The New Nation - Internet Edition

THE Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed emphasised in a recent function that all out efforts would be made in the on going Boro rice cropping season to make up for the losses of rice crops in recent months due to floods and the Sidr storm. It has also been noted that the armed forces are engaging in a supportive role for agriculture. The tasks are essentially for the civil administration to complete efficiently for getting the benefits of higher agricultural productivity leading to removal of fears about the country's food security. The Army Chief made a projection about increasing food grains production which is very relevant under the present circumstances. But how far the different ministries will discharge their responsibilities to attain the projected target.

Higher productivity in the coming Boro rice cropping season is also the expectation of all concerned in the country. But the realisation of this goal would depend crucially on the reaching of agriculture's key inputs to farmers. The most important of these inputs is fertiliser. Advisers heading ministries such as agriculture and industry, time and again were very critical of the press for giving coverage to fertiliser distribution which, in their view, were exaggerated accounts. They termed the fertiliser crisis covered in the media as sheer hypes. But the realities are far otherwise. Recently, the government was found scrambling to import at least two lakh tons of fertilisers in the country. But why this late start? It was stated earlier that there existed no shortage of fertiliser stocks in the country. If this is the actuality, then why this eleventh hour move to import fertilisers? Meanwhile, government appointed fertiliser dealers maintain that they are not even getting half the monthly supply of fertilisers against their entitlements from government stocks. The only consequences of such a state of things can be no other than prolonging the food insecure conditions of the country.

Prices of foodgrains are already high. The poor and the non-affluent in the population are suffering from high food prices. The present situation dictates the taking of all out measures to give a big boost to food grains production as the best way to avoid a worsening food situation. Increased food grain production apart from satisfying food requirements at affordable prices, will ease the pressure on the country's foreign currency reserve from the need to import costlier food. Reduction of food grains imports will significantly help the macro economy of the country. Food shortages, higher prices and related problems only sharpen socio-political discontent. Thus, urgent increase of food production is seen to be in the highest interest of the country. Awareness should be there at the highest level of the government where it matters, about this.

A RESEARCH study conducted by two professors of economics reveals that the micro-credit though acclaimed worldwide hardly contributes to improving the conditions of the poor in Bangladesh. According to a recent newspaper report, the state is responsible 'for nurturing poverty by allowing many organisations to cash in on the poor people's plight'. The findings of the study of the two researchers of Rajshahi University made the startling revelation that micro-credit has rather 'increased the overall indebtedness' of the poor in 75 per cent cases. Micro-credit has not changed the condition of 77 per cent of the recipients and failed to ensure land ownership of 76 per cent and failed to bring food security to 64 per cent. The study titled 'Role of Micro-credit in Poverty Eradication' covered Nilphamari district in the northern region. The researchers said that micro-credit programme 'nurtures poverty by continuing the vicious cycle of poverty capitalising on the vulnerability of the poor.'

According to the media report, only 23 per cent of the micro-credit recipients can bear the pressure of loan repayment installments and the remaining 77 per cent just fail to become successful due to the high rate of interests charged by the lenders as pointed out by another economist while speaking on the occasion. He claimed the interest rate ranges from 28 to 38 per cent. 'Poverty is inherent in our policy, our culture. We have seen politics using poverty and profiteering by sustaining it,' the Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor observed as chairman at a session of the biennial conference of the Bangladesh Economic Association recently where the research study was presented. Most of the micro-finance institutions have become profitable since micro-credit has proven to be a good business, it was pointed out. Micro-credit alone is not a panacea for poverty, as social transformation is required through process for any such drastic change and poverty alleviation.

