Question of realization indeed

[This was published in Dhaka Courier  on 14 February 2014]

Mr. Anwar Ali Khan, a man of higher integrity and profile with very colorful banking background (now serving as a General Manager of Bangladesh Krishi Bank), is without a doubt an active citizen. His sense of patriotism and pro-activeness are known to all surrounding him. Sometimes he asks himself what should be his mode of standing to stand by the nation entailing friends, well-wishers, associates, relatives, critics and so on. Should he move at his own or should better he galvanize supports and act in unison to put his thoughts into practice? He is at times very much befuddled at the tricks and ugly plays by the persons with and around him. He is honest, dedicated, transparent and sincere and he aspires so in case of others.  But mathematics, arts and technology being applied by those who matter in politics, administration, business, trades and commerce, teaching, practicing law and statesmanship in particular are off and often so harsh and beyond logic that can hardly be put up with even by a layman. Lines of demarcation between truth and lie, reality and idealism, saying and doing are getting marginal day by day so nakedly and speedily that might, if the truth be told, be a source of returning disorder and degradation for us all as a whole.

Therefore, he, instead of talking to others, rather feels free to murmur to himself:

 ‘Understanding and going into the deep of the overall atmosphere in Bangladesh one can appropriately recall a story in relation to the great scientist Albert Einstein. The story goes as follows: A man, on the whole known to Einstein as dupe, used to come to him from time to time; once he came and saw the scientist was making a cage. After passing a few minutes, he asked Einstein, “What is the use of the cage?” “It shall be used as an abode for birds”, replied the scientist with a habitual indifference. “Why are you making two doors, one is big and the other being small?” he curiously he posed further. “Because the big one should be used by the mother while the small one by the kids” the scientist responded quickly with a common sense that the con might keep mum from his own. “Will the mother and the kids stay in the same space of the confine?” readily he asked. “Yes”, replied the scientist with a sagacity of great satisfaction. “Well, Sir, if they live in the same room what is wrong to use the big one only for the both?” he asked with a very standing determination/assertion. Looking at the man Einstein was really taken aback helplessly for a moment and then just uttered in a stumpy tone,’ ‘that’s indeed an excellent idea. Alas! What a wrong committed I’.

Here the intrinsic truth is that even a scientist of great weight in the vein of Einstein did not feel ashamed of correcting his mistake detected by an ordinary man whom he so long treated merely as a fool. But to our utter surprise, politics in today’s Bangladesh has reached at such an obsessive state wherein all sorts of logic and reasons are being considered simply as hollow and/or execration. Truth, justice and fairness are being swayed by the domains of ills. Animal spirit is running fast and gaining and getting upper hand everywhere. Honesty, transparency, dedication and so on are now being considered as mere stocks in the fool’s box (es). Intelligentsias are necessarily or unnecessarily or voluntarily or involuntarily or recklessly or negligently divided into so many diametrically opposed shades and camps at the same time making and paving ways, avenues, lanes and/or by-lanes wider for mortgage, lease and/or sale of brains and heads even on petite interest(s).  Windows and doors to free thinking mounting above parochialism, cronyism, philistinism and self-centered environs are narrowing down and in the end withering away speedily. Family ties, social bonds and reciprocities, cultural beauty etc are faced with herculean threats and challenges from within and without. More pains-giving is the disappearing phenomenon of century-tested values and essentials, which are vital and pressing for our onward journey to development in the true sense of the term.

Today hardly there we find required courage and vehemence to face challenges and dilemmas starting from personal to group to social standing in almost every sphere encompassing local, national, regional and global perspectives and landscapes. Barely there are very few people who can sound boldly after the spirit of Socrates who did not get frightened to face challenges of death for upholding truth before the court at Athens voicing that ‘the time of our departure has arrived; I to die and you to live and which is better only God knows’. Yes, now it is understandable that Socrates has won through his tragic death by drinking Hemlock, a kind of poisonous drink, following the verdict of the Court. This unfolds the truth that good, better and best most of the time comes latter. Why is this very spirit of Socrates not being repeated in our contemporary context?      

For all these, responsibilities and liabilities may unavoidably to be passed off to the dirty politics seeing that politics of outsmarting, politics of speaking ill of others, politics of obstinacy, politics of vote-rigging, politics of no-democracy within the party structure and politics of no far reaching welfare oriented program inside and outside the domains of government, politics of boycotting of sessions of parliament without explicable cause(s) and effect(s) have cumulatively overshadowed the fate of the nation pushing it further towards an wooly  ‘black hole’. Should not our politicians and statesmen feel tempted also to take lessons from Albert Einstein?’