Mom Raped

Nidhu Bhusan Das : A mom, the other day, reported she had been raped at gun point. Courageous lady, no doubt. She is gallant and haunts night clubs, leaving her daughters back home. She enjoys life to the last lees, and knows she has freedom, unlimited. In the republic all have freedom. Everyone enjoys it if (s)he has the capacity. The estranged mom has that capacity. In her FIR she named the rapist and his accomplices. But the named persons were not on the scene, one of them studies in Canada. How come, she named them! She filed the FIR five days after the alleged incident. Why is the delay? She reasons: ‘I was traumatized; I was in constant fear… receiving calls threatening dire consequences if I go to the police.’ Well, it may so happen. It is natural criminals try to scare the victims off the police for their safety. The mom was within her right to go to the night club at midnight for pleasure or, what they call ‘chilling’. She might have the need for chilling because she is estranged. ‘Mom, it was not right you agreed to be in their car for a lift. You are wise enough…. Even then! I cannot understand,’ remarked her elder daughter, puzzled. ‘Stop sermoning, you …you pig! Try to understand,’ she retorted. In a night club ambience, strangers could become friends, under the dim lights, in sync with the suitable dance and music, and under the influence of liquor. Her daughters know she is fond of liquor. The mom is well within her right to sip liquor. The government has the duty to protect inebriated ladies, and escort them back home in the wee hours to safeguard their civil right in such cases. In a republic everyone should be protected. The mom did not ask for protection. She thought she was safe with them whom, subsequently, she arraigned, though her naming them was found wrong after CCTV footage was checked by the detectives. Why was the mom wrong, ab initio, in identifying the wrong doers? Maybe, they impersonated for obvious reasons. If it is so, the mom, arguably was not in intimate relations with them for a long time. It is possible they became bosom friends only that night during the orgy. The mom is within her right to befriend anyone during a drunken orgy. Yet she was raped. It is correct to have pleasure at a night club but it is incorrect to rape a lady who is a participant in the orgy. This is not a civilized behavior permissible under the law which allows night club culture. What has been done to the mom is a criminal offence. The mom has been brutalized. The media glare is on the incident. A lot of space and air time are allotted to focus on the issue. Some opinion leaders have raised the issue of many moms raped repeatedly in rural areas during their anti-government agitations for protecting their land under plough and wondered why the media were not as generous then as they are now. They indicate it has been so because the present mom is a socialite while the rural moms have rustic life, and, therefore, do not deserve much attention. Media gatekeepers are a privileged lot and they have the prerogative to decide which is to be foregorunded and which is to be relegated to the background. But the mom has the right to be awarded justice. Also those found culprit must be punished. The rapist and his accomplices have, undoubtedly, committed a heinous crime, whatever be the circumstances. Now what were the circumstances? Let us read the observations of the elder daughter of the mom in her diary the day following the alleged incident of the rape inside a car on the run. She writes: ‘Mom is so cruel. She leaves us every night in the house to have pleasure in night clubs. We feel left out, cannot have sleep. She often returns before dawn. When the door bell rings we are assured she is back. This brings relief. Her boy friends help her up to the door. She has many boy friends. They lick and kiss her in love. She reciprocates. We do not dare to say it is reckless. She is heady, desperate. We believe she can tackle boys. What happened that night is a different story. She did not share it with us. We did not find a difference in her attitude that dawn. She was as usual. She has impeccable capacity to keep to herself what she thinks she should not share. Papa left her because of her habit of going out at night. Papa is unsmart and outmoded …. misfit for her.’ Be it what may, she demands and deserves justice. The culprits must be punished.

