Soul searching
I'd been a coward… I kept thinking what would people say. What would my friends say? What if they don't agree with me. Now, its high time I voice it out, if I don't write now, if I don't voice it now, may be it's not worth being flesh and blood. May be I'll lead a life of something I despise the most, a jellyfish--a creature with no spine.
For once, lets forget every reason, political, logical, ethical, every reason that you may come up with and think about the basics. I can only think of one word, massacre. Bloodshed is an understatement if we compare the event that took place in February 2009.
I'd been a proud Bangladeshi. Growing up, I'd heard stories of revolution for language, revolution for soil, the daring people of all ages, gender and classes who participated in our liberation war. Independence rang the date 25th March, rather than 26th for me, because I always envisioned the torture my people went through. I always wished that I were born then, so that I could've joined the war to avenge the mass murder. For years, I've retained a grudge against the Pakistanis until one day I came to realise, it's not worth it to hate an entire nation, when it was the fault of the ruling class.
Now that the children are orphaned, now that their thirst for blood is quenched, now the investigation starts. What would be the point exactly? This issue will be used by the opposition, the government to blame each other.
The biggest fault is within us. Before pinpointing anyone, I would point out myself. I am a Bangladeshi and I abuse my rights myself. I bribe, I bootlick powers for my own benefit, I support power and not ethics, I criticise our own real intellectuals, I am indifferent to my neighbours' well-being, I smile at someone's success like a hypocrite and squirm inside with jealousy.
“Where are you from?” I hesitate before I reply “B…Bangladesh”, and I'm ashamed as I remember February 2009.
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