The prescient red and green
Syed Saad Andaleeb
Prescient it may have been in the choice of colors, but the story of Bangladesh is right in front of our eyes, in red and green, fluttering in the wind -- proud, vivacious, graceful, and eagerly waiting for its sons and daughters to step up and fulfill the dream of freedom promised in 1971. Yes, it is our flag, our pride, our honour, and our heritage, born on March 26 from the dark and heinous activities of a duplicitous, hateful, intolerant, and cruel regime. In her flaming red ambience, she tells the story of this nation's cataclysmic birth and the fiery sundown of external oppression; of the blood of the Muktis and the language martyrs; of the saga of conflict and hate in the nation's political landscape; of the anger and suffering of the multitude; of the hunger pangs of the withering child. She tells the story of the lament of the mother chained by this society to a narrow and limited existence; of the pain and suffering of the neglected citizens of different faiths bred from discrimination, intolerance and hate; of the tyranny of one countryman over another; of the apathy of the haves for the have-nots; and of the bankruptcy of our past leaders and their avarice, corrupt and immoral ways. From this oppressive milieu, the flag beckons at her children to step into the green pastures by the tranquil river; into the lush and verdant green countryside; under the shade of the green canopy of trees offering respite from a hot and humid oppressiveness; into the cool emerald waters of the brook by the little green village. She waves at the immense green mountain that exudes a quiet somber strength; at the signs of renewal that spring forth from the hard ground after a spell of fresh rain; at the green grass that soothes the eye and rests the weary; at the green traffic light to free the congestion of a confused and entangled nation. Red and green, war and peace, conflict and rapprochement, tears and laughter, sorrow and joy, shackles and freedom, reality and dream -- such is the duality ingrained in the flag, depicting a saga of continuing struggle. Symbolically she points to the red encircled by the green, kindling the hope of containment and the expectancy that good will restrain the evil. Since the birth of this nation the red has dominated the green. An entire generation has been mired in its scorching and searing effects. Is this what we will hand down to the next generation? Is this the legacy that we want to endow them with? When will the soothing green of life, replenishment and regeneration gain preponderance and rejuvenate the nation? In the vibrant youth of today, there is immense promise...in their sparkling eyes, in their youthful spirit, in their boundless energy, and in their desire to overcome all odds. For them, March 26 should represent a day of renewal to build and sustain the promise, the energy, and the eagerness espoused thirty-six years ago so that their aspirations and dreams do not turn into disillusionment and apathy, and that sparkle of hope into hopelessness. The red and green story is an unfinished one. No one who is not of this soil should write the story for us; it remains only for us to write. It is a story to be written everyday, every season, every year, and by every generation. Whether that story will reflect the fiery red of blood and rage or the peaceful green of renewal and revival depends on what we want to write. As the flag flutters in anticipation, let us rise to her expectations. If we truly love her and the nation she stood for since 1971, let us begin to believe that we can write the new chapters in her lush green splendour. The author is at the Black School of Business, Penn State, Erie, and Editor of the Journal of Bangladesh Studies.
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