Another research work, 'A Case Study of Grameen Bank and BRDB' has found that the benefits derived from micro-credit have 'not helped the recipients to cross the below-poverty line'. The amounts of credit taken by the recipients were not enough to generate effective income as in most cases, micro-credit helped in generating part-time self-employment that contributed little to poverty alleviation. The researchers, however, underlined the need for effective monitoring and assessment of utilisation of loans disbursed by the micro-credit organisations so that the beneficiaries could get the training necessary and generate income. It was recommended by the researchers that an amount of Tk 50,000 ceiling on micro-credit should be relaxed so that the recipients could undertake viable income generating projects to get out of poverty. Both the credit providers and the government should immediately bring down the unusual interest rates micro-finance organisations are charging, much higher than the commercial banks do, as the participants raised serious objections at the conference and demanded effective remedial steps.

Father Benjamin Costa

In human family diversities are natural relating to country, nationality, language, tradition, culture, creed and custom; even one person is not identical to another i.e. one is different from the other. Human beings are different from each other not only in respect of physical colour, body figure, social status, profession etc. but also regarding their mental attitude, emotional feelings, and in the way of thinking. So one cannot deny such diversities. As human beings we are all the same and the best creation of all creatures. In this connection we are the members of the same family possessing common human characteristics and same nature. Every generation inherits most of the properties left by its predecessor such as natural resources, arts and literature, scientific and technological objects of discovery and invention, social, moral, and spiritual values etc. In the article under discussion I want to put forward some thoughts on our spiritual inheritance unlike other inheritances.

The best qualities of human nature: Man got the highest place as the best creation above all created matters and living creatures. As per description of the 'Creations' in the Bible, God, after creating the world, vested responsibility on the people to make it beautiful and suitable for human habitation (orig. l: 26-28). Because by carrying out this responsibility it would be distinct that man is created after the image of God. So God-gifted human nature and its greatness is celestial.

Spirituality : Prior to speaking about spirituality we are to understand what do we mean by spirituality? The definition of it as given by the believers of different religions, even the definitions given by the different people might be naturally dissimilar. But I think, there would be some uniformity regarding the basic characteristics of spirituality because like morality spirituality is also very heartily received. The people of any religion would treat the person who is really spiritual as divine.

Spirituality, in the technical term of Christianity, is to maintain life under the control of soul. In man two opposite natures exist: one is physical or sinful and the other is soul-oriented nature. God is the Supreme Soul. The presence of that Soul in man is natural because that is created after the image of God. The Soul is unseen or abstract, but the result of its influence or control is distinct. According to the version of the apostle Paul, the trait or result of spirituality or to move under the control of soul is: devoutness, pleasure, peace, tolerance, pity, gentleness, patience, etc. (Galat. 5:22-23) and opposing to soul-oriented nature is sinful nature or lowly nature, and its characteristics are beastial ferocity, violence, greed and aggressive attitude (Ibid 5: 19-21).

The success of such austere ascetic practice to bring about the tendency of lowly nature under the control of Soul-oriented nature is called spirituality. Pak-Ruh or Supreme Soul exists throughout the universe. That Soul is the driving force of the higher spirit in life. So spirituality is said to be simply soundness of body and mind, positive sense of values, basic attitude at right earnest and perceiving Soul in the core of one's heart. This spirituality manifests divine virtues that smell sweetness of fragrance everyway automatically without asking for anything in return. Therefore the power of real divinity of spirituality is unbound.

Personal and collective spirituality : As perennial drops of water make the ocean, likewise a sum total of collective people build the society. The soundness of body and mind, natural human characteristics, people's well being, develops society due to person's endeavor and arduous devotion. Similarly spirituality has its great impact on the natural environment relating to its time and place. From the side of worldly thinking spirituality seems to be weak but it is strong in the sense of human aspects. For example, assaulting the enemies at war is praiseworthy as heroism in worldly sense but in spite of being lashed by oppression, humiliation, hatred, and enmity and hurt, on the contrary the person who habitually possesses tolerance at heart is in fact a spiritual personality. This spirituality cannot be bought by money or muscle power or earned by using intelligence. This is simply the outcome of one's complete self-resignation humbly to the power of the Supreme Soul.

