“Let my country awake”

Now that the Victory Day celebrations are over and emotions are tapering down, it may be time for a rational discussion on “patriotism.” Is patriotism merely waving flags, singing nationalistic songs, shouting slogans ... or something beyond? Of course, it's important for citizens to observe Victory Day so that they can express their solidarity with their country, pay homage to their martyrs and enjoy a sense of identity. However, these annual rituals cannot be reduced to a pro forma -- they need to be followed up with actions that translate into the wellbeing of the entire nation, including an equitable society and a political system that ensures good governance.
The simple dictionary definition of patriotism is “love for or devotion to one's country.” But patriotism is not just “love” for the homeland. For me, patriotism is honouring the ideals that the country was founded on. These are the principles that motivated thousands of Bangladeshis to put their lives, fortunes, and honour on the line and inspired brave men and women to confront the Pakistani machine guns and cannons. Foremost among these ideals are the rights of freedom, democracy and secularism.
Let me be more explicit. Freedom is the bedrock of all modern nations that believe in equal opportunity for its citizens. At a national level it means people have the right to choose their leaders and vote them out if they feel they are not satisfying the needs of the country and improving people's lives. At a personal level freedom might manifest itself in the right to sing the songs one loves, write the poems that expresses one's deep feelings, articulate one's views and follow one's religion and beliefs, as long as these don't impinge on others' rights.
Regrettably, freedom has become a prime victim in the prevailing highly polarised political atmosphere in Bangladesh. The word “freedom” is bandied around loosely, each adversary feeling free to paint the other as "unpatriotic" if her political views are divergent. There is scant appreciation for the fact that dissent and disagreements are hallmarks of well functioning democracies. In fact, the strength of a democracy lies in the ability of the people to contest the status quo, inject opposing views on important issues and propose alternative policies to further national interests. In this sense, criticism should not only be tolerated but also encouraged. However, in a true democracy political opinions are expressed, debated and acted upon within the structure of the parliamentary system; not on the streets. It is also true that consensus need not always prevail and in that case the majority carries the responsibility and is accountable for decision-making.
In the current milieu of Bangladesh, politics has grown nasty, mean, even malicious to the extent that any proposal from an opposing political party is viewed with extreme mistrust and rejected without adequate consideration. The result is that the two major parties are in a logjam over elections and transfer of power, with political violence ratcheting up every day! Worst of all this has accentuated the polarisation of the nation --conservatives versus liberals, non-unionised versus unionised, religious versus secular. Each day we learn of dissenters destroying national assets and killing innocent people in the name of restoring democracy. The opposition is propagating such violence under the pretext that it is for a greater national good. But how can destruction of public property and killing of innocent citizens be beneficial to the country? The fact is "street politics" precludes the opportunity of having a rational dialogue in the parliament that could lead to sustainable solutions.
Let me revert to the issue of patriotism -- which is what triggered this column. We may disagree on many things but we must stand united on the core principles based on which Bangladesh was created. And that is the real test of patriotism. We need to uphold the values that define us as Bangladeshis and give us a sense of pride and belonging as citizens of the country. This requires multivocal political forces to vie peacefully to accommodate a governance structure that serves these founding principles.
I wish to end with an emotional anecdote. Two years back on December 16, I was in my car waiting at a red light in a busy Dhaka street. A young girl selling red roses tried to draw my attention. When I told her I was not interested in buying flowers, she paused for a moment, then presented me with a rose and said “Apa, take it for Joy Bangla!” Before I could say anything the light turned green and we moved away. But I treasure the memory because at that moment I felt proud of my country. Through a single humane act of kindness to a fellow citizen the girl had demonstrated her selfless, spontaneous love for her country. For me, she represents the quintessence of patriotism!

The writer is a renowned Rabindra Sangeet exponent and a former employee of World Bank.  E-mail:[email protected]