddenly there was a lot of noise.
Gun shots don’t make news in Southasia. Absence of it does. Bangladesh has been happy without armed forces rolling their tanks on the streets for quite some time now. In spite of the two years of apparent army backed rule, we have returned to democracy. There’s a new cabinet and there’s certainly a new consciousness. Let me also not rule out pride. When we say: Bangladesh is not Pakistan; most Bangladeshis take pride in that statement. Neither do we use religion in our defence nor have we allowed anyone to trample our own people in the name of war against terror. But yes, we too have had disappointments. We have had corrupt politicians raping our possibilities; we have had greedy elites hogging on to all that they could lay their hands on; we have had rhetoric of ridicule. Yes, we have suffered misrule, dishonesty and abuse. But people still want to make choices. Tonight, when most of the BDR jawans surrender, when more dead bodies surface, when one bulletin after another reports disasters, we all need to make a choice tonight. Who do we choose tonight: sons or sinners?
On the 25th of Feb, 2009 the Border Forces of Bangladesh revolted against the Armed Forces, killed more than fifty, wrecked the homes of the many army personnel and did what they wanted to do. They complain of discrimination. Their voices were apparently never heard; apparently they were unsung heroes; apparently they were tortured; apparently they were treated like the children of a lesser God. Therefore they decided to overthrow the God of their own conscience and they issued themselves licences to kill, loot and rape.
Elachi, a maid who has been with the family for long 18 years, made the most profound statement of all. While I was ready to leave for the office this morning, she said: “They are acting like the Pakistani army, khalamma. They are repeating ’71.”I agreed…
Thanks to the political wisdom of the Prime Minister the situation has been so far politically handled. But while I blog now, the army still stands positioned on the streets of Dhanmandi, ready to move into the BDR headquarters. Will they make a move? If they do, will the cycle of violence re begin?
The prime minister’s passionate speech provided a few rebels with a quick exit. Few have laid their arms down. Few have escaped. And only about a hundred and fifty are inside, still swearing vengeance. The home minister pacified them; addressed them as our sons.
A few sons of ours have played dirty with blood. A few have given in to greed, lust and power. Many are sinners. Let us not forget that there are mothers in this land who sent their sons to fight the enemy in 1971; there are mothers in this soil who handed their own sons over to law when they strayed; there are mothers who still shun fear and sing freedom.
There are indeed choices to be made tonight. Therefore, let the trial begin…
10:04 pm,
Feb 26th, 2009
