Musafir :
(When Awami League came to power in East Pakistan in 1956, Manik Mia wrote this article in Bangla as a guideline)
Cabinet members will have to abstain from giving indulgence to nepotism and corruption at first to renew trust in the mind of mass people. It was seen many times that the Ministers, being personally honest, were compelled to fulfil unjust demand of the party-men or relatives due to heavy pressure. As because Awami League will have to abolish old tradition and introduce a new age in Parliamentary politics, any unjust pressure or demand from party-men, relatives, even MLAs, should be refuted. All on a sudden if this tradition, continuing for so long time, is abandoned, many inconveniences may occur ; even fear of disintegsation inside the party in power may arise. But if once indulgence is given to a single unjust demand, similar demands will continue and at last position of this Cabinet will be similar to previous Cabinets. So, from the very beginning the Cabinet should stand on firm principle and should reject any unjust demand. At the beginning this strong principle may create adverse reaction among some MLAs and party-workers. But when these friends will see that the Ministers, in no cases, even in the cases of their close relatives, indulge in nepotism, then the mentality of well-wish and public-welfare will arise in every person. We have to create this atmosphere at any cost. If somebody get undue advantages in unjust ways, it encourages corruption, and it hampers National Welfare activities. No Cabinets in the past could strengthen itself by distributing such undue advantages ; rather as a result of such special patronages number of such candidates increased day by day and brought many troubles for the Ministers. Political workers must understand that nation’s fate can never be changed by grabing personal advantages. And failure to develop whole society increases people’s misery and fortune making of 2/3 persons become fruitless. Higher living standard of all of us depends on total development of the whole society.
But to follow this strict principle the Cabinet members must prove themselves as personally honest in the eyes of public. A high level permanent Commission with special power should be formed to investigate all types of corruptions. This Commission should be empowered to investigate corruptions of all including Ex and present Ministers, MLAs, government employees and business persons. Chairman and members of the Commission should be selected from the persons not involved in party politics. Such a Commission will investigate corruptions of ex-Ministers and government employees as well as that of existing Ministers. Special power should be given to this Commission by introducing new law, as Cabinet in power cannot interfere in their investigation. If such impartial and effective system to investigate corruption can be introduced, it will create trust among the people about anti-corruption determination of the Cabinet, At the same time it will open the path to reduce corruption by creating fear among the corrupt persons of different stages in the society. Of course it is not an easy task to uproot corruption as corruption is well spread in the various stages of the society. For this, all inclusive programme should be taken to erase financial crisis of the mass people. Even then if corruption can be stopped at the higher level of the society, i.e. Ministers and higher government officials, a healthy situation will be created in the country. There are reasons to follow the path of corruption among lower grade employees and small traders. But that is also not acceptable. Corruption among persons of upper level is the main cause of well-spread corruption in the society. Corruption in lower level can be reduced even before economic development of the society, if corruption in upper level can be stopped. We can say with our experience that the people of rural area in general are simple and honest. Now-a-days they are compelled to follow dishonest way in many cases due to pressure created by corruption of upper level. If corruption of upper level can be stopped, mass-people will be encouraged to follow honest life even if they suffer from temporary uneasyness. Cabinet will definitely get unhindered support of mass-people if its members do not bow down in front of corruption, nepotism and unjust demand. In that case if any political worker or MLA want to do something against the Cabinet, he will be compelled to come back in right path due to public awareness. Cabinet should follow the just policy. They should not care whether they will be dislodged for their honesty. In that case they will enjoy public support. No unscrupulous person will be able to blackmail the Cabinet with profound public support.
In the meantime the new Cabinet has done some worth mentioning works. They have created a true democratic situation by releasing political prisoners. It will create pleasure in every democratic minded person. Unhindered opportunity should prevail to propagate various political doctrine in a democratic country. It is not only undemocratic, but inhuman also, to put a person in custody without trial only for political difference. But if some one becomes involved in activities against security and sovereignty of the country, they should be dealt strongly; but not without trial in any case.
I want to close my discussion with one more appeal. Our MLAs and workers must understand that Awami League has taken the responsibility of ruling the Province in a very hard time. It is an acid-test for the party. Future of the whole party is inseparably connected with the success or failure of the Cabinet. Awami League will be well-established in the heart of mass-people if the Cabinet become successful to save the mass people of the Province from the famine created by vicious circle. Let God be with us! If for any slackness or wrong, the Cabinet fails to overcome the crisis, whole party will become a target of hatred of the mass people. So, today it is our noble duty to cooperate actively and to empower the Cabinet to solve the problem forgetting our personal gains. It is urgent to give scope for the Ministers to perform their duties freely by not making rush to their residences for personal benefit. It is not necessary to say something new about the terrible food crisis. Next two and half months will be very crucial time. We all shall have to be very careful so that we can overcome this crisis period successfully.
Translated by Sanjeeb Chowdhury
(When Awami League came to power in East Pakistan in 1956, Manik Mia wrote this article in Bangla as a guideline)
Cabinet members will have to abstain from giving indulgence to nepotism and corruption at first to renew trust in the mind of mass people. It was seen many times that the Ministers, being personally honest, were compelled to fulfil unjust demand of the party-men or relatives due to heavy pressure. As because Awami League will have to abolish old tradition and introduce a new age in Parliamentary politics, any unjust pressure or demand from party-men, relatives, even MLAs, should be refuted. All on a sudden if this tradition, continuing for so long time, is abandoned, many inconveniences may occur ; even fear of disintegsation inside the party in power may arise. But if once indulgence is given to a single unjust demand, similar demands will continue and at last position of this Cabinet will be similar to previous Cabinets. So, from the very beginning the Cabinet should stand on firm principle and should reject any unjust demand. At the beginning this strong principle may create adverse reaction among some MLAs and party-workers. But when these friends will see that the Ministers, in no cases, even in the cases of their close relatives, indulge in nepotism, then the mentality of well-wish and public-welfare will arise in every person. We have to create this atmosphere at any cost. If somebody get undue advantages in unjust ways, it encourages corruption, and it hampers National Welfare activities. No Cabinets in the past could strengthen itself by distributing such undue advantages ; rather as a result of such special patronages number of such candidates increased day by day and brought many troubles for the Ministers. Political workers must understand that nation’s fate can never be changed by grabing personal advantages. And failure to develop whole society increases people’s misery and fortune making of 2/3 persons become fruitless. Higher living standard of all of us depends on total development of the whole society.
But to follow this strict principle the Cabinet members must prove themselves as personally honest in the eyes of public. A high level permanent Commission with special power should be formed to investigate all types of corruptions. This Commission should be empowered to investigate corruptions of all including Ex and present Ministers, MLAs, government employees and business persons. Chairman and members of the Commission should be selected from the persons not involved in party politics. Such a Commission will investigate corruptions of ex-Ministers and government employees as well as that of existing Ministers. Special power should be given to this Commission by introducing new law, as Cabinet in power cannot interfere in their investigation. If such impartial and effective system to investigate corruption can be introduced, it will create trust among the people about anti-corruption determination of the Cabinet, At the same time it will open the path to reduce corruption by creating fear among the corrupt persons of different stages in the society. Of course it is not an easy task to uproot corruption as corruption is well spread in the various stages of the society. For this, all inclusive programme should be taken to erase financial crisis of the mass people. Even then if corruption can be stopped at the higher level of the society, i.e. Ministers and higher government officials, a healthy situation will be created in the country. There are reasons to follow the path of corruption among lower grade employees and small traders. But that is also not acceptable. Corruption among persons of upper level is the main cause of well-spread corruption in the society. Corruption in lower level can be reduced even before economic development of the society, if corruption in upper level can be stopped. We can say with our experience that the people of rural area in general are simple and honest. Now-a-days they are compelled to follow dishonest way in many cases due to pressure created by corruption of upper level. If corruption of upper level can be stopped, mass-people will be encouraged to follow honest life even if they suffer from temporary uneasyness. Cabinet will definitely get unhindered support of mass-people if its members do not bow down in front of corruption, nepotism and unjust demand. In that case if any political worker or MLA want to do something against the Cabinet, he will be compelled to come back in right path due to public awareness. Cabinet should follow the just policy. They should not care whether they will be dislodged for their honesty. In that case they will enjoy public support. No unscrupulous person will be able to blackmail the Cabinet with profound public support.
In the meantime the new Cabinet has done some worth mentioning works. They have created a true democratic situation by releasing political prisoners. It will create pleasure in every democratic minded person. Unhindered opportunity should prevail to propagate various political doctrine in a democratic country. It is not only undemocratic, but inhuman also, to put a person in custody without trial only for political difference. But if some one becomes involved in activities against security and sovereignty of the country, they should be dealt strongly; but not without trial in any case.
I want to close my discussion with one more appeal. Our MLAs and workers must understand that Awami League has taken the responsibility of ruling the Province in a very hard time. It is an acid-test for the party. Future of the whole party is inseparably connected with the success or failure of the Cabinet. Awami League will be well-established in the heart of mass-people if the Cabinet become successful to save the mass people of the Province from the famine created by vicious circle. Let God be with us! If for any slackness or wrong, the Cabinet fails to overcome the crisis, whole party will become a target of hatred of the mass people. So, today it is our noble duty to cooperate actively and to empower the Cabinet to solve the problem forgetting our personal gains. It is urgent to give scope for the Ministers to perform their duties freely by not making rush to their residences for personal benefit. It is not necessary to say something new about the terrible food crisis. Next two and half months will be very crucial time. We all shall have to be very careful so that we can overcome this crisis period successfully.
Translated by Sanjeeb Chowdhury