Glorious Language Martyr Day

Nidhu Bhusan Das : Bangladesh deserves to be proud of being the embodiment of a linguistic nationalism which replaced the communal nationalism of Pakistan. The emergence of the country forty years ago marked the end of the relevance of the Two-nation theory in East Pakistan. The theory was enunciated by the British to divide the Indians on communal line in their imperialistic interest. The seed of Bangali nationalism germinated precisely on 21 February 1952 when blood was shed to suppress the Language Movement. Since then 21 February is celebrated as Language Martyr Day, fondly called Amor Ekushe. In East Pakistan it was celebrated every year as the day of resolve to be free from exploitation and injustice in the name of religion. Even to-day it is the day of resolve to protect secularism and the values of the liberation war the nation fought in 1971. The famous song – Can I forget the Ekushe February dyed red in the blood of my brethren (AAmi ki bhulite paari aamar bhaiyer rakte rangano Ekushe February) sung on the day tells of the sacred resolve. In fact, February is the month of pride and pledge for the people of Bangladesh. It has become the pride of all peoples across the globe since UNESCO declared the Language Martyr Day, the 21st February as the International Mother Tongue Day. For Bangladesh, this month is of great pride for it symbolizes their sacrifice for the prestige of their mother tongue Bengali. They have the rich heritage of shedding blood for awarding the mother tongue it's due place of honor as a state language. When soon after the founding of Pakistan it was announced that Urdu 'shall' be the state language of that country, the people of East Pakistan protested vehemently. As the Pakistan Government did not heed to the protest the language movement continued to gain in momentum and culminated in the martyrdom of students in Dhaka. The Language Movement and the Martyrdom are a milestone in the history of the growth and evolution of Bangali Nationalism which ultimately led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 through a nine-month war of liberation in which India played a historical role. The language movement, in course of time, graduated into a struggle for a distinct national identity of the Bangalis of East Pakistan. They, in the long run, seceded from Pakistan for freedom from economic exploitation, political independence from colonial clutches and cultural emancipation. They had to pay a heavy price as thirty lakh people were killed by the Pakistani occupation army and their collaborators during the nine months of liberation war and many women were raped, physical infrastructure was destroyed. The collaborators are now facing trial before a War Crime Tribunal. Bangladesh had a traumatic period within about four years of her birth when conspirators against secularism and Bangali Nationalism killed the founding father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with his family members on 15 August 1975. After the killing of Bangabandhu and toppling of his government the usurpers changed the basic structure of the Constitution of the country deleting secularism. Besides, the usurpers also indemnified the killers of the father of the nation and rewarded them. Back in power in 1996, the Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the surviving elder daughter of Sheikh Mujib instituted cases against the Bangabandhu killers. They were charge sheeted. The trial could not be completed before they were out of power. The next regime of BNP-Jamat alliance put the trial of the cases to the back burner. The present alliance government of Sheikh Hasina accelerated the trial and five killers were hanged unto death after the apex court of the country confirmed the death sentence awarded to them by the trial court. Five of the killers are abroad, and the government seeks their extradition. This is the month for taking pledge for the people of the country. They are yet to achieve economic freedom through national prosperity. The national affluence is yet elusive because of the regressive policies pursued by different regimes in the name of Islam. The present government of Sheikh Hasina has sworn to modernize the polity with programs like 'Digital Bangladesh' and bringing back secularism in the Constitution and in real life of the nation. Dhaka has a number of achievements to boast of. Meanwhile, the Unesco declared the Language Martyr Day ( 21 February ) as the International Mother Tongue Day .The SAARC is a reality . The member nations can utilize the forum for mutual gain and individual as well as regional prosperity as they are doing in Europe with their European Union. Not suspicion, but understanding and goodwill can help bring peace and prosperity. Understanding can grow only in a democratic and secular climate. Reverting to secularism Bangladesh is back to the root and can win the trust of the democratic world to it’s advantage insofar as it’s development efforts are concerned. It is heartening that Bangladesh has reinvented itself and can now work for it’s progress and economic growth, instead of being busy with fundamentalist rhetorics and raising war cry against India. Only the spirit of Ekushe February and unity of the secular-democratic forces can prevent attempts at jeopardizing the democratic process. Bangladesh is a nation with prospects because of its rich alluvial soil, manpower and strategic position in South Asia. A good neighborly relation with India can help a lot in making Bangladesh a prosperous nation. The nation should be proud of her secularism at birth and pursue the policy instead of the regressive fundamentalism to be true to the spirit of nationalism which led to the emergence of the country following a protracted struggle.

Glorious Ekushe

Nidhu Bhusan Das : Sixty years from now, on 21 February 1952 they laid down their lives demanding the prestige due to their mother tongue Bangla. They were Rafiq , Jabbar , Barkat , Salam et al. The Pakistan Police pumped bullets into them. Why? They rented the air of Dhaka with the slogan ‘We demand state language status for Bangla.’ Bangalis were the largest speech community in Pakistan. Yet Pakistan Government was arrogant enough to award the status to Urdu, the language of only twelve per cent of Pakistanis. Hence was the protest of the Bangalis of East Pakistan, known earlier as East Bengal. Bangladesh as usual began the month-long celebrations of the martyrdom on 1 February. The emotion and respect the Bangladeshis demonstrate thoughtout the month of February in remembrance of the martyrdom is, perhaps, unparalleled. The Day subsequently inspired in East Pakistan movements for justice and emancipation from exploitation and for cultural freedom. The people of East Pakistan struggled relentlessly for nineteen years more for freedom, and emerged victorious on 16 December 1971 when they breathed the air of free Bangladesh which they achieved after a nine-month war against the occupation army of Pakistan. On that day, under General Niazi 93 thousand strong Pakistan Army surrendered to the joint command of Indian Army and the Freedom Fighters of Bangladesh in Dhaka. However, Bangladesh could not shake off the heritage of Pakistan. On 15 August 1975, some disgruntled elements in the Army killed the founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with his family members, and usurped power installing the murdered leader’s long time colleague Khandakar Mustaq Ahmed as President of the People’s Republic. De facto army rule continued as coups and counter coups followed in the country. The fundamental principles of the constitution of 1972 were jettisoned to give it an Islamic character. The collaborators of Pakistan Army who committed genocide, rape, arson and plunder during the nine- month occupation got entrenched in power politics and spread the message of fundamentalism of the hue of Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Bangladesh today is plagued, inter alia, with the problem of the presence of Islamic extremist organizations like JMB. This, obviously, goes against the spirit of cultural nationalism promoted through the sacrifice of 21 February and subsequent growth of Bangali Nationalism which culminated into the Liberation War and creation of Bangladesh. Religious fundamentalism is an anachronism today when Human Rights find top priority in a civilized society. Bangladesh may, in course of time, atone for the regressive steps of military-fundamentalist dispensation which have pulled back the country, despite her having potentialities for development. She has rich alluvial soil for agriculture, strength of manpower and a strategic geo-political position in South Asia.

The Myth and Aura Will Pass Away

Nidhu Bhusan Das The Mamata myth appears to be waning rapidly after Ms Banerjee has become the Chief Minister of West Bengal. The Chief Minister tends more to play to the gallery than to be serious about steering the state clear of the mess she inherited from the left rule of about 35 years. She deserves credit for the ouster of the Left Front from power. It was she who pulled down the left edifice which once was thought to be impregnable. Her sustained movement against what was seen as left misrule earned her the credibility which ultimately catapulted her to power in the state. Once in power, she is in a hurry to project herself as the Santa Claus to the people, and heaps promise upon promise to keep the people in good humour.Even she squanders money in the form of donations to the clubs of the state and her government organizes gala festivals while roads and highways remain degraded. Siliguri has begun to be illuminated on the occasion of the North Bengal Festival which she will inaugurate at Kanchenjunga Krirangan (stadium) on 10 February next when many roads of the municipal corporation are in terrible condition. The corporation is under their coalition rule. This is like building Tajmahal ignoring the fact that many impoverished subjects were unfed. Mamata is seen to be honest personally. But many of her party men during their eight months in power could have proven that given the scope they could be corrupt and corruptible. They have already had the arrogance which goes with power for those who enjoy power and tend to abuse it. Quite a number of them have become paper tigers and seek to use the media for projecting themselves. This, perhaps, cannot augur well for the party and its supremo. Mamata and her party call their coalition partner Congress the B team of CPI(M) but in case of North Bengal University it is found that they are so far apparently on the same wavelength with CPI(M) in respect of alleged corruptions galore. During their eight months in power, permission could not be granted for filing charge sheet against a registrar against whom the university lodged an FIR during the left rule alleging corruptions involving crores of rupees. This irony of situation may not be without reason, politically significant. If the charge sheet is not filed in time, the case against the person will become infructuous. People, in the know of the affairs of the university, may read the meaning in it in their own way. If Mamata allows scope for such reading and go on with her populism, the myth about and the aura around her will pass away. She may continue in power but will lose authority and goodwill she earned after a long and ceaseless struggle for the cause of the people.