The means of attainment of spirituality : Most of the time people think, spirituality can be attained by means of worship of burning rite, sacrificial rite, prayers and meditation, performance of ritual rites, fasting and saying prayers (namaz), promise to offer a particular sacrifice to a deity or Pir or mazar (grave) etc. In our daily life the practice of such ritual performances appear to be undeniably necessary but they do not play the principal role towards the development of spirituality. This cannot be attained in exchange of money or worldly properties. Rather recognising them at heart, cling. them to heart with complete resignation of oneself surrendering to Pak-Ruh, by fits and bounds, one becomes self-composed. Maintaining quietness sitting in a disturbance-free condition for deep meditation to have perception of life's mysteries, to bring, the sensual organs under control through quiet meditative worshiping along with the instinct of love for God transcendentally attaining amiable behaviour, gentility and patience (Colosian 3:12-20) to becoming perfect and excellent is said to be spirituality. And the real spirituality in person is received with due respect, adoration and appreciation. But the person who makes capital of those qualities to boost worldly gain becomes bankrupt spiritually. There is no end in spiritual movement.

Spiritual inheritance : The son possesses paternal properties as inheritance. Likewise every generation possesses inheritance of a huge acquired knowledge and discovered or invented properties as collected from ages together. Once this truth is evident that the planet earth moves around the sun, none tries to prove it otherwise for the second time. In the same way this human family got the discovery of radio and television as inheritance. Thus that inheritance turns to be the legacy. But in case of spiritual property this proposition does no apply. There is no certainty that the son of a spiritual person or family will be spiritual. The difference between the human spiritual qualities and other worldly properties depends on the concerned person's behaviour. Because those qualities develop and reflect on human character, as for example, social values, politeness, manners, hospitality, courtesy and conduct, moral values i.e. honesty, righteousness, sense of responsibility, religious values-saying prayer, worship, fasting, kindness, rendering service and taking care of the seek and helpless; spiritual-devotion, (Godly love i.e. love without sensuality), peace, merriment, gentility, forgiveness, benevolence, selflessness for others, forbearance, patience etc. are subject to one's constant practice. Nonetheless we find there a sum total feature of spirituality. The very influence of spirituality spread over the society. When a group of people held them as customary affairs then the neighbouring areas become spiritual under which the inhabitants of the area yield good result. In the same way we use to say Christian spirituality, Franciscan spirituality, Jesuit spirituality, Asian spirituality, Baul spirituality, Baishnov spirituality etc. All these we got from the sources of our inheritance. But all these have been emanated from the one and the same Pak-Ruh or sacred Soul.

From the source of inheritance we got the following aspects of spirituality, which have some special meaningful religious thoughts as popularly received and respected by the people of the respective religions are appended herewith.

(1) Religious books: Tawrat, Injeel, Bible, Quran, Tripitak, Granthasaheb, Veda-Purana, Bhagbat Geeta, Ramayana, Mahabharat, Sree-Krishnachareetamrita, Baul songs and literature, Baishnob Padabally, etc. are common human properties. Innumerable books, periodicals, newspapers on religious matters have been written, translated and interpreted with threadbare discussion, notes, thesis and analysis and printed, and preserved in almost all big libraries of all countries of the world. Any country, nation or man of any religion can be benefited and inspired by studying them.

(2) The ideals and teachings of the prophets and religionists: The immortal messages, teachings, ideals, thoughts and shown paths of Buddhadeb, Jesus Christ, Hazra1 Muhammad(SM), Confucious, Sree Krishna, Sree Ramkrisna, Sree Chaitanya are common properties of all the people of the world. None has monopoly or authority over anyone of them. They came on earth to motivate, inspire and show the righteous way to the people towards God. Their messages have the power to inspire and enlighten all people to the sense of spirituality.

