Blind praise
The contradiction could not have been starker. A former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, in a signature campaign programme held for the unconditional release of the son of a former prime minister, urged the people present there to avoid “blind praise and sycophancy.” The contradiction was that he himself in the same programme said that the former PM's son “is one of the shining stars of the young generation and that he is the symbol of the country's independence.” (Bdnews24.com; April 21, 2010).
So, while he was advising others not to indulge in blind praise, he should have realized what he was doing. He should have sensed the sheer contradiction in his tone. He should have realized that what he was preaching to others was something he himself was not practicing. One would expect an intellectual like him, that too a senior academician and the ex-vice-chancellor of such a prestigious institution, to educate the nation in much better ways. One would expect him to spread the light of knowledge among the people of this country. But such partisan mindset is something which is so prevalent amongst people of all professions these days (lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, businessmen etc) that neutral and honest opinions are now hard to come across.
When intellectuals start behaving in such a “blind” way it hurts the entire nation badly.
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