The four state principles enshrined in the 1972 constitution – Nationalism, Secularism, Socialism and Democracy – are the most potent ideological weapons to counter political and economic excesses that are often used to justify terrorist actions. Unfortunately the original constitution has been badly mauled. We are a secular country but have a state religion. When socialism is needed more than ever to fight exploitation we have rampant and exploitative capitalism running the economy. Dysfunctional democracy has become the most lucrative business in the country. Reversion to the constitution in its original form is a priority to regain the moral compass needed to defeat terrorism.
Permanent eradication of politically motivated extremist terror will also require an ideological approach aimed at the young, starting with good values learnt at home. The education system also needs major rethinking as the continuation of four major streams is not in the national interest. Students of Madrassas and many English medium educational institutions are divorced from national issues and they are hardly taught anything about Bangladesh. At the very least all streams of education at every level should be required to offer compulsory courses in Bangladesh Studies to include comprehensive accounts of our rich language, culture and traditions, a history of our glorious liberation war, and the fundamentals of our constitution. Discipline based compartmentalisation should be avoided till later stages, and the curriculum should endeavour to inculcate humanist values and rational and scientific thinking. Participation in cultural, sporting and other extracurricular activities should be encouraged and facilitated. Election of student bodies should be reinstated immediately to provide creative outlets to students, develop new leadership with progressive values and to keep campuses free of unhealthy politics.
It is true that recent terrorist activities have been carried out by a small number of misguided youth, but it is also true that young people are not bereft of ideology and core values as evidenced by the Shahbag movement led by Gonojagaron Moncho and a few left-leaning student and cultural organisations. They also demonstrated that when required they can still mobilise the masses from all sections of society. A mass movement like the one in 1969, armed with the unmutilated 1972 constitution, can bring about the much needed cultural revolution that, together with the security measures announced by the PM, can certainly ring the death knell of militancy in Bangladesh.
Source: The Daily Star