(3) The philosophy and life of Peer-Fakir (mystic healer), Sufi- Dervish, Saims, BaulBaishnob: All of them are devotees. They go on righteous way and propagate their ways and means of respective tenets. Their ideals, life-styles and composed songs and literature can enlighten and inspire anyone of any religion spiritually.

(4) Religious places and symbols: In order to develop and refine their religious aspect of spirituality people have built innumerable churches, cathedrals, temples, mosques, sacred shrines, places of pilgrimage etc. Besides there are various religious symbols of spirituality such as the picture of Ka'ba Sharif, crucified statue of Jesus Christ, Cross, and the pigeon as the symbol of peace, etc. Any person of creed and colour visits these sacred places to attain peace at heart, to gain physical and mental comfort for alleviation of illness. These places can be considered as the common inherited properties of all mankind.

(5) Morality: Truth, justice, honesty, simplicity, purity, sense of goodness and badness, etc. are universal values. These positive eternal values are equally applicable and respectable to all irrespective of race, religion and colour.

(6) Peace, friendship and non-violence: Not only on account of religious tenets or philosophical theories, but also for its exercised values in use of our everyday life, peace, friendship and non-violence need be inculcated as the most precious elements of human family.

(7) Philosophy and doctrine: On account of human welfare various philosophical doctrines and tenets evolved for ages together. They can enlighten and imbue human beings irrespective of race, religion and colour.

(8) The sense of universal brotherhood: If the sense of brotherhood evolves in human families, spirituality will pervade the whole world. In my opinion the following subjects, more or less, are the bases of universal brotherhood:

(a) We are all inhabitants of the same world; hence we are the members of the same human family. Therefore we are brothers and sisters respectively.

(b) The Creator is one and the same. We all also believe in the same Creator who is One but in different names. The same God who created you also creates me. According to the Christian faith, He is Father, Son and the Sacred Soul. Therefore imitating Jesus Christ we may think of son's way and call God by the power of our soul as our Father. We possess that right by the water and soul in new birth. So if God is our Father, then we are brothers and sisters respectively.

(c) When the source of our life is one and the same, then our spiritual aims and objects in life should be one and the same. We all are inquest of peace and happiness knowingly or unknowingly. The deepest longing of each man is the same.

(d) All of us possess the voice of conscience and if we hear of its justice and run our life accordingly we can be independent human beings.

(e) Muscle power and beastly power are misuse of power: To shun this negative attitude from mankind we should put our best efforts by means of psychological motivation. To eradicate such evils from our society we should emphasise on moral education that is absent in our total education system. The very economical imbalance in the infrastructure of our social system needs transformation to equity in order to remove frustration between the haves and have-nots. Herein the devil gets time and space to create chaos and confusion in human society to exert its ferocious and horrendous muscle power and beastly power. That's the devil that creates war in the form of robbery and uses commerce as cheating to pollute our sacred soul and thus frustrate morality. This is that devil that made the human beasts with its muscle power-mechanically the machines of warfare distinctly to annihilate mankind. So every peace-loving people hate devil's notorious jobs. It is regrettable to mention here that there is lot of books to be taught on religious theories but no arrangement has ever been made to educate our wards in subjects of morality. If the religious education does not have any impact on one's conduct it becomes valueless. For this reason the behavioral change is more important than the theoretical religious education. Therefore as far as one's conduct is concerned the religion knowing proud Pundit may be inferior to a simple ignorant faithful.

From the source of inheritance of religion the entire human family gained huge spiritual properties. Only the proper use of these will enable people to be prosperous and happy. Unless and until unity among the human built is beings up in the sense of universal brotherhood, conflicts and warfare among the people shall continue. Then the beasts in mankind will overshadow love for spirituality. We should look forward to our spiritual uplift over those beasts in man to make this world fit for human habitation with love and friendship. Let us struggle for the survival of humanity with our inherited spiritual properties to subdue the notoriety of all the cursed devils..

(Translated by M. Mizanur Rahman)

Bijan Lal Dev

About 25,000 people die every day across the world, which is one person in every three and a half seconds, of hunger or hunger-related causes, according to the United Nations. Unfortunately, it is children who die most often. The deaths have one thing in common: they result from extreme poverty. Poverty keeps hungry people from buying enough food to nourish them. Poverty keeps sick people from receiving basic medical treatment or taking simple preventive measures against AIDS, Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Measles. The vast majority of these preventable deaths occur among the poorest people in the poorest countries. They do not have enough money for medical treatment as over 70 per cent of their income is being spent on food.

There is plenty of food in the world for everyone. The problem is that hungry people are trapped in severe poverty. They lack the money to buy enough food to nourish them. Being continuously malnourished, they become weaker and often sick. This makes them increasingly less able to work, which then makes them even poorer and hungrier. Over a billion people have to live on $1 a day or less. More than 800 million people most of them women and children know what it's like to go bed hungry. They are losing their health and lives, their potential for prosperity and their hope for a better future. 226 million children are stunted physically and mentally from malnutrition wrecking their chances for a good education and productive future. Millions of pregnant women miscarry or give birth to malnourished children. 2 million babies a year are so weak from hunger that they die when they get a bad case of diarrhoea. This downward spiral often continues until deaths for them and their families.

These should not be the phenomena of a civilised world. World should get rid of hunger and poverty. But how and when it would be furnished? And who will take the lead? These questions remained unresolved till 17th October 1987 when over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadero in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. Since then, the people of all walks of life have gathered there on the day to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor. The United Nations General Assembly on 22 December 1992 declared 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. From 1993 the Day is celebrated every year throughout the world. The theme for the Day in 2007 is 'People living in poverty as agents of change: 20th Anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. '

The UN estimated that about $195 billion a year is needed to stop deaths from hunger and poverty-driven diseases. Responding to the demand 22 developed countries in 2002 agreed to work towards each giving 0.7 percent of their national income as aid to the poorest countries. 5 countries have so far reached the goal. Another 11 countries set up a schedule to reach the goal from 2012 to 2015. But six potential countries including the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland have not yet set up a schedule to give 0.7 per cent. As a result, most of the least developed countries including Bangladesh cannot implement their poverty reduction initiatives including efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. In order to achieve MDGs, Bangladesh should get at least $7.5 billion in foreign aid in a year but Bangladesh gets 1.5 billion on average and specifically $1.625 billion in 2006-07 and $1.567 billion in 2005-06. Besides the majority shares of the aid came as loan and the percentage of grant is reducing every year.

Bangladesh has made some definite progress in the fight against poverty. The indicators like reducing child mortality, improving life expectancy, enhancing net primary enrolment, empowering women, participating by more and more women in economic activities, improving rural infrastructure and communication network, expanding micro-credit equally both in villages and slums in urban areas. But still there are a number of challenges to be addressed to eradicate poverty in Bangladesh and to achieve MDGs by 2015. These are: demolition of extreme poverty pockets concentrating in the northern region, removing social barriers in consolidating women's gains in social and economic fronts, accelerating the growth process by public-private partnership in all socio-economic sectors and ensuring good governance. Strong monitoring and coordination of the social safety net programmes to rein in their flaws and speed up the poverty alleviation process is also needed. At the same time, the authorities should note that the transfer of food and cash are complementary, not alternative to ensuring food for the extreme poor. Faster growth is essential for speedier poverty reduction. There is no other trick to it. At the same time, achieving a sustainable growth trajectory of around 8 per cent by 2015 is necessary to make a significant dent in poverty.

The Caretaker Government is progressing steadily to that goal in addition to its prime goal to ensure a free, fair and credible election and establish a sustainable corruption-free environment in the country. The on-going anti-corruption drive will also have an impact on reducing inequality in accumulating wealth and distributing resources to rural and urban areas in the long run. Let us put in our collective efforts to achieve a poverty-free Bangladesh where only a spirit of peace and prosperity will remain.

-(PID)