::: Star Weekend Magazine :::

View from the Bottom

Riddle

Our Sons, their Sons

Shahnoor Wahid

Mahathir Mohammad's son came to Bangladesh with a team of doctors and went to the remote areas badly affected by Sidr cyclone. He went back home after doing his work and got busy in his own profession. While in Bangladesh he did not demand for wide press coverage, photo sessions or seek appointment with the big brass in administration. Neither did he organise a press briefing in Malaysia before coming to Bangladesh or after arriving there. By every definition of the game it was a God-gifted opportunity to beat one's own drum, but the fool that Mahathir's son is, he has missed it. Nah, he is no material for politics. He will not make a 'good' MP. So, he should come to Bangladesh more often to learn a few tricks of how to be somebody while being nobody.

So, that was about Mahathir's son. Now let's look at our home. Where are our 'illustrious' sons? Where are those overweight, frighteningly rich, half-literate, arrogant, Hummer-driving sons of our janadaradi netas? In jail! But why? Why must they languish in jails when the suffering humanity needs them? Why are they in jail when Mahathir's son comes as a free man to give service to the same suffering humanity? That is our suffering humanity and our own Sidr so our sons have the right to serve them, don't they? If our sons were free today then they would have collected money and clothes and called the press for photo shoots with dark glasses covering their kind eyes. But alas! The unkind government deprived them of this golden opportunity. But why should Mahathir's son be allowed to do that?

Why isn't Mahathir's son in jail? He has every reason to be there! His father was in power for such a long time so why couldn't he become a billionaire just by taking the pain of sitting in some Bhaban and talking over phone? Didn't he read about those wonderful tales about the Windy Castle and hear about the sons of farmers becoming a crorepati overnight? That was our tale of poverty alleviation.

It is amazing that Mahathir Mohammad walks about in the park with friends, attends lecture sessions in universities at home and abroad as a wiser person after retirement. It is amazing that Al Gore walks about without bodyguards and earns a living by delivering lectures in universities. More questions: Why are Al Gore's sons are not behind bars for hijacking cars or someone else's apartment? Why no corruption case haunts Tony Blair? Why his lawyer wife is not behind bars for influencing her husband in acquiring a huge railway property for a ridiculous amount?

Can you give a plausible, believable, credible - biswasjoggo answer? I am waiting.