Dr Md. Shairul Mashreque :
Crisis syndrome, violence and terrorism interact with each other in a society passing through the stage of transition. Socio-economic and political factor contribute to crisis. Crisis culminates in violence/terrorism. Violence has an adverse effect on society and economy thus aggravating crisis situation. The propensity to crisis is inherent in uneven distribution. Crisis acquires a ‘pervasive character of instability, disequilibrium and conflict’. Crisis tantamount to the worsening conditions of inequality in terms of income distribution, growing level of poverty and malnutrition. Marginalization of deprived class in crisis-ridden areas eventually leads to the intensification of violence.
What seems to be stable and harmonious in appearance is disturbing and deplorable in reality. The crisis is more grave than is at first apparent. In transitional societies inherent contradictions in role relationship and governance shortage in the implementation of public policies and enforcement of laws provide sufficient ground for societal degeneration in absolute terms that jeopardizes human rights-all to the disenchantment of the vast body of commoners. In the normative order of things human relations based on understanding, amity and reciprocity fosters a congenial social environment. However, ‘polar antithesis’ to this desirable order of things with stable equilibrium is violence that points to the extreme level of ‘societal degeneration’ and ‘break down of normative order’.
In view of extremely complicated nature of man-made crises resulting in malfunctioning of social and economic relations it is not easy to go deepest into pathological situation-we mean violence. It presupposes the gravity of the crisis situation revealing disruptive tendencies in conflict and competition for ‘the benefits of the state.’
Social violence continues to be a major issue in contemporary society. If the causes of social violence could be identified then it would follow that by moderating those causes violent acts would decrease. Society would become less violent.The main causes are:
Dowry
Pseudo marriage
Unequal power relations in family and in larger social group
Socialization process devaluing women
Social; stigma against widowed women and house wife without child
Child marriage and polygamy
Fraudulence against divorced women
Divorce/separation
Disintegration of joint/complex joint family
Overpopulation
Climate change and migration
Unemployment
Drug proliferation and degeneration of youth forces
Use of narcotics and drugs by frustrated youth corner
Phenomenal growth of slums in cities
Abject rural and urban poverty
Gender discrimination and social exclusion
Adverse impact of electronic media and cell phone leading to cyber crime
Lack of social security and safety measures for vulnerable population
The most conspicuous factor causing social violence is proliferation of drug through the drug peddlers. The peddlers through interaction with poor young girls and boys sell drugs thus constituting a supply chain in a seemingly clandestine market. In fact urban slums in metropolitan cities have become dens of criminal activities with the peddlers supplying drugs. The impact of drug addiction is damaging leading the youth on to racks and ruin. They become criminals all with their violent behavior. Social violence disturbs peace causing structural tension. Currently there is much empirical evidence supporting the proposition that exposure to violence begets violence. There is also acceptance that models (theories) are useful tools for orientation to research and its coherent interpretation, and in the understanding forged by the integration of empirical data and theory creation of effective policy that will reduce violence. The policy is to control drug proliferation by any means. Motivate the youth to be prodding into positive action. True from within the model the current causes of violence can be fully understood. Social violence is fraught with undesirable social change resulting from so many contraindications of modern information and communication technology. Such contradictions have left the youth in the orgy of statelessness. They are quick at taking easy available drug out of frustration creating a reign of horror that comes in clash with the rights of many, especially women and child. The youth become desperate to have intoxicating drugs. They find it hard to give up the habit. Out of utter desperation they try to lift money and other valuables from the pedestrians as miscreants. Now security measures have been taken. CC camera will be set in important city points frequented by miscreants. The argument suggests that the immediate mediation of violence to which everyone is likely to agree is the thrust to eliminate damaging impacts of drug proliferation through a proper policy intervention.
Smuggling of drug is among trans-border crime. Drug trafficking very much concerns government, NGOs and civil societies. According to recent crime reports 30% of the crimes in Bangladesh are drug related and 70% are indirectly related to drugs. In fact criminal activities subject to prosecution are those of clandestinely peddling drugs and of snatching money from the pedestrians for purchasing drugs. Proliferation of drug has caused menacing setbacks leading to societal degeneration in absolute terms. Drugs attract the youth and the spoilt youth taking harmful intoxicating medicine and narcotics involve in offences and delinquencies. This trans-border crime has now become complex as a social problem with its spillover effects on neighboring countries.
By now this has happened to be a problem of contemporary significance. We should suggest security strategies and options ‘appropriate for Bangladesh perceiving non-traditional security environment at large and trans-border crimes in particular with emphasis on proliferation of drug. There seems to be relation between non-military threats and its impact on security with the help of trans-border crime like drug proliferation.’ Distressingly countries and scholars do not do nor have convergence of view on drug proliferation issue. Consequent upon it ever-growing cross-border threats tend to upset the traditional apparatus in dealing with this issue.
This trans-border crime involves the countries like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Singapore. Contemporary field studies visit drug prone areas in Bangladesh delving into drug abuse, trafficking through airport and sea port poppy cultivation in bordering districts of India and Bangladesh, prosecution and trial, operation of mobile court on drug.
In Bangladesh fast deterioration of law and order situation is due largely to proliferation of drugs. Some organized criminals with the blessings of God fathers work as drug peddlers. They have been caught up in the maphia circle. Opium(like heroin), cannabis, coken, Yaba and phensedyl, codaine-laced cough syrup, now available in plenty are enough to spoil the youth, both male and female. More often than not security forces and mobile court in operation seized huge amount of yaba and other drugs arresting the criminals. As news paper reports “The most common drugs used in Bangladesh stimulants. The teens are ignorant about variation of drugs. Some of them cannot feel the difference between stimulant and marijuana.”
Now violence rolls o to intimidate human beings. Mostly girls fall victim to violent activities committed by the drug addicts. Youth and spoilt child try to rape innocent girls. This crime has increased on a large scale as the miscreants are ruling the roost caring little for law and order. The drug related violence is difficult to tame. At home male drug addicts abuse their female counterpart. Unhealthy habits of drug addicted child mark his future.
The concern authority must take steps to control unruly youth as psychopath either through persuasion or through threat and liquidation. Yet the authority seems to be soft not cracking down on the offenders and imposters. Drug abuse is a great social vice luring the teenagers onto destruction. Once the drug like heroine wrecked havoc spoiling the society with negative impacts on law and order situation. Mostly the rackets in Europe and America were drug addicts disturbing normal community life. Its baneful effects were spiraling ruining the youth. Its demoralizing impacts on the youth concerns the researchers. It was reported that most rock stars especially hippy and other pope singing groups used heroine and other narcotics. Some resorted to begging not out of hunger but merely as a hobby. The western youth follow suit.
Dysfunctional student politics is a formidable threat to good governance. Contemporary student politics has been degenerated due largely to moral crunch. Value basis of student politics has nosedived into nothingness in the whirlpool of criminalization. This is due largely to the impact of drug abuse. Student politics has degenerated into politics of confrontation as a manifestation of violence. There is a common saying that student politics is now much more destructive.
Many among them are armed cadres earning bad names as extortionists using muscle power to illegally occupy land, abandoned properties, and vacant places with signboards. Many a time campus disturbance resulted in colossal destruction university assets like buildings, vehicles, garden and lounge. More often than not clashes in any educational campus left the derailed youth in an orgy of massive destruction of properties. Shops and establishments outside the campus were badly damaged due to the onslaught campus violence. There are reports that drug addicts among the students would like to collect money by force to defray the cost of addiction.
For drugs available in clandestine criminal dens are sold out at a high price “Students are getting involved faster than before in drug addiction as drug trafficking is increasing rapidly inside and outside the educational institutions everyday that not only injurious to an individual but also imperils the health of the entire social fabric with its fast cascading impact.” According to recent reports a large number of students including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka College, private universities are getting addicted to drug abuse day by day. The trend of drug abuse is no more limited to varsity students It has already contaminated the very young boys of schools and colleges
(Dr Md. Shairul Mashreque is the professor of Department of Public Administration, Chittagong University)
