Interview: Shah Alam
We are opposed to rewriting the constitution
President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Shah Alam, speaks in an interview with Prothom Alo's Sohrab Hassan about politics in the aftermath of the student-people's uprising and the various initiatives and reform programmes of the interim government.
The autocratic government recently was toppled from power in face of the student-people's uprising. The interim government has taken over. What differences do you see?
Shah Alam: This was a democratic movement against autocracy. People from all walks of life joined in and so it cannot be sidestepped or belittled. At the same time it must be kept in mind that reactionary forces have consolidated their position through this movement. Communal and imperialist forces have also secured their positions.
But were those against whom the uprising took place, anti-imperialists?
Shah Alam: No, they were not anti-imperialists. In fact, they had compromised with communal forces in many ways. They misused the spirit and the values of the liberation war. This instigated many to take a jab at the liberation war and the 1952 language movement. This was not right. Despite many limitations, a democratic trend has emerged among the people through this movement and this must be safeguarded. We must keep in mind that communal forces can never be conducive to democracy. Communal forces are bound to lock in conflict with genuine democratic and secular forces.
What was the role of the Left Democratic Alliance in the student-people's uprising? There are allegations that many left parties remained inactive.
Shah Alam: This was initially a non-political movement. The students were demanding that the quota system be revoked. On 16 July when Chhatra League launched an attack on the demonstrating students, it was then that the movement took on a full-fledged shape. The anti-quota movement transformed into an anti-government movement. The students still weren't demanding the resignation of the government then. They had come up with a nine-point demand. They were proceeding in a planned manner, taking the movement ahead phase by phase.
Actually it was on 16 July that we demanded that the government resign and fresh elections be declared. Unfortunately, news of our movement did not appear in the media.
The interim government has formed six commissions for reforms. What are your views on this?
Shah Alam: In our discussions with the chief advisor Dr Muhammad Yunus, we put forward our demands regarding reforms. He listened to us. I told him that he supported western democracy, but western democracy and communalism were contradictory. How will he deal with this? We placed emphasis on empowering local government bodies. They showed interest in this regard.
There is talk of amending and rewriting the constitution. What is your stand on this?
Shah Alam: We are opposed to rewriting the constitution. We said, if there are articles in the constitution that go against human rights, against freedom of the press and individual freedoms, those can be amended. Why should the entire constitution be changed? We said reforms are a continuous process. We said, just amend as much of the constitution as is required to hold fair elections.
There is debate over the election system. Can you tell us your stand on the matter?
Speeches are not enough to break the syndicates that have gripped the market. An alternative market system must be put in place
Shah Alam: We have spoken about proportional representation in the elections. It was the left parties that first brought this up. We have also called for 'no' votes and recall votes. The amount set by the election commission for election expenditure cannot be met by the farmers or the workers. There should be no ceiling. The government is talking about inclusive elections, but if the elections are all about spending money, the poor people and the common people will fall aside at the very outset.
Do you think the interim government is on the right path?
Shah Alam: The persons that the government has entrusted with the responsibility of preventing corruption and irregularities, have taken quite a few bold steps. Many institutions including the banking sector have been brought under transparency and accountability. These are positive factors. But the problem is that the government has not paid attention to the reasons why 1/11 took place.
But the context this time is different.
Shah Alam: The people are not responsible for the democratic crisis that exists in the country. It is conflicting politics that is responsible. The people of this country have always emerged victorious in the struggle for democracy. Those who came to power after the movements, ran the country in an autocratic manner. 1/11 emerged due to the conflict between political leadership and military bureaucracy. This time it is the people that came forward, that brought about the change in government. But this has not changed the class cycle of the state. The interim government has not taken any revolutionary measures against the embezzlement economics that prevails in the country. This will not be possible with IMF and the World Bank support.
Speeches are not enough to break the syndicates that have gripped the market. An alternative market system must be put in place. Poor people and people of fixed income will benefit from a universal rationing system. But over the past two months the government has not taken any visible measures in this regard.
* This interview appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir