Thoughts of a pessimist

Today’s Lakbima (25th January 2009) revealed a shocking list of media persons and activists who have fled the country fearing for their lives. Some of these people are well renowned and reputed columnists who have taken the hearts of the readers by their immense ability of writing. They were my favorites too. I don’t think they categorically criticized the government, but even if they did so, that’s their own right because this is, as they say, a democratic country. Funniest thing is, amidst all this controversy, even the people who do the shopping for the government are also getting hammered under the mid day sun.

So this is the five star media freedom under the most media-friendly head of the state, eh? If must be so for the bunch of guys who attend the monthly meeting over the breakfast with him to listen to the same old story, ask the same old questions, get the same old answers, nod their heads in same old way, taste a royal meal and go back home. Well, at least that is also some level of freedom for a media person to be able to sit next to the head of the state and bite a hot egg hopper, isn’t it?

However the bottom line is this government, its allies and their supporters do not like criticism nor do they mature enough to cope up with it. All they say is, in the name of this patriotic holy war; everyone should keep their mouths shut. According to them, this government is doing the war right, so everything else is insignificant. In a recent newspaper interview, an opposition MP gave 100% marks to the government for its conduct of the war but 0% marks to everything else including good governance, media freedom, economy, international relations… etc.

But what he (and the most of the public) has forgotten is that the government is hiding nicely behind the curtain of war to cover all its failures, inabilities, corruptions and malpractices. So how come you give 100% to the conduct of war when it is being used as a shield to cover everything else? If you are supposed to shut your mouth and stay away only because the government is doing the war right, how can that war be right at the first place? I don’t understand.

As I can see, every single thing in our society is now linked with the war mentality in one way or the other. If someone looms against you, thinks against you, talks against you or acts against you, the answer is to use the force, attack and somehow get rid of that person. People are no longer ready to discuss, exchange views in a decent manner, listen to what others say, bear alternative thoughts or anything like that. Example set from the helm is to attack and finish. I think we are yet to see the real consequences of the war.