Words & Bites

“The High Court giveth and the Appellate Division taketh away.”

This week, we observed how another decision of the High Court got over turned by the Appellate Division. We hear, a number of “rogue” benches in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court have become a constant source of embarrassment for the present Caretaker Government. In several recent high profile cases we have noted this cat and mouse game of control versus independence of the higher judiciary. This is how, critics say, the highest court of the country consistently upheld the Caretaker Government’s wishes in the end, in case after case. They quip - ‘the High Court (serving the Law) giveth and the Appellate Division (serving the Caretaker) taketh away.’ The interesting factor common to all these over turned decisions is that in each of them, “the Government always wins in the end.” Statistically, that is very odd.
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Thank you Mash for another excellent blog.

I liked your point on government losing its legitimacy to govern. But again, this government never had any (ie, legitimacy) to begin with, no matter how hard some of our Constitution-gurus tried to convince us otherwise. I am one of those who were sceptical from the beginning. I never believed, even for a fleeting second, that anything good could come out of this so called Mili-Biz-Mullah sponsored Caretaker rule.

Last week, Imran Khan wrote somewhere: “when democracy is flawed, the solution is more democracy, not Military rule.” I am pained to see that many of our democracy and human rights stalwarts in Bangladesh civil society have forgotten this simple truth. It is difficult enough putting up with Moeens-Fakhruddins appearing on national television with their arrogant sermons on how should democracy be in Bangladesh. At least we can try to see that in perspective, expecting nothing better from them. But it becomes really unbearable when we have to endure watching people like Prof Muzaffar Ahmed or Prof Anisuzzaman cheerleading for the Caretaker Government with Armed Forces prompting from the wings. The other day, one of my friends used the term “shona-pondit” [coined by Humayun Azad] to describe these fallen teachers. (I miss Humayun Azad–his incisive mind, and his unforgiving tongue–at a time like this).

Thank God that we had Tasneems, Choleshs and Anwar Hossains. They represent the best in our people that cannot be silenced or broken or purchased. Where would we be today without them?

I hope (and I know) this whole ordeal would only make Tasneem stronger and give him the necessary resolve to carry on his work. Being an atheist, I do not have any God to pray to. If I had, then I probably would have made an exception for Tasneem and everyone like him.

Please forgive my imperfect prose. Some events are so big in one’s life that only poetic constructions can do justice to them. In our life, the year 2007 was full of those. . .

When “1-11” became a part of our political vocabulary, the rest of 2007 became a year of rhetoric. It became the year of euphemisms, lost hopes, missed opportunities. It became the year of big talks, big lies, big deceptions. It was the year when lines became blurred: between civil and uncivil society, between progressive and reactionaries, between pro and anti liberation forces. It was the year, when we saw our democracy stalwarts flirting with neo-colonial masters, Generals and fundamentalists.

2007 was the year of many surprises; it was also the year when we forgot how to be surprised. In many ways, it was the year of the veteran Lawyer, of the Editor, of the Economist, of the Bureaucrat and of course, of the General (who became one without fighting a single war). It was the year when masses became invisible, forgotten.

It was the year when many switched sides going to the “other” side, many came forward carrying darkness as flags of honour around their necks; and others took the centre stage serenading the darkness that is slowly creeping into our lives.

In some other ways, it was also the year of the indigenous leader, who did not trade his life with the rights of his people; of the teachers who once again have shown the world that conscience is not a commodity; of the tortured journalist who reminded us of the best that still remains in our people, giving meaning to words like professionalism, courage and integrity; of the cartoonist thrown in prison for the sin of sharing a joke; of the students who reminded us of what we all were once–courageous, brave, and honest–without a care in the world.

I was eagerly counting moments; I don’t any more. 2007 changed that. A new countdown has begun . . .