Deep Politics, Part 2: One-eyed world of the “civil war” roadmap
by Faruk Wasif; translated by Tibra Ali
©bdnews24
In battle, freedom fighters need to be alert of each other’s every move. The hunter too targets his prey using only one eye. He is not interested in widening his field of vision. But freedom fighters cannot afford to just focus on eliminating the enemy, they must also keep an eye on the political and ideological aspects of the situation. They need to widen their field of view of the world. The political chase is not the same as giving chase to a band of robbers. The field is much wider here, ranging from the local to the global. That is why it’s vital that one does not end up too far afield while giving chase to the enemy. Because there is always the chance that one might not be able to turn back from such a mistake. Therefore, let us take a break from the infighting Cain and Abel story of the trial and judgement of war-criminals and look at what the military Sybil has to say. You can always listen to Ambassador Dan Mozena’s speeches later.
In George W. Bush’s era the game was aggression under the guise of fighting terrorism, i.e., militarily installed democracies. That involved war in the formal sense. In Obama’s era war has taken an informal shape. These wars a no longer fought by trained militaries, instead they are fought by Islamist freedom-fighters and the chameleon-like recruits nested around social-networks. This is how the mass awakening of the Arab Spring was and is being transformed into a counter-revolution. Who are the rebels in Syria and Libya? They are U.S.-Israel-France-Britain and Turkey sponsored mercenaries and Al-Qaeda fighters. The United Nations, NATO, The Arab League, OIC, and the media giants like BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera are all involved in sponsoring the training, arming and transportation of these fighters. Russia has so far been against these wars out of selfish interests.
By addling the public’s intelligence and by turning social harmony into a dog’s dinner, the agents of war intrude themselves through the schism created by escalating the situation to a full-fledged conflict. In the meantime, the people’s revolution is quietly hijacked by the machinations of the smooth operators of Deep Politics.
I believe that the communal riot of Ramu, in Cox’s Bazar, was the opening act of the country-wide drama that we are witnessing today. I wrote back then: Do whatever you like but “not in our name, or in the name of the country “.
Scant few paid any attention to my warnings regarding this game that makes the minorities relinquish their native land and the majority to take up the habit of self-loathing. By now, the opportunistic players have become a lot more savvy. But they still haven’t been able take over the gas reserves in the Bay of Bengal; or gotten the go ahead to install an army base here in order to strategically surround China; or made us to sign the TICFA agreement. If you look at any Muslim nation today, that is neither rich nor a virtual fiefdom, you’ll notice that a state of civil war exits there. The revolutionary countries of Latin America are also victims of Deep Politics of the same kind.
I wrote after the incident at Ramu:
“A new kind of warfare has emerged as the next stage of the war between nations and war of land annexation. It’s spreading world-wide. This war is manifesting itself as conflicts between different identities. Conflicts between societies, between ethnicities, between castes and classes; even the different religious, social, political and linguistic groups within the same country are being seen getting involved in conflicts. The scattered explosions of this type of conflict are now a constant and accepted reality: from Iraq to Afghanistan, from Iran to Syria, from Somalia to Sudan, and Libya to Bangladesh-Myanmar-Assam.”
Borders that have been restive due to historical and geopolitical reasons, unresolved conflicts between communities, and suppressed nationalistic conflicts – they all seem to be coming alive and rearing their heads. In all the countries mentioned above, the signs of the different kinds of social and national identities can be seen to be becoming more and more active. Explosive rifts are being created along cultural and socio-political lines of the societies living in the same country or within the same borders. These manufactured conflicts are being used as excuses for the nuclear superpowers to engage in “wars of humanitarian intervention” and deploy their “solutions” to these humanitarian crises. These social conflicts, geopolitical tensions and these meddling “humanitarian wars” are all linked by historical and causal relationships- they form parts of the same chain. In Arakan we have the conflict between Burmese-Rakhines and Rohingyas; In Assam there is the conflict between immigrant Bangladeshi Muslims and Assamese; In Rangamati and Ramu in Bangladesh there is the conflict between ethnic Bengalis and Chakma-Rakhines – these are all emerging as the battle grounds of this new inter-societal war. The rules of this war are now dictating the road map of civil wars.
To be added to this list now is the manufactured conflict between believers and non-believers, which is now being used to overshadow the legal pursuit for justice for the victims of genocide. The burning of the Hindu households and the loss of innocent lives are being forgotten in the miasma of vengeful hatred. There are no shortages of apologists for the attacks on the homes of Awami Leagues in the villages and town, or for the excessive state-sanctioned violence against Jamaat and Shibir. The psychological warfare that slowly corrodes away the public’s morale through seemingly ‘disconnected’ and mysterious incidents of murders has quietly but consistently been going on in the background. Both the War of Independence and Islam have now become pawns in a grand design drawn up by the enemy of both Liberation and Religion.
But humans are the makers of history, not the puppets of the forces of darkness. Whatever you do, don’t commit acts of dishonesty or deceit against either the War of Liberation or Islam. Do not spread hatred against anyone including believers, non-believers, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Chakmas, Bengalis, men or women. The hands of justice that are to try the war-criminals – keep them pure and unblemished. If that becomes impossible, scrap the process. Identify and remember the conspirators. Those of you in Awami League, BNP or Jamaat who still retain their humanity, please step forward and stand beside the awakened and conscientious masses. Save the country and its people by renouncing your allegiances to the agents of civil war. We cannot afford to forego either justice or legitimate democracy. One cannot see the whole world with just one eye.
Postscript: News from the one-eyed observers of the word: raids on the BNP head office. The leaders of Jamaat now have a free hand to concoct more “divine outrages”. The government has its hands full with BNP.
Siraj says, o Golam Hossain, which way shall I go now.
