Strikes and blockades: It is not the best of times

We have entered the strike and blockade days again. The talk of the country now is the strike sine die of the teachers regarding the pension scheme and the students’ movement regarding quota in public service. They are enforcing stringent strikes. This is actually the second phase of the quota movement. When they waged a movement in 2018 on this issue, the students had wanted quota reforms. But the government went ahead to abolish the entire quota facility unilaterally, without consulting anyone. Questions had arisen back then about this decision.

In recent times the situation has become heated again, following a court ruling. The question is, why didn’t the government take the quota issue to the court back then in 2018? Who knows if there is any other factors behind this sudden volatile situation so many days after the quota system was revoked?

Various quarters get involved in such movements over here. Some take advantage of the movement, some suffer. At one point the movement diffuses. We had seen the Shahbagh Gonojagoran Mancha agitation and rallies for days on end. The people of the city were in a fix. But the people silently tolerated the situation, or were obliged to tolerate it. After all, the issue of war criminals was involved. Anyway, after some time the Gonojagoran movement eventually was quelled. The 2019 safe roads movement of school children also was quelled at one point of time.

The very sensitive issue involved in the movement concerning quota in government jobs is the matter of the liberation war spirit. But what relation does quota have with the spirit of the liberation war? Those who had fought in the liberation war are now past the age for government service. Secondly, many are of the opinion that there weren’t this number of freedom fighters during the 1971 liberation war. An opportunist group has emerged who want to avail these facilities all their lives. I myself am a freedom fighter. I cannot imagine that my children will ever want to get any additional advantages as offspring of a freedom fighter. But there is unfortunately such a propensity among many.

Anyway, the students have been putting up blockades in the main streets of the capital and all over the country in demand of quota reforms. Dhaka comes to a virtual standstill. Blockades are set up at a drop of a hat here. No matter how justified the demand may be, setting up blockades hardly makes any difference to the government. When VIPs go anywhere, the law enforcement clears the roads and halts people’s movement. The VIPs are impervious to people’s sufferings.

It is almost a tradition here to cause public suffering during any movement. During the anti-Ershad movement, Awami League, BNP, left parties, Jamaat-e-Islami, everyone enforced blockades day after day. But even after so many blockades and such a forceful movement, Ershad remained in power for nine and a half years. It was only after the armed forces withdrew their support from Ershad that he fell from power. To me, Ershad’s fall was a sort of coup, though the agitators imagine Ershad was toppled by their movement. Whatever the case may be, the common people had to suffer. Those in the movement at the time had said that they were struggling for the sake of democracy. But what a travesty of democracy we have been seeing during the rule of the consecutive governments since 1991.

It was from them, actually, that the blockade culture spread. When Khaleda Zia’s government was in power, Awami League and like-minded parties carried out continuous strikes, blockades and hartals (general strikes). Sheikh Hasina formed the government in 1996, shortly after which Khaleda Zia began the continued boycott of the parliament. Then began the continuous hartal. In 2001 during Khaleda Zia’s rule, blockades and hartals continued. The entire 2006 saw blockades, hartals and violence until 1/11 loomed up upon the scene. My question is, blockades and hartals are of no use. Rights, democracy and civic amenities are just superficial in this context.

Our politicians have been manipulating the youth to such an extent that it is now difficult to extract them from the resulting situation. Why is there this movement regarding quotas? Why are the youth so concerned about BCS? It is because they realise this is the most secure job. This will give them wealth and power. Their line of thought is not unfounded. The examples all around us make it clear.

If one becomes a secretary, he will be appointed on contract after retirement. He will become a minister, an MP. While a secretary, he will spend the people’s money in his own constituency for so-called development. When he retires, he will contest in the election. So it is only natural that the youth will lean towards BCS. They are not attracted in the same manner to other jobs or self-employment. They feel you can get the most out of a BCS job.

There is also another strong factor at play here. That is, the state of employment is dismal. The young people are up against the wall. They feel the desperate need for employment. That is why they feel that any discriminatory recruitment process is an obstacle. Many of those who have the chance and means, go abroad. They feel there is no future in this country. Our leaders from long ago have been indicating there is no future here. They have sent their children overseas long, long ago. When any politicians dies in the country, then their child comes from abroad, gets nominated and becomes an MP.

The teachers are striking from their professional stand, though they are not vocal about other important issues and problems of the people. Their main effort is to forge links with the government and pick up the perks. They too now are demanding from the government, but that makes no difference whatsoever to the government. It is the students who are facing losses.

Both Awami League and BNP have the same stand when it comes to the question of people’s sufferings and inconvenience. They act in one way when in power and quite the opposite when in opposition. They put people at suffering when they launch their movements. There is hardly anything different in the movement of the students and teachers. It is the general people and the students who are suffering due to the movement of the students and the strike of the teachers. It certainly isn’t the best of time for us.

  * Mohiuddin Ahmad is a writer and researcher

* This column appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir