Fragmentary thoughts
Prerogative and elimination of terrorists
Shamsad Mortuza writes from London
I follow the British media with awe and respect. In fact, my appreciation for the British nation has grown stronger over the last two years of my stay here. As a student of English literature, I was not a stranger to the 'greatness' of the English. Although with the rise of postcolonial studies, I also became aware of the 'not-so-greatness' of the English. Imperialism aside, I know issues like race, power, gender, sexual-orientation still appear like sores in contemporary British culture. But the semblance of justice and order that the British upholds is rare and should be admired, if not pursued. Take the case of the recent resignation of British Home Secretary, for instance. He was guilty of fast-tracking the visa of his lover's nanny. David Blunkett, esteemed for beating the odds of his poor working-class background and visual impairment, resigned from his post because he intervened in hastening the process of granting a Filipino an indefinite stay in the country. All he did, we now know after an inquiry, was to carry the application given to him by his lover to his office, asked his civil servant assistant to see what's in his coat-pocket, and later enquired in an email about the progress of the application. The Filipino was given the visa in 19 days, which normally takes three weeks to one year. The eye of the storm, however, lies elsewhere. In a classic reminder of Samson and Delilah, David Blunkett, blinded in love, was having an affair with Kimberly Quinn, a publisher of the Telegraph group and also the wife of a Tory media don. During this affair, Blunkett fathered a child and went to the court to gain custody of his two-year old son marking the end of the affair. Kimberly Quinn sought vengeance and vowed to destroy Blunkett's career (The Sun). The adultery of Blunkett was sidestepped. After all, the British are 'enlightened' people. They do not mix the private with the public. So when Kimberly Quinn accused her former lover of obliging to her request of dealing with her nanny's visa, Blunkett himself initiated an inquiry. He was blindly convinced of his own innocence. However, sensing the report would go against him, the Home Secretary resigned. Ken Clarke, a former Tory leader, told the BBC that the media can dog anyone down. But it is "the hypocrisy of the British" that Blunkett didn't have to resign over his adultery but over his lack of accountability. In my country, the unbeaten champion in corruption, such intervention is not a civil offence but a cherished role for any public servant. Whoever has heard of something in my country to happen without a phone-call or a note (pun intended). Fast-track is the only track. I know someone who said he just paid 35,000 taka in order to recover one lakh for a plot that government acquired. Otherwise, the family was told, the process would have taken ages! Everyday at Minto Road, thousands of constituents flock to their local Ministers to 'fast-track' things. They think it is their prerogative! * * * *I say, in private, Iraq is far better off with the British and the Americans. At least these two nations have a system of accountability and transparency, which they can, in theory, replicate in the middle east. I know my proposal is radical, and merit only to be stormed over a cup of tea. Just like I would privately argue that crime in the country would be stopped only if all the criminals are executed publicly in the stadium. This Talibanesque message will deter other criminals from rethinking their next wrong move. Thanks to my enlightened education, I will never say such a thing in public! And it is my educated conscience that will protest any such bid. This brings me to the recent gloating over RAB. Supporting the 'cross-fire' killing by the RAB squad, our state-minister for Home told the parliament, "Terrorists don't have human rights." Although I agree with him secretly, I wonder after such an admission what would be the government's position over Guantanamo Bay, thereby contradicting the Foreign Ministry's view about Guantanamo! I say, taking my cue from the Blunkett affair, if the government wants to wipe out the terrorists through an official crossfire, let it come clean. Serve a dead or alive warrants for the listed criminals. That would give the RAB the license to shoot to kill. And spare the government from the apparently phoney cover-ups. After all, modern man is not worried about what you do, but how you do it! Shamsad Mortuza teaches English at Jahangirnagar University. He is presently doing his PhD at Birkbeck College, University of London.
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