Professor Dr. Sheikh Md. Nazmul Hasan

13 July, 2024 12:28

Quota Movement: The Impact of Anti-Spirit Dominating the Spirit

Part One:
For the past few days, several of my esteemed acquaintances have been persistently urging me to write an article on the rationale behind the quota system and the quota movement. They are curious why I haven't written about such a hot topic, considering it is currently the "talk of the country." Although I have previously published a cursory article on the subject, it apparently did not meet their expectations or satisfy them. According to them, my writing is typically unconventional, exceptional, logical, and informative—therefore, they believe I must write on this topic. However, I apologize to my dear friends and state that I will not write about the rationale behind the quota system and the quota movement. Instead, during these challenging times, let's discuss something lighter, like poetry.

In 1929, the song "Notuner Gaan" (The Song of Youth) composed and tuned by the national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, was published in the Shikha magazine in Bengali year 1335 as part of the "Sandhya" anthology. On January 13, 1972, this song was selected as the national war song of Bangladesh during the first meeting of the cabinet of the newly formed government of Bangladesh. The first 21 lines of this song are played as an instrumental piece at any military event in Bangladesh. In 2006, a survey by BBC Bangla ranked it as the 18th greatest Bengali song of all time. The entire song is dedicated to the youth, calling upon their immense strength.

I will focus on just a few lines:

"Chol re nowjowan,
Shon re patiay kan-
Mrityu-toron-duare-duare
Jiboner ahban.
Bhang re bhang agol,
Chol re chol re chol.
Chol chol chol."

During the British-ruled, colonized India, every sector was a death trap. Any doorway, any sector one entered was a gateway to death—a "mrityu-toron." The poet passionately calls upon the youth to break through these death gates and transform them into gateways of life, urging them to dismantle all unjust obstacles with firm determination and move forward. Since this song has been made the national war song, it indicates that the Bengali nation is committed and pledged to implementing the calls made in the song. In other words, as a nation, we fully agree with the poet's call.

Part Two:
In December 1921, equivalent to the Bengali months of Agrahayan-Poush in 1328, poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, at the age of just 22 years and 6 months, composed the poem "Karar Oi Louho Kopat" to the tune of a song during a casual gathering. The poem was titled "Bhanger Gaan" (The Song of Destruction) and was first published in the "Banglar Kotha" magazine on January 20, 1922, corresponding to the Bengali months of Poush-Magh 1328. Though a poem, it was essentially a rebellious song.

In August 1924, corresponding to Asharh-Shraban 1331 in the Bengali calendar, the poem was included with ten other poems in the "Bhanger Gaan" anthology, which was published in the "Bangabani" magazine. Two months after its publication, on November 11, 1924, the then British-Indian government banned and confiscated the book. The British government never lifted this ban, preventing the book from being republished in British-ruled India. However, after the end of British rule in 1947, the second edition of "Bhanger Gaan" was published in independent India in 1949.

I will discuss a few lines of this poem here:

"O re o tarun Ishan!
Baja tor proloy bishan!
Dhongsho nishan
Urok prachir prachir bhedi."

The word "Ishan" means Shiva, Mahadev, or Maheshwar. It also means the northeast corner. In Hindu belief, Shiva is the god of destruction and the king of ruin or Nataraja. Here, the poet uses "tarun Ishan" to refer to the young heroic sons and revolutionaries of colonial India, comparable to the destructive power of Shiva. "Proloy" means destruction, and "bishan" means horn. In Islamic belief, when Israfil blows the horn, the apocalypse or destruction of the world will begin. The poet calls upon the young heroic sons of colonial India to blow their "horn of destruction" to break and crush all injustices, oppressions, and the chains of subjugation.

"Nishan" means flag, and "dhongsho nishan" means the flag that symbolizes destruction. "Prachir" means wall, and "bhedi" means to penetrate or break through. The poet urges the young heroic sons fighting for independence to raise the "flag of destruction" in such a way that it breaks through the walls of the prison of subjugation, where the sun-like children of freedom are confined. Seeing that flag, the entire subjugated people of India should be inspired to jump into the struggle for freedom and independence.

To encourage the freedom fighters and boost the morale of the people, this song was played countless times on the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. Even today, the song holds immense value in our national and social-cultural events. Its essence serves as an inspiration for us and remains relevant for all times.

Part Three:
In 1916, Rabindranath Tagore's poetry collection 'Balaka' was published. Among the notable poems in this collection is 'Sabujer Obhijaan' (The Green Expedition). This poem was once included in school textbooks. I'm not sure if it is part of the current overly ambitious, unrealistic, hybrid, crow-like curriculum. If it is included, it implies that the content of the poem aligns with how we want to nurture and envision our children.

I will discuss a few lines from the poem 'Sabujer Obhijaan.'

“O re nabeen, o re amar kacha,
O re sobuj, o re obuj,
Adhamorader gha mere tui bacha.

Bahirpanae takay na je keu,
Dekhe na je ban dekheche
Jowar-jole utchhe probol dheu.

Cholte ora chay na matir chele
Matir pore charan fele fele,
Ache ochol asonkha mela
Je jar apon uchcho basher machay,
Ay oshanto, ay re amar kacha.”

The poem is a harsh criticism of the elderly with ancient, stagnant thoughts and provides significant encouragement to the younger generation to rise up. The poet refers to these beneficiaries of stagnant thoughts as 'half-dead' and calls upon the youth to save themselves by striking against them. He then addresses these half-dead individuals wrapped in a cloak of comfort by saying that they do not look outside, meaning they are unaware of the advancing world. They are also incapable of embracing the positive changes of the evolving world.

Although they are children of the soil, growing up in the climate and culture of the country, and despite their vocal claims of upholding national values, they do not actually care about these values. They sit in an immovable position on a high bamboo platform, beyond the reach of common people, living a life of luxury. They are self-absorbed, oblivious to the world around them, and have no sense of responsibility beyond their grand speeches. The poet calls upon the restless, raw, young generation to use their youthful vigor to overthrow these inept, useless, half-dead individuals and strive to build a beautiful world.

Part Four:
Youth around the world are moving forward, using their talents to transform their countries. Their nations have provided the opportunities for them to develop their talents. The state plans in these countries support their intellectual growth, providing security, stability, and confidence. Not just for their own youth, but even our country's talented individuals, not finding proper utilization, respect, and remuneration for their talents here, are moving to those countries and staying there in exchange for their intellect. They are being valued more in those countries than in their own.

Fifty-three years have passed since independence, yet what guarantees have we provided for the future establishment of our educated young generation? What examples have we set to broaden their minds through intellectual growth? What do they see in the media every day that would boost their self-confidence and commitment to the country? Where in public places, offices, courts, and households do they witness standard and exemplary practices that would inspire trust and instill patriotism in them? Just because they were born in this country? Just because they grew up in the light, shade, and soil of this land? If so, they would form a spiritual connection with the inanimate objects of this country, not with its people.

Why should a young person, who should be broad-minded, think about new aspects of education, research, and development, have to protest for a mere job security today? Why should they block roads and waste their valuable time? Why should all their thoughts, knowledge, and focus revolve around a job, forgetting all other concerns of the world, country, society, and nation? Let's not even talk about the youth, but how much assurance is this country giving to the parents of these young people to make them confident about their children's future? How much faith and reliability do the parents have?

If you say this young generation is untalented, unqualified, useless, greedy, self-centered, and ignorant, then the question arises, why? Why has such a large generation turned out this way? Where were the mistakes in the overall planning, structure, and implementation of the country? What failures of the state led to such a large generation becoming irresponsible and useless? Do those who have led the country and managed the state for the past 53 years bear no responsibility for this? Is this not their failure? If a handful of people go astray, the responsibility might fall on individuals, but when most of a generation goes astray, it cannot be blamed on individuals alone! This responsibility lies with the state. The state cannot shirk this responsibility in any way. So, before blaming the youth, blame yourselves. It is your responsibility that they have gone astray.

Find the root of such a big problem, and from a responsible position, stop making shallow comments based on the effects and stop making fools of yourselves.

According to the statistics of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission Report 2020, a total of 14,813 people were recruited in five BCS exams from the 35th to the 39th. Less than 3,000 people per year on average! In a country of nearly 170 million people, only about 3,000 per year! How many young people are graduating each year and how many job opportunities are being created for them? Before criticizing these youths, ask yourself where their fears and lack of trust lie?

You and I were diligent, responsible, embodiments of humility, angels, or gods, and they have become devils! Why has this happened? If you and I were gods and they have become devils, then what have you and I done? Exemplary figures like us have become Abed Ali and Benzir today. They understand how much you earn and how you live your life. Ideals are created by what they see, and they are learning from what they see.

