Last Tuesday The New York Times published an article under a big headline in its front page to say how in Vietnam the war veterans – both Vietnamese and Americans – are leading the reconciliation efforts between the two countries. The daily quoted one Mr. Tien who was sitting and surrounded by American veterans as saying “We have closed the door on the past.” The war veterans are still active to see that their hard won victory for freedom becomes meaningful for the people. They are anxious to oversee that the country lives in peace from within and outside so that it prospers. These veterans are not searching for enemies for political vengeance. They have not been demanding special benefits for themselves. It is because of their determination to forget the past for the good of present that the Americans feel secure to make huge investments in Vietnam they once fought to destroy it. Vietnam is not only developing fast but most importantly the people are at peace with themselves.We have to understand the value of liberation war for the reason that everything that is going on in politics the government is being justified with reference to the liberation war and the help India made in winning the liberation war. The issue of the liberation is vitally important for the kind of change the country must have. There are some among us who were unknown before but have become very important after the independence. They are too anxious to remind us about their identity as freedom fighters of the war fought 44 years ago but are still looking for enemies of the liberation war everywhere in the country to punish and degrade. They are pretending to have won the war single handedly and they must be feared. The words like reconciliation and tolerance to dissent, essential for our own peace and progress, are unknown to their politics. They are not ready to face the people with their thoughts and ideas. As non-believers in democracy they are a great ally of the Awami League government.What we find unbelievable is that those who fought in the war zones and who can rightly assert themselves as war veterans never played a role demanded by the liberation war. Without being part of any government or a party, just as war veterans they should have made their presence felt continuously.The victory of the liberation war cannot mean to have for us to have a country of the few for the benefit of the few like in the past.A true freedom fighter fights for freedom of the people as the war is known, and not for personal gains. But there is a competition in our country of who gets how much as a freedom fighter. The true freedom fighters cannot be and are not in such competition of greed.Needless to say that our liberation war was not a conventional war so that winning is occupying the country by new masters and looting the country as war booties.Our liberation war was ideological. The acts of killing of democracy, denial of the rule of law for justice to all and the government without accountability are the acts of denial of the ideology of our liberation war.
