Politics, bureaucracy and corruption
Z.A.M. Khairuzzaman mulls over some short stories
Durnitir Parihash
Ali Idris
Ekushey Bangla Prokashon
DURNITIR Porihash or mockery of graft is the ninth book of the author, Ali Idris, published at the book fair of February 2009. This is a compilation of ten short stories, one of which is named Durnitir Porihash after which the book has been titled.
The stories in the compilation have been written within a period between January and December 2008.
The author has dedicated the book to his expatriate daughter Tania Ali.
The lesson of graft is that he who commits it cannot escape it and that graft itself mocks the doer.
In short, the story narrates how a people's representative accumulated heaps of wealth at home and abroad and how all of his wealth fled from his possession, taking him back to his original position as soon as he has lost power.
Every year millions of taka are spent on development of rural areas in the country for construction of roads and canals, for renovation of schools and hospitals, for emergency help programmes. The aim is to improve the living standard of the rural population. But major parts of the planned infrastructure projects are usually never completed; schools and hospitals in the villages are in poor condition and commodities do not reach the needy. Influential politicians, bureaucrats and local elite are often the beneficiaries, using this public money for their private welfare. Their corrupt network undermines the aim of development policies.
The fact is that corruption always happens at the cost of the poor, makes it most important to fight it. And something can be done.
Ali Idris has waged a war against corruption and social inequalities by taking up the pen as a strong weapon.
This book shows how a corrupt lawmaker influences the everyday life of people. The writer has rightly proved that short stories can be an effective tool to fight against corruption and other social ills.
Other stories included in the book are Khudha, Soyombora, Auporadh Proman Kendra, Tsunami, Howrer Bou, Bachte Chai, Oporitoshonia, Porajoy, andabove all Mmukti Jodher Mrittu Nai.
Hunger defies all respect for self; hunger is so powerful that it makes a woman indifferent to the violation of her body . The story Khudha depicts a similar picture. Soyombora, Oporitoshonya, Porajoy chronicle the arrogance, stubbornness, unkindness and cruelty of women in our society with consequential defeat in life. Such calamitous women destroy peace and happiness and ruin families as well as the community. Howrer Bou, on the other hand, portrays the kindheartedness and other divine qualities of a woman who sacrificed herself to save her daughter. Eternal longing of human beings is to live in the world, but unfortunately many of us commit undesirable sins that lead us to death. The story Bachte Chai describes an intense desire of a man who cherishes life but has to embrace death. Auporadh Proman Kendra speaks about justice denied to thousands of women who are raped to death for want of evidence and witnesses displaced or concealed by police. An upright judge who hands down a verdict by freeing a guilty later finds that he has made a mistake. So he decides to establish an organisation which will fight for the appellants in the court of justice with evidence and witnesses collected voluntarily.
A Japanese who loses all of his family members in a tsunami roams about the beaches of the world with a camera in hand and looks for them . The story Tsunami narrates his sad tale. A Muktijoddha is a hero forever. One such freedom fighter who has liberated the country at great risk to his life, loses his mother and sister but never covets wealth. Yet he is murdered by a Razakar with ill motive, but people never forgot his sacred memories. Some of these stories have been published in Dainik Jugantar.
Z.A.M.Khairuzzaman is a working journalist. e-mail: khairz @yahoo.com.
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