Student-based politics
A Mahesen Dhaka
Many conscious citizens are not happy the way students are used in our politics. Such feedbacks are getting more frequent in the press. The political parties have few options to find voluntary workers to do politicking. The campus atmosphere has been vitiated for long; and the political leaders are not talking about it.There are several reasons for this short supply of political activists a typical scenario in the LDCs: - the majority live in the rural areas; - the majority are illiterate or barely able to read and write; - there is no economic security or freedom to devote time to political activities. - the middle class is marginalised (talking about honest living). This class normally acts as the bridge in the vertical and horizontal planes. The rich class are islands, and their percentage is microscopic; but they control the majority of operations in the society. The society is heterogeneous, not homogeneous. Where is the base of politics? We see changing structures and super structures. Who are willing to suffer? The average size of the family is large, noting that the density of population in Bangladesh is one of the highest in the world. - corruption and terrorism have entered politics, discouraging many to take active part. Bad politics has no respect for institutions. The investment return from politics is highly polarized, controversial, and transient. Those who take the risk cannot get out of this vicious circle. - now religion has entered (global scenario). There is clash between the head (politics) and the heart (religion). It is a volatile situation. The fall-out will take a long, long time. Our political leadership cannot adapt to changing local and global situations, because the objectives are not in public interest. There is hypocrisy in what is revealed, and what is hidden. - Leadership is poor, and subjective; and it does not get the benefit of the doubt. The backlash has to come from a younger generation, as old habits die hard. The young generation have few options. The environment of politicking has to change (it hasn't in three decades). -Black money is controlling politics (behind the scenes). Therefore it is unstable. The implications are many, and are well known. - Politics is no longer a public service, in the true sense of the term. The beneficiaries belong to a narrow spectrum of the huge population. The indirect benefits also do not spread out. There is no consensus at the national level. Look at the roots. - National politics is urban-based. There are huge communication gaps in many areas, and levels. Besides, one-way communication prevails. Voter-politician interface is not peer-level. The politicians talk down, and do not bother about feedback. - The pattern is not new or novel.
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