Of culture, soft and hard
CULTURE came to the fore over the last week. It was everywhere in the social media, became talk of the town and raised storm over many a teacup at workplaces and homes. Two events, one having been already held and the other being on the cards, have created a stir. Detractors, however, discerned a certain element of chauvinism in the controversy while many people thought there was logic to it.
Oscar winning Indian maestro A.R. Rahman's grand musical concert to mark the opening of the T-20 World Cup in Bangabandhu Stadium, though he has many admirers in Bangladesh, didn't quite pass unblemished to a critical Bengali eye. The slots for Bengali songs and music of some reputed bands were reduced, their expectations of highlighting the culture of the host country going unmet.
Shakira's opening song in World Cup 2010 was Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), centered on the word "thando" which means "love" in the Zulu language, reminded the detractors.
But on the whole, it was a short-lived controversy, quickly subsumed in the steamy run of group matches offering highly competitive cricket from improving cricketing nations to the delight of cricket loving people of Bangladesh. It has been a huge recreation from out of the shadow of political gloom.
Another tiff, if you like, has been generated between the culture minister and Jagaran Mancho spokesman Dr. Imran over accepting contribution from the Islami Bank towards staging one million strong chorus of the national anthem on the Independence Day. It has triggered a debate over Liberation War values and Tk. 1crore worth of donation from a bank with an Islamist emblem.
Good thing is we are playing out our numbers in pursuits cultural, like for example, unfurling the largest national flag atop human heads and now warming up to singing national anthem through a million voices.
So far so good, but culture evoked different sentiments from different people depending on the time and place of their respective existence. For instance, a Nazi writer blurted out: “Whenever I hear the word culture, I reach for my gun.” But with a candid sense of realism, French author and journalist Jean-Luc Goddard wrote: “When I hear of the word culture, I take out my cheque book.”
Culture is soft power and politics is hard power. Like oil and water they don't mix as much as politics and economy don't, which is a pity because stable politics is a pillar of sustainable economic growth. That Bangladesh has economically grown in spite of daunting political odds is a demographic marvel. Sad to say though in real terms, we are not even anywhere near reaping demographic dividends out of 15-35 year burgeoning youth population!
Politically, an uneasy but coveted peace reigns. This cannot be bartered away for any shortsighted gamesmanship. AL's strategy is to constantly keep the BNP under pressure with the twin aim of keeping its effective leaders in jail, immobilising the lesser leaders into hiding so that the party cannot regroup and launch a movement. The more the BNP roars, the more the government will try to silence it into a whimper. Complete lack of space to dissent can make the government immune to any form of answerability, a situation that the ruling party should not be courting in its own best interest and that of democracy and country's future.
We know that the heady wind of success (largely by default) should have a sobering effect on a party of AL's history and experience to realise its increased responsibility to usher in a fully participative inclusive democracy. The party should consider itself as a repository of sacred trust being heir to the pristine heritage of having led the country to freedom.
Every citizen has a right to peace, tranquility and promotion in life, and who but the present government is in a position to pave the way for it through a policy of transparency, mutual accommodation and constructive engagement in relation to all major stakeholders of the country.
Let no one forget: “Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive,” like William F. Buckley said. So, even 'idealism' needs to be flexible in order to be realistic. There is a message for everybody here.
The writer is Associate Editor, The Daily Star.
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