According to the existing PSC method in the five aforementioned BCS exams, 44% of the appointments were supposed to be based on merit and 56% on quotas. However, due to a lack of suitable candidates for the quotas, 66.2% were appointed on merit and 33.8% on quotas. This means that just because there is a quota doesn't mean unqualified candidates will be appointed. Quota candidates also have to pass the preliminary, written, viva, mental health, and physical health exams. Only then is the quota advantage considered at the very last stage before appointment.

Although 30% is allocated for the freedom fighter quota, only 1,298 people were recruited in this quota in the five aforementioned BCS exams, which is only 8.7% of the allocated quota. This means that without suitable qualifications, no one is considered for any quota, not even the freedom fighter quota. Those who think that unqualified people are getting jobs through the freedom fighter quota are probably not entirely correct.

Quotas will remain, and there is a rationale for having quotas, as many countries in the world do. But quotas should be logical. If the average for the freedom fighter quota is 8.7% in the five aforementioned BCS exams, then I don't know why it has been set at 30%. However, I see the matter a bit differently.

Why does a political party that leads the Liberation War, while in power, need to prove their love for the Liberation War by keeping a high freedom fighter quota? Why do they need to promote and show off this quota allocation loudly? If they were truly working to realize the dream of the Liberation War, the country wouldn't be in such a disappointing state! The youth wouldn't need to protest for a job in this way today. Government jobs wouldn't be so desirable. This situation has arisen because there are no good alternatives, no good alternatives have been created, people's lives have become intolerable, and a severe crisis of trust has arisen due to corruption, bribery, and irregularities.

How many PK Haldars, Afzal Hossains, Lokman Hossains, forest-grabbing Osman Ghanis, Mosharraf Hossains, Benzirs, Abed Alis, Matiurs have you produced in the country, and how many renowned researchers, scientists, poets-writers, journalists have you produced in contrast?

None of the technologies that run the modern world and our country were created by us. We have no contribution to the fundamental basis of anything that keeps this world and this country running. We rely on everything. We are peacocks with feathers attached to a crow. We have boundless pride and arrogance in this. Our feet don't touch the ground due to pride.

Our nation's intellectual level is below the world average in the intellectual index of the world. In other words, we are an intellectually crippled nation. A nation without freedom of thought is bound to be intellectually crippled. A nation that considers passing BCS exams to be the pinnacle of talent, and those who pass BCS exams to be scholars, doesn't need a global index to realize it is intellectually handicapped. A country where universities are essentially BCS coaching centers, and none of its universities are listed in any global ranking, the standard of education is bound to be BCS-centric.

How long should the freedom fighter quota last? It should be determined. It could be the diamond jubilee of independence or 60 years, the platinum jubilee or 75 years. I don't think it can continue indefinitely. If you want to include freedom fighters' descendants in all sectors, list the directly involved anti-independence individuals and stop hiring their descendants in government jobs for that period. But there is no such list. If your own house is infested with weasels, making a list of weasels is indeed difficult.

This generation's faith and respect for the Liberation War won't come naturally. Even quotas cannot create that. Their faith will come from observing the practices of those in power who support the Liberation War. They learn from the process by which the forces of the Liberation War come to power and strive to build a golden Bengal while in power. What they are learning, I do not know. But I can assume that they are learning from what they see.

The world is constantly changing. Technology from six months ago is replaced by new technology. Yet we are beating drums with great pride about fulfilling the dreams of our departed great leaders from four or five decades ago. Why? The current state of the world was unimaginable even four or five decades ago. The development needed for today was beyond dreams back then. The world is advancing so rapidly that the current dreams couldn't have been conceived then.

I'm not saying this to disrespect any great leaders. Because even a ten-year-old child today can say that the Earth orbits the Sun, but great philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato didn't know this in their time. That doesn't mean today's ten-year-old is wiser than those great philosophers. It's a matter of the era. The same applies to leaders. They were the successful leaders of their time.

Why aren't era-appropriate legendary leaders being created? Why aren't they being allowed to emerge? Because of your intellectual limitations, you can't become legendary leaders, so you have to keep peddling the dreams of past generations of leaders. People without the ability to run their own household on their merit are being given the responsibility to run the country as ministers and MPs. Politics is being run detached from the soil and people, in an elite fashion, sitting on high bamboo platforms. The practice of human development in the country is declining. In government offices, the general public is disrespected, harassed, and bribed more than ever. There is a dark cloud of despair everywhere. No one is well.

These failures' impact has led the youth astray and made them irresponsible. Their focus is not on global perspectives but narrowly fixated on jobs. This responsibility lies with the state.

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