Post-revolution challenges and the new generation’s role in shaping our future
Democracy cannot operate as a simple majority steamroller, as we also saw in the early days of our independence.
The July-August uprising cannot afford to falter in the face of an entrenched opposition within political parties.
The mutilation done to the nation would require more than run of the mill actions or traditional approach.
Isn’t it time for India to come to terms with the reality about its neighbours, particularly about its most strategically located neighbour, Bangladesh?
Reform is not only overdue, but it has also become urgent given the rot that has engulfed the security sector, particularly over the last 15 years of misrule.
Former army chief Moin’s excuse of following the chain of command betrays his puerility at its worst.
The Indian media’s smear campaign began immediately after the hasty departure of Hasina.
It was absorbing to read the very insightful article by an esteemed columnist of this newspaper entitled, “A citizen's expectations from the police.”
There are many reasons that have been offered from time to time and over the ages by a section of the Muslim clergy to keep women ensconced within the four walls of the house, but never has one heard such a comment that girls should not go to school because doing so would make them “disobedient”. This comment was uttered by the head of Hefazat-e-Islam (HI), a person who is known to be well-versed in various aspects of Islam. And that is what makes the statement all the more surprising.
Despite all the shenanigans that had been resorted to, to win the election, we will have a new parliament for another five years.
I had concluded my previous column with the assessment that the Awami League would in no way countenance a situation where the BNP secured the second highest number of seats so that it could not lay claim to being the opposition in the parliament.
There is only one political party in the country that understands and indulges in professional politics. It can think and plan ahead to achieve a predetermined objective (perpetuation of power).
Religion-based parties have a canny method of making political space for themselves and becoming a part of the mainstream political system eventually.
Our trans-port sector can never become what it really is supposed to be—an important people-friendly service provider. That is unless the sector is freed of the political grip influencing, running and shielding it. And that, perhaps, is a tall order.
Nelson Mandela had once said that dialogue is the most powerful weapon at one's disposal. Yet it is surprising to see how often we have abjured the path of discourse and allowed short-sightedness to influence our decisions.
Clearly, there is an absence of sync in the EC, and a palatable lack of internal organisation. Firstly, it seemed unnecessarily evasive about the date of the election.
“We make our friends; we make our enemies; but God makes our next-door neighbour